If you prefer a clean workspace you can go to > Display and uncheck > Grid.
The scaling can be changed anytime, but for lighting, simulation or when you want to exchange models within a team it is recommended to work with the proper measures right from the start. 24 x 24 cm is a good size for this plant. It consists of 24 lines in x and z direction with a distance of 1 cm (Maya’s default units are centimeters). The plant should approximately cover the base grid. Now > File > Import the Maya file “GC17_3.mb”. To switch the project in Maya choose > File > Set Project, navigate to the project folder you want to work with and hit “Set”. If you or someone else want to work with this project on another computer then you just copy the complete project folder containing sourceimages, scenes, etc.
The idea behind the Project folder is, that files associated with the Maya scene like texture maps are stored in one place. Back in Maya go to > File > Save Scene As … type a name and save the file to the “scenes” directory. As soon as you hit “Accept” Maya automatically creates a set of folders on your drive.Ĭopy the downloaded files to the newly created sourceimages directory. Click “New”, type in a name in “Current Project” and change the Location if appropriate.
Set up a new project with > File > Project Window. But any other assets can be used to follow this tutorial. I used the free plant model “Dandelion” from ( direct download here), the HDR panorama “05-16_Day_C” from and a photo-scanned low-poly ground model which you can download here.
#MAYA 2017 AMBIENT OCCLUSION HOW TO#
Along the way you will find some useful tips how to set up a project and organize objects in the Outliner. In this tutorial you can learn how to set up 3-point lighting, some shading basics, and how to tweak Viewport 2.0 – Maya’s built in realtime renderer.