SURFACING & LIGHTING

Unit 1

3D SURFACING -

3D surfaces in Maya are used to create objects and characters in a scene, and are
essential for creating a realistic 3D image. 3D surfaces in Maya respond to light
similarly to real-world surfaces, but there are some differences in how surfaces and
lights interact in computer graphics software.

FUNDAMENTALS OF 3D SURFACING -

Some fundamentals of 3D surfacing in Maya include:

A. NURBS primitives -

To create a NURBS primitive 3D object, you can:

➢ Open the Curves/Surfaces shelf
➢ Click on any of the 3D shape icons in the middle of the shelf
➢ Alternatively, you can select Create > NURBS Primitives and then choose an
option from the submenu.
B. Modeling -
Modeling is the process of creating shapes using mathematical and geometric
elements, like polygons and NURBS.

C. Hard surface modeling -

This technique is used to create objects with hard and static surfaces, like machines,
vehicles, weapons, and other inanimate assets.

D. Surface modeling -
This is the process of presenting or showing solid objects. It involves converting
between different 3D modeling types, such as applying smoothness, validating
imperfections, and converting the 3D object to show procedural surfaces.

E. Extrude surfaces -
You can extrude surfaces in Maya by:

➢ Selecting the face

➢ Right clicking and going to Face mode
➢ Selecting the face
➢ Clicking on the Extrude button
➢ Alternatively, you can select the face and press Ctrl e
➢ Or, you can click on the face, press W to move, and hold down the Shift key

OVERVIEW OF SURFACING IN 3D MODELING -

In 3D modeling in Maya, surfacing is a technique that allows you to:

➢ Create complex shapes: Build out faces individually to control the exact contour
and direction
➢ Create fillets or drafts between faces: Delete, reconstruct, and stitch faces back
to the existing design
➢ Construct 3D models: Use NURBS primitives, which are simple 3D objects based
on geometric forms like cubes, spheres, and cones
➢ Construct NURBS curves: Define the basic outline of the 3D form, then use the
curves as a basis for constructing NURBS surfaces

Here are some ways to create NURBS surfaces in Maya:

➢ Create NURBS primitives
➢ Create a flat surface inside a curve
➢ Skin a surface across profile curves
➢ Sweep a profile curve along a path curve
➢ Sweep one or more profile curves along two path curves (birail)
➢ Create a surface within bounding curves
➢ Create a four-sided surface with continuity (Square)

IMPORTANCE OF TEXTURES AND MATERIALS –

Textures and materials are essential for creating realistic 3D scenes in Maya:
MATERIALS -
Defines the basic substance of an object, such as its color, texture, and other visual
attributes. Surface materials represent the types of surfaces onto which you can map
textures. Attributes such as shininess, matte, reflectivity, glossiness, and so on, vary
among the different types of materials in Maya. For example, if the texture requires a
shiny surface, such as chrome, use a Phong material. In Maya, material nodes define
how surfaces react to light. Maya contains several types of material nodes that help
you simulate the real-world qualities or behaviors of surfaces to light: Surface material
nodes, Volumetric material nodes, and the Displacement material node.

➢ Surface material -

Surface materials represent the types of surfaces onto which you can map textures.
Attributes such as shininess, matte, reflectivity, glossiness, and so on, vary among the
different types of materials in Maya. For example, if the texture requires a shiny
surface, such as chrome, use a Phong material.

➢ Displacement material -

The displacement material lets you use an image to specify surface relief on objects in
your scene.
➢ Volumetric material (atmosphere) -

In the real world, when you photograph an object, it is usually within an atmosphere
(air) and is surrounded by other objects (background).

Here are some types of shaders in Maya:

➢ Anisotropic: A surface shader in Maya
➢ Blinn: A surface shader in Maya that has a Color attribute and a Specular Color
attribute
➢ Phong: A surface shader in Maya that can be translated to a Standard Surface
shader
➢ Layered Shader: A surface shader in Maya that can layer textures or materials

TEXTURES -
Add detail to an object, such as transparency, shine, or bump. You can connect
textures to almost any attribute of a material. 3D textures can project through
objects, making them appear to be carved out of a substance.

Textures are important in Maya because they add detail to the surface of an object:
➢ Define an object's appearance -
Textures are connected to an object's material as texture maps to define how the
object's surface looks when rendered.

