In this chapter, you learned about the types of shaders and how they work. Each shader has a set of attributes that give material definition, and each attribute has a different effect on how a model looks.
To gain practice, you textured a NURBS axe model using various shaders, including the Layered shader, to create a wooden handle with a metal spike tip.
Next, you learned about the methods you can use to project textures onto a surface and how you can bake these projections onto an object to avoid “swimming.” You learned about Maya’s texture nodes, including PSD networks and the basics of UVs, and how to use them to place images onto your wagon model in a fairly detailed exercise exposing you to manipulating UVs and using Photoshop to create maps.
Texturing a scene is never an isolated process. Making textures work involves render settings, lighting, and even geometry manipulation and creation. Your work in this chapter will be expanded in Chapters 10 and 11 with discussions of lighting and rendering.
Just like everything else in Maya, it’s all about collaboration—the more experience you gain, the more you’ll see how everything intertwines.
However, for Maya to be an effective tool for you, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the look you want for your CG. This involves plenty of research into your project, downloading heaps of images to use as references, and a good measure of trial and error.
The single best weapon in your texturing arsenal, and indeed in all aspects of CG art, is your eye, your observations of the world around you, and how they relate to the world you’re creating in CG.