The Art of Maya: An Introduction to 3D Computer Graphics

When you read the title "The Art of..." and afterwards is just a product guide and focus more on the software skills, you feel a bit deceive

I think some readers may be confused by the title, "The Art of Maya." This is not a coffe tale book showing some art made by Maya users. The title is a play on Sun Tzu's book, "The Art of War." That is exactly what this book is, it is a soup to nuts explaination of the "art" of using Maya.This is a beginer's book that goes into great detail about the concepts of using Maya. Many newbies might prefer to just by advanced books and learn all the WOW tricks that Maya has to offer. Of course then those users don't know why they went through the process they did to create a stunning image, and are left without any creative energy.This makes this book a MUST HAVE for beginers and intermediate users. Every bit of the under lying logic in how Maya works is explained.This is also a good "reading" book too. The problem with other Maya books that have projects is that you can not sit down and read them without being in front of your computer to do the projects. With "The Art of Maya," you can set it next to your nightstand and just read a chapter or two before bedtime; you can learn things without having to sit in front of the box.

You know how some companies offer really slick little illustrated booklets detailing their products, the advantages they offer, and all the features they have in an attempt to get you to buy the product? Well that's basically what this book is. It's essentially a 200+ page advertisement for Maya. It doesn't really attempt to teach you how to do anything in particular using Maya, but it does gloss over most of the features and the sorts of things you can do once you learn it.As a new Maya user and being brand new to 3-D modelling in general, I actually found it to be a decent and useful read. But I have to admit that I was hoping for, and expecting more of a tutorial. But it still gave me a decent "view from 10,000 feet" of the program, which is something few if any other books will give you. Also it is well written and very well illustrated, it just wasn't at all what I expected.If you are considering buying it to learn Maya, look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a decent overview of Maya, or are evaluating various 3-D tools, this may be a decent book to buy.

First off, if you have the second edition, there probably isn't enough new in the third edition to require the purchase. Noteable additions include features from Maya Unlimited, more on effects, mental ray, and longer production notes (industry profiles) section. The physical size has also been reduced, so it's less of a coffee table book and more of a practical reference book.For those considering this book for the first time... "This book is designed to give you a conceptual understanding of how Maya works" as stated on page 5. In this capacity, the book succeeds. If you're looking for a how to book or projects to work though, this isn't the book for you. If you're looking for an introduction to 3D in general, then read on...The book gives a firm foundation to begin understanding 3D with Maya, but most of the concepts presented are applicable to every major 3D modeling/animation program. It helps if you have at least played with Maya, but it is not required. It provides a good overview of modeling, texturing, rendering, effects, and animation. The entire book is packed with sample images and screen shots, which greatly clarify the concepts in the text. It is also full color throughout (which makes the price here exceptional).In all, a great introduction to 3D concepts and terminology.

excellent