➢ Control how a texture is used -

The attribute to which a texture is connected determines how it affects the final
results. For example, connecting a texture to an object's color attribute applies a
color map, while connecting it to the transparency attribute applies a transparency
map.

➢ Improve image quality -

File textures, which are bitmap images, can filter better than procedural textures
and result in better image quality.

➢ Reduce rendering time -

Rendering an entire branch of a shading network as a file texture can reduce the
rendering time of complex networks.
➢ Create lighting effects -
File textures can be used to create lighting effects that would be difficult to achieve
in other ways.

➢ Control the look of fluids -

Built-in texturing capabilities can be used to add texture to fluids.

Here are some tips for using textures and materials in Maya:
➢ To assign a material to an object, enable Display > Assigned Materials in the
Outliner, select the object, right-click the material in the Outliner, and select
Assign Material To Selection.
➢ To apply a texture to a material, select the material in the Hypershade window
and click the checkerboard icon next to the attribute you want to texture.
➢ To activate Shaded and Texture display mode, press 6 on the keyboard.
➢ To disable the default material, go to Shading and disable Use default material.

TYPES OF SURFACES -

The three main types of surfaces in Autodesk Maya are polygon, NURBS, and
subdivisions. Maya also has a default node called Standard Surface, which is a
renderer-agnostic shader that can be used to model most materials in visual effects
and animation.

1. Polygons -

Polygons consist of geometry based on vertices, edges, and faces that you can use to
create three-dimensional models in Maya. Polygons are useful for constructing many
types of 3D models and are widely used in the development of 3D content for
animated effects in film, interactive video games, and the internet.

Here are some things to know about polygon surfaces in Maya:

➢ Common polygons-
The most common polygons used in modeling are triangles and quadrilaterals
(quads).
➢ Polygon meshes-
A group of polygons connected by shared vertices and edges is called a polygon
mesh. Polygon meshes are also known as polysets or polygonal objects.

➢ Other geometry types-

In addition to polygons, Maya also supports NURBS and subdivision surfaces for 3D
modeling.

➢ Polygon primitives-
Some examples of polygon primitives in Maya include spheres, cylinders, cones, tori,
pipes, and helixes

2. NURBS -

Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) provide a 3D modeling framework based

on geometric primitives and drawn curves. You can use NURBS in two ways: Construct
3D models from NURBS primitives. Primitives are simple 3D objects created in the
shape of common geometric forms such as cubes, spheres, cones, and so on.

3. Subdivisions -

In Autodesk Maya, subdivisions are a technique that allows users to subdivide specific
regions of a mesh to smooth or tune certain areas without changing the entire
mesh. Subdivisions can be used to create detailed, realistic 3D models in less time than
other modeling methods.
HARD SURFACES VS. ORGANIC SURFACES -

Hard surface modeling in Maya is a 3D modeling technique used to create objects with
hard, static surfaces, such as vehicles, machinery, and weapons.

Organic modeling is a 3D design technique that uses a push-and-pull method to create

lifelike models of organic forms, such as animals, plants, and humans. In Autodesk
Maya, organic modeling uses the same basic tools as hard surface modeling, but the
demand on the tools is higher.

SURFACE PROPERTIES -

Surface properties in Maya, such as shininess, reflectivity, and glossiness, can impact
the quality of a rendered image:
➢ Material type -
Different types of materials have different attributes, such as shininess, matte,
reflectivity, and glossiness. For example, a Phong material is used for textures that
require a shiny surface, like chrome.

➢ Standard Surface -
This default node in Maya can be used to model most materials used in animation
and visual effects productions. It has a minimal set of parameters, and can be used
by multiple renderers to achieve similar results.

➢ Sampling quality -
Adjusting the sampling quality in the scene or for specific objects can improve the
quality of the rendered image.
➢ Reducing artifacts and flicker -
Reducing artifacts and flicker can also improve the quality of the rendered image.

TEXTURE MAPPING TECHNIQUES -

Here are some texture mapping techniques in Maya:

➢ Bump mapping -
Creates the illusion of dents, bumps, or roughness on a surface by modifying its
apparent depth.

➢ Specular maps -
Controls how shine appears on objects by mapping a texture to the Specular
attribute of an object's material.

➢ Displacement maps -
Gives textures more detail by shifting an object's surface based on a texture map.

➢ Normal maps -
Makes 3D visualizations look more realistic by giving textures depth.

