Digital-Tutors, an Autodesk Authorized Publisher and a provider of mental ray training, has announced the release of MENTAL RAY NODES ONLINE REFERENCE LIBRARY, a non-linear approach to learning each mental ray node available in Maya.

MENTAL RAY NODES ONLINE REFERENCE LIBRARY is a collection of training that visually explores and demonstrates how each mental ray node in Maya works and presents artists with best practices to save time and achieve desired results. The library provides over nine hours of practical projects and 116 self-paced lessons for artists of all skill levels. MENTAL RAY NODES ONLINE REFERENCE LIBRARY offers anytime, anywhere access and provides a unique, step-by-step approach to learning the technical aspects of each node in mental ray.

"In order to fully utilize mental ray, it's very important to have a complete understanding of the functionality of each node," said Kyle Green, Director of Curriculum of Digital-Tutors. "We wanted to provide artists with a training series that teaches each node in a way that makes complete sense and that can be used in every workflow and on every project."

Key topics and popular highlights for MENTAL RAY NODES ONLINE REFERENCE LIBRARY include: detailed overview of all mental ray nodes, when to use specific nodes and understanding how and why nodes work, dielectric materials, Bokeh lens shaders, ambient occlusion shaders, participating media, photon shaders, caustic interactions, architectural shaders, physical sky shader, interior renderings, texture placement, tone mapping, mental ray lights, contour shaders, and mental ray materials with Maya's new Pass Rendering system.