A guide to getting the most out of Maya’s professional 3D toolset, courtesy of the talented Amaru Zeas and Tsubasa Nakai

'HOME' by Amaru Zeas

Autodesk’s Maya is a professional 3D animation, modelling, simulation and rendering toolset, designed to create knockout CG visuals. With its industrial strength capabilities, Maya is widely considered the very best 3D software on the market and is the tool of choice for some of the biggest names in VFX and animation. Does that make it the right software for you? We caught up with art director Amaru Zeas and creative director Tsubasa Nakai to help you find out. Zeas shares his tips for getting started with Maya and its vast features, whilst Nakai delivers a masterclass in character creation within Maya.

"Maya has, in my opinion, become the standard 3D program in most schools because of its user-friendly interface, which makes learning easier than with other 3D applications. Autodesk Maya has been the chosen tool for VFX and animated films for many years, but in recent years, the gaming industry has accepted it as well, thanks to various improvements aimed at game development. Most of my 3D modelling and UV is done in Maya. I also utilise Maya for camera work and of course the fantastic and powerful lighting system that Arnold in Maya gives us. Maya is also fantastic at layout and compositing complex shots." -AmaruZeas