➢ UV mapping -
Creates, edits, and lays out UV texture coordinates, which dictate how 2D textures
map onto 3D surfaces.
➢ Color maps -
Creates a color map by mapping a texture to the Color attribute of an object's
material.

➢ Reflection maps -
Defines where an object should cast a reflection.

➢ Diffuse mapping -
Applies color and texture to the surface of 3D models to give them their base
appearance.

UV MAPPING BASICS -

UV mapping is the process of creating a 2D representation of a 3D model's surface in

Maya, which allows you to apply textures, colors, and other details. The UVs are the
horizontal (U) and vertical (V) coordinates of the image that correspond to the X, Y,
and Z axes of the 3D model.

Here are some steps for UV mapping in Maya:

1. Project UVs -
Project UVs onto the mesh surface from a primitive object, like a plane, cylinder, or
sphere.

2. View and edit UVs -

Use the UV Texture Editor to view and edit the UVs. You can display the texture
image as a background image to help correlate the UVs to the texture.

3. Arrange UV shells and tiles -

Use the UV Editor to edit and arrange the UV coordinates of your model's polygons,
also known as UV shells.
TYPES OF TEXTURE MAPS (DIFFUSE, NORMAL, BUMP, SPECULAR) -

Commonly used texture maps

➢ Color maps -

By mapping a texture to the Color attribute of an object’s material, you create a color
map which describes the color of the object.

➢ Transparency maps -

By mapping a texture to the Transparency attribute of an object’s material, you create

a transparency map which lets you make parts of an object opaque, semi-transparent,
or entirely transparent.
➢ Specular maps -

By mapping a texture to the Specular attribute of an object’s material, you create a

specular map which lets you describe how shine appears on objects (by controlling
highlight).

➢ Reflection maps -

By mapping a texture to the Reflected Color attribute of an object’s material, you

create a reflection map which lets you describe how an object reflects its surroundings.
➢ Bump maps -

By mapping a texture to the Bump attribute of an object’s material, you create a bump
map which lets you add the illusion of surface bump detail to a surface.

➢ Displacement maps -

Displacement maps let you add true dimension to a surface at render time, a process
which may reduce or eliminate the need for you to create complex models.

➢ Normal maps -
Normal maps are a newer and improved sort of bump map.

MATERIAL CREATION -

To create a material in Maya, you can:

➢ Go to Create > Shaders > Material
➢ In the Material Editor window, drag and drop a shader type from the Shader Tree
library onto the Shader Tree
➢ Adjust the properties of the shader in the Attribute Editor
You can also create materials by connecting node attributes. This creates a shader
network that's graphed in the Hypershade work area. You can also drag connection
lines in the work area to connect materials and textures.

INTRODUCTION TO SHADER NETWORKS -

In Maya, a shader network is a data flow network that produces a shaded result by
moving data from left to right. The left side of the network is made up of render nodes,
such as material nodes, texture nodes, and utility nodes.

Shader networks are used in Autodesk Maya to create and assign materials to objects
in a scene:
➢ Create materials -
Shader networks are used to create materials by combining maps, materials, and
UVs.

➢ Assign materials to objects -

After creating a shader network, you can assign it to an object in the scene.

➢ Share materials -
You can share shading networks between scenes to avoid creating duplicate shading
networks.

➢ Export materials -
You can export shading networks to other applications, such as game engines.

IMPORTANCE OF SHADER NETWORK -

In Autodesk Maya, shader networks are important because they describe materials
and produce the final shaded result of a scene:
➢ Describe materials: Shader networks are a node-based way to describe materials.
➢ Produce shaded results: Data flows through the network from left to right,
starting with render nodes on the left side, to produce the final shaded result.
➢ Contribute to the final look: The nodes connected upstream of the shading group
contribute to the final look of the scene's surfaces.

Creating and applying basic materials -

To create a basic material in Maya, you can:

➢ Go to Create > Shaders > Material
➢ Drag and drop a shader type from the Shader Tree library onto the Shader Tree
➢ Adjust the shader's properties in the Attribute Editor

To apply a material to an object in Maya, you can:

➢ Right click on the object
➢ Select Assign Existing Material
➢ Select the material you want to apply
HYPERSHADE -

The Hypershade is a panel in Autodesk Maya that allows users to create, edit, and
connect rendering nodes to build shading networks. The Hypershade is the central
working area for Maya rendering. It includes several panels, including:

➢ Browser: Lists materials, textures, and lights.

