Introduction to Maya

At the beginning of term we were given a couple of lessons introducing us to the powerful tool that is Autodesk Maya. We started off by getting to know the interface - which is somewhat intimidating - and learning the actions of a few buttons that we'd be using. We also learned about file management, which will definitely prove to be useful as I start using the programme more often. This lead us on to properly begin with the basics - how to create simple shapes such as spheres and cubes, and how to colour them by using a 'lambert' through the Hypershade window. We utilised these skills by creating our own mini-city.

It was at this stage that we were briefly introduced to keyframing within Maya, how to create a camera, and how to make it move through the scene. I found this quite challenging, however with practice I will become more skilled at it.

I practiced the skills I had learned by creating my own name - I did this by using the 'Extrude' tool, and by using another lambert in Hypershade. I also tried creating other letters in the alphabet, and learned to use 'Booleans' when trying to create letters with holes in, such as 'A'.