Maya 2025 Essential Training

Course details

Discover how to create high-quality 3D models and animations in Maya 2025. This course covers the core Maya skills—modeling, texturing, rendering, and animation—in a real-world, project-based workflow that translates equally well to film, motion graphics, and game design. Learn basics such as customizing the interface, selecting and manipulating objects, and organizing scenes. Next, review polygonal modeling, creating and refining meshes, sculpting, smoothing, working with curves, and more. Discover how to create and apply materials to surfaces—adding color, texture, and reflectivity—as well as integrate cameras, lighting, and depth-of-field effects using the Arnold for Maya renderer. Last but not least, instructor George Maestri shows you how to add movement and life to your work with the built-in Maya animation tools.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Create high-quality 3D models and animations with Maya
02 - Maya system requirements
03 - Make the most of the exercise files
04 - Configuring Maya

1. The Maya Interface

05 - Overview of the Maya interface
06 - Working with files and Maya projects
07 - Navigation in Maya
08 - Configuring viewports
09 - Using the hotbox and marking menus
10 - Configuring workspaces
11 - Setting preferences
12 - Configuring plug-ins

2. Selecting and Manipulating Objects

13 - Selecting objects
14 - Using the Move tool
15 - Rotating and scaling
16 - Manipulating pivots
17 - Duplicating objects
18 - Understanding the Channel Box
19 - Working with the Attribute Editor
20 - Maintain accuracy with snapping

3. Organizing Maya Scenes

21 - Working with the Outliner
22 - Creating hierarchies
23 - Grouping objects
24 - Creating layers
25 - Hiding and showing objects

4. Creating Polygonal Models

26 - Creating polygonal objects
27 - Selecting polygonal components
28 - Using the Modeling Toolkit
29 - Component tags
30 - Using brush tools to sculpt meshes

5. Modeling Polygonal Meshes

31 - Setting up a reference
32 - Modeling against a reference
33 - Using the Extrude tools
34 - Smart Extrude
35 - Working with edge loops
36 - Bevel tools
37 - Combine and Separate
38 - Object history

6. Additional Modeling Techniques

39 - Object deformers
40 - Mirroring and merging components
41 - Smoothing surfaces
42 - Working with subdivision surfaces
43 - Boolean tools

7. Working with Curves

44 - Creating curves
45 - Modifying curves
46 - Extruding along a path

8. Creating Materials

47 - Basics of Maya rendering
48 - Standard surface materials
49 - Opacity and refraction
50 - Creating and applying maps
51 - Using bitmaps as textures
52 - Working with the Hypershade window
53 - Use Substance materials

9. Applying Materials and Textures

54 - Apply multiple materials to objects
55 - UV mapping polygonal objects
56 - Understanding the UV Editor
57 - Fine-tuning UVs

10. Rendering in Arnold

58 - Render settings
59 - Add and control light
60 - Arnold light types
61 - Image-based lightning and skydomes
62 - Using objects and lights
63 - Adding cameras
64 - Adding depth of field in Arnold
65 - Creating motion blur in Arnold
66 - Render view and final output

11. Animating in Maya

67 - Understanding the animation interface
68 - Animating objects using Set Key
69 - Modifying keys on the Timeline
70 - Modifying keys in the Graph Editor
71 - Using the Dope Sheet
72 - Creating animation cycles
73 - Animating objects along spline paths
74 - Visualizing animation
75 - Time slider bookmarks
76 - Draw on screen with Blue Pencil

12. Working with External Data

77 - Working with standard formats
78 - Setting up USD stages
79 - Creating variations in USD

Conclusion

80 - Next steps