Journey 2 VR with Daryl Obert

Senior Product Specialist Daryl Obert walks thru some pretty awesome effects generated in Maya using the new Motion Graphics Toolkit

part 1

Journey to VR: Maya Motion Graphics Toolkit deep dive (Part 1 of 2) from Autodesk Media and Entertainment on Vimeo.




part 2


Journey to VR: Maya Motion Graphics Toolkit deep dive (Part 2 of 2) from Autodesk Media and Entertainment on Vimeo.

Interactive X-GEN grooming in Maya 2017

Interactive Grooming with Maya from Autodesk Media and Entertainment on Vimeo.

Phoenix 3.0 Flip Solver for Maya now available from Chaos Group

Wow this really looks impressive.. and dare I say easy to use? 


new!

• Flip Solver
• Quick Presets
• Fast Volume Rendering
• New Fire & Smoke Solver
• Force controls
• dude, like goal from one object to another.. to another
• Path Follow
• constrain your fx along curves.
• pricing
• $830 for Workstation license ( 1 workstation )
• $1600 for Workstation Plus  ( 1 workstation and 5 simulation licenses)
• $210 for 1 Simulation license 

https://www.chaosgroup.com/phoenix-fd/maya

Comprehensive overViews of Modeling and UV improvements in 2017 Upate 3

Maya Modeling Product Designer Trevor Adam's put together some nice overviews of the new modeling tools and uv tools in Maya 2017 Update 3

RETOPO UPDATES

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UV UPDATES 

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• new hotkeys
• delete : delete UVs
• 4 :  wire frame
• 5: shaded
• 6: texture
• 7: UV distortion map
• 8: Shell borders
• 9: texture borders
• shift X:  cut
• shift S: sew
• shift + ctrl + X : new shell 
• ctrl U: unfold
• ctrl L: layout
• 
  
• simplified toolbar
• tool tips updated
• tool tips have popup images and movies
• certain tools have LMB and RMB funtionality
• shaded LMB for shaded
• shaded RMB for multi colored shells
• shift click for options
• menus reorganized again... for the better ! 
• ability to quickly choose the viewable texture
• scroll bar for texture dimming
• disortion can be shown at same time as checker
• many more checkerboard options
• better organization of uv sets
• uv map editor added to the UV toolkit
• isolate select updated
• wheres the hotkey ! 
• custom shelf !!!!!!!!!
• shift + ctrl to add to shelf ( just like regular maya) 
• stepped move added to move tool
• J to envoke
• scale now as option to prevent negaive scaling ! 
• uv marking menu updated for the better ! 
• vtx, edge, face contextual marking menus !( updated) 

a lot of the upper bar tools have been improved and moved to the UV Toolkit

• addition of the UV toolKit 
• drag, tweak selection options added
• use MMB to envoke tweak automatically
• symmeterize button and controls
• selection constraints options for ease of access
• grow / shrink selection
• select by type!
• overlapping !
• front facing / back facing
• unmapped !
• quick pivot controls
• and quick nudge options  
• texel density controls
• customizable via MMB drag
•  new option for create  based on Normals
• A to B , and B to A stitch and move 
• more options added to unFold
• more options for alignment  / snap / layout

UV editing added to 3D view ! 

• interactive cut and sew tools
• drag to cut/sew
• ctrl to sew
• double Click to cut/sew full loops
• shift + drag to progressively cut/sew
• full symmetry support 
• tool window contains list of all the hotkeys

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Imaginary Forces re-imagines the iconic HBO logo bumper

HBO 2017 Feature Presentation Open from Imaginary Forces on Vimeo.




thanks to Roger An for the IF credit list:

Imaginary Forces: Creative Director: Dan Gregoras, CG Lead: Chris Vincola, 3D Modelers: Roger An, Muzi Lee, Hannah Sung, Animator: Joerg Liebold, Lighters: Cody Chen, Ken Lee, Compositors: Tamir Sapir, Manu Gaulot, Ari Reisner.



I remember first seeing this , and all the behind the scenes..  so awesome.
 who remembers the fire hydrant ! 

Maya 2017 Update 3 - UV editor changes/improvements

You'll first notice the lack of the mult level icon bar from the top of the UV editor, and that the tools have all migrated into the new UV ToolKit. 
I think the best bet is going to be to take the tools you like,and put them on the new UV editor shelf .. unless you are a fan of the toolKit style of controls. 

I'm digging the new Color By Shell option to show the different shells, and while I still prefer to select my edges, and then cut UVs, having the cut UV tool work interactively in 3D space is a very nice addition.

Senior Techincal Specialist Steven Roselle takes us through some of the new UV tools and UV ToolKit in this video






full list of update 3 improvements

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2017/ENU/?guid=GUID-2197CC8C-4D8B-412D-9073-47F0E877BAEA