Introduction to Autodesk Maya

When first learning Maya, familiarize yourself with how shapes work in a virtual 3D environment.

Autodesk Maya is the industry standard for 3D animation, visual effects, and modeling. In addition to low-cost alternatives for students, Autodesk also offers a free trial of Maya for download on its website. With the 30-day free trial, those new to the software can explore all the features of Maya while waiting for their copy to arrive.

The Mouse

You will need to purchase a three-button mouse to use Maya. The mouse is an essential tool for navigating through the 3D virtual space, and is the first step to familiarizing yourself with the workspace.

The View Panes

Slide the cursor over the perspective window and tap the spacebar; this will reveal the four panes Layout. It is a good idea to begin by placing objects into this space to learn the dimensions you will be dealing with.

Creating Objects

Check your Status line on the top left of the screen, and ensure that it is set to modeling (select the arrow next to the status to change it). In the Menu select "Create" > "Polygon Primitives," and choose a couple shapes to drop into the environment.

Manipulating Objects

The shortcut buttons for manipulating your objects can be found on the far left. Learn how the space works by testing these functions to place the objects in the places you plan them to be.

References

• "Maya 5 Savvy"; Kundert Gibbs Lee; 2004