100+ Maya 3D Tutorials For Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Users
When it comes to high-end 3d computer graphics and 3d modeling software package, Autodesk Maya is always one of application to be considered. Maya plays an important role in the 3d visualization and animation industry and they are top choices for many designers on large or small-scale production. If you are looking to picking up Maya to design your 3d models, this article is for you.
For Beginners
Flying Butterfly Animation – Tutorial for Beginners
This tutorial will teach you to make a simple butterfly and animate it.
Animate a Logo Forming from Particles in Maya
In this tutorial Abed Ibrahim will walk you through the process of creating an animated logo using particles in Maya, and then reverse the rendered animation in any video editing software of your choice.
Create a coin 3D model
This tutorial will show you how to create very realistic coin using only maya 3d.
Flying Arrows
This tutorial will teach you how to create flying arrows.
Creating Text In Maya
This tutorial covers how to create text in Maya.
Make A Screw-Driver
This is a basic modelling tutorial that will teach you how to make a screw-driver and render it.
Basics Of Maya Key Frame Animation
This tutorial will teach you the fundamentals of the way Maya animates.
3D Street Lamp Modeling
This tutorial will teach you how to modeling 3d street lamp.
Melting Text
This tutorial will teach you explore some of the tools and options of fluid to create melting text effect like smoke.
Spiral Modeling
Learn how to model a spiral.
5 Tricks On Using Cameras In Maya
This tutorial covers 5 cool tricks you can do using cameras in Maya.
Create 3D Heart Model
Learn how to create a heart from poly cube.
Create Awesome Cloth Simulations using nDynamics in Maya
In this tutorial you will learn how to use nDynamics’ passive colliders and ncloth objects, in conjunction with fields like air and gravity, to easily simulate realistic dynamic objects such as a windy flag or a water container.
Boolean Modeling in Maya
This tutorial covers in depth, basic boolean operations, anatomy of a boolean, where to use booleans, and common boolean errors.
Basic Technique of Creating An Animation
In this tutorial you’ll learn the very basic technique of creating an animation in Maya.
Animated Arrows
This tutorial will teach you how to create animated arrows.
How Shaders Work In Maya
This tutorial teaches you how materials work, and how to create materials in Maya.
Grab and Move an Object
In this tutorial I will explain how to grab and move an object.
Finding Distances In Maya
This tutorial teaches you how to find distances in Maya.
Duplicate Special
Duplicate Special lets you duplicate objects, change the transformation attributes of the duplicated object(s), and duplicate mulitple objects at a time.
Creating Natural Light
This tutorial will teach you how to make a light rig that will generate a nice, clean, soft overall light that’s tinted green.
Creating Lightning In Maya
This tutorial covers how to create lightning effects in Maya.
Create Simple Wave
Create simple wave using Sine Deformer for flag wave if you not using soft body or for fish tail.
How to Rendering Shadow Only
This tutorial will teach you how to rendering shadow only. This is simple and fast.
Importing Audio Into Maya
This tutorial covers how to import audio into Maya.
Making Blendshapes
This is the first part of a multi-part tutorial on blend shapes.
Modelling Hammer
In this tutorial we will be modeling a hammer with help of poly and subdiv.
Model and Texture a Photo-realistic USB Cable with Maya and Mental Ray
In this tutorial you will go through the process of modeling and rendering a Photo-realistic USB cable in Autodesk Maya.
Modeling a Face
This tutorial will teach you how to model a basic face that can be used for cartoon or realistic.
Modeling A Knife
This tutorial will teach you how to model a knife quickly, using Maya.
Modeling Saw
n this Maya tutorial we will learn how to modeling saw.
Parent/Child in Maya
Learn how parent and child function works in Maya.
Pivot Points
This tutorial covers how to edit pivot points in Maya.
Creating Gears
This tutorial will teach you how to create gears.
Getting started with Mental Ray’s Final Gather
This tutorial was designed to teach anyone who is interested in rendering with Mental Ray’s Final Gather.
Two Tips For Move And Rotate Tools
This covers some tool settings that I found useful to help the modeling process.
Understanding Lights in Maya
This tutorial will explore Maya’s default light options for every and each light in the list
Using Revolve
This tutorial will teach you how to use revolve tool in Maya.
Using The Extrude Tool
This tutorial will cover in depth the extrude tool and all of its functions.
Modelling LCD Monitor
This tutorial will use allot extrude, scale, move, and split polygon object to create a LCD Monitor.
Building a Polygon Arch
This tutorial will show the method I used for making my arches in a building.
Wireframe Rendering
In this Maya tutorial we will learn how to create wire-frame rendering.
How to Create a Wine Glass
Create a wineglass using the curve tool.
