Maya: Camera Techniques

Course details

Maya's camera tools are among the best available in any 3D package. In this course, author Aaron F. Ross shares expert techniques in Maya camera layout and animation. Aaron starts with the basics of creating and manipulating cameras, then goes over aesthetic concerns of visual composition. He explains the major forms and conventions of cinematic camera framing and movement. Aaron covers all types of camera animation, using keyframes, motion trails, scripted expressions, and constraints. He includes a chapter on special effects that delves into extended techniques like isometric views, texture projection, and lens effects. Aaron concludes with an exploration of the Maya Camera Sequencer, a nonlinear editing system for pre-visualization of cinematic scenes with multiple cameras.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Camera techniques in Maya
02 - Using the exercise files

1. Camera Basics

03 - Understanding the Maya camera
04 - Creating a one-node camera
05 - Color settings preferences
06 - Controlling wireframe colors with Drawing Overrides
07 - Working with orthographic cameras
08 - Adding orthographic cameras
09 - Reverting camera movements with Undo View Change
10 - Using view bookmarks
11 - Navigating with specialized camera tools
12 - Cropping geometry with clip planes
13 - Copying parameters with Attribute Editor presets

2. Composition

14 - Conceptualizing renderable cameras
15 - Creating a Camera and Aim
16 - Using Camera and Aim
17 - Precise framing with Resolution Gate
18 - Setting display options
19 - Duplicating Camera and Aim
20 - Composing conventional cinematic framings
21 - Adjusting focal length and angle of view
22 - Aesthetics of distance and field of view
23 - Locking down cameras

3. Simple Camera Animation

24 - Problems with animating Camera and Aim position
25 - Problems with animating camera rotation
26 - Rotating in Gimbal Mode
27 - Setting rotate axis order
28 - Horizontal movement with pan or truck
29 - Animating diagonal translation with a single channel
30 - Vertical movement with tilt or pedestal
31 - Dolly movement vs. zoom magnification

4. Compound Camera Animation

32 - Animating a truck-pan
33 - Animating a pedestal-tilt
34 - Animating a zolly (zoom-dolly)
35 - Rigging and animating a crane shot
36 - Animating an aerial shot with Transform Keyframes
37 - Adjusting position keys with Editable Motion Trail
38 - Automating camera shake with a noise expression
39 - Orbiting a subject with a turntable camera

5. Special Effects

40 - Creating an image plane
41 - Understanding the film back
42 - Using aperture and film gate
43 - Film offset for two-point perspective
44 - Composing an isometric view
45 - Projecting a texture from a camera
46 - Distance blur with depth of field
47 - Animating a rack focus effect
48 - Rendering depth of field in Arnold
49 - Rendering lens effects with Arnold imagers

6. Non-Linear Editing With the Camera Sequencer

50 - Understanding the Camera Sequencer
51 - Creating shots in the Camera Sequencer
52 - Trimming shots
53 - Ripple editing
54 - Creating an ubercam
55 - Playblasting a sequence

Conclusion

56 - Next steps

Maya: Camera Techniques

Authors

Aaron F. Ross