Description:
If you’ve seen Star Wars: Episode I then you’ve seen Maya’s dynamics animation at work. "Dynamics" refers to Maya’s mathematical solutions for physics-based animation, such as the way objects collide (think crashing Pod Racers) or the way particles flow (fire, smoke, water, etc.). In Learning Maya 5: Dynamics, the authors explore all the ways Maya’s Dynamics can be used to create these effects without, well, going down in flames. Part of the "Learning Maya" series, Dynamics covers the use of particles, rigid and soft bodies, hardware and software rendering, particle goals and other topics. Although aimed squarely at Maya artists with some experience, the book includes a CD with the necessary project files for anyone to load and dissect, as well as a DVD introducing features new to Maya 5. Beginning with an exploration of rigid body dynamics, using the crashing of a bowling ball into 10 bowling pins as an example, the authors demonstrate many of the basic procedures used in building a dynamics system. The next chapter builds on the previous one by showing how to build a wind chime. Again, we have a simple example demonstrating an advanced technique. The wind chime uses the same forces of dynamics seen in the bowling ball example (the chimes crash into each other and bounce around) but we have an added layer of complexity in that the chimes hang by a string, and so are limited in their movement. Using a system of constraints, we learn how to restrict the movement of these virtual objects. Subsequent chapters explore particles and their use in creating fire, smoke, sparkles, and even flocks of models like butterflies. Particles, constraints, and dynamics are used daily in commercial animation, but there are so many variables and different approaches it can often get confusing. Dynamics teaches, through example, how these system can be put to work and how to control them quickly and easily. --Mike Caputo
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