# Preparing for the lessons

To ensure the lessons work as described, do these steps before beginning.

1. Make sure you understand the basic concepts of polygon modeling, animation, and nCloth.
2. If you have not already done so, download the nCloth Advanced Techniques Lesson Data from the following location: http://www.autodesk.com/maya-advancedtechniques. Then, set the nClothAdvancedTutorials directory as your Maya project.
3. Select the FX menu set. Unless otherwise noted, the instructions in this chapter assume you’ve already selected the FX menu set.