For Intermediate Users
Modeling a Coca-Cola Bottle
This tutorial is intended to show you how to make a Coca-Cola bottle using Maya.
How do Create A Flash Photography Effect
This tutorial will teach you how to create a flash photography effect in Maya.
Modeling A Head Using Nurbs
Modeling a head using Nurbs-Polygon technique by Sasan Rafiee.
3D Modeling Keroro Gunso
In this Maya tutorial we will learn how to modeling Keroro Gunso.
Realistic Ear Modeling
This tutorial is mainly aimed at those users with experience in polygon modeling.
Realistic Eye Modeling for 3D Characters
A tutorial on how to model and apply shaders to get realistic eyes, the “windows of your character’s soul”.
Build a Reusable Light Rig in Maya
In this tutorial you will learn how to setup a basic lighting rig in Maya.
Caustics
Tthis tutorial will teach you how to make a picture of a glass using caustics.
Modelling in Alias – Ceiling light
Learn how to create ceiling light in Maya.
Modeling Kempston Pro Joystick
In this tutorial you will learn how to model kempston pro joystick using polygons and NURBS.
Animate a Dancing Ice Cream Bar in Cinema 4D and After Effects
In this 125 step monstrosity of a tutorial you will learn everything you need to know to make a dancing ice cream bar animation in Cinema 4D, and then composite it in After Effects.
Adding A Vase on Your Table
Table is a multiple functioned object, but without a nice flower vase looks incomplete. Follow the tutorial and see how it’s made in Maya.
Create Fire in Maya
In this tutorial we will learn how to create fire effect from scratch using Maya particle system which will help you achieving your desired look.
Create a New York Subway Entrance in Maya
Learn how to model the low-poly mesh from reference, and then move on to creating the high-poly source for the purpose of baking normal maps.
Tutorial on How to Make Car Rims
This tutorial will guide you on how to create a realistic looking chrome car rims.
Creating A Holiday Ball
This tutorial will teach you how to create a holiday ball from polygonal primitives.
Creating a Lava Lamp in Maya
This tutorial presents a step by step project for the modeling, shading, lighting and rendering of a realistic lava lamp.
Maya’s Paint Geometry Tool
This tutorial covers the basics of Maya’s Paint Geometry Tool.
How to Create a Realistic Looking Dirt Layer using Maya Transfer Maps
In this tutorial you will learn a simple technique of adding dust and dirt to your 3d objects, without overdoing it, to finally give them a more lifelike and realistic feel.
How to Create an Awesome Fire Effect Using Maya Fluids
In this tutorial you will learn how to create a fire animation inside Maya, and adjust the settings for your own projects.
Modelling A Poly Table Fan
This video tutorial shows step by step various quick modeling techniques including curve extrude, surfaces, poly tube, Smooth, bevel, curve revolve, extrude, and more, to create a polygonal fan table.
Creating Dynamic Mud Effect Using Soft Body
This tutorial covers how to make effect that one dynamic sphere make trail on surface while moving over it’s surface, similar like some ball moving over mud.
Making Eyelid Rig with Driven Keys and Expressions
Goal for this tutorial is to make few blend shapes for 4 position of eye and drive that blend shapes automatically as eye ball rotating.
Model a Spitfire War Plane
This tutorial shows you how to model a spit fire war plane.
Modeling A Toy Dragonfly
This tutorial covers how to model, texture, and render a toy dragonfly.
Modeling Hand
This tutorial covers how to model a human hand.
Modeling Human
Learn how to model a human.
Modeling Human: Naruto Chibi
This Maya Tutorial will explain about modeling human especially in the form of anime.
Create Cool Looking Cartoon Dog
This tutorial shows you how to create this cool looking cartoon dog – Starting with the image planes and moving onto the modeling which covers nurbs, polygons and sub divs.
Spotlight Fog
Learn how to add fog to a spotlight.
Page Turn Animation
This Tutorial would teach you, how to turn a page in Maya, using Maya’s skeleton setup.
Ford Focus Tutorial Series
Learn how to model a ford focus WRX.
Model Airplane in Maya
In this video tutorial show how to model an airline airpalne step by step as in Maya.
Video Tutorial Portal Light in Maya
Video tutorial on how to create portal light in Maya.
Using Projection Mapping in Maya
This tutorial explains how to use simple tri planar (box) projection and planar projection to shade two walls, one with decal, all done in only one material.
Making A Battleship in Maya
This tutorial will explain how to make ship in Maya using Nurbs curves, surfaces and poly geometry.
Creating a Low Poly Dragon
This tutorial will explain how to use Maya polygons to create dragon.
Creating CG nature
This tutorial is going to show you how to make terrain, trees and grass using Maya.
