mi4014zahrafaris

[mi4014zahrafaris]

What I could do on Maya for the first time

A Ramp.

All I did was a ramp, and it was on accident.

Guys hOW DO I EVEN USE MAYA AND MAKE A WORLD-

[mi4014zahrafaris]

The Brief

"which every idea, nuance and surprise is based on your own personal interpretation of ‘delight’."

What an interesting way to start in my opinion...

Guess thats going to be vibe for this module guys!

So to my understanding, our final deliverable is a world that we find to be utterly delightful being perceived in a scenic way through perhaps a train window, as the train itself, maybe following the train- its honestly endless. Completely unrelated but the whole "edit together everyone's animations" at the end of the module is adorable. I love it so far.

Oh! and the final deliverable apart from the blog:

"30 second CGI Animation with Audio"

Sounds good to me, how delightful.

Thanks for reading!

[mi4014zahrafaris]

My research on Autodesk Maya!

(Warning: This makes reasonable sense if you use Maya)

So, Maya- What on Earth is it?

Maya is a leading 3D computer graphics and animations software created by Autodesk. It provides the entire tool set for creating 3D models, rigging characters, stimulating effects, animating motion and helps rendering final images.

The Core capabilities of Maya surround modelling with both NURBS and polygon tools; animation and rigging with keyframing, MO-CAP (motion capture integration) skinning, skeletons, liquid simulations (using Bifrost), cloth, particles, rendering- the whole kit and kaboodle. Maya is also known to support modern day workflows with collaborative pipelines, allowing custom interfaces to be prioritized for each task.

Unlike the some of the other 3D software available in the market, Maya is platform-agnostic which basically means it's designed for any workspace PC. Be it Windows, Apple or Linux- Maya will continue to be adaptable and is heavily adopted in film and game production.

Despite the nightmare this software is (according to more local opinions), Maya is easily considered to be an industry standard for effects and animations. SO, consensus is that we have no choice but to learn it. Someone call the psych ward.

On the other hand, I learned that Autodesk also has this called "Autodesk 3ds Max" which is quite popular amongst architects and model constructions for games. Unfortunately, its a windows only software. Oh! and Blender, can't forget that now can we? Blender is an open source, free to use software that is a popular alternative to use and is often used by indie artists. Both more or less have the same features, apart from the ability to animate.

More below the cut!

Autodesk Maya does various things, such as:

Modeling: NURBS and Polygonal modeling tools are used for props, characters and vast environments.

Rigging & Animation: Advanced rigging (skeletons, IK/FK) and animation (keyframing, graph editor, motion capture, nonlinear clips) support.

Simulations & Effects: Bifrost engine for realistic dynamics (fluids, cloth, smoke, destruction) and particle effects.

Shading & Rendering: Integrated Arnold renderer and Lookdev tools for high-quality lighting/materials.

Pipeline & Extensibility: Scripting (MEL/Python), USD workflows, and plugins (Unreal Live Link, etc.) allow custom pipelines

Modeling: Breakdown

NURBS - How it works:

These models define shapes using surfaces and curves that are mathematically calculated. These curves are predefined by weight values and control points which allow for continuous and smooth surfaces.

Advantages:

Scalability: These kind of models can be scaled up or down without losing surface quality or accuracy. 

Precision: This offers high precision and can represent curves and surfaces exactly, making them ideal for products requiring tight tolerances and smooth surfaces. 

Flexibility: It also allows for complex shapes and smooth organic forms. 

Disadvantages:

Rendering: NURBS models can be more challenging to render in real-time, especially for complex scenes. 

Limited Support: modeling with this is less commonly supported in game engines and some other real-time applications.

Complexity: it can be more complex to learn and use than polygonal modeling, requiring a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts

Polygonal - How it works:

This type of modeling is built from a net or 'mesh' of interconnected polygons, usually triangles, hence the name. The more polygons are used in a project, the smoother the surface would appear to be.

