Back by popular demand—again!! One of Autodesk University’s highest-rated classes, this is intended for emerging 3ds Max software and Maya software users. This session will explore the world of image-based lighting for rendering images using high dynamic range (HDR) maps and NVIDIA mental ray / NVIDIA iray software. We'll begin with the process of capturing the existing real-world environment lighting. From there we'll see the steps involved in creating HDR panoramic image maps that are used within 3ds Max software and Maya software for photorealistic scene lighting. Finally, we'll employ camera techniques that will create very real images that combine computer graphics and real photographs for completely believable and seamless final imagery. What’s new this year? This year we will focus on graphics processing unit (GPU)-based rendering, specifically NVIDIA iray and others.

In this class, we present tried and tested methods for creating large-scale environments out of modular pieces. These tricks can help you populate your scenes with geometry and dress your shots quickly. Our case study is a 4-minute short film that used a single12 foot x 12 foot modular set to bring an entire story to life.

The Zhuhai Opera House project has high complexities, as there are many aspects to consider, such as curtain wall, steel structure system, auditorium, internal support structure, pipeline layout, and so on. The universality and convenience based on Revit software ensure practicability at every stage of design. And the close contact and feedback mechanism with different specialties are maintained. We aim to provide a precise visual model to various specialties by utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) system within the full lifecycle of architectural design, and construct a comprehensive information mode on the same platform, which is an initial attempt to handle large and complex architectures on the BIM system platform. This session features Revit Architecture, AutoCAD, and Maya. AIA Approved

Companies around the world continue to demand unique creative features within the built environment, from architectural sculpture (including custom-carved woodwork, plaster and stone doors, stair railings, columns, archways, and ceilings) right through to the complete immersive fantasy experiences you'll find in casinos, theme parks, and museums. In these cases customers require the appearance of unique handcrafted 'works of art,' while suppliers require the speed, flexibility, and repeatability provided by the latest CAD/CAM tools. In this class you will learn how these come together.

Everything from walking and running to quadrupeds and bipeds relies on a few basic principles. Many artists get these principles wrong! In this class, I speed through the different cycle types and demonstrate the proper use of timing, posing, and space to get your cycles pixel-perfect and frame accurate.

This is an intensive class about animating a human face. You learn how to see a face: its form and structure and its features when a person talks, feels, and expresses. We cover anatomy and muscle behavior, and we explore what's really going on underneath a face when that face is showing emotion. We show examples of great facial acting and the psychology behind this acting in making human characters come alive. Although this is a class that specializes in faces, the subject matter is a very large part of how a CG artist can become a master animator and actor. This class is also software agnostic. Although we demonstrate with Maya® software, we are focusing on the art and techniques of character facial animation that work whether your platform is Maya, 3ds Max®, or Autodesk® Softimage® software.

Come and hear about the speaker's experience working with clients and customers on their journeys toward photorealism within architectural visualization. With tight deadlines and designs evolving up to the last minute, achieving photorealism requires a unique skill set and advanced digital-content creation software like 3ds Max software and Maya software. You will learn how to use V-Ray to create photorealistic imagery.

Back by popular demand—and intended for emerging users of 3ds Max software and Maya software—this session will explore the world of image-based lighting for rendering images using high dynamic range (HDR) maps and the mental ray, NVIDIA iray, and V-Ray rendering engines. We'll begin with the process of capturing the existing real-world environment lighting. From there we'll see the steps involved in creating HDR panoramic image maps that are used within 3ds Max software and Maya software for photorealistic scene lighting. Finally, we'll employ camera techniques to create very real images, and we'll combine computer graphics and real photographs for completely believable and realistic final imagery.

What is the relationship between passion, vocation, and profession? In this talk, Armando Gomez, a multimedia director with the innovative international multimedia studio Moment Factory, shares his approach to creating spatially dynamic experiences. Through pioneering, interdisciplinary methods, Moment Factory tells visual stories in collective spaces, enhancing their unique toolbox of technologies by working in various forms of entertainment. The studio’s large-scale projects require complex workflow and continual interchange between different talents and skill sets. From illuminating the Jacques Cartier Bridge using real-time social media data to creating generative content for a Madonna stadium tour, Armando channels his training in music, architecture, and design into every exciting project. Join us for a discussion of new media design, and learn how Autodesk products used by Moment Factory, such as 3ds Max, Maya, and AutoCAD, are shaping exciting changes in the industry.

