Book excerpt: Start modeling right away with this hands-on guide to learning Autodesk Maya 2016 Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016 is the official guide to the most popular and complex 3D application on the market. Building from the ground up, this book combines straightforward text with practical examples that make it easy to absorb the basics and start designing and animating your own digital models and scenes. The tutorials offer realistic challenges and clear explanations, laid out in fun, step-by-step lessons that help you gain confidence and learn by doing. You'll delve into CG and 3D core concepts and production workflows, then get right to work designing an animation of the solar system as you learn the interface and basic tools. As your modeling skills grow, you'll build a steam locomotive, a starfish, a table lamp, and much more as you learn to rig your model for animation, create fabric motion with nCloth, and add the lighting and effects that bring your scenes to life. The companion website features downloadable project files that help you see how the pros do it, and the book includes real-world examples from talented users who were beginners just like you. Master the Maya 2016 interface, menus, and plug-ins Begin building simple animations right away Explore modeling, rendering, animation, and cloth motion Add lighting, rendering, dynamics, simulations, and effects If you want to work like the pros, Introducing Autodesk Maya 2016 is the perfect primer for getting started.