By Eric Keller

335 pages of Maya Effects nerdieness. This book was designed to turn the beginner into an intermediate/advanced maya user. The tutorials focus on innovative uses of the Maya toolset to create effects for film, television, and commercials. Based on my experience in the industry, these are solutions to problems that go beyond just rigging characters or making things explode. lots of information on particles, instancing, particle collisions, paint effects, soft bodies and soft body springs as well as novel ways to use joints, blend shapes, lattices and more lattices. This si due out in spring of 2007. I just finished the final edit.This book was tech edited by my good friend Geordie Martinez, so you know its gotta be good!

Preorder on Amazon.com

by John Kundert-Gibbs, Eric Kunzendorf, Dariush Derakhshani, Mick Larkins, Eric Keller, Boaz Livny, Mark E. A. de Sousa

I contributed three chapters to this comprehensive guide on Maya 7: rendering Basics, Particles, and Toon Shading. A number of experienced authors including Dariush Derakshani, John Kundter Gibbs, Boaz Livny, and Eric Kunzendorf also contributed. This book will gove you a solid foundation in all aspects of Maya. the Maya 8 version is currently in production and should be out this spring.

Order it on Amazon.com

I've written numerous articles and tutorials for HDRI3d magazine on subjects ranging from Paint Effects, After Effects, Particle Illusion, Zbrush, to interviews quth animators at Dreamworks PDI and Blue Sky.

My first published tutorial appeared in Issue 4 of Highend 3d magazine. A short-lived but great magazine featuring some of the best talent in the industry.