Reviewing a Maya tutorial.

The video that is linked is a demonstrative video on how to create a cup. I would like to add emphasis on demonstrative instead of tutorial as there are no verbal explanations as to what the tools do (just repetitive rock music), this is simply showcasing their ability.

I will contrast that statement though by saying there’s definitely a lot to learn from here, however it’s more directed towards your personal interpretation and willingness to further research these techniques as opposed to being taught the positives, negatives and reasoning behind each tool.

The tutorial has keys come up showing you (the viewer) how to use each particular tool, I’d say this is an upside however they sometimes disappear so quickly I’m forced to re-watch the same few seconds just to see how to access these tools, so quickly in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not edited in and is instead just displaying what key’s he’s currently using. It’s partly redeemed by some tools having red boxes formed around them to direct your eyes to the right place, but this is then ruined again once you know the boxes surround Maya’s own interface, which stays on screen long enough to be seen without the box.

There definitely were lessons I learned, such as the soft select key and bridge faces option, however when watching the tutorial, I had to repeat it (as already mentioned) because I didn’t know what options were clicked, the mouse has an awkwardly large yellow circle surrounding it and gives a ripple effect when the user clicks, making everything more difficult to view. Although after multiple attempts at rewinding, I do know how to use these tools (even if I don’t know when/where to use them). I’d say the expectation with a tutorial is to teach, not show, which this tutorial definitely struggled with.

Pros:

• Demonstrates interesting and useful techniques.
• Short tutorial, doesn’t avoid the subject matter.

Cons:

• Repetitive music.
• No explanations
• Useful visuals disappear too quickly
• Awkward rippling effect
• Mouse has a distracting border

Overall I’d say this tutorial is worth a watch, however not with the intent on learning information, just techniques.