Maya LIGHTING

Some of the Topics to cover in Maya LIGHTING


Faking Global Illumination with point lights
Light Linking using three point lighting
CORRECT ANAMORPHIC SETTINGS IN MAYA
Realistic Reflections - Fresnel and HDRI
Car Headlights / Misc Lamps
Locator Controlled Depth of Field
Command Line Rendering
Faking HDRI in Maya
Structured Importance Sampling of Environment Maps
Creating and lighting a realistic cell phone
Lighting In Layers - By Jeremy Birn
The concepts for lighting in 3d
Raytrace Transparency
Compositing a 3D rendered object into Video
Render globals - video
Spotlight Color - gnomon video
Glow Threshold - gnomon video
2d Motion Blur from command line - video
Using the RGB + Alpha Channels to speed up the rendering times - video
Creating Gobo's - video
Light linking fog
How to map a material on a shadowed part of an object in Maya
Adjusting the shadow density of a lighting
Specular, diffuse and ambient lighting per light
More Rendering in Layers/Passes
Darkness Tutorial - Compositing using Maya, PaintFX, and Photoshop
Texturing and Rendering a Sci-Fi City
Cartoon Shading in Maya 5
Render Passes for Maya - Tutorial
Backlight glows
Advanced Global Illumination
Three-Point Lighting for 3D Renderings
Faking Radiosity
Faking outdoor illumination in maya
Faking ray-traced shadows with detph-map shadows in maya
How to use the skyLightControl window
How to use the skyLight with an animated textures from an envSky
How to fake real specular highlights with the skyLight (HDRLI)
Creating motion-blurred shadows in Maya
How to bake shadows in Maya
Wireframe Rendering
Single Sided Wireframe Rendering in Maya
Non Photo Realistic Shading in Maya
Batch Rendering Multiple Maya Files
Environment Mapping Without Raytracing
Correcting Glow Flicker in Maya
Creating a fast Athmo
Faking Global Illumination
Baking (« convert to file texture ») Workarounds
Lighting flat objects
Rendering Guide
material & light tutorial
Depth map auto focus
Display resolution or filmgate?
A Desk Lamp Light
Shadow Quality
Spotlight Decay Regions
Controlling Fog Density
Transparency Shadows
The Fisheye Camera
How to bake shadows in Maya
Faking radiosity in Maya
Multi-Patch Model Tesselation
How to render a real volume in Maya
BACKLIGHT SHADER by Emmanuel Campin
Faking ray-traced shadows with detph-map shadows
Creating motion-blurred shadows in Maya
Water Waves Plugin
Camera/Light texture projection
IPR Rendering 24
How to Prelight a scene
Light Linking in Heavy Scenes
Rendering in Passes and Layers
Simple Fog
Depth of Field as a Post Process
Spotlight Fog
Faking outdoor illumination in maya

A Few New Principles for 3D Computer Animation

A few of the new issues that need to be addressed by new principles of three-dimensional computer animation include: visual styling, blending cartoon physics with real world physics, using cinematography, mastering facial animation, and optimizing user-controlled animation.

13- Visual styling in three-dimensional computer animation means more than just how things are supposed to look. Visual styling also has a significant impact on rendering, on animation techniques, and overall production complexity. As we develop a visual look we must keep in mind that it is feasible to produce within the boundaries of the project. A certain look for the skin of a beast, for example, might look cool but might also require too complex a rig, too detailed a model and too complex an animation process.

14- It is possible today to blend motion from different sources, and we need to develop a clear approach for blending cartoon with realistic motion. Before production starts it is necessary to define clear guidelines for a variety of motion/animation styles including cartoon physics, realistic cartoon, realistic human motion and rotoscoping. Above all, we must direct live performers when capturing their motion to add intention to their movements.

15- Since we have absolute control over camera positions and movement in three-dimensional computer animation, we should make the cinematography a crucial component of our animation, not just an afterthought. The composition, lighting, and sequencing of our moving images has a huge impact on storytelling. Most of this work can crystallize during previsualization and the assembly of the three-dimensional animatics. The lighting style needs to be addressed separately, since it impacts both the look and the rendering pipeline

16- Most of the thoughts and emotions of characters are expressed on their faces. Three-dimensional computer animation offers more facial animation control than ever before, including the subtle motion of eyelids and eyeballs. Establishing early in the process the level of facial control and techniques has a positive effect on the styling of the character and the design of the production flow. Building a catalog of facial morph targets or blend shapes for production and reuse is today as essential as building walk cycles.

