Reimagining media and entertainment with Autodesk

Companies like Autodesk, a global leader in design and make technology, are reinventing the way animation is done with their cutting-edge software solutions like Maya, Maya LT and 3ds Max. Autodesk’s official online store www.autodesk.in makes it fast and convenient to buy online and renew online. Read on to find out more.

Autodesk, a global leader in design and make technology, are reinventing the way animation is done with its cutting-edge software solutions.

The word animation is translated from the French word that means ‘soul'. For many of us, some of the most joyful memories from our childhood are of the times spent watching cartoons – from Tom and Jerry and He Man to The Jungle Book. The animation industry has since come a very long way. Even as today's audience watching anything from Peppa Pig to The Avatar remains as captivating as they were to their animated, soulful favourites, the way objects and images have transformed over the years in their depictions is truly fascinating.

In today's computer-driven world, virtual reality mixed with 3D animation is the next big revolution in this space and has taken animation to an all-new level. It is seen in industries ranging from media and entertainment and gaming to online education and learning as they redefine the kind of content we watch, or how we game in near-real virtual environments.

For designers making a foray into this space, there are an array of tools available that offer features of powerful character creation, animation, and creating video games with characters and surroundings that look real! In this space, companies like Autodesk, a global leader in design and make technology, are reinventing the way animation is done with its cutting-edge software solutions.

What is Maya?

The Academy Award-winning Maya toolset is an animator's delight as it helps recreate the world around us with its fantastic creatures, sweeping landscapes and explosive battle sequences.

The software has ready to use graphs that create great effects such as snow and dust storms, an interactive hair grooming tool to create realistic hair and fur for characters, a fluid tool that helps simulate and render photorealistic liquid effects, an ocean simulator to replicate ocean surfaces complete with waves, ripples and wakes and even a physics and effects tool for different kind of particle simulations, like soft body, cloth, rigid etc.

The options with Maya are endless. It enables Universal Scene Description workflows that allows you to load and edit massive datasets in a matter of seconds, import USD data as native Maya data as well as export it or work directly with USD data in common Maya editors, and see quick previews of USD scene structures.

For 3D animation, which has been the biggest revolution for the animation industry, Maya allows for fast playback where you can review animations faster and produce playblasts with cached playback, make high-level animation edits, create, view and modify animation curves and also visualise the movement of animated objects over time using the ghosting editor.

Maya also allows polygon modelling which creates 3D models using geometry based on vertexes, edges and faces, UV editing and toolkit, a sculpting toolset and NURBS modelling.

What makes Maya LT different?

Maya LT is a game design software for indie game makers where, as a developer, you can create and animate realistic-looking characters, props and environments using sophisticated 3D modelling and animation tools in Maya LT 3D game development software.

You can use features of intuitive animation, rigging, modelling and lighting to unleash your true creativity. With the revamped UV editor, you can offer artist friendly tools and functionality. It also has built-in sculpting tools, LOD tools for game model efficiency and physically based shader materials to create high quality characters and props without having to export to a different tool.

Creators can also simulate realistic game lighting and use global illumination tools and modelling improvement tools to carry out quad draw, multi-cut, bevel and symmetry enhancements.

For animations, there is a build a character tool with automated rigging, a shape editor to offer greater control while creating, tweaking and correcting animations, a time editor for clip-based, non-linear editing, a graph editor to edit animation keys, a HumanIK-based Quick Rig tool to generate and create HumanIK rigs automatically, Geodesic voxel binding to bind modelled geometry to skeletons faster and a bake deformer tool that allows containing multiple layers of skinning to just a single skin cluster.

3ds Max

3ds Max is a 3D modelling and rendering software for design visualisation, games and animation that helps you create professional quality 3D animations that are a near-real model of your vision down to the last detail. So, you can create a mini game world, model finely detailed interiors and objects and bring characters and features to life with animation and VFX.

It has several tools to make your task faster and more efficient, such as spline workflows to create animate geometry in several intuitive ways, create pre-existing procedural OSL maps with open shading language support, chamfer modifier for best in class modelling, automated retopology and mesh repair, and a material, texture and colour editor to make your designs photorealistic.

It also has a mesh and surface modelling feature and two new tools in the latest version – baking to texture for a fully scriptable texture-baking experience and a weighted normals modifier which is a built-in calculator that can be directly applied to 3D models allowing you to create precise designs.

For some extreme animations, there are additional tools for creating fluids such as water, lava, or oil, and particles like fire, spray or snow, character animation and rigging tools, general animation tools and motion paths to preview and adjust animation paths.

How can I get Maya and 3ds Max?

All of these software can be bought online from the official Autodesk online store, www.autodesk.in. There are multiple subscription options available, but you stand to save more if you opt for a three-year subscription, which also offers you immunity against price increases during the three-year period.

You can buy Maya and 3ds Max online, each starting at just ₹11,972 for a monthly subscription online and you stand to save 33 per cent on annual subscriptions! Maya LT starts at just ₹1,711 monthly and can save 43 per cent on annual subscriptions.

You can also view some great tutorials and content on 3ds Max and Maya online.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your Autodesk subscription today and start creating!

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. *Terms and conditions of the offer are mentioned in Autodesk website www.autodesk.in. Prices and savings mentioned are based on current prices, and may change in the future.