Maya 2011: Creating Textures and Shaders with Eric Keller shows how to create textures and materials, and then apply them to models to render realistic surfaces. The course covers working with the mental ray shading nodes, including the mental images architectural node, subsurface scattering nodes, occlusion, and car paint shaders, as well as how to incorporate these nodes into shading networks using the Hypershade editor. It also explores using textures, Maya software nodes, normal maps, and displacement maps for adding detail to models. Exercise files accompany the course.

* Understanding shading concepts

* Simulating the Fresnel effect for realistic reflections

* Rendering transparent and translucent surfaces

* Comparing mental ray and Maya standard shaders

* Introducing the mia_material

* Developing shader networks

* Using subsurface scattering shaders

* Mapping polygon UV coordinates

* Incorporating texture nodes into networks

* Improving skin detail with ambient occlusion

* Painting bump maps

* Creating normal and displacement maps

* Troubleshooting maps

Maya 2011 Lighting and Rendering in mental ray with Eric Keller shows how to master practical mental ray techniques for rendering models created in Maya. This course walks through the most efficient and innovative mental ray techniques, including direct versus indirect lighting methods, creating different types of shadows, using the new ShadowMap camera, and reusing shadow and final gathering maps. A chapter on optimizing render times and enhancing render quality is also included. Exercise files are included with the course.

* Understanding computer-generated lighting

* Creating depth map and ray traced shadows

* Softening and shaping shadows

* Working with global illumination

* Lighting with the caustic settings

* Applying physical and portal shaders

* Adding depth of field with the Bokeh shader

* Splitting a scene into render layers

* Comparing render passes and render layers

Drupal 7 Essential Training shows how to get the most out of Drupal, the content management system (CMS) that powers over a quarter million web sites. The course demonstrates how to download and install Drupal, add content and graphics to a site, change layout and design elements, control visitor interactions, and expand the site's capabilities beyond what’s available in Drupal core. Discussion of established best practices in each step to ensure that a site remains streamlined, secure, and up-to-date. Exercise files are included with the course.

Released on: 1/14/2011

For this installment of the First Look series, James Williamson reviews the current implementation and future direction of web fonts: downloadable font resources that can be retrieved with the CSS @font-face declaration. The course begins with the evolution of online typography and current CSS font capabilities, and then dives into the W3C CSS Fonts Module specification, showing how to utilize web fonts, ensure cross-browser consistency, and how to use CSS3 to enhance the styling of web fonts. Font hosting services and tools such as TypeKit and the Google Fonts API are demonstrated. Exercise files accompany the course.

* What are web fonts?

* Understanding the font stack

* Using @font-face

* Rendering basics

* Choosing a font hosting service

* Downloading licensed fonts

* Generating web fonts

* Font sizing

* Transforming text

* Creating special effects with text shadows

Arriving at the best exposure for a photo is part science and part art. In Foundations of Photography: Exposure, Ben Long helps photographers expand their artistic options by giving them a deep understanding of shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and all other critical exposure practices. This course covers the basic exposure controls provided by all digital SLR cameras, as well as most advanced point-and-shoot models. Learn how to master a camera's metering modes, how to use exposure compensation and bracketing, and much more. By the end of the course, you'll know how to develop an "exposure strategy" that will allow you to effectively employ your exposure knowledge in any shooting situation.

1. Introduction

2. Exposure Fundamentals

3. Camera Anatomy

4. Shutter Speed Fundamentals

5. Aperture in Depth

6. Working with ISO

7. White Balance

8. Metering Modes

9. Exposure Compensation

10. Dynamic Range

11. Manual Mode

12. Advanced Program Mode

Conclusion

CINEMA 4D R12 Essential Training with Rob Garrott introduces artists to the CINEMA 4D workflow, using CINEMA 4D as an important part of a toolset that includes Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator. The course explains the key foundational concepts, such as polygons, textures, and rays, that are crucial to understanding exactly how this 3D application functions. It also includes practical techniques for creating, selecting, and transforming objects, working with splines, polygonal modeling, and adding materials, lighting, and camera views for a fully realized 3D image. Exercise files are included with the course.

Topics include:

- Exploring the importance of object hierarchy

- Modeling with splines

- Modeling with the Knife and Extrude tools

- Applying materials and texturing

- Creating and manipulating light sources

- Animating in the timeline with keyframes

- Controlling camera movement

- Compositing in After Effects

- Texturing with BodyPaint

- Using XPresso and MoGraph

- Creating particle systems

- Rendering and adjusting final render settings

In Final Cut Server 1.5 Getting Started, Robbie Carman shows how to set up, administer, and integrate Final Cut Server into a production workflow and keep digital assets safe and organized. The course covers installing the server and client software, configuring users and groups, uploading assets, and using the check-in/check-out procedure for working with files. Archiving, automation, and metadata customization techniques are also covered. Exercise files accompany the course.

* Understanding how Final Cut Server works

* Final Cut Server terminology

* Installing the server and client software

* Uploading assets via drag and drop

* Using watchers and scans to automatically add assets to Final Cut Server

* Searching and viewing assets

* Adding assets to the cache

* Working with and customizing metadata

* Creating simple automations

* Backing up the server catalog and archiving assets

* Troubleshooting

In Photoshop Elements 9 Essential Training, Jan Kabili highlights the key features of this comprehensive image organization and photo enhancement application. She shows how to correct and enhance photographs, and how to organize a growing collection of digital photos. The course also explains how to use photos in creative projects like photo books, calendars, and greeting cards, and how to share work online and in print. Exercise files accompany the course.

Topics include:

* Downloading files from a digital camera

* Importing photos into an Elements catalog

* Applying keyword tags

* Organizing photos into albums and Smart Albums

* Automatically adjusting photos in Quick Fix

* Walking through Guided Edit photo techniques

* Understanding photo resizing and resolution

* Cropping and straightening photos

* Making and refining selections

* Correcting photos in the Full Edit workspace

* Applying image sharpening

* Adding text and special effects

* Creating photo projects, such as greeting cards and calendars

In SEO: Search Engine Optimization Getting Started, author Jill Whalen explains the importance of site rankings and why search engine optimization is necessary for increasing web site traffic. The course covers choosing the best keywords, performing keyword research, augmenting keywords with search-friendly site architecture, creating social media networking strategies, and measuring the success of an SEO campaign.

Topics include:

* Understanding how search engines work

* Researching and selecting keywords

* Adding keywords to web pages, URLs, and HTML markup

* Writing web page content based on selected keywords

* Link building

* Social media marketing without spamming

* Setting up Google Analytics to track conversions

* Measuring search engine traffic