17- Computer and platform games put much of the animation control in the hands of gamers. This poses the challenge to create great animation that works regardless of what move the gamer decides to make. Games are a combination of user-controlled animation and preset/narrative animation. One of the creative animation challenges is to find a balance between the narrative and the improvisational aspect of the game. Look at the model of participatory street theater (different from traditional stage theater) for ideas on how to constraint the gamer-action to establish strong staging. User-controlled animation relies on strong animation cycles with built-in anticipation that are able to branch smoothly into reaction shots. Fortunately many of today's game engines have built-in intelligence that can smooth transitions between animation cycles. The combination of preset and dynamic user-controlled cameras is also unique to games.

7- Using arcs to animate the movements of characters helps achieve a natural look because most living creatures move in curved paths, never in perfectly straight lines. Non-arc motion comes across as sinister, restricted or robotic. In three-dimensional computer animation we can use software constraints to force all or some of the motion within arcs. Even motion-captured performances can be fine-tuned with curve editors, as long as the motion is not flattened.

8- Secondary action consists of the smaller motions that complement the dominant action. In three-dimensional computer animation we can take advantage of layers and channels for building up different secondary motions, for example, a layer for hair, a layer for the character's hat, a layer for the cape, and so on

9- Timing is the precise moment and the amount of time that a character spends on an action (figure below). Timing adds emotion and intention to the character's performance. Most three-dimensional computer animation tools allow us to fine tune the timing by shaving off or adding frames with non-linear time-editing. Timing can also be controlled and adjusted by placing each character on a separate track, and using sub-tracks for parts of the character such as head, torso, arms and legs.

TIMING

10- Exaggeration usually helps cartoon characters to deliver the essence of an action. A lot of exaggeration can be achieved with squash and stretch. In three-dimensional computer animation we can use procedural techniques, motion ranges and scripts to exaggerate motion. The intensity of a moment can be increased with cinematography and editing, not just with performance.

11- Solid modeling and rigging, or solid drawing as it was called in the 1930s, emphasizes the clear delineation of shape necessary to bring animated characters to life. Solid and precise modeling helps to convey the weight, depth and balance of the character, and it also simplifies potential production complications due to poorly modeled characters. Animation rigs are at their best when they are optimized for the specific personality and motion of the character. Pay attention to silhouettes when aligning characters to the camera.

SOLID MODELING AND RIGGING

12- Character personality, or appeal as it was originally called, facilitates the emotional connection between character and audience. Characters must be well developed, have an interesting personality, and have a clear set of desires or needs that drive their behavior and actions. Complexity and consistency of motion are two elements of character appeal that can be easily developed with three-dimensional computer animation. Writing down the ways in which the character moves (Fig. 10.5.7), how he/she reacts to different situations, and how he/she relates to other characters can help define the main characteristics of the character's personality. Fine-tune the personality with the key poses and the character turnarounds.

Principles of 3D animation

Applying the Twelve Principles to 3D Computer Animation

The twelve principles of animation were created in the early 1930s by animators at the Walt Disney Studios. These principles were used to guide production and creative discussions as well to train young animators better and faster. These twelve principles became one of the foundations of hand-drawn cartoon character animation. The twelve principles, as they are commonly referred to, also helped to transform animation from a novelty into an art form. By applying these principles to their work these pioneering animators produced many of the earliest animated feature films that became classics: Snow White (1937), Pinocchio and Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942

The twelve principles are mostly about five things: acting the performance, directing the performance, representing reality (through drawing, modeling, and rendering), interpreting real world physics, and editing a sequence of actions. The original principles are still relevant today because they help us to create more believable characters and situations. They can be applied to almost any type of animation, even though they work best for comedy. But, some of these principles require updates, and a few new additional principles are also needed to address the new techniques and styles of three-dimensional computer animation.

1- Squash and stretch, the first principle from the original twelve, is used to exaggerate the amount of non-rigid body deformations usually with the purpose of achieving a more comedic effect. Three-dimensional squash and stretch can be implemented with a variety of techniques: skin and muscle, springs, direct mesh manipulation and morphing. It can also be implemented in more experimental ways with weighting, especially for dynamics simulations, and unusual IK systems.

2- The technique of anticipation helps to guide the audience's eyes to where the action is about to occur (Fig. 10.2.4). Anticipation, including motion holds, is great for "announcing the surprise." In three-dimensional computer animation it can be fine-tuned using digital time-editing tools such as time sheets, timelines, and curves. More anticipation equals less suspense. Horror films, for example, switch back and forth from lots of anticipation to total surprise

3- Staging, or mise-en-scene as it is also known, is about translating the mood and intention of a scene into specific character positions and actions. Staging the key character poses in the scene helps to define the nature of the action. Three-dimensional animatics are a great tool for previsualizing and blocking out the staging before the primary, secondary and facial animation. There are many staging techniques to tell the story visually: hiding or revealing the center of interest, and a chain reaction of actions-reactions are a couple of them. Staging can also be aided with contemporary cinematic techniques such as slow motion, frozen time, motion loops, and hand-held camera moves.

