3D Game Animation For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer Tech))

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 399 pages
• Published by: For Dummies; Book and CD-ROM edition June 10, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0764587897
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0764587894
• Book Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 1.4 pounds

Product Description
* For readers intrigued by 3D video games as a hobby or a potential career, this book offers an introduction to the world of 3D game animation and provides step-by-step instructions on creating storyboards, scenery, characters, and even software
* Cover topics such as working with 3D coordinates, keyframing, NURBS modeling, lighting, rigging, skinning, particle effects, and more
* Video game sales exceeded the movie industry's box office draw last year by $1 billion

Back Cover Copy
Gain the skills that will get you into game design

Bring fantasy creatures and settings to life, and launch a lucrative career

There's gold in them thar games, and here's your mining kit! Find out how to design, model, and animate characters, give your settings detail and dimension, create a storyboard, add dialogue, produce special effects, plan a game, and more. You'll even get an overview of essential software, and tips for landing a job in the game industry.

Discover how to

• Create realistic motion
• Develop a game concept
• Model a complete character from scratch
• Add a skeleton rig to your character
• Find out how to use particles and dynamics
• Sync facial movements with soundtracks

Reader Reviews
On p. 2 in the book "3D Game Animation for Dummies" it says, "the examples are taught using the free version of Maya." In the next paragraph, it says, "The Maya, Personal Learning Edition that is used for the examples in this book can be downloaded for free from the Alias Web site, www.alias.com, This version of Maya is not a limited trial version, nor is it a feature-disabled version. It includes all the features of the actual shipping version of Maya, except that the images are rendered with a watermark and the saved files are limited to this version." After I bought the book and encountered a problem, Wiley Tech Support replied: "The issue is not with your operating system or with the text. The issue is that you are using the non-commercial version of Maya, the Personal Learning Edition (PLE). Per the PLE FAQ at the Alias Products site (http://www.alias.com/eng/products-services/maya/maya_ple/faq.shtml#D):