pwd Maya 3D Graphics - what is it? Why take it?

Maya for 3D (x, y and z) graphics and animation

CS 2880 Topics in Computing: 3D Graphics in Maya - 2-3:15 TTh TTh Spring 2016

CS 2880 11
3D Graphics in Maya

  1. Maya has won 3 academy awards.
    In 2008 the team that developed Maya's fluid effects system were given an Academy Award for technical achievement, the third the software itself has been awarded so far.

    In addition, Maya has been used to create the award winning special effects on every movie for the past 15 years.

  2. "Alias Software's Maya is well known as a cutting edge 3D application. Early in March of 2003, Alias Software won an Oscar for Scientific and Technical Achievement for the development of Maya. Among its many credits, Maya was used to create visual effects in several Oscar winning and nominated movies, including The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Spider-Man, and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. According to one of my sources, Maya is used for up to half of the available 3D work opportunities." Nathan Segal.

  3. Projects from UNI CS 2880 Maya 3D Graphics in Maya students:

    1. UNI Panther life in your dorm room: Hagemann, Rider, Shull, Noehren, Campbell, Lawther, Dancer, Bender, ...

      Maya was used in the creation of the 2013 University of Northern Iowa Spring Commencement Electronic Media video shown at the graduation ceremony in McLeod Center. Grant is a Communications: Electronic Media major who took Maya in fall of 2012, making great use of it in the video shown at the most recent UNI graduation ceremony!

    2. UNI Maya 3D Graphics Animation projects from 2008 and 2009.

    3. Spring of 2013 student projects: First project by Tyler has an audio adventure inspired by Batman comics/movies to accompany the graphics.

    4. Every episode of VeggieTales after King George and the Ducky was animated using Maya. It is used in combination with CorelDRAW to animate the cartoon South Park.

  4. Be sure to watch this You Tube video to see the Animation Mentor school student showcase. All of their work is done using Maya software.

  5. Maya has been used in the production of just about every major film involving computer-generated effects since its release, including Star Wars Episode I, Spider-Man, Lord of the Rings, Stuart Little, etc.

    1. Here is a link to the top 100 grossing films of all time. What percentage of these contain significant computer generated 3D visual effects? How many movies from the TOP 20?

    2. Of course, you don't want to forget those commercials. Talking lizards that sell car insurance. Super bowl commercials in 2008.

    3. Engineering and CAD (Computer Assisted Design) using Maya: What percentage of things that you own began life as a virtual model? Not to mention bridges, boats, tractors, combines, airplanes and buildings!

    4. Maya is used by Architects as well as Artists, Game Designers, Animators, Scientists and Film Makers.

      What were the majors and the hometowns of the 28 UNI students who took Maya in Fall of 2008? 

            Eight semesters of CS 2880 Maya 3D Graphics
     ------==-------------------------------------
                      Electronic Media 46
                      Computer Science 26     
                  Art: Studio Emphasis 25     
                                   MIS 19
           Interactive Digital Studies 14
                        Graphic Design 11
                       Interior Design  9
                  Graphic Technologies  9
                            Accounting  4     
                             Marketing  3
                              Deciding  4
                                   CIS  3
                            Psychology  3
             Movement/Exercise Science  2
                        Graphic Design  9
                      Sport Psychology  1    
                            Management  1
                             Sociology  1
                               English  1
                               Biology  1
                         Earth Science  1
                         Elementary Ed  1
                       Middle Level Ed  1
             Writing: Creative Writing  1
                        Global Studies  1
       Leisure, Youth & Human Services  1
  Marketing: Advertising&Digital Media  1
 Management: Supply Chain & Operations  1
                         Communication  1
                             Nondegree  1
                                      -----
                                       180
    5. Spring semester of 2016 Maya class will be the 9th time the class has been offered at UNI.

    6. In 2017, an advanced class in Maya will be offered. It will have this class as a prerequisite. Imagine what you will be able to do after two classes in 3D Graphics and Animation with Maya!

      Note: I also teach a class on Visual Effects, Animation, and Motion Graphics which focuses on Adobe After Effects. Maya and After Effects combined give you an amazing set of tools for graphics and video production.

    7. There are no prerequisites for this CS 2880 Maya 3D Graphics class. NONE!

    8. Autodesk MAYA is FREE for educational use by students!

  6. The Magnificent Seven stages of the Maya Animation Pipeline will each be the focus at different times during the class.
    Note: The seven buttons link to web pages that will not be created until Thanksgiving or Christmas break and will be developed as the spring 2009 class unfolds.

    Modeling; Characters and Rigging; Animation; Materials and Textures; Lights and Cameras; Special Effects; Rendering and Compositing - these are the seven stages.

  1. The Maya Animation pipeline has seven stages. You will gain experience, develop skills and grasp the associated concepts associated with every one of these stages in the 11 a.m. MWF class as you learn the Maya 3D graphics software.

  2. Look at the YouTube example Animation from AnimationMentor school. The tool they use is Maya.

  3. Another fun animation of a dancing alien. (You Tube)

  4. Anyone can download and install Autodesk Maya for a free 30 trial. Only students and educators can get a 36 month free use of Maya.

    Almost every computer lab at UNI will provide Maya. Lang 213 also has Maya 2013, along with Adobe After Effects, which we will use to render some of your animation artistry.

  5. Textbook for the class: We will use online resources and handouts. Every class gives hands-on experience with Maya too, as our classroom is a computer lab with desktop or laptop computers and Maya software. We will also do some Photoshop and some Adobe After Effects.

CS 1025 01: Computational Modeling and Simulation satisfies your LAC Core Competency Category 1C: Quantitative Thinking and Understanding.

Note: CS 1025 is renamed Modern Tools for Exploring Data as of fall of 2014...

QUESTION: Why take Introduction to Statistical Methods or Mathematics in Decision Making if you are an Art or English or Interactive Digital Studies or Electronic Media or Graphic Design major?

Major themes: Computer Graphics, Computer Animation, Ghostbusters and Problem Solving, Muscles, Birds, 2D and 3D concepts and skills...

Note: CS 2880 11 MAYA is part of UNI Computer Science Department's Certificate in Computer Applications program.