I have been doing movie animation for three years, and I also use MAYA. At first, I thought I was going to a training class to learn MAYA, so I spent nearly 2.5W and studied for more than a year, and I learned nothing.
Now I find that you don't need training to learn from Maya. Actually, you can teach yourself Maya.
Cut the crap and get to the point. I'll give you two plans, and you can evaluate them yourself:
Option 1:
1. Go and buy an introductory textbook, such as MAYA2009. From entry to mastery, let's take a look at the entry. A reference book, so that you can look it up when you don't understand any parameters in the future.
2. Buy an example, learn modeling first, and have a video! Do it with the example, summarize it after you finish, and then do it again by yourself. (Be sure to take notes during the period! Don't learn to be a human body. Before the time comes, start with simple things such as mobile phones, desk lamps, cups and tables.
3. Then learn to render, simply adjust materials, understand some commonly used rendering parameters, and then learn basic lighting methods.
4. After learning the elementary rendering, put everything you built before on the material and do it again.
5. Start learning basic animation, and learn manual key frames first. This step is very important. Manual keys can be said to be the most used in work.
6. Then study dynamics and particles. Do it again.
7. Try to do some animation by yourself.
Benefits: I want to learn something and control it myself.
Disadvantages: progress may be slow.
Option 2:
Go directly to buy a Martian-Maya Martian class and learn one from beginning to end.
Benefits: 1 Follow the tutorial system once to avoid the trouble of buying multiple sets of books.
There are other software involved, you can learn.
Disadvantages: MAYA in it is not the latest version, and some operations may have to be checked online by yourself.
No matter whether you plan one or two first, there are several points to be reminded. On the way to study, you must take time to learn the basics of fine arts. Sketching and sketching are very important. To be mentally prepared for a long and arduous struggle, the process is always boring and the result is always beautiful. To be a 3D movie animator, you need to know a lot of peripheral software, such as PARTICLEILLUSION, REALFLOW, etc., but you should be careful not to learn software just to learn it.
All right, that's all for now. Typing is tiring.
Give some if you like, I hope it will help you.
I forgot to say one thing. At the beginning, there is no need to download those English textbooks before you know all kinds of common commands. Even if you learn them, you won't know why.