Maya Character Modeling and Animation: Principles and Practice is for beginning- to intermediate-level designers and 3D artists who want to learn 3D character modeling and animation using Maya 8. The book covers the theory and practice of modeling and animation from pre-production to final body and facial animation. It explains why things are done and not just which buttons to push. The text uses a series of projects to teach you how to model, rig, and animate your own characters. The focus is on how to create professional-quality, compelling animations. The companion CD-ROM contains all the files supporting the exercises in the book, including complete Maya projects, rendered QuickTime movies to illustrate concepts, and fully rigged NURBS and polygon character models.
If you are ready to take on the challenge of animation, this is the book for you. You'll find all the insights and techniques you need to start animating your own characters!

Chapter 1 The Animation Production Process
Chapter 2 Fundamentals of Computer Animation
Chapter 3 Modeling and Texturing a Simple Character
Chapter 4 Rigging and Animation a Simple Character
Chapter 5 Nurbs Modeling and Path Animation With Dynamics
Chapter 6 Modeling a Biped Character
Chapter 7 Rigging a Biped Character
Chapter 8 The Art and Science of Animation
Chapter 9 Facial Expression