4- Straight-ahead action and pose-to-pose are two different animation techniques that yield fairly different results. In the early days of hand-drawn animation pose-to-pose action became the standard animation technique because it breaks down structured motion into a series of clearly defined key poses. In straight-ahead action the character moves spontaneously through the action one step at a time until the action is finished. Motion capture and dynamics simulations, even three-dimensional rotoscoping, are clearly the straight-ahead techniques of three-dimensional computer animation. They can all be blended intelligently using channels.

5- Follow-through and overlapping action are two techniques that help make the action richer and fuller with detail and subtlety. Follow-through action consists of the reactions of the character after an action, and it usually lets audiences know how he or she feels about what has just happened or is about to happen. In overlapping action multiple motions influence, blend, and overlap the position of the character. In three-dimensional computer animation a lot of the common follow-through motions of clothing and hair, for example, can be animated with dynamics simulations (figure below). The layers and channels in three-dimensional computer animation software allow us to mix and blend different overlapping motions from different areas of the character.

FOLLOW-THRU

6- Slow-in and slow-out consist of slowing down the beginning and the end of an action, while speeding up the middle of it. A snappy effect is achieved when motion is accelerated and retarded in this way. In three-dimensional computer animation slow-ins and slow-outs can be fine-tuned with digital time-editing tools. When using motion capture techniques for cartoon-style animated characters it is essential to remind performers to do slow-ins and slow-outs. The inverse variation of this effect, a fast-in and fast-out, is often times seen in TV commercials and music videos where the beginning and end of the sequence are accelerated while the middle is slowed down giving it a surreal or dreamy feeling.

Principles of Traditional Animation

Many of the principles of traditional animation were developed in the 1930's at the Walt Disney studios. These principles were developed to make animation, especially character animation, more realistic and entertaining. These principles can and should be applied to 3D computer animation.

The following principles were developed and named:

Squash and Stretch - defining the rigidity and mass of an object by distorting its shape during an action
Timing and Motion - spacing actions to define the weight and size of objects and the personality of characters
Anticipation - the preparation for an action
Staging - presenting an idea so that it is unmistakably clear
Follow Through and Overlapping Action - the termination of an action and establishing its relationship to the next action
Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose Action - The two contrasting approaches to the creation of movement
Slow In and Out - the spacing of the in-between frames to achieve subtlety of timing and movement
Arcs - the visual path of action for natural movement
Exaggeration - Accentuating the essence of an idea via the design and the action
. Secondary Action - the action of an object resulting from another action
. Appeal - creating a design or an action that the audience enjoys watching

28 principles

Here is a list of things (principles) that appear in these drawings, most of which should appear in all scenes, for they comprise the basis for full animation

• 
  -Pose and Mood
  -Shape and Form -Anatomy
  -Model or Character -Weight
  -Line and Silhouette -Action and Reaction
  -Perspective -Direction
  -Tension -Planes
  -Solidity -Arcs
  -Squash and Stretch -Beat and Rythem
  -Depth and Volume -Overlap and followthru
  -Timing -Working from extreme to extreme
  -Straights and Curves -Primary and secondary action
  -Staging and composition -Anticipation
  -Caricature -Details
  -Texture -Simplification
  -Positive and negative shapes

Principles of 2D animation

There are some principles of animation that can be consciously used in any scene. We should familiarize ourselves with them for both animation and animation-cleanup.
To illustrate these principles, I have chosen a supposedly simple scene. When the scene is analyzed, it is apparent how far one may go in using these principles.

The action in this scene is quite broad, making the principles easy to find, but they should be applied to subtle scenes also. Rarely in a picture is a character doing nothing- absolutely nothing. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty spend a short time in complete inactivity, but even then certain of these principles were used.

The use of held drawings and moving holds can be very effective, but only if they contain the vitality of an action drawing. Again, the use of these principles makes that possible.

How do u?

How Do You Become An Artist?

An Artist requires an innate talent as well as a proper environment to become an artist. You cannot be a good artist unless you have a natural inclination towards becoming an artist. Similarly, your training and grooming has an important role to play in shaping up your dreams.

To be a successful artist in your own lifetime, you need to balance institutional learning, good business sense, hard work and talent

What is Meant By?

What is meant by animated movies?

