The Gnomon Workshop Releases New DVD Titles

September 18, 2002 -- HOLLYWOOD. The Gnomon Workshop has releasednine new training DVDs on modeling, dynamics and expressions inAlias|WavefrontÕs Maya. This series, which includes three DVDs onNURBS modeling and four more titles on Maya's Dynamics engine, alsomarks the premiere of a new instructor in the Gnomon Workshopofferings. Andrew Orloff has produced two DVDs on using expressions inMaya. Each title has 110 minutes of instruction, lecture notes,resource spotlights and bonus materials. DVDs are priced at $79 eachand may be purchased at http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/.

These DVDs were produced by Alex Alvarez, Director of the GnomonWorkshop and Gnomon School of Visual Effects; Darrin Krumweide,Associate Director of Gnomon; and Andrew Orloff, Gnomon instructor andfree-lance 3D Artist and Supervisor. As always, the objective of theDVDs is to explain the tools, with a focus on workflow, using a widerange of example effects.

The nine new releases are as follows:

NURBS Modeling, I: Basics, addresses how MayaÕs set of NURBSmodeling tools can be used to effectively sculpt an infinite variety oforganic and hard-shelled objects

NURBS Modeling, II: Surfacing, demonstrates NURBS modeling ofintermediate-level complexity

NURBS Modeling, III: GTP Racecar, focuses on theintermediate/advanced modeling of a GTP racecar

Expressions, I: Intro To Particle Expressions, presents how to useMEL (Maya-Embedded Language) to form and control relationships betweenparticle and object attributes over time

Expressions, II: Particle Expressions In-Depth, shows how to gain agreater degree of control over particle attributes

Dynamics, VIII: Introduction to Softbodies, begins a four partseries which delves into a myriad of softbody effects. We begin withcontrolling particle behavior and applying fields, goals, collisions,springs and expressions.

Dynamics, IX: Softbody Effects, this lecture moves on to morespecific applications such as ground-plane effects, combiningsoftbodies with rigid bodies, blendshape deformers and auxilliaryspring effects and interconnected softbodies

Dynamics, X: Softbody Lattices and Curves, covers specificapplications of lattices and curves

Dynamics, XI: Spring Effects, focuses on demonstrating how objectsin Maya can be positionally and orientationally constrained to softbodymovement in order to create mechanisms which combine both rigid andelastic objects.

"Our goal from the inception of the Gnomon Workshop has been toemulate the curriculum at the Gnomon School," explains Alvarez. "Withthe addition of Andrew Orloff to our slate of Gnomon Workshopinstructors, we come one step closer to that goal."

Andrew Orloff is Head of CG at Zoic. His ad campaign credits includeSkittles, Coca-Cola, Intel, Chevy Tahoe, Carl's Jr., Taco Bell and manymore. He has also created music videos for Cake, Mariah Carey and theRed Hot Chilli Peppers, as well as effects for the television shows"Angel" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". He is a graduate of the UCLASchool of Theatre Film and Television. Orloff has been teaching atGnomon since 1999.

All DVD titles have interactive menus with chapters, lecture notes,resource spotlights of 40 minutes in length, and bonus material. OnDVD-ROM-equipped PCs and Macs, viewers can access a Maya projectdirectory with scene files and source images such as textures and imageplanes.

Gnomon Workshop is an outgrowth of the Gnomon School of VisualEffects, a professional institute specializing in training for thehigh-end visual effects community. This on-line resource for the Mayacommunity produces training DVDs, videos and tutorials which areavailable exclusively on-line at http://www.The-Gnomon-Workshop.com. The website alsofeatures written tutorials by Alvarez.

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