Camera Tip

Maya cameras work very similarly to real-world cameras. So, like in the real world, in Maya we can change our focal length. Different focal lengths can greatly affect the way an image looks. The standard focal length in Maya and real-world cameras is 35. Here's a rendering with the focal length set to that:

Go to window>outliner, select the camera you're going to be rendering from, go to window>attributes editor and, under camera attributes, you'll find the focal length attrubute.

In this rendering, I set the focal lengtht to 20:


You'll notice that you'll need to dolly in your camera because the scene will appear to get smaller. This is because it is working similarly to a wide-angle lens. This will let you see more in the scene. Also, objects closer to the camera will look abnormally larger than objects in the distance.

In this rendering, I set the focal length to 60:

This gives you a zoom lens effect, so, when you increase the setting, you'll want to dolly your camera away from the object. This also makes objects in the distance look the same size as objects close to the camera.

When using different focal length, it changes the way a model will look. It will be quite drastic sometimes. With the focal length at 60, it shows the front and back of the truck evenly. But, when it's set at 20, it will be focusing more on the grill and front headlight.

How To Quadrangulate Polygons

Here's how to fix polygons like this:


Select the polygon and go to Mesh>Triangulate. You have to convert it to triangles first

because Quadrangulate only works on triangles.

Now go to Mesh>Quadrangulate.



Now you should have a cleaner topology.

Note: It may leave some triangles, but most of the time they will be alright.

New Blog tutorial! Rendering HD Resolution

How to render HD resolution

Step one - Go to window>rendering editors>render settings.

Step two - In the render settings window, go to image size and set the presets to HD 720 (half HD), or HD 1080 (full). Rendering with this resolution will cause render time to increase.

Rendering Check List

Here's a list of all things you need to look at before a large rendering or animation.

1. Make sure your file's been saved.
2. If you're rendering an animation, make sure you've cached all your fluids and particles.
3. If you're rendering on a network, all the source files must be in place.
4. All the render layers that are needed, set up.
5. Are all the lights on?
6. Is motion blur going to be needed?
7. Make sure that ray trace is checked.
8. Is the correct camera(s) selected for the rendering?
9. Rendering with the right rendering software?
10. Is the file resolution set correctly?
11. 11. Is the render file(s) going to the right directory?
12. 12. Are the start and end rendered frames set correctly?

Blog Tutorial: Render Settings Presets

Render Settings Presets
This tutorial will cover render settings presets.

Presets

If you commonly use the same settings for rendering, use the rendering presets option.

Step one - Probably the most obvious of all, set up your render settings until you've got the result you want.

Step two - In the render settings window, go to preset>save settings as preset.

Step three - Enter the name preset and you're done.

maya blog tutorial - Importing .OBJ Files

Step one - Go to window>settings/preferences>plug-in manager.

Step two - Roll down the list and check load and auto load for the plug-in objExport.mll.

Step three - Go to file>import...; set the file of type: to OBJ(*.obj)and locate your OBJ file.

Maya Tutorial: Making Cushions

Step one - Create a cube and scale it to the size of your cushion.

Step two - Go to edit mesh>bevel. Select your model and open the attributes editor so you can adjust the bevel to the desired offset. The more offset the softer the box will look.

Step three - Select the box and go to mesh>smooth. Open the options box. Set the division levels to 2. Make sure none of the preserves are checked.

By following these steps you'll create a very soft looking object.