➢ Material Viewer: Renders a shader or soloed material.
➢ Work area: Allows users to create nodes and build a shader network.

TEXTURE PAINTING -

To do texture painting in Maya, you can use the 3D Paint Tool to paint on textures
assigned to a model:
1. Assign a texture -
In Hypershade, select the material and click the checkerboard icon next to the
attribute you want to texture. You can also create and assign a texture from the 3D
Paint Tool.

2. Open the 3D Paint Tool -

You can use Artisan brushes or Paint Effects brushes to paint.
3. Paint -
You can paint on polygons, NURBS, or subdivision surfaces. The texture updates on
the surfaces each time you release the mouse button.

4. Save -
Set Paint Effects to save the canvas after each stroke. You can also save the texture
as a base color to erase back to.

SOFTWARES USED FOR TEXTURE PAINTING -

1. Adobe Photoshop is undoubtedly a top-notch, industry-grade software suite

that offers numerous tools to its users. Its robust development community
performs in-depth R&D to provide handy CG tools.

2. Mudbox is a product of the Autodesk software suite, it is a highly potent and

multi-purpose texture painting and editing tool. Apart from enabling smooth
texturing, it also offers sculpting functions for 3D modelers.

3. Quixel Mixer is a relatively recent addition to the community of best 3D texture

painting software is Quixel Mixer, a high-end texturing software that allows CG
artists to modify textures based on the Megascans library.

4. ZBrush is Developed by Pixologic Inc., a developer of innovative software,

ZBrush is a great tool for creating high-resolution texture details and texture
streaming and is widely used by 3D professionals worldwide. The best part of
ZBrush is that users can also perform high-end, detailed sculpting through its
workflow.
5. Adobe Substance Painter, developed by Allegorithmic, a French software
development company, is ideal for beginners and amateurs trying their hands at
3D texturing for the first time. Substance Painter was later acquired by Adobe and
since then has been widely used for creating custom textures and paint masks,
with real-time preview options.

6. Mari is an immensely powerful 3D texture painting software developed by The

Foundry, Mari is mostly used for intensive workflows. Owing to its naturalism and
breakthrough performance, Mari is one of the most popular 3D texturing tools
utilized by the movie and video game industries

TECHNIQUES FOR PAINTING REALISTIC TEXTURES -

Here are some techniques for painting realistic textures in Maya:

➢ UV mapping -
This technique involves unwrapping a 3D model's surface to create a 2D texture
map. It's used to create textures that match the object's shape and size.

➢ Procedural texturing -
This technique uses mathematical algorithms to generate textures. It's often the
most lightweight option because you don't need to keep the actual image.

➢ Texture mapping -
This technique involves using various techniques to enhance the visual quality of 3D
models. Diffuse mapping is the most basic type of texture mapping.

➢ PBR shading -
PBR stands for Physically Based Rendering, a method used to create realistic
materials and textures. It's useful for texturing because it provides a standard
workflow for creating and rendering materials that look realistic in different lighting
scenarios.

➢ Maya materials -
You can use Maya materials to create a wide range of complex effects, such as
realistic skin, fur, and metal.
➢ Model preparation -
Before texturing, it's important to prepare the model by refining its geometry and
optimizing its design.

➢ 3D Paint Tool -
You can use the 3D Paint Tool in Maya to paint textures on polygons, NURBS, or
subdivision surfaces. You can paint renderable attributes such as color, bump,
transparency, and specular color.

Unit - 2

TEXTURE SEAMS -

Texture seams are the visible lines or gaps that appear on the surface of a 3D model
when the texture does not match up across the UV map. They can ruin the realism and
quality of your 3D graphics, especially if you are working on complex models with high-
resolution textures. In this article, you will learn how to avoid texture seams when UV
mapping complex models, using some tips and tricks that will help you create seamless
textures.

How to fix texture seams after UV mapping?

If you find yourself with texture seams after you have created and applied your UV
map and texture to your model, there are several methods you can use to fix them.
For example, you can adjust the UV coordinates or scale of your UV islands using a UV
editor or modifier to make them fit better with the texture image or eliminate overlaps
or gaps.

How to test your texture seams?

