For Maya 2012, Autodesk adds powerful new tools for prototyping and previsualization, extends Maya’s simulation capabilities, and improves integration with other programs.  New feature highlights include:  Enhanced Viewport 2.0; Node-based render passes; enhanced sequencer; substance smart textures; Craft Animation tools; enhanced graph editor; and single step interoperability with Mudbox 2012 .  With all of the new features and enhancements, you are sure to find several that will make your day – after you move up to Maya 2012.

Check out the new features in the Autodesk video clips below.

New Viewport 2.0 Features – Rendering and Render Setup

Node-based Render Passes

Camera Sequencer updates

Substance Smart Textures

Craft Animations plug-ins

Editable Motion Trails Enhance the Animation Experience

HumanIK Enhancements – Rigging

Dynamics and nDynamics

System Requirements: Check current Autodesk System Requirements

Contact: Autodesk

Price: $3495.00 US

New Features for Mudbox 2012
Added features:

• UV-Less Painting
• Large Texture Datasets
• Paint Layer Masks and Blend Modes
• Editable Stencils
• Single-Step Suites Interoperability
• Performance Improvements
• New Brushes and Brush Options
• Multiple Joints
• Pose Presets
• Hotbox and Marking Menus

Cool Innovations
UV-Less Painting is one new feature that makes painting more natural, efficient and allows users to be creative. The interoperability has been improved between Autodesk Mudbox and Maya, 3ds Max plus Soft Image. It only takes a single step to send data. Expanded tool sets have been increased to improve productivity. One example is Paint Layer Masks and 22 layer blend modes.

The blend modes improve compatibility with Adobe Photoshop.  Also, in the past Mudbox was mouse and menu driven.  The addition of hotbox and marking menus improves the efficiency and speed of using Mudbox with a drawing tablet (like Wacom’s Bamboo tablets).

With these features and other improvements to Mudbox 2012, Autodesk continues to provide valuable innovations that are worth the upgrade.

Contact: www.autodesk.com

Cost: $745 U.S.

This book demonstrates hows how artists can integrate Photoshop CS4, or CS5 with 2D and 3D applications into a comprehensive, creative environment. For example, Poser and Cinema 4D are 3D character animation environments that can be tied in with Photoshop. 2D images can be used as a basis to create stunning 3D composite images.

One negative feature is the book’s small font, which makes it difficult to read. There’s a lot of white space around the paragraphs, and if the font had been 2-3 sizes bigger, reading the paragraphs would cause less eye strain.

Beyond Photoshop illustrates how to combine 2D and 3D, and push your creativity. All of the examples can be completed with Photoshop CS4, and don’t require the 3D capabilities of Photoshop CS5 extended.

Contact: www.focalpress.com
Cost: $39.95 US

What if you need to quickly draw a movie scene, magazine or web ad, a play scene act, or a picture? This app allows the artist-to-be simple drawing commands at your fingertips (line, arrow, square, circle, text), plus over 570 figures to drag and drop in each picture.

Figures can be resized, moved, or deleted. There isn’t a copy function (to repeat trees, ducks, etc.), but it’s simple to select, drag and drop individual figurines multiple times. Once the picture is perfect, users can send as a PNG, JPG, or SVG file via email (requires email previously set up on iPad).

Need a pond? Just select the circle button from the Hand tool, click, and resize, or reshape. Change the outline color, or fill in with a different color. Paintbrush tools are not provided, so lines can’t be varied in width. Yet for $1.99, it’s a pretty interesting drawing app.

System Requirements: Apple iPad with iOS 3.2
Contact: ClipSketch by Celtx
Cost: $1.99 US; extra ArtPacks cost $.99 US

Tina O’Hailey is the Associate Chair of the Animation Department for the Savannah College of Art and Design. This book is written for classroom use, or for an animation student interested in learning alternate approaches. The first two chapters (Part 1) focus on understanding hybrid animation (combining 2D & 3D), technical challenges, storyline creation process, and the importance of understanding emotional moments to capture your audience’s attention. No matter how good the animation is, any animated story has to be believable and capture the audience’s emotions, and attention.

