Learning Maya 5: Character Rigging and Animation

Rating:
Summary: Rigging? Yes! Animation? No!
Review: Actually, I'm quite pleased with this one. Alright, it's not the best book about 3d I've ever read, but if you want to learn how to set up your characters and how to build logical control systems in Maya, it's awesome. I really loved that you're not "alone" - The book ships with 2 DVDs, with extensive Video Coverage (unfortunately in quite bad quality) and shows you exactly how you're dealing with problems.

Well, if you want to learn how to rig characters in Maya, this is the book for you. But if you want to learn how to create nifty animations and already know everything you need to know about Rigging - You'll make a mistake with buying this book!

One last thing about the sample files: The sample data is awful. You'll rig a character model that's not even third rate (actually, it's converted from NURBS to Polygons) and therefore it's a lot more techical than many of you would prefer...

Rating:
Summary: Hmm...
Review: The reason I bought this book was not to learn "Rigging" or "Animation" as such, but to get a more solid basic understanding of rigging in Maya. After reading the book and doing the exercises, I am pleased to say that I have a deepened and clarified understanding of many aspect of the rigging process in Maya, as I had hoped.

That being said, please do not ONLY read this book! On the "art" side the book is.. well quite awful. If that was just an aesthetic problem it would be ok, but it's not. By "art" I mean everything that is not strictly technical, more or less. Things like the bad and overly subdivided Model, the seemingly low level of understanding and conveying of motion and animation, the lack of consistency and attention to eg. jointplacement, the very bad deformations in the scene files, a lot of "not so good" rigging choices - some of which probably have their root in tradition - and so on.

Still I got a lot of small.. ohh's, some new nice concepts and in general a new sense of being at home as a Maya rigger. The book is generously equipped with video of most of the material covered, scene files+ and a bonus of Learning Maya | Exploring Maya 5 on the accompanying CD's - Nice.

So, buy this book to learn about or solidify your basic Maya rigging skills. For training on rigging and animation(!!) in general, please find your info elsewhere, as this book is not only incomprehensive, naturally due to the scope of the topic, but in my humble opinion also teaches some really bad manners and conveys some approaches that will only make you stray from the path. :)

Web: www.cgtalk.com - Maya rigging forum
Animation:The Animators Survival Kit - A Book

Rating:
Summary: Hmm...
Review: The reason I bought this book was not to learn "Rigging" or "Animation" as such, but to get a more solid basic understanding of rigging in Maya. After reading the book and doing the exercises, I am pleased to say that I have a deepened and clarified understanding of many aspect of the rigging process in Maya, as I had hoped.

That being said, please do not ONLY read this book! On the "art" side the book is.. well quite awful. If that was just an aesthetic problem it would be ok, but it's not. By "art" I mean everything that is not strictly technical, more or less. Things like the bad and overly subdivided Model, the seemingly low level of understanding and conveying of motion and animation, the lack of consistency and attention to eg. jointplacement, the very bad deformations in the scene files, a lot of "not so good" rigging choices - some of which probably have their root in tradition - and so on.

Still I got a lot of small.. ohh's, some new nice concepts and in general a new sense of being at home as a Maya rigger. The book is generously equipped with video of most of the material covered, scene files+ and a bonus of Learning Maya | Exploring Maya 5 on the accompanying CD's - Nice.

So, buy this book to learn about or solidify your basic Maya rigging skills. For training on rigging and animation(!!) in general, please find your info elsewhere, as this book is not only incomprehensive, naturally due to the scope of the topic, but in my humble opinion also teaches some really bad manners and conveys some approaches that will only make you stray from the path. :)

Web: www.cgtalk.com - Maya rigging forum
Animation: The Animators Survival Kit - A Book

Rating:
Summary: good,need to be excellent
Review: this book is rare and when i saw it icouldnt prevent my self from getting it , but also it needs more explanation and the author should talk about the ready technics that enhance and accelerate the job of creating the characters .