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Introduction to Maya 2025: UV Toolkit

Texturing Fundamentals using Maya & ZBrush with Eric Keller

Description

Mastering the creation, editing, and layout of UV texture coordinates is fundamental for anyone involved in modeling and texturing. These coordinates are essential as they dictate how 2D textures map onto 3D surfaces, playing a pivotal role in nearly every computer graphics pipeline, from gaming to visual effects, and even motion graphics. Maya's UV Toolkit offers a comprehensive suite of tools, refined across numerous software updates. This workshop provides an in-depth analysis of the toolkit, examining each tool, option, and setting available, along with insights into the UV Editor itself.


The detailed tutorial begins with the first 11 chapters focusing on a thorough walkthrough of the UV toolkit. Instructor Eric Keller explains and demonstrates each function from the top of the interface to the bottom, detailing the UV Editor's layout and highlighting special tools found on the UV Editor shelf. From chapters 12 to 17, he shifts to a practical application using a character model to demonstrate how these tools are utilized in real-world scenarios.


You'll learn how UVs are created and laid out for different parts of a model, including the body and clothing. Remember, the methods to create and arrange UVs vary greatly depending on the end use of the model. While these examples showcase the toolkit in action, they are not prescriptive but rather illustrative of various techniques. In the concluding chapter, Eric shares some advanced tips and strategies for managing UV texture coordinates in Maxon’s ZBrush.


Duration: 4h 37m

Format: HD 1920x1080

Eric Keller

CG artist

Eric Keller is a veteran CG artist with over 20 years of experience creating models for feature films, episodic TV, scientific visualization, planetarium shows, VR, AR, 3D printing, and jewelry design. He creates training titles for The Gnomon Workshop and has also taught ZBrush and Maya classes at Gnomon School in Hollywood.


Eric has been working as a professional CG artist since 1998 creating animations and images for both the entertainment industry and scientific visualization. He has written several top-rated books on both ZBrush and Maya, as well as numerous tutorials and articles for leading industry magazines such as 3D World.


He has now authored multiple video series for The Gnomon Workshop on ZBrush and Maya and was honored to be a guest lecturer at Harvard Medical School. He has worked as a visual effects artist on commercials, television, games, and feature films for decades, with credits including 10 Cloverfield Lane, Star Trek: Beyond, Aquaman, Power Rangers, Swamp Thing, and John Wick 3: Parabellum.


  • "Eric Keller is an Invertebrate lover, an animator, an author, ,artist, and the list goes on! His knowledge of all aspects of 3D and his love of the natural world has in my mind made him one of the go to guys in the industry. His passion is what makes him one of the best authors and teachers out there! Eric approaches his work seriously but with a sense of humor and a zest for knowledge. I am constantly surprised and inspired by Eric's ability to make any topic interesting and fun. His new tutorial will definitely be one I will watch over and over! "

    - Mark Dedecker
    Asset lead at Deluxe Entertainment

  • "Eric Keller is a Renaissance man. By combining his artists eye, his passion for natural science, and his skill as a teacher he has brought this fantastic tutorial to life! Eric easily shifts from exceptional sculpting, to finessing the intricacies of Vray and Maya, to explaining the nuances of the Arthropoda Insecta Hymenoptera. Its that kind of attention to detail that makes great artists freakin amazing. I am constantly in awe of Eric's breadth of knowledge and skill. We are all fortunate he has chosen to share some of that in this tutorial! "

    - Scott Spencer
    Weta Workshop NZ

  • "Eric Keller is a master ZBrush artist. Anyone who wants to know ZBrush in depth should buy this tutorial! For an in depth understanding ZBrush, look no further than Eric Keller's amazing works. I wish I could Crtl+C, Crtl+V what Eric Keller knows directly into my brain!"

    - Jared Krichevsky
    Creature Designer at The Aaron Sims Company