Autodesk Reduces Pricing for Maya Unlimited

+ Autodesk, Inc. has announced reduced pricing for Autodesk Maya Unlimited 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software -- the tool of choice for designers and artists working in film, television and games. Autodesk also announced Maya 2008 Extension 2 software, which provides enhanced creative control over polygon modeling and UV texturing, as well as significant improvements to the Maya Muscle toolset. Maya was recently inducted into the Game Developer Front Line Award Hall of Fame for its outstanding contribution to the game development industry."The reduced price of Autodesk Maya 2008 Unlimited makes its extensive toolset more accessible to new users and existing facilities that want to expand their Maya-based pipelines," said Marc Petit, senior vice president, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. "More artists can now take advantage of the software's professional tools and advanced workflows to meet demands for captivating content created on shorter deadlines and tighter budgets." Maya Unlimited contains every thing offered in Maya Complete software, plus innovations such as Maya Fluid Effects, Maya nCloth, Maya Hair, Maya Fur, and Maya Live.

Pricing for Autodesk Maya Complete remains unchanged.The Autodesk suggested retail price of a new license of Maya Unlimited, Standalone has been reduced from US$6,995* to US$4,995*. The Autodesk suggested retail price of a new license of Maya Unlimited, Network has been reduced from US$8,345* to US$6,245*. Maya Complete 2008 customers can now cross-grade to Maya Unlimited 2008 at the reduced Autodesk suggested retail price of US $2,995*. All price changes are effective as of Feb. 18, 2008. For more information, please visit www.autodesk.com/maya

Digital-Tutors Released : The Artist's Guide to MEL®

Latest training provides an artist-driven approach to learning and incorporating MEL for an array of creative uses.
+ Oklahoma City, OK - (June 2007) - Digital-Tutors, an Autodesk® Authorized Publisher, today announced the availability of 'The Artist's Guide to MEL' - the latest release in a growing library of interactive training for emerging digital artists using AutoDesk's Maya 8.5, the award-winning 3D modeling, animation, effects and rendering solution used in feature films and next-generation games. ‘The Artist's Guide to MEL’ delivers 4 hours of project-based training and an artist-driven approach learning how to gain greater flexibility and automation in any workflow. Artists both new and experienced with MEL will learn time-saving scripting techniques and processes for automating workflows, creating custom user interfaces, and building custom tools for a multitude of practical uses.

"Leaving one's comfort zone is undoubtedly
difficult, so we have taken an artist-friendly approach to explaining, teaching,
and demonstrating MEL," said Sunder Iyer, director of R&D for
Digital-Tutors. "Once artists learn how to extend their skill-sets and
incorporate scripting languages such as MEL for automation and flexibility, they
can truly focus on creativity and ultimately learning how to more effectively
use their craft in any setting," added Iyer.

Highlights from ‘The Artist's Guide to MEL’ include: creating if/for loops, storing scripts as procedures, sourcing and executing, multi-line MEL scripts, opening external applications with MEL, building custom marking menus, variable naming conventions, understanding variable types, building an incremental save script, concatenate strings and integers, getting attributes into variables, using if statements, creating expressions with expression editor, creating ScriptNodes, accessing array contents, building user interfaces, building custom tools, using match and substitute strings, and additional lessons developed to teach artists creative uses for Maya MELscripts. For more information, please visit - Digital-tutors website

Autodesk Launched 3ds Max 9 And Maya 8 At SIGGRAPH '06

Autodesk, Inc. has launched Autodesk Maya 8 and 3ds Max 9 , both Supports 64-bit Technology and Multithreading Enhancements Offer New Levels of Scalability and Speed. Both programs have also been optimized for large datasets, one of the most crucial features for high-end film, broadcast and game users. Each program also contains numerous improvements, in areas such as productivity, pipeline efficiency, rendering and file exchange capabilities with other programs.The latter is one of the advantages of Autodesk owning both programs, plus other assets which came to it in the Alias purchase last year. One of those was the FBX plugin, which has now been upgraded for tighter integration between Maya, 3ds Max and MotionBuilder. The new version features inter changeable geometry between Maya and 3ds Max. In addition, render layers can be exported to Autodesk’s Toxik database. Both of them will take advantage from mental ray 3.5 core. The 3ds Max 9 will be available in October 2006, while Maya 8 starts shipping in August 2006.(source: CGI, Y!news)
For a complete list of new features in Maya 8, please visit www.autodesk.com/maya.
For a complete list of new features in 3ds Max 9, please visit www.autodesk.com/3dsmax.
Tags: 3ds Max . Maya . Autodesk

Free Maya 5.x Character Animation Rig

- Free Maya rig By Andrew Silke. Generi is a free model rigged and ready for character animation in Maya 5.x. The Generi rig includes full lip sync and facial controls and the brand new trigger UI selection method for selecting puppet controls. He's a simple model with a production quality rig perfect for learning character animation. Download size 500k only........Link!!
Tags: maya . Character animation . maya plugins . maya rigs

Three New Tutorials of 3ds Max And Maya (free) !!

3DM's Three New Tutorials of 3ds Max And Maya (free) ......Tip:CGIndia

- 3d Resource portal 3dm3.com has published three New Tutorials of 3d Studio Max and Autodesk's Maya 3d. Click on the links to visit the specified tutorials.
3ds max tutorial : Introducing reactor
Maya Tutorial : Rigid Body
Making Convincing Reflective Shaders in 3DS Max 7.5
Tags: 3ds Max Tutorials . Reactor Tutorials . Maya Tutorials . 3d Tutorials

Maya 3d Tutorial: Maya NURBS Modeling 2nd Edition !!

Maya: NURBS Modeling 2nd Edition provides an introduction to NURBS Modeling in Maya.
Source: CGIndia

- HALIFAX, NS, CANADA February 9, 2006 -- Dover Studios, Inc. announcedthe release of their latest tutorials DVD called Maya : NURBS Modeling 2nd Edition. This DVD provides animators, visual effects artists, andgame developers with an introduction to NURBS Modeling in Maya 3d... Maya: NURBS Modeling 2nd Edition has been revised and expanded toinclude: creating boundary surfaces, sculpting with Maya 3d Artisan,understanding UV surface coordinates, and much more! Visual effects artists, Andrew Hazelden and Russell Hazelden, providenumerous tips for efficient modeling, including: how to keep objectsorganized using the layer editor, how to create accurate scale modelsusing reference images, and countless time saving keyboard shortcuts.All of the modeling techniques are then put to use in the finalexercise which is creating an antique lantern using NURBS curves andsurfaces. No steps are left out and every detail is explained, witheasy to follow step-by-step instructions.
For more information please visit www.DoverStudios.com
Tags: Maya 3d . 3d modeling . Maya Tutorials . 3d Tutorials . VFX

Gnomon released 7 New Digital DVDs

The Gnomon Workshop has released seven new Digital DVDs. From artists Alex Alvarez, Eric Hanson and Greg Downing, these new DVDs cover more advanced topics such as Head Sculpting techniques with ZBrush, urban Digital Set creation using Maya, as well as Panoramic Imaging and Photogrammetry using Realviz Stitcher and ImageModeler. These unique DVDs will enhance your skills and show you valuable production techniques that you won't find anywhere else. For more info click here.
(source: thegnomonworkshop )