Animated movies are movies that use computer graphics to 'animate' characters and scenes. Animate means to 'bring to life' or 'make move'. It is similar to cartoons but not quite. While for cartoons, artists just draw still pictures on page after page with slight alterations, in order to make the characters movie, in animated movies it is the computer graphics experts who are used for applying the animation process, instead of using sheets of paper.

Artists still draw and outline the entire script of the animation movies, but it is the graphics designers who piece it together. Computer animation is a much more advanced process than the simple 'cartoon' days, and it helps create better graphics, smoother animation, and overall better quality motion pictures.

The First Ever Made

When was the first ever movie made?

"The Story of the Kelly Gang" is widely considered as the world's first feature length film. It was a 70 minute length movie released in 1906. The story of the movie portrays the life of the legendary Australian bushranger, Ned Kelly (1855-1880). Charles Tait wrote and directed it. It is said that the film's actual reel length is 1219.2 meters. The Story of the Kelly Gang was released on 26th December 1906 in Australia at the Melbourne Town Hall. The movie starred Elizabeth Tait, Godfrey Cass, Nicholas Brierley, and John Tait.

The very first movies, when the technology was new, were very simply clips of everyday actions. For example, the Lumiere brothers filmed a train arriving and people getting off it. Thomas Edison filmed a man and woman kissing.Two of the earliest films that attempted to tell a narrative story both appeared in 1902: THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (filmed in New Jersey, not far from my home town of Dover!) and George Melies's fantasy A TRIP TO THE MOON. Both of these were very short silent films.

History Of Anime

What Was Disney's First Animated Feature Film?

Disney's first animated feature film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which was released on December 21,1937, and was the first animated feature to be filmed in technicolor. It is the tenth highest-grossing film of all time in the United States, when inflation is taken into account, and was the most successful motion picture in 1938.

The film was a major box-office success. It made more money than any other motion picture in 1938, and was the highest-grossing film in American cinema history for a short period of time.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves has been re-released every seven to years since its original release, which is a Disney tradition. For its 50th anniversary, which was in 1987, the film was restored. It was the last of the early Disney animated films to be released on VHS, being released in 1994. It came to DVD in 2001, and will be re-released again in October 2008, as a platinum edition.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was followed by Pinocchio, which was released in 1940 and Disney's second animated feature.

What is What?

How many types of Anime are uses now a day?

There are many different types of animes are used in the market. Anime topics can be children’s stories, fiction, drama, adventure, specific character, science, horror and many other types. These animes can be shown in single episode or can be series. Following animes types can be discussed here:

Action Animes: In this type of animes fighting shown by sword or any other weapon like guns, pistols, bombs etc.

Horror: Characters shown in this type may be of horror type like ghost and gin can be shown in it. Mostly children like it very much.

Romantic Anime: These animes created for the boys and girls. If anime based on girl character it will attract boys and if the main character is a boy it will attract to girls ultimately.

Fiction: Story based animes are related to any fiction. It is specially created for kids to understand them about stories.Science:Informative type of anime produced for students. It is provided with very useful information.Anime some time took a person into a unrealistic world. It is a best media to make an imaginary world.

Q...What are the Animes and how it can be produced?

:A:!!! Anime is an English word and abbreviation of word “Animation”. But mostly animation word is used in Japan. But in West it is pronounced as “Anime”. In the beginning anime were drawn by hand. Computer made a great revolution in the anime production. Now a days most of the anime s are produced computerized.

In the past people use to draw a story or any fiction to make anime and show for the entertainment proposes. Anime can be shown on TV an on other medias like DVD and VCDs. But in later years a new change made in anime development. It can be created in the form of video games and full-length motion pictures.

Mostly anime are produces for children to show them fiction and different types of stories in the form of animation. It is very helpful to understand a story with animation. Anime is the basics of art. After that people use to develop this art in various other manners. In many country it is a very good business to produce animes like in Japan, China, America etc.

Q.What Does Maya Mean?

A...Maya can mean a number of things. As a Spanish name it is just a form of writing Amalia and in the Russian it is just another form of Mary. The name Maya from Hindi has far more history and culture attached to it then the European substitutions for other names.

In short the Hindi word Maya means a dream or an illusion. In Hindu tradition Maya is personified through a great goddess along with the other two concepts of “Prakruti” or matter and “Shakti” or activity. In Hindu philosophy man relies on all three to exist but it is Maya that lets him perceive the other two. In Buddhism Maya refers to the name of the woman who conceived Buddha Shakyamuni. In scriptures her name appears as either Mahamaya or Mayadevi meaning Great Maya and Goddess Maya respectively.