Autodesk - Maya
How and what is Maya used for?
Introduction
Autodesk Maya, is a 3D computer graphics software that can run on most computers. It was
originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation and is currently owned and developed by
Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video games,
animated film, TV series, or visual effects. The product is named after the Sanskrit word
Maya which means the Hindu concept of illusion.
McInnis Parkway
San Rafael, USA.
The Autodesk HQ
Autodesk Maya can do many things
– apart from the animation and
modeling. You can add different
dynamics to your animated model
characters, fluids, textures, cameras,
lighting, weight and volumes and you
can do so much more as well as
visual effects. There are other
software out there like Maya with a
free license but Maya has it all and
you can render your work and import
and export models too at a high
quality production standard.
How is Maya used in the
media industry?
Media
In the media industry Autodesk Maya software is used in presentations for
companies who want to produce a new product and Maya is used in advertising.
The most common use of Maya in the media industry is in motion graphics –
where a 3D rendered moving image is added to other footage which appeals to
the target audience
The first Maya made by Autodesk was made in 1998 and they have won many
awards over the years for their software work
Films And Television
Lots of 3D Maya is used in films. Examples
are harry potter, Hugo, titanic and avatar.
It can take months to render animations for
films because the files are so large. Later
they are compressed so they do not take up
so much room.
Animation for television is lower quality that
films because it has to be produced to a
schedule that is tighter than that of a film.
There is usually a team of animators that
storyboard and plan everything before going
to the computers and bringing to life the
characters there. Examples of Shows that
use Maya are doctor who, children's shows
such as little Einstein's and pingu
Games
A lot of Maya is used in games and there are teams of people who work on
animations, modelling, rigging, texturing and the interactive side of games.
At first before Maya is used a group of people sit round a table and discus what the
games should include and any special effects, the animators, riggers and a whole
group of other people worry about how characters are going to move and if they are
going to speak, if they have weapons and if there is any special effects that need to be
created. Games can be made in 2d and 3d
History & Progress
The Maya program was first released in February 1998 by Autodesk and it was
a 3d based program but over the years as updated versions have been
released it has in cooperated a 2d feature which helped in the creation of 2d
animations such as south park. Autodesk Maya is and was the first of its kind
where modelling and animation, film and television are concerned. Over the
years Maya has got better, it has been updated every year to help those in the
media industry produce the most spectacular work with the latest technology.
Who Uses Maya
Maya is used by a massive range of people from students in universities and colleges
to animators working on some huge budget Hollywood blockbuster movie to people in
the gaming industry (designing) but mostly it’s the animators who use Autodesk Maya.
Famous animators include Norman McLaren – who experimented a lot with
animation and early motion graphics, joseph Hannah and William Barbra who
created looney tunes and tom and Gerry, Tim burton is an artist and draws for the
animators as well as being a movie producer and director, Seth McFarlan who is the
creator of family guy and American dad and some other films such as ted.
More By Autodesk
Autodesk Maya is not the only product sold by Autodesk that is specifically for 3D animation – there are
other software and programmes such as these. However, there are loads of products produced by
Autodesk so here are some that are relevant to 3D modelling and animation;
FBX Review is software where
you can look at your 3D
model without the animation
and the other Maya stuff
hanging around. Animators
use this to check is their
character model is correct and
they can look all around the
model without it being touched
3Ds Max Is just like Maya but not
as complicated. You can model,
animate and render software quick
and easy which is not so simple in
Maya
Motion builder helps
you to animate a
character more easily
than when doing so in
Maya
Maya LT is like Maya but is for
specifically game makers,
game artists and designers
Mud Box is used to add colour and texture and shading to
an animated character by artists. However, this is included
in Maya and is like using Photoshop to add colour to a 3D
model. This piece of software is used by architects too as
well as game designers
Competitors
A Competitor – or alternative to Autodesk
Maya is this free software called blender
where you can model, animate, render, add
fluids and particles in great detail and you
can use it to edit film as well as modelling
and animation. The licence for blender is
open source and can be used on any
operating system
Houdini covers all the major important
aspects of 3D production and animation –
including key frames, dynamics, lighting
and rendering. Is on a free licencing but is
mostly used for photos and other digital
graphics
Cinema 4D is another popular 3D
animation software that is easy to use and
is upmarket – has the ability to produce
high-end animations and has a flexible
interface. It is popular and most used by
those in the film industry and graphic
designers and other artists. It is on a
commercial licence to it easily rivals
Autodesk Maya
Bibliography
http://www.autodesk.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_design
http://area.autodesk.com/maxturns20/history
http://alternativeto.net/software/maya/
http://www.autodesk.com/products
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animators