REVIEWS - Autodesk Maya 2012 -- Includes 1 yearAutodesk Subscription

View User Reviews

Average Customer Rating

4.3 out of 5

Product FeatureA CG Pipeline in the Box. Autodesk Maya 2012●

software offers a comprehensive CG pipeline in thebox with powerful modeling, simulation, animation,rendering, matchmoving, and compositing.capabilities.Advanced Simulation Capabilities Maya offers●

extensive simulation tools for creating high-quality,realistic fluid, particle, cloth, fur, hair, rigid andsoft-body dynamics.Believable Characters Used to help create villains●

and heroes like Gollum from Lord of the Rings,Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean and theNa?vi from AVATAR.3D Editorial - Maya offers 3D editorial capabilities●

with the Camera Sequencer, which features aSequencer Playlist, support for multi-track audio,and interoperability with popular non-linear editing(NLE) applications like Apple Final Cut Pro softwarePerformance- Maya is engineered to help handle●

today?s increasingly complex data sets withoutslowing down the creative process.3D animation software delivers an end-to-end●

creative workflowIncludes one year of Autodesk Subscription which●

gives you a wide range of maintenance andsupport services designed to help you minimizecosts, increase productivity, and make the most ofyour investment in Autodesk software.Sequencer enhancements; substance procedural●

textures; craft animation toolsTools for animation, modeling, simulation, visual●

effects, rendering, and compositingToolsets for previsualization and games●

prototyping; improved pipeline integrationViewport 2.0 enhancements; node-based render●

passes; editable motion trailsRead more ●

Product DescriptionAutodesk Maya 3D animation software delivers an end-to-end creative workflow with comprehensive tools foranimation, modeling, simulation, visual effects, rendering, matchmoving, and compositing on a highlyextensible production platform. Whether you work in film, games, television, or web and multimedia production,Maya offers state-of-the-art toolsets, combined into a single affordable offering designed to meet today’sdemanding production requirements. Maya 2012 delivers new toolsets for previsualization and gamesprototyping, extended simulation capabilities; and improved pipeline integration. Read moreProduct Description

Autodesk Maya 2012

Autodesk Maya 3D animation software delivers an end-to-end creative workflow with comprehensive tools foranimation, modeling, simulation, visual effects, rendering, matchmoving, and compositing on a highlyextensible production platform. Whether you work in film, games, television, or web and multimedia production,Maya offers state-of-the-art toolsets, combined into a single affordable offering designed to meet today'sdemanding production requirements. Maya 2012 delivers new toolsets for previsualization and gamesprototyping, extended simulation capabilities, and improved pipeline integration.

Viewport 2.0 enhancements, includingfull-screen effects. View larger.

Convenient node-based render passes.View larger.

Editable motion trails provide a faster andeasier way to fine-tune motion animation.View larger.

Sequencer enhancements. View larger.

Library of 80 Substance proceduraltextures. View larger.

Craft animation tools. View larger.

Enhanced workflows. View larger.

New simulation options--create compellingdynamic effects in less time. View larger.

Motion capture. View larger.

Key Features and Benefits

With a high-fidelity, high-performance viewport, the new ability to create node-based representations of renderpasses, an expanded camera sequencer toolset, and new camera rigs, artists gain new tools to help explore,refine, and present their ideas prior to final production, while editable motion trails offer an enhancedanimation experience. Moreover, with new physics solvers, together with further development of the Nucleusunified simulation framework and its modules, artists can create a wider range of convincing effects in less time.And, with single-step interoperability and a more consistent f-curve editor with other Autodesk EntertainmentCreation Suites products; a redesigned Pythonic API; and added support for vector displacement maps, Maya2012 is more easily integrated into production pipelines.

Viewport 2.0 Enhancements

The high-performance viewport introduced with Maya 2011 now offers full-screen effects: motion blur,depth-of-field, and ambient occlusion, enabling artists to evaluate their work in a higher fidelity environmentand without needing to render or export to a game engine. In addition, Viewport 2.0 now provides componentand manipulator display to support modeling workflows, together with batch rendering capabilities, and ahigh-performance API.

Node-Based Render Passes

Create and edit node-based representations of render passes directly within Maya 2012, and render thecomposited output directly through the mental ray renderer. A powerful tool for verifying and refining renderpasses prior to handing them to the compositor, node-based render passes also enable artists to performcertain simple compositing tasks without leaving Maya.