The final step to avoid texture seams is to test your texture on your model, using
different lighting and viewing conditions, to make sure that they are not visible or
noticeable.
Procedural Texturing -

Procedural textures are generated by Maya. In fact, all of Maya's 2D textures (except
for file and movie) and 3D textures are procedural textures. A procedural texture is a
texture created using a mathematical description (i.e. an algorithm) rather than
directly stored data. The advantage of this approach is low storage cost, unlimited
texture resolution and easy texture mapping. Unlike image textures, procedural
textures are generated through mathematical algorithms, allowing for dynamic and
infinitely scalable designs. This approach is beneficial for creating complex patterns
and effects without the limitations of image file resolution.

Substance Workflow –

The Substance plugin allows you to load a Substance material created in Substance
Designer directly in Maya. The plugin will create a Maya material and feed the
substance textures into the material channels inputs. You can then make changes to
the substance parameters and the textures will automatically update.

Substance Painter -

To use Substance Painter in Maya, we can add the Substance Painter plug-in to Maya
and then use it to import textures and materials.

Steps -
➢ Open the Plugin Manager in Maya
➢ Search for Substance
➢ Turn on all the Substance Painter plug-ins
➢ Click the Substance tab
➢ Select the icon with three squares and a circle
➢ Select multiple maps
➢ Choose the source images folder
➢ Select the maps and click Apply
➢ Assign the material to the object in the Hypershade.
Substance Designer -

The Substance 3D plugin for Maya allows you to create realistic materials. We can use the
plugin for animation, visual effects, fashion design, sportswear design, interior design, and
costume design. We can use the physical size feature to use digital materials at the same
size as their physical counterparts.

To use Substance Designer in Maya, you can:

➢ Open the Hypershade and create a Substance node
➢ Load a Substance (.sbsar) file
➢ Choose a graph from the Selected Graph drop-down menu
➢ Set the resolution
➢ Enable Cache Outputs to Disk
➢ Choose a workflow for the renderer
➢ Create a shader network
➢ Apply the material in the scene
➢ Import textures exported from Substance Designer into Maya
➢ Link the textures to the input channels

Advanced Material Creation: Creating complex shaders -

To create material shaders in Maya, you can open the Hypershade window and select
a material type. You can also right-click an object and select Assign New Material.

Steps to create a material shader in Maya -

➢ Open the Hypershade window.
➢ Select a material type from the Create tab.
➢ Preview your results in the Hypershade Material Viewer or Arnold Render View.

Material types -
➢ Lambert: A matte surface material
➢ Blinn: A shiny surface material
➢ Phong: A glossy surface material
➢ Standard Surface: A shader that can create reflective materials like metal or
refractive materials like glass
How to assign a material to an object
➢ Select your model or geometry in the scene viewport
➢ Right-click it
➢ Select Assign New Material
➢ Select the material type you want to use

Using node-based material editors -

Node-based material editors in Maya are tools that allow users to create and modify
materials and shading networks. The Hypershade and Node Editor are two such tools
in Maya.

Hypershade -
➢ A tool for creating materials and shading networks.
➢ Includes a Node Editor tab for creating shading networks
➢ Allows users to customize the layout of the Hypershade.
➢ Allows users to choose between the hardware renderer and Arnold for Maya.
➢ Allows users to add image based lighting to their render.

Node Editor -
➢ A tool that displays nodes and the connections between their attributes.
➢ Allows users to view, modify, and create new node connections.
➢ Allows users to customize the list of attributes displayed for each node.
➢ Has five view modes, including Simple and Connected.
➢ Effective for some tasks such as character rigging.

Displacement mapping -

Displacement mapping is a 3D modeling technique that adds detail to a model by

modifying its geometry using a grayscale texture map. In Maya, displacement mapping
is used to create surface relief, such as elevations and depressions, on flat objects.

Why it's useful -

➢ Displacement mapping allows you to add detail to a scene without having to
model it first.
➢ It's a way to create true surface relief, unlike bump mapping, which only creates
the illusion of surface relief.

Normal Mapping -

Normal mapping in Maya is a texture-based technique that simulates surface details

like bumps, scratches, and wrinkles without modifying the model's geometry. It's a
type of transfer map that uses a normal texture to perturb the surface normal of a
polygon object.

Why it's useful -

➢ Normal mapping is efficient and can be used to create high levels of detail in real-
time
➢ It's especially useful in 3D game design, where video games require real-time
rendering.