Multiple Lessons Available
The remaining six chapters provide multiple lessons using various software (Flash, Maya, Photoshop, Shack, ToonBoom Animation Pro). Sorry, Tina doesn’t state which version she’s applied, so it’s assumed she’s using recent software (maybe not Adobe Photoshop CS5, but possibly Photoshop CS4). Readers should be familiar with these software programs to apply various activities. Throughout the lessons, Tina throws out questions, and provides answers. From reading this book, the reader feels they are in the classroom as Tina guides her student (you) through each activity.

Chapters 3 through 8 cover:

• 3D Character Leads 2D Character
• 2D Characters with 3D Parts (2D Leads)
• 3D Characters with 2D Parts (3D Leads)
• EFX
• Camera, flat, Limited and Deep Space
• What Next? Companion Website

It takes a self starter to tackle and learn different skills in any field. Learning animation is no different, and with Tina’s book, each reader is one step ahead of the game to develop hybrid animation.

Contact: Elsevier
Cost: $39.95 US

Animation Theory and Practice
This book is targeted at CG animators who desire to understand not only the how but also the why (theory) behind animation. By understanding the theory, artists can understand the limitations of the tools and select better tools. Animators can also give better direction to the programmers working on the next generation of tools.

There are sections covering motion capture and animating substances, including the human face. In addition, some of the authors focus on animating with Maya, and other point based animation methods.

This book does not disappoint. However,  be warned Computer Animation Complete is not for the faint of heart.

Contact: Elsevier

Cost: $69.95 US; £42.99 UK

Autodesk Maya 2010 – Supercharged 3D Simulation Engine
Memorable movies and animated video games include numerous scenes and special affects incorporating Maya Unlimited tools: Maya nParticles, Maya nCloth, Maya Fluid Effects, Maya Hair, and Maya Fur.

With these powerful tools, Maya 2010 adds Maya MatchMover and Composite (Toxik) for a complete workflow producing futuristic digital images, realistic animations, and stunning visual effects. Maya 2010 provides enhanced creative control and a supercharged, simulation engine.

Maya is not for beginners learning how to create 3D animation video. And it’s fairly expensive, yet Autodesk takes different education situations into account. Their most attractive offering pricewise for students/education accounts are the Suites, rather than individual software packages. If students and artists want to advance their careers, Maya 2010 is a must to add to your 3D repertoire.

New for Maya 2010
These highlights identify some new features within Autodesk Maya 2010:
• Maya Unlimited toolset (new for Maya complete)
• Maya Composite – high dynamic range composting
• Autodesk MatchMover – camera tracker
• Five batch rendering nodes
• Autodesk Backburner network render manager

Maya Unlimited Toolset

The Maya Unlimited Toolset incorporates Maya nCloth and Maya nParticles, plus Maya Fluid Effects, Maya Hair, and Maya Fur. Whether it’s a graceful tablecloth floating over a dining table, a brisk wind coursing through dawn soaked sails, or the fluid aspects of hair or water, the Maya Unlimited Toolset provides powerful tools to create realistic animations.

Maya Composite
Maya Composite (Toxik) is a high performance, high dynamic range (HDR) composting tool included in Maya 2010. Whereas Toxik 2009 was available for Windows, Maya Composite is now available for Mac users. Maya Composite provides tools to connect passes and renders created in Maya into a final composition. The properties of each tool can be changed, and to obtain the right look, these properties can be adjusted. If desired, adjustments can also be key framed. Maya Composite’s toolset allows for keying, tracking, color correction, paint, rotoscoping, warping, and advanced filters (motion blur and depth of field). In short, Maya 2010 offers a full 3D compositing environment with support for stereoscopic production pipelines. Whether the artist is adding CG to film or video, or creating a sophisticated multilayer animation, Maya has the chops.

Autodesk MatchMover
MatchMover gives artists the power to seamlessly integrate 3D animation with live video. It provides automated tools for 3D camera and motion tracking for video and film. Manual tracking can also be applied to improve accuracy. Match-moving can be as simple as importing the sequence into MatchMover, selecting the appropriate interlace, frame rate and other camera data, and then choosing Automatic Tracking from the 2D Tracking menu. Alternatively, users can add and adjust manual tracks to create a 3D camera track. Manual tracks may be used to create a common coordinate system between the video and CG elements. Manual tracks can also track in 3D the motion of non-rigid objects, like the human face or piece of cloth, allowing users to synchronize video sequences, and match the motion between CG characters, or props with real objects, or actors.