Editable Motion Trails

Edit animation directly in the viewport without the need to switch context to the graph editor, with new editablemotion trails that provide a faster and easier method for fine-tuning motion animation. Animators canintuitively edit the position and timing of keyframes in relation to the animated object, while viewing the pathof motion over time in 3D space, resulting in a smoother, more productive workflow.

Sequencer Enhancements

First introduced in Maya 2011, the Camera Sequencer is now extended to offer a Sequencer Playlist--enablingartists to manage their sequences through a configurable spreadsheet view that provides the ability to reorderclips, edit In and Out points, and change camera assignments--together with support for multi-track audio andthe new ability to output multiple shots as a single sequence for easier game cinematic rendering or export to agame engine.

Substance Procedural Textures

Achieve a vast range of look variations with a new library of 80 Substance procedural textures. These dynamic,resolution-independent textures have a tiny disk space footprint, and can be exported to certain game enginesvia the Substance Air middleware offering (available separately from Allegorithmic SAS). Alternatively, textures

can be quickly converted to bitmaps for rendering. Some examples of dynamically editable and animatableparameters are: brick distribution, surface aging, and mortar thickness in a brick wall; pupil size, eye color, andextent of veining in an eye texture; and the age, roughness, curb borders, and lane markings of a street texture.

Craft Animation Tools

Easily create believable, complex camera movements that mimic real-world set-ups, with four new camera rigsfrom the Craft Director Studio animation tool. Use a joystick to record real-time input while driving the camera;stabilize turbulent or unnatural camera movements; add shakiness to an existing animated camera; orsmoothly transition or instantly cut between different camera views and settings. Also included are fourpre-rigged models--two cars, and two airplanes--that can be used to simulate complex vehicle motion, includingterrain recognition, for previsualization or in-game cinematics.

Enhanced, Consistent Graph Editor

An enhanced Graph Editor takes some of the best features from the f-curve editors within the products of theAutodesk Maya Entertainment Creation Suites 2012, and combines them into a toolset that offers moreconsistent functionality and terminology--enabling animators to switch more easily between products. Mayausers gain a new Auto-tangent type that automatically adjusts tangents when keys are moved, preventingovershooting; the option to sync what's displayed in the Timeline and Graph Editor with what's selected in theChannel Box; an Isolate Selection option that restricts the display to only the selected curves; and a RegionTool for easier scaling of animation keys in time and value.

New Simulation Options

Create compelling dynamic effects in less time, with new simulation options that incorporate industry-leadingtechnology into Maya. Now artists can leverage the multi-threaded NVIDIA PhysX engine* to create static,dynamic, and kinematic rigid-body simulations directly in the Maya viewport, and gain the ability to match aruntime solution. And highly-realistic shattering simulations with multiple interacting materials are more easilyachievable, with the help of the newly included Digital Molecular Matter plug-in from Pixelux Entertainment.*Available with Autodesk Maya 2012 Windows platform only.

Nucleus Enhancements

Further development of the Nucleus unified simulation framework and its associated modules deliversimproved liquids simulation with new pouring, splashing, and boiling effects; multi-threaded nParticle collisionsand nCloth self-collisions for faster performance; and a range of easy-to-use, customizable effects (fire, smoke,bomb, dust trail, fireworks, laser, melt, snow, sparks, and tears) that can be assigned to an object as easily asassigning a shader.

Other New Features

Autodesk Maya 2012 software also has the following key features:

Single-Step Suites Interoperability

Take better advantage of the full range of 3D tools in the Autodesk Maya Entertainment Creation SuiteStandard 2012 and the Autodesk Maya Entertainment Creation Suite Premium 2012, with new single-stepinteroperability. Use Single-Step workflows to directly move 3D data between Maya 2012, AutodeskMotionBuilder 2012 software, Autodesk Mudbox 2012 software, and the Interactive Creative Environment (ICE)of Autodesk Softimage 2012 software.

HumanIK Enhancements

Working with characters is now easier in both Maya 2012 and MotionBuilder 2012, with an enhanced interfaceand unified solver for HumanIK technology (formerly implemented as FBIK in Maya). The unified solver offersmore consistent workflows--thanks to new Character Controls and graphical Characterization UIs in Maya--andimproved interoperability between the products. In addition, customers who use the Autodesk HumanIK 4.5 or

2012 middleware solution will benefit from improved animation consistency between Maya and their gameengine.

Vector Displacement Map Support

With new support for Vector Displacement Maps (VDMs) in Maya 2012, artists can use mental ray to rendercomplex high-resolution details created in Mudbox or certain other packages on low-resolution geometry. VDMscan represent directional displacements that do not simply follow the surface normal: for example, forms withappendages, undercuts, folds, and bulges, such as a human ear.

