How to Cheat in Maya 2017: Tools and Techniques for Character Animation

521 Pages·2018·607.6 MB·english

by  Naas

Contents Contents
HOW TO CHEAT IN
MAYA 2017: TOOLS
AND TECHNIQUES
FOR CHARACTER
ANIMATION

HOW TO CHEAT IN
MAYA 2017: TOOLS
AND TECHNIQUES
FOR CHARACTER
ANIMATION
Paul Naas
First published 2017
by Focal Press
70 Blanchard Road, Suite 402, Burlington, MA 01803
Simultaneously published in the UK
by Focal Press
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Focal Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Taylor & Francis
The right of Paul Naas to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with
Sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our
understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any
information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they
should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional
responsibility.
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
Names: Naas, Paul E., author.
Title: How to cheat in Maya 2017 : tools and techniques for character
animation / Paul Naas.
Description: Boca Raton : Taylor & Francis, CRC Press, 2018. | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017039225| ISBN 9781498797085 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN
9780815379942 (hardback : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Maya (Computer file) | Computer animation. | Computer
graphics--Computer programs.
Classification: LCC TR897.7 .N334 2018 | DDC 006.6/96--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017039225
Publisher’s Note
This book has been prepared from camera-ready copy provided by the author.
Contents
How to Cheat and Why ..............ix 2 Splines .........................59
Acknowledgments ....................xiii How Splines Work ......................61
Splines and Spacing .................67
How to Use This Book ................xv
Tangent Types ............................74
Tangent Handles .......................82
1 Animation
Principles .......................1 Spline Technique ......................89
Spline Reference .......................92
Squash and Stretch .....................2
Interlude .......................................96
Anticipation ...................................6
Staging ...........................................10
3 Graph Editor .............103
Straight Ahead/
Pose to Pose .................................15 Graph Editor Windup .............104
Overlapping Action/ Visual Tools ................................107
Follow-through ..........................22 Working with Keys ...................116
Slow In/Slow Out.......................26 Value Operators .......................120
Arcs .................................................30 Buffer Curves ............................124
Secondary Action ......................33 Speed Cheats ............................128
Timing ...........................................38
Exaggeration ..............................42 4 Techniques ............... 133
Solid Drawing ............................46 Auto Key .....................................134
Appeal ...........................................50 Timeline Techniques ..............138
Interlude .......................................54 Cartoony Motion .....................144
v
Contents
Trax Editor ..................................147 Adding Hair and Cloth ..........286
Copying Curves .......................151 Interlude .....................................294
Editable Motion Trails ............159
IK and FK .....................................167 8 Workflow ..................299
IK/FK Switching ........................171
Planning/Reference ................300
Character Sets ..........................178
Converting Cycles ...................308
Grease Pencil Tool ...................182
Stepped Keys .............................311
Grease Pencil and Trails.........190
Stepped Preview .....................318
Interlude .....................................196
Moving Holds When
Splining.......................................322
5 Constraints ...............199
Moving Holds with the
Parenting ....................................200 Retime Tool ................................332
Parent Constraints ..................205 Refining Arcs in Polish ...........335
Constraining a Prop ...............210 Final Texture ..............................340
Constraint Weights .................214 Interview ....................................344
Animating with
Constraints ................................219
9 Cycles .........................353
Interlude .....................................229
Cycle Basics ...............................354
Stride Length ............................361
6 Rigging Cheats ........233
Walk Cycle ..................................370
Rig Testing .................................234
Flying Cycle ...............................376
Sprucing it Up ..........................246
Quad Cycles ..............................386
Rigging Props ...........................254
Interlude .....................................257
10 Referencing ..............391
7 Standing Out ............261 Referencing Basics ..................392
Adding BlendShapes .............262 Offline Edits ...............................399
Adding Clusters .......................270 Saving Reference Edits ..........405
Wrap Deformer ........................280 Interlude ......................................411
vi
Contents
11 Facial Animation ......415 Final Touches ............................463
Planning and Prep ..................416 Interlude .....................................468
Core Poses .................................420
12 Animation Layers ....471
Lip Sync 1—Jaw Motion .......426
Lip Sync 2—Mouth How Animation
Corners........................................430 Layers Work ...............................472
Lip Sync 3—Mouth Animation Layer Basics .........474
Shapes .........................................434 Cheating a Cycle ......................481
Lip Sync 4—Tongue ...............439 Layers for Texture ....................489
Blinks ...........................................443 Interlude .....................................494
Blink and Brows .......................448
Index ............................................499
Eye Darts ....................................457
vii

How to Cheat and Why How to Cheat and Why
How to Cheat and Why
The Truth about Cheating
When we hear the word “cheating,” we usually think of something negative: decep-
tion, trickery, or chicanery. But in this book, cheating is a good thing. If you’ve watched
someone who’s a master of something do their thing, it can seem unreal, almost like
they’re … cheating! But really they just have experience and an in-depth knowledge of
how to achieve their goal. They know the most efficient way to do a task and make their
tools work for them.
That’s the goal of this book: to give you in-depth knowledge of animating with Maya
so you can skip over the trial-and-error, constant web searches, and pouring through
Internet forums. Since Maya can be a technical minefield of complex menus and settings,
you need someone to help you navigate this sophisticated program and get right down
to the most important thing: performance. When it comes down to dodging discourage-
ment, avoiding adversity, and side-stepping setbacks, you want all the cheats you can get!
Our goal is for you to come to view this book as your on-hand reference guide as you
study the art of motion.
The Philosophy
Throughout our teaching experiences, one of the methods we found to be extremely
effective in quickly transferring knowledge is the isolation of a concept; really honing in
on a single task and practicing until the knowledge is ingrained. This may seem obvious
but it’s rare to come across an animator who didn’t learn by studying performance while
simultaneously wrestling all of the technical concepts in their student work. This book
ix