Maya Python for Games and Film: A Complete Reference for the Maya Python and the Maya Python API

Si lo que quieres es empezar a programar en pyton te recomiendo este libro. Es bastante sencillo de entender y lo explica claramente

Great!

This book was my first contact with Maya scripting, as well as with Python, however I had some web programming experience (jQuery and PHP) prior to learning Python, so that made my learning process a bit easier. Therefore please bare this in mind when reading my review, as your experience with this book might differ if you've never programmed before.The 375 pages of content are structured into 3 parts and I'll analyze each part below.PART 1 - BASICS OF PYTHON AND MAYA (175 pages)Even if you were a complete newbie to programming, this book has you covered, as it spends a good amount of time explaining all the basics of Python (variables, functions, sequence types, iteration, error trapping, classes etc.). The nice thing is that all examples are within the Maya context, so you can immediately understand where, when and why to use certain programming language features. This is of TREMENDOUS help to beginners, because many times programming concepts can become quite abstract if not demonstrated in a practical, application-oriented way. By the end of this part you'll know enough Python to tackle just about any scripting task in Maya.My only critique is that there could've been more of the practical examples using the Maya commands module. A few common commands are covered (select, ls, xform, get/set/add/connectAttr and a few of others), but some extra examples would've been great. Don't get this wrong: learning how just a few commands work means you'll know how to read any command documentation, so it's only a problem if you're lazy, but I think a few more (short) examples would've been welcome.PART 2 - DESIGNING MAYA TOOLS WITH PYTHON (80 pages)This part mainly deals with the Maya GUI and Qt. Basically you'll learn how to create graphical interfaces for your scripts using the commands module and Qt Designer. It's not as in-depth and some other resources on the Qt side, but it get you an idea of what it's all about. You'll probably want to look for dedicated Qt training afterwards, but this is not a scripting priority anyway, as a lot of GUI functionality can be achieved with just using the commands module.PART 3 - MAYA PYTHON API FUNDAMENTALS (114 pages)The Maya API is a subject for which not many organized resources are available. And when they are available, it can be difficult to follow them without getting stuck or otherwise confused, especially if you're a Python programmer. The official Maya API documentation is the prime example of this: a lot of information and complex examples, but mostly written in C++ and hard to understand for a beginner.Luckily, this part of the book explains most of the underlying concepts of the Maya API, details the way Maya works with data and, very important, demystifies the official documentation from Autodesk, so you can read through it and understand what is what.Two types of plug-ins are programmed and analyzed step-by-step: a command plug-in (MPxCommand) and a DG Node plug-in (MPxNode). Both are given the same attention and all their standard aspects are discussed. As in Part 1, though the existing information is neatly provided, I feel a few more short practical examples would've benefited beginners. Also, including an analysis of a few more commonly-used node types (like a deformer node) would've been great. But all in all, it's a great start point.Conclusion:It's a very good starting point for anyone looking to use Python inside Maya. The underlying concepts of Maya are very well described and you'll get a good understanding of how things work behind the curtains. At 374 pages, the book is fairly short, but packs a surprising amount of information. It could have used a few more examples demonstrating various other commands and node types, but overall it has a lot of the knowledge you need to start coding your own tools. However, as will all written materials, there is a fair possibility of this book falling just short of being "all you need" to start coding, so you'll probably have to consult a few other sources (preferably videos) before going full-sail into more complex coding. But all said and done, for starters it's about as good as it gets.FINAL RATING 4.5/5Tips: Upon completing this book, I recommend watching some video tutorials, to both compare your newly acquired knowledge to a different source and to see how it all works in a live environment (clear as written info might be, it's nowhere near as clear as a live demonstration). Chayan Vinayak has a good 'Maya Python API' course available on cgcircuit.com (I watched it and it was of help clearing a few concepts and dealing with some things not covered in this book - like the deformer node, for example). Chad Vernon also has a Maya API introductory course, as well as a dedicated custom deformer node tutorial, however they are in C++, but you can nevertheless watch them after getting the hang of Python, as the syntax is not that different and translating from one language to the other shouldn't prove too difficult. Of course, googling for maya api courses can also lead you to some other places, but just don't expect that many options to choose from.

Simply put, this book is a necessity if you are serious about learning about Python and Maya API. Buy it now!

Lovely book and very fast to send me! Many thanks!!