Motion Capture Samples

Leverage the advanced motion retargeting capabilities of Maya 2012, with 70 motion capture samples thatprovide useful starting points for creating previsualizations and developing character animations. Utilizing theAutodesk FBX 2012 asset exchange format, the samples can be shared between applications in the AutodeskEntertainment Creation Suites.

Python API Enhancements

Programmers familiar with Python scripting language can now enjoy easier and more powerful ways to extendand customize Maya, thanks to an improved Python API that offers more idiomatic (pythonic) command writingcapabilities (for example: MScriptUtils are eliminated, while the Maya array type becomes a fully functionalPython sequence), and is up to three times faster.

Top Reasons to Buy Autodesk Maya

1. A CG Pipeline in the Box

Autodesk Maya 2012 software offers a comprehensive CG pipeline in the box with powerful modeling,simulation, animation, rendering, matchmoving, and compositing capabilities. Maya is used by leading artists tohelp create innovative entertainment, and both Maya and its developers have garnered numerous awards fortechnological innovation including three Academy Awards.

2. Advanced Simulation Capabilities

Maya offers extensive simulation tools for creating high-quality, realistic fluid, particle, cloth, fur, hair, rigid- andsoft-body dynamics. Engineered by leading research scientists, the Academy Award winning Maya Fluid Effectsas well as the Maya software's Nucleus Unified Simulation Framework are designed to help make simulationsmore realistic. In addition, you can now leverage the multi-threaded NVIDIA PhysX engine to create static,dynamic, and kinematic rigid-body simulations directly in the Maya viewport.

3. Believable Characters

Maya features industry-leading tools for creating compelling CG characters. Used to help create villains andheroes like Gollum from Lord of the Rings, Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean and the Na'vi from AVATAR,Maya features highly customizable rigging tools, advanced muscle deformation and skinning tools, full-bodyinverse kinematics (FBIK) and the ability to more smoothly blend forward and inverse kinematics.

4. 3D Editorial

Maya offers 3D editorial capabilities with the Camera Sequencer, which features a Sequencer Playlist, supportfor multi-track audio, and interoperability with popular non-linear editing (NLE) applications like Apple Final CutPro software. Ideal for editing 3D animation for previsualization or virtual moviemaking, the Camera Sequencerenables you to more precisely manage framing and timing of CG shots and play them back for review.

5. Performance

Maya is engineered to help handle today's increasingly complex data sets without slowing down the creativeprocess. It does this through multi-threading, algorithmic tuning, sophisticated memory management, GPUoptimizations, tools for segmenting scenes and 64-bit support for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Apple Mac OSX operating systems. Moreover, a high-performance viewport enables you to interact with your scene in ahigher fidelity environment, helping you make better creative decisions in context.

6. Improved Pipeline Efficiency

Maya Assets help you better manage large and complex scenes and collaborate more effectively with others.Move 3D assets through your pipeline more efficiently with Autodesk FBX 2012 data exchange technology. Andtake advantage of single-step workflows with Autodesk Mudbox 2012 software, Autodesk MotionBuilder 2012software, and the Interactive Creation Environment (ICE) of Autodesk Softimage 2012 software.

7. Highly Customizable

Maya offers multiple avenues for customization for companies wishing to integrate 3D tools more tightly intotheir pipeline, or to more easily add specialized production tools. It was built from the ground-up with the MayaEmbedded Language (MEL) and also offers Python scripting as well as an extensive, well-documented C++ API.Developers can now, also create interface components more easily with Qt Designer.

8. Easy to Learn

From the first-class Autodesk training and documentation that comes with Maya, to the breadth of partner andthird-party books, DVDs, tutorials and training facilities, there are numerous resources to match anyone'slearning style. Tap into one of the largest online communities of 3D professionals and enthusiasts to shareinformation and knowledge.

9. Make the Most of Your Mac

With Maya, Mudbox and now Autodesk Smoke 2012 for Mac OS X software all optimized for Apple's 64-bit OS,you can get the most out of your Mac. Autodesk offers a set of high-end digital production tools for creativeprofessionals from digital sculpting through 3D animation to high quality editorial and creative finishing.

10. A Global Community

The extensive Maya online community, including the AREA, provides an invaluable resource for everyone--fromstudents learning the application to artists looking for some expert advice for a challenging project. Visit AREAat area.autodesk.com.

Read more

You May Also LikeMastering Autodesk Maya 2011Mastering Autodesk Maya 2012Maya Studio Projects Texturing and Lighting