QUOTE(PixL @ 03/26/08, 04:14 PM) [snapback]283207[/snapback]
Jooja:
I read all the Amazon reviews of both books before choosing Complete Maya Programming.
Sure and im telling you if you learn mel and maya as much as i do youll notice that Complete Maya Programming led you astray.
The complete maya programming book looks good, it attacks maya programming like a straightforward, fine. But thing is you don't use either mel nor api the way that the examples in the books do at least mostly. Its just the kind of thing that makes sense to programmers that doesn't apply. If you want another EXPERT oppinion ask Rob Bateman what he thinks of the book.
Also the book skips everything thats important. Such as how to extend the existing maya gui, how to use the mayas built in exploration system to find things out for yourself. It doesn't deal with designing good AE templates, how and when to use scriptjobs, how expressions differ from mel, how to handle common traversing problems, it barely touches how to make things persistent, and how to use modules , how to read the node documentation to survive maya experience and finally how mel is really used.
In total almost everything you'd wantto learn isn't there, when it is it isnt underlined. But im a bit overly sharp here the book has 20 or so pages that are worth it. So yes i learned something form the book, but not a single thing of mel.
PS: anybody out near Helsinki who wants the book can come claim it its just wasting space on my shelf and theres not enough of it. I was thinking of donating it to the public library unless someone needs it more.