Maya: Natural Environments

The Maya toolset for 3D environment modeling and shading is extensive and powerful. Learn to build natural exterior scenes in this series of video training tutorials.

Introduction

• Natural environments in Maya
• What you need to know
• Using the exercise files

1. Layout

• 360-degree scene layout
• Camera-centric scene layout
• Understanding scene scale
• Adjusting Grid settings
• Camera position and clip planes
• Modeling a spherical backdrop
• Setting up a camera for a cube map
• Rendering cube map images
• Modeling a skybox
• Mapping a skybox
• Shading a skybox
• Modeling a planar backdrop matte painting
• Shading a backdrop matte painting
• Constraining backdrops to the camera

2. Terrain

• Setting terrain level of detail
• Creating a polygon disc primitive
• Applying a 2D height map with Texture Deformer
• Applying a 3D procedural height map
• Creating a texture reference object
• Resolving incompatibilities using Layered Texture
• Combining height maps with Layered Texture
• Using the 3D Paint tool
• Adjusting height maps with 3D Paint
• Modeling with Mesh Sculpting tools
• Modeling with Sculpt Geometry tool
• Altering topology with Edit Mesh tools
• Optimizing UV layout

3. Entourage

• Procedural modeling with 3D Paint Effects
• Drawing Paint Effects strokes
• Customizing Paint Effects strokes
• Customizing a Paint Effects brush
• Converting Paint Effects to polygons
• Controlling Paint Effects level of detail
• Preparing a scene for XGen
• Binding an XGen preset description to polygons
• Managing XGen file assets
• Adjusting XGen primitive attributes
• Understanding XGen attribute expressions
• Using the XGen Expression Editor
• Introducing SeExpr syntax
• Editing a random expression in SeExpr
• Loading SeExpr scripts from disk
• Binding XGen to a camera-based polygon selection
• Painting XGen attribute maps with Ptex

4. Shading

• Preparing an XGen scene for shader development
• Shading XGen splines
• Developing the look of the hair physical shader
• Previewing XGen colors with a global expression
• Shading Paint Effects with standard surface
• Converting Paint Effects textures
• Correcting Paint Effects transparency
• Rendering translucency with subsurface scattering
• Shading terrain slope with Snow texture

5. Atmosphere

• Creating a 3D fluid container for clouds
• Texturing a 3D fluid container
• Rendering volumetric clouds in Arnold
• Rendering haze with Arnold Standard Volume

Conclusion

• Next steps