Free Trials and Tutorials
For Maya 2010, Autodesk offers a 30-day free trial, outstanding online tutorials and support. Maya 2010 provides a full throttled animation and simulation environment to choreograph eye-popping advertisements and box office winners.

System Requirements:

Contact: www.autodesk.com
Cost: $3,495 US

Easy-to-Learn How to Create 3D Animation Characters
Put a piece of clay in your hands. Can you resist shaping the clay? With Autodesk’s Mudbox 2010, this application lets artists regain the feel of working clay and paint, without the messy clean up.

Mudbox 2010 allows beginners to experts the freedom to digitally mold and paint pre-sculpted, or geometric objects into 3D characters and props. Your imagination is the only factor limiting creativity and design.

By watching the four mini-tutorial videos (40-60 seconds long), within minutes users can start sculpting with Mudbox 2010. It’s that easy to begin learning, but don’t think this application doesn’t have the scope and prowess expert animators require. Autodesk recommends a drawing tablet with stylus, however a three-button mouse can used.

New for Mudbox 2010
These highlights list a few new features within Autodesk Mudbox 2010:

• Adobe Photoshop interoperability – Mudbox 2010 can export paint layers as PSD files for touch up or modification in Photoshop and then import the edited PSD files
• Autodesk FBX support – artists can import and export significant data containing more information than the standard OBJ file format
• New sculpting and painting tools – new paintbrushes, stencils, 3D paint performance, display textures without filtering, and new viewpoint filters
• Images rendered direct from viewport – allows faster access to high-quality images for design previews
• Software development kit (SDK)

Interoperability – Key to Efficient Workflow
Mudbox 2010 allows users to integrate their work with Adobe Photoshop, plus Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, and Softimage software programs. With the Software Development Kit (SDK), Mudbox 2010 can be integrated into additional workflow pipelines using different applications.

Interoperability

Adobe Photoshop
In Photoshop, artists apply their skills in two dimensions (2D), whereas animators design multidimensional objects (3D). Mudbox 2010′s versatility allows paint layers to be exported as a Photoshop file (PSD) , modified within Photoshop, and then re-imported back into Mudbox. A 2D-artist can fine tune the paint layers with all the tools available in Adobe Photoshop, saving 3D-artists time to create other characters or props. Exporting an image of the character, or prop allows artists to add context and fine tune the paint layer within Adobe Photoshop. This interoperability between Adobe Photoshop, a leading image editing tool, and Autodesk Mudbox 2010 enables users to add Photoshop’s broad and powerful tool sets in creating realistic, or fantastical characters and props.

Autodesk Applications
With Autodesk FBX support, 3D objects and props created in Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya and Softimage can be exported as an FBX file, which can be imported into Mudbox 2010. These 3D characters and props can then be curved, molded, painted and fine tuned using Mudbox 2010’s broad selection of intuitive painting and sculpting tools. The finished character, or prop can then be exported as a FBX file for animation into Maya, or 3dsMax. For example, design a magnificent, pristine Greek column in Maya, export the object file into Mudbox 2010, then quickly mold and paint to appear cracked and war ravaged.

New Tools – More Fun
Imagine sitting in front of a 3D creation, with multiple brushes at your fingertips. Digitally scale a creature’s forearm, or clone existing paint on both flanks creating futuristic 3D creatures. Autodesk’s Mudbox 2010 provides a delightful array of brushes, stencils, stamps and other tools to visually enhance 3D objects. Add soft, muted shadows or hard detailed edges, without the extra work and cost.

Dry Brush

For Mudbox 2010, Autodesk offers a 30-day free trial, outstanding online tutorials and support to launch yourself into 3D sculpting. As noted earlier, four mini-tutorial videos are included in the application, however, advanced tutorial videos and documents require internet access. No need to scrub off clay under the fingernails, or paint stains on your hands. Autodesk Mudbox 2010 enables artists clean, digital sculpting fun for budding beginners to artistic experts.

System Requirements: Apple® Mac OS® X 10.5.7; Windows Vista Business (SP1) and Windows XP Professional (SP2) for 32-bit system; Windows Vista Business (SP1) and Windows XP x64 Edition (SP2) for 64-bit system. For the latest list of Mudbox 2010 qualified hardware, including graphics cards, refer to Autodesk’s qualified Hardware chart.
Contact: www.autodesk.com
Cost: $745 Full Version; $375 Mudbox 2009 Upgrade. Contact Autodesk for Education Pricing.