   Is this enough to run Maya Personal Learning Edition?
  Just picked up a copy of Game Art for Teens (I'm also learning C++), but I'm wondering if a laptop with at least 500mhz and 5 GB free space is enough for Maya PLE?Plus, just wondering how can you use C++ in conjunction with Maya images and models.   
  I think the learning edition is slower than the real version. If you have a 500 mhz laptop its time for an upgrade son. You'll be happy that you did when you start making complex models.   ;  Edit: I was wrong, looks like the recommended minimum for PLE is 1GHz. Where's that bug-eyed unsmiley when I need it? :PSetting that aside...Hopefully your book points this out, but... you can't really do anything useful with PLE, besides learn Maya. Everything is watermarked, and there isn't even a way to transfer files from PLE to Maya itself -- even if you did want to spend the $$$ on the real thing. Now, learning Maya is useful, if you think you're headed towards 3D modelling/animation as a career. But Maya is not, IMO, the best program for a newbie and/or hobbyist. It's overkill, in terms of both complexity and price. I'd take a look over in Visual Arts for some other options.To answer your other question: You'd use C++ in conjunction with Maya (or other 3D) images in the same way you'd use it in conjuction with any image. For example, rather than hand drawing the individual frames (individual images that the computer "flips through" to create the illusion of animation) of a character, you could model, surface, rig, and animate it in Maya, and then render out an entire sequence of frames. (If you're thinking that would actually take longer, you may be right... but you can get a more realistic look, if you're willing to put in the time.) Either way, you end up using C++ to "flip through" the frames of animation, or to display static background images, or whatever.3D models, on the other hand, can be used directly in some 3D engines (pre-written, pre-compiled hunks 'o C++ code that you can use to do useful things with 3D objects... which isn't to say you shouldn't try to develop your own, if you've got the inclination and the free time.) However, these engines don't use Maya file formats, and I'm pretty sure PLE is designed not to export to externally useful formats, either. It would defeat the purpose, after all. Think of it as a save-disabled demo, except that you can save... but only for purposes of turning off the demo and restarting it with the same scene later. :PSo the take-home message is: PLE is crippled, and Maya is very expensive. If you want to do some 3D stuff that you can put into your games, you're probably going to end up with Blender or another free/low-budget program. You can always learn Maya (or 3DS Max, or Lightwave, or whatever seems like the best option) further down the road. While there's always a learning curve, experience in any 3D modelling/animation software will help shorten it.Wait, wait, I changed my mind. The take-home message is "Save early, save often." Especially when you think the 3D software you're using is stable... because the more you trust it, the less often you'll save, and the worse it'll be when it finally does crash. Because it will. You'll learn this the hard way, but don't say I didn't warn you. ;)   