Chain Gun in Maya tutorial
This tutorial will show you how to model a chain gun and control rig for firing and aiming using basic MEL scripts.
Candle Flame
Learn how to build a candle flame in Maya.
The Egg and The Fog
In this exercise you are going to learn how to crack an egg and have light beams coming out of the cracks.
For Advanced Users
Non Photo Realistic Shading in Maya
This tutorial describes how to achieve a Non photo realistic shading effect in Maya
“Blind Warrior” by Ryan Lim
This tutorial will briefly describe how Ryan Lim created his blind warrior from a painting
Modeling a foot in Maya
This tutorial will teach you how to model a realistic looking foot in Maya.
Low Poly Game Character Hair
This tutorial will go with a more interesting hairstyle.
Sub Scattering of Particles
‘ZBrush , Blender & Maya Training: Sub Scattering of Particles – Video Tutorials’
by Jason Welsh
Dr Julian’s Texturing Tutorial
By Julian Jeremy Johnson-Mortimer.
Growing Flowers
This tutorial will show you how to create growing flowers from surface; the flowers will gradually randomly grow up and will retain their original status when they reach to growing limit.
How to Build – A Next-Gen Game Car
This tutorial is intended to present a method of creating a next gen vehicle asset.
Making of Sohrab
By Farzad Dalvand, Iran.
Making of the Standing Beauty
This tutorial will explain the steps taken to create the standing beauty.
Modeling Morgane
By Cousigne Adrien
Revolution
By Zhang Yang, China.
Secrets of Swimsuit Babe
Making an attractive woman is always a goal for most CG enthusiasts.
Create a Cool Looking Molecule Effect
This tutorial will focus on creating a cool molecule type object with Maya and finish the project off in After Effects.
Create a Realistic Tree in Maya
This tutorial will help you to make a realistic tree.
Create a Spectacular Crash Animation With Maya Dynamics
In this tutorial we will learn how to use Maya’s powerful animation, dynamics, and camera tools to create an explosive crash effect between two vehicles.
Creating an Old Farm
By Daniel VIJOI.
Creating Logo Effect from Matrix
Learn how to reproduce some of the logo effect of the film “Matrix” using maya particles and expressions.
Domino Effect
This tutorial will discuss on several issues, how to setup the geometry and how to apply passive to active key switch among them.
Facial Animation Rig for Delgo
By Warren Grubb.
Making of Varga In MAYA
This tutorial will summarize the workflow used for one of author’s characters with lots of images and some print-screens.
Making of “The Tunnel” in Maya
n this tutorial you will learn how to create a fantastic tunnel scene in Maya, and then add some final lighting touches in Photoshop.
Making of the Rider
By Christopher Adajar, France.
Making of the Prince
by Robert Vari, Hungary
Making of the Joker
By Mohammadtaghi Aibaghi Esfehani, Iran.
Making of the Alien Nature
By Pascal Raimbault, New Zealand.
Making of Portrait of a Troll
By Jonas Persson, Sweden.
Making of Kid
By Rakesh Sandhu.
Making of Gladiator
By Christopher Adajar, Paris.
Making of Cheese Platter
This tutorial will explain how the author did this Cheese Platter the best that I can.
Creating A Spaceship Fleet Using Particle Instance
This tutorial is going to show you how to use particle instancer to create fleet of spaceships flying across the planes.
The Making of Mafia Wars 3D
This tutorial is going to explain how author made this “Mafia wars” picture.
Surface Emitted Particles on SoftBody Tenticles
The following concept tutorial will be covering Surface Emitted Particles on SoftBody tenticles to create a spiraling array particle system for futuristic gun blasts or whatever.
Street Cop Workflow
By Mashru Mishu
Making of Tiger Zoo
By Massimo Right.
Lava Shader Effects in Maya
This tutorial will explain how to make a shader for lava effects using Maya’s material editor, called Hypershade.
Destroying a Wall Using Rigid Bodies and Particles in Maya
This tutorial will explain how to use rigid bodies, forces and particles to create shatter effect in Maya.
Organic Modeling and Animation
Creating A Flame Thrower
This tutorial will show you how can you create Flame Thrower
Creating High Res Polygonal Models
This tutorial will concentrate on how to use smoothed polygonal geometry to create high res models.
How to Create A Model of Nissan 350-Z
This is a step-by-step tutorial that explain how to create 350Z’s body using polygonal modeling in Maya environment.
UV mapping Techniques and Workflow
This tutorial is designed to show most of the UV mapping techniques and tricks that I use day in and day out.
Making of ‘Snapshot of a Zombie’
By Jelle Van de Weghe.
Author: Sourish Nath