Advantages:

Flexibility: these models can be easily edited and manipulated due to the multiple points.

Real Time Performance: It is generally easier to render in real time, which make it the ideal method of modeling for other applications and game production.

Wide support: It can be opened and viewed in various 3D software and platforms.

Disadvantages:

Resolution dependent: When scaled down, polygonal models lose its smoothness and may require additional polygons for complex shapes.

Approximation: This model method approximates curves and flat surfaces automatically, which usually leads to loss of quality and precision later on- especially when the polygon counts are quite low.

FK AND IK: Breakdown

Kinematics

Definition: "It is the study of how objects move, without considering the forces that cause that motion." Also known as the "Geometry of Motion".

Now, Forward Kinematics (FK) and Inverse Kinematics (IK), In simple terms, are two differing ways to control a characters limbs. FK is what moves the limbs in a sequence while IK moves the end of the limb and everything adjusts accordingly. FK provides direct control over each individual joint while IK simplifies the entire animation.

FK -

How it works: It moves a limb by manipulating each and every joint in a chain, one after the other. So to move an arm, for example, one must first rotate the shoulder, then the elbow and then finally the wrist.

FK gives complete control over each joints position and general orientation, making it ideal for precise manipulation.

This is often recommended for flowing and natural movements such as swinging an arm or making a character run.

IK -

How it works: it's by defining a target of movement, such as a hand, then calculating the joint angles needed to move the limb to that target.

It gives the chance to have a more intuitive sense of control over the end of a limbs position. For example, if the character was to grab an object- the arm will automatically readjust to accommodate the movement.

It's used in situations where one may need to precisely position a limb like when the character is reaching for something or walking in uneven terrain. It's also used for complex interactions between characters and their existing world.

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How it compares to other tools in general:

It's technically a full animation suite for people to use honestly, given that it excels in most functions as well as animation and cinematic pipelines. In regards to industry comparisons, it is considered to be an all rounded software for Animation or VFX, while 3d Max is golden for architecture and Blendr is good on cost and functionality (i mean... it's free. Can't get any better than that). But when it comes to AAA games, TV/film productions, Maya is considered to be the holy grail for many producers despite it's advanced nature.

Now, Maya is a 'use-to-be-understood' kind of software in my personal opinion. But if this whole thing scared you and rightfully so, here are some noteworthy productions (games and others) that have been made with Maya just to give you some motivation:

Animated Films: Frozen (Disney, 2013) and Wreck-It Ralph (2012) – early Disney/Maya. More recently, Pixar’s Toy Story 4 (2019), Illumination’s The Secret Life of Pets, and Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse all employed Maya in their pipelines.

Visual Effects: Marvel and Star Wars blockbusters (Endgame, Rise of Skywalker), Disney’s The Lion King (2019) – VFX studios used Maya/Arnold for characters and FX.

TV/Streaming Series: Arcane (Netflix) – Maya formed the core of Fortiche’s animation, The Mandalorian (Disney+) – many creature rigs and FX in Maya; anime-style CG shows like One Piece (CGI specials).

Games: The Last of Us series (Naughty Dog) – Maya for character. God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica) and Uncharted sequels – use Maya for character rigs and motion (see community videos). Borderlands franchise – as above, New Tales from the Borderlands (Gearbox) used Maya for 2D and 3D cinematics. Activision Blizzard Studios (their film/TV arm) used Maya for animating Call of Duty: WWII cutscenes and for their early Skylanders animations. Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ubisoft showed their entire animation pipeline from Maya → MotionBuilder → in-game engine, with real-time lighting previews thanks to custom Maya plugins.

All in all, Maya is one awesome tool.

Thanks for reading and more to come!

[mi4014zahrafaris]

Here we go again, but make it 3D

The Master List <3

Brief Related:

The Brief Analysis

Concept Idea

Class Work:

The Little domain: Maya Test Run

Research:

Autodesk Maya: What it is and does