How to Cheat in Maya 2026 is more than a software manual - it’s a complete guide to working smarter, animating faster, and thinking like a professional. This edition covers Maya’s latest tools and features, but more importantly, it focuses on real-world workflows and the creative process behind great animation. You’ll find not just the how, but the why behind each technique, helping you build intuition and confidence in your craft. Whether you’re learning the ropes or refining your skills, this book is designed to remove friction, streamline your process, and let you focus on what matters most: crafting compelling animated performances.
Featuring advice, strategies, and best practices for:
- Configuring optimal Maya settings
- Testing and mastering your rigs
- Avoiding and overcoming common animation pitfalls
- Harnessing the power of Constraints, Layers and Cycles
- Employing physics, anatomy, and psychology to push your facial animation and polish to the next level
New to this Edition:
- Maya updates and upgrades to the Graph Editor, Time Slider, Time Slider Bookmarks, Dope Sheet, Light Editor, Ghosting, Blue Pencil … and more
- 4 new character rigs added to the How to Cheat in Maya series
- All new interlude articles covering everything from AI, the animation industry, selecting schools to demo reels
- “Tempo” - a workflow so revolutionary we’re calling it The Thirteenth Principle!
How to Cheat in Maya 2026 is more than a software manual - it’s a complete guide to working smarter, animating faster, and thinking like a professional. This edition covers Maya’s latest tools and features, but more importantly, it focuses on real-world workflows and the creative process behind great animation.
01 BEFORE YOU START, 02 PRINCIPLES, 03 THE THIRTEENTH PRINCIPLE, 04
MAXIMIZING YOUR RIGS, 05 GRAPH EDITOR, 06 MASTERING TIME, 07 PROFESSIONAL
TECHNIQUES, 08 CONSTRAINTS & CONTACT, 09 CAMERA, 10 CYCLES, 11 FACIAL
ANIMATION, 12 LAYERS, 13 POLISH
Kenny Roy began his career in 1997 as a dustbuster on cel-animated features. Hes gone on to animate some of the most memorable characters on screen, from King Kong to Scooby Doo. Over more than 25-year career, hes taught animation in-person and online and been a speaker at conferences and seminars around the globe. Kenny currently operates November Games in New Zealand where he lives with his wife and two sons.
Genevieve Freckelton is an animator and instructor. Genevieve started in TV commercials and network news, then moved on to feature films and television, credits include Tron: Legacy and The Adventures of Kami and Big Bird. Genevieve has been teaching undergraduate character animation in Autodesk Maya for over 10 years. Currently Genevieve is teaching at De Anza College.