3D visualization has become a very important part of the practice in today's design industry; it is no longer limited to just the film and game studios who have long-established pipelines that deal with rendering and compositing. These critical techniques are little known by other design industries, or they are typically practiced to a very limited degree, utilizing available software such as Adobe Photoshop. There exists a common misconception that the Hollywood-like compositing workflow is too expensive or beyond reach. Design companies that have 3ds Max software or Maya software can get help from the Composite program from Autodesk, Inc. From 3ds Max software, you will learn how to render by element, separating important layers that can be used in a compositing workflow. From Composite software, you will learn how to assemble your rendered layers and make post-production changes that impact the look and feel of your final rendered image or animation.

This class will examine designing environments for visually capable Machine Learning Agents to train in. Looking at both modular, procedurally generated environments and non-generative spaces, the class will cover constructing environments to promote generalization and learning. Additionally, the class will give an overview of the design constraints imposed when training AI, including vision sizing, computing power, and graphic fidelity. The class will dissect the Unity Obstacle Tower Challenge environments, including their construction in Autodesk Maya, the modular structure, and procedural generation. The class will also survey the possible issues in adapting an existing digital environment to use with AI.

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tools have found a niche in real estate sales and marketing, and they are having some impact on design decision making, but the real impact on construction lies just over the horizon when gaming technology, wearable computing, and machine learning will deliver a rapid proliferation of multiplayer collaboration environments for process planning to optimize design, sequencing, coordination, and safety planning. This class will take an industry look at where we are today, and what the near-future and long-term-future states of VR and AR are likely to be. This session features Autodesk Stingray and Maya. AIA Approved

This session will take a look at the Alias road map, research areas, and the latest tool developments in Alias software.

Take your first steps into the world of machine learning. Learn how a neural network can be used to dramatically speed up the removal of noise in ray traced images. In this lab you will learn about noise in rendered images, use a network trained to denoise sample images, and iterate and modify parameters improving the quality of the denoiser. By the end of the lab, you will have the tools and the knowledge to build your own AI accelerated denoiser.

LAIKA is a stop-motion feature animation studio in Portland, Oregon. Autodesk’s Shotgun project management software has been used to organize and automate aspects of the production of all its feature films over the past 10 years, from Coraline to the forthcoming Missing Link. In this talk, we will present how LAIKA tackles the design and manufacturing of the assets that show up on the big screen, how we use Shotgun software to track our production data (from scheduling to final delivery and beyond), and how we have built an efficient production pipeline using Shotgun as a platform. LAIKA exists at an interesting junction between visual effects and manufacturing, producing physical assets for a digital final product. As we go through our workflows, we will also reflect on the commonalities we have seen in how to create both physical and digital assets efficiently.

Movies do it. Many popular television shows, like “Game of Thrones,” are basing most of their effects on it. Commercials love the opportunities. But what about architecture? Can it help clients to better understand their sites, their designs, the directions, and their companies’ impacts on the communities? This class will demonstrate the advantages of using the techniques of integrating computer graphics into a live plate. We’ll examine the process and the possible pitfalls, especially when it comes to using it with aerial footage. This session features 3ds Max, Maya, and Revit. AIA Approved

In this class, you will learn how to improve your design process, increase your creative freedom, and reach your deadlines faster with Autodesk® Alias®, Autodesk® SketchBook® Pro, Autodesk® Maya®, and Autodesk® Mudbox® software. We will go through the entire process of creating a new product, from the conceptual level up through surfacing and prototyping. All class data will be available for download.

In this class, we will examine a creature modeling and detailing workflow using Autodesk Maya and Autodesk Mudbox software. We will begin with exploring creature concept techniques in Autodesk® SketchBook® Pro software and then review clean and optimized polygonal modeling tips and tricks in Maya. Next, we will send our base mesh into Mudbox and take an in-depth look at the processes of sculpting, detailing, and painting to bring our creature look and style to life.

During this class, you will learn the best practices and typical approaches involved when developing custom tools for Autodesk® 3ds Max®, Autodesk® Maya®, Autodesk® Softimage®, and Autodesk® MotionBuilder® software. We will cover scripting and programming languages and discuss the numerous APIs and SDKs available from Autodesk. This class will help you grasp what you can do beyond what is available out of the box in Autodesk entertainment creation suites.

Autodesk Certification signifies your experience and expertise to employers and clients around the world. Preparing to take the certification exam is highly recommended, and you should structure your examination preparation for success using the exam roadmaps and this virtual course as study guides. This virtual Maya Certification Preparation course is intended to serve as preparation for either the user or professional exam by introducing the exam categories and certification objectives in a workflow based manner in Maya. The course will step through each category using relevant examples, and provide valuable insight for the exam. In preparation for the exam, we encourage you to watch this virtual course in combination with hands-on time in the application to increase your understanding of the concepts and skills. We wish you the best of luck!