Overview
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The Maya toolset for 3D environment modeling and shading is extensive and powerful. Learn to build natural exterior scenes in this series of video training tutorials.
Syllabus
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Introduction
- Natural environments in Maya
- What you need to know
- Using the exercise files
- 360-degree scene layout
- Camera-centric scene layout
- Understanding scene scale
- Adjusting Grid settings
- Camera position and clip planes
- Modeling a spherical backdrop
- Setting up a camera for a cube map
- Rendering cube map images
- Modeling a skybox
- Mapping a skybox
- Shading a skybox
- Modeling a planar backdrop matte painting
- Shading a backdrop matte painting
- Constraining backdrops to the camera
- Setting terrain level of detail
- Creating a polygon disc primitive
- Applying a 2D height map with Texture Deformer
- Applying a 3D procedural height map
- Creating a texture reference object
- Resolving incompatibilities using Layered Texture
- Combining height maps with Layered Texture
- Using the 3D Paint tool
- Adjusting height maps with 3D Paint
- Modeling with Mesh Sculpting tools
- Modeling with Sculpt Geometry tool
- Altering topology with Edit Mesh tools
- Optimizing UV layout
- Procedural modeling with 3D Paint Effects
- Drawing Paint Effects strokes
- Customizing Paint Effects strokes
- Customizing a Paint Effects brush
- Converting Paint Effects to polygons
- Controlling Paint Effects level of detail
- Preparing a scene for XGen
- Binding an XGen preset description to polygons
- Managing XGen file assets
- Adjusting XGen primitive attributes
- Understanding XGen attribute expressions
- Using the XGen Expression Editor
- Introducing SeExpr syntax
- Editing a random expression in SeExpr
- Loading SeExpr scripts from disk
- Binding XGen to a camera-based polygon selection
- Painting XGen attribute maps with Ptex
- Preparing an XGen scene for shader development
- Shading XGen splines
- Developing the look of the hair physical shader
- Previewing XGen colors with a global expression
- Shading Paint Effects with standard surface
- Converting Paint Effects textures
- Correcting Paint Effects transparency
- Rendering translucency with subsurface scattering
- Shading terrain slope with Snow texture
- Creating a 3D fluid container for clouds
- Texturing a 3D fluid container
- Rendering volumetric clouds in Arnold
- Rendering haze with Arnold Standard Volume
- Next steps
