Maya Course

Lesson 1 • Creating and Managing Scene Objects

Teaches object creation, selection, and organization using groups and layers. Directly supports clean scene management throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Core 3D Concepts and Terminology

Introduces axes, coordinate systems, and object transforms. Provides the conceptual vocabulary required for precise 3D work in Maya.

Lesson 3 • Maya Interface and Workspace Overview

Covers the main UI panels, menus, and viewport layout. Establishes spatial awareness needed for all subsequent modeling and animation tasks.

Lesson 1 • Box Modeling Workflow

Applies a start-from-primitive approach to build organic and hard-surface forms. Students model a complete prop using iterative refinement.

Lesson 2 • Subdivision and Smooth Mesh Preview

Teaches smooth mesh preview and subdivision workflows for high-resolution output. Connects low-poly modeling to final polished results.

Lesson 3 • Polygon Mesh Components

Explains vertices, edges, and faces as the building blocks of polygon geometry. Mastery here is prerequisite for all modeling operations.

Lesson 4 • Essential Mesh Editing Tools

Introduces Extrude, Bevel, Bridge, and Insert Edge Loop tools. These operations form the core toolkit for building complex shapes.

Lesson 1 • UV Layout and Texel Density

Focuses on packing UV shells efficiently and matching texel density across assets. Consistent density ensures uniform texture quality in renders.

Lesson 2 • Automatic and Planar Projection

Covers automatic UV generation and planar projection for simple surfaces. Establishes quick-start methods before manual unwrapping techniques.

Lesson 3 • Manual Unwrapping with UV Editor

Teaches seam placement, unfold, and layout tools for precise UV control. Manual unwrapping is critical for complex organic and hard-surface models.

Lesson 1 • Texture Maps and File Nodes

Covers importing image textures and connecting them to shader attributes. Proper file node setup ensures correct color space and tiling behavior.

Lesson 2 • Applying Textures to Complex Models

Applies multi-material setups and texture baking to fully textured assets. Consolidates UV, shading, and texturing skills into a complete workflow.

Lesson 3 • Physically Based Rendering Materials

Builds PBR material workflows using the Arnold Standard Surface shader. Students replicate real-world surface properties such as metal, glass, and fabric.

Lesson 4 • Procedural Textures and Utilities

Introduces Maya's procedural texture nodes and utility nodes for dynamic shading. Procedural methods reduce reliance on external image files.

Lesson 1 • Lighting Fundamentals in Maya

Covers light types, intensity, color temperature, and shadow settings. Solid lighting knowledge is prerequisite for all rendering exercises.

Lesson 2 • Cameras and Render Output

Sets up render cameras with correct focal length, depth of field, and output resolution. Camera settings directly affect the final image composition.

Lesson 3 • Arnold Render Settings and Sampling

Configures Arnold's sampling, ray depth, and noise reduction parameters. Proper settings balance render quality against computation time.

Lesson 4 • Three-Point and Studio Lighting Setups

Teaches classic key, fill, and rim lighting arrangements for product and character shots. These setups form the basis of professional lighting rigs.

Lesson 1 • Skinning and Weight Painting

Covers smooth bind skinning and weight painting to attach geometry to the skeleton. Accurate weights prevent mesh deformation artifacts.

Lesson 2 • Joint Chains and Skeleton Creation

Covers joint placement, orientation, and hierarchy for character skeletons. Correct joint setup is the foundation of every functional rig.

Lesson 3 • Inverse Kinematics and FK Controls

Teaches IK handle creation and FK control setup for limb animation. IK/FK blending gives animators flexible posing options.

Lesson 4 • Facial Rigging with Blend Shapes

Creates blend shape targets for facial expressions and phoneme shapes. Facial rigs extend character rigs to support dialogue and emotion.

Lesson 1 • Walk Cycles and Locomotion

Builds a looping walk cycle addressing weight, hip sway, and arm swing. Locomotion cycles are a core deliverable in game and film pipelines.

Lesson 2 • Blocking and Pose-to-Pose Animation

Teaches stepped-key blocking to establish key poses and timing before refinement. Blocking first prevents wasted effort on poorly timed animation.

Lesson 3 • Spline Refinement and Curve Editing

Converts blocked animation to spline curves and refines motion arcs. Smooth, controlled curves are the hallmark of professional animation.

Lesson 4 • Animation Workflow and Graph Editor

Introduces the timeline, keyframe workflow, and Graph Editor for curve editing. Mastery of these tools is essential before applying animation principles.

Lesson 1 • Bifrost Fluids and Visual Effects

Uses Bifrost to create liquid and smoke simulations for hero effects shots. Bifrost extends Maya's native capabilities for high-end VFX work.

Lesson 2 • Particle Systems and nParticles

Introduces nParticle emitters, fields, and render types for effects like smoke and sparks. Particle systems are fundamental to visual effects work.

Lesson 3 • Scene Assembly and Shot Layout

Assembles characters, environments, and effects into a cohesive production shot. Proper scene organization prevents performance and pipeline issues.

Lesson 4 • Rigid Body and nCloth Simulation

Covers Maya's nCloth and rigid body solvers for dynamic object behavior. Simulations add physical realism that manual animation cannot easily replicate.