Learning "terms" in Autodesk Maya

Honestly Maya is such a huge program you'd be better off learning more of what is in the tabs when you open it, and expand from there.

For example:

Polygons: Create and edit polygonal geometry.

Curves: Create and edit NURBs geometry.

Subdivs: Create and edit sub division surfaces geometry.

Deformation: Create influences that manipulate a particular piece of geometry. (ex: a bend deformer creates a bar that lets you bend the piece of geometry it is attached to).

Animation: Tools for creating rigs for 3D models.

Dynamics: Tools to simulate natural phenomena (ex: wind or fluid).

Rendering: Creating shaders and lighting for scenes.

Paint Effects: Creating complex effects with little time (such as vegetation) by painting them into the scene.

Toon: Creating a cartoon look by using special shaders.

Muscle: Create accurate muscle deformations in animated characters.

Fluids: Create fluids that move realistically.

Fur: Create fur (kind of self explanatory).

Hair: Create hair systems.

nCloth: Create realistic cloth simulations for characters.


Honestly the best way to learn Maya and its features is to do it in chunks.

First, learn the polygonal and NURBs (curves tab) modeling tools. Learn what each does and how to create basic meshes.

Then move on to UV Mapping (Window -> UV Texture Editor) and texturing.

Then go on to animation by learning Rigging (Animation tab) and how to get your meshes to deform properly.

Then go on to learn things like the Trax editor and dope sheet editor (I don't animate much so I can't speak too much for those).

Then learn about rendering (although if you don't do much animation, you can learn rendering ahead of animation, those are pretty interchangeable).

Once you get those basics down, take a look at the rest like dynamics and hair.

It sounds like a lot, and it is. Maya is not pick up and play. You need tutorials and lots of practice. You'll face a lot of pitfalls at first until you learn how to work with the software and how to fix Maya-isms (there are lots).

That being said it is very rewarding.