Hair (left) is also now renderable in mental ray, an addition that is sure to be useful for many effects studios, and Maya 7 also features a toon shader (right).

Effects
Fluid effects are improved in Maya 7 with the addition of a high detail solver. This is fancy language for “better.” The result is more realistically detailed clouds, explosions and smoke.

Maya 7 ships with a variety of hair presets that enable artists to get a headstart on their characters “do’s.” I’m confused by this inclusion. Maya is clearly aimed at professionals, not hobbyists. As wonderful as these hair presets are, they seem much more suited to a hobbyist application, such as Poser. Regardless, hair can also be easily transplanted in Maya 7. This actually has some use. Users can set up their own hair, whether it’s pigtails or goatees, and then easily transfer them to new surfaces. Hair is also now renderable in mental ray, an addition that is sure to be useful for many effects studios. Fur has also been updated; it now reacts to dynamic forces, if so desired.

For those considering the plunge, there’s a lot more to this upgrade. In no particular order, here are some more highlights to consider: all new toon shader, cloth simulation improvements, render layers, tight Photoshop integration, vector rendering and a slew of MEL scripting additions, changes and improvements.

Conclusion
Overall, Maya 7 is a solid release. Artists considering upgrading form previous versions or migrating from other packages will get their money’s worth. The few small issues are worth considering if your particular workflow relies specifically on problem areas, such as edge modeling. Like other apps, Maya is beginning to show its age. The current generation of 3D software has pushed the boundaries and nearly reached the limit of their current implementations. Softimage has made some bold moves forward with their recent XSI overhaul; I’m hopeful that Alias will take Maya down a similar path with next year’s upgrade.

The usual tiered feature set and pricing structure hasn’t changed for Maya 7. Game studios or smaller visual effects studios will most likely be interested in Maya 7 Complete, the less expensive version selling for $1,999. Full blown visual effects studios and game developers creating their cut scenes in-house will find the additions of hair, fur, fluid and cloth in Maya Unlimited better suited to their needs. Maya 7 Unlimited sells for $6,999. No word yet on a Personal Learning Edition of Maya 7, but if the past is any indicator, Alias should have one available shortly. Currently, the free Personal Learning Edition of Maya is still at version 6. Alias’ website has complete details on Maya 7, www.alias.com.

Fred Galpern is currently the art manager for Blue Fang Games located in Waltham, MA. Since entering the video & PC game field more than six years ago, Galpern has held management positions in several game and entertainment companies, including Hasbro and Looking Glass Studios. He began his art career as a comic book creator and also has professional graphic design experience. He has created characters and developed stories for numerous children’s television series. Galpern has satisfied his long-standing interest in education by teaching at several New England colleges. He is currently an adjunct instructor at Bristol Community College, where he co-created the associates degree gaming curriculum.