By: Kelly L. Murdock Publisher: Wiley Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Wiley Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 1250 Publication Date: April 10, 2006
Product Description: If 3ds Max 8 can do it, you can do it too...
Spark your creativity with the world's most popular animation software and the detailed instruction in this power-packed book from an industry expert. If you're new to 3ds Max, jump right in with a Quick Start program that will have you modeling and rendering a complete image your first day. Experienced users, discover exciting new Max 8 features such as a new module for hair and fur, a new cloth system, and much more. This comprehensive book covers every feature, and it's loaded with professional techniques and full color examples to inspire you.
Inside, you'll find complete coverage of 3ds Max 8
Model a detailed creature right away with the Quick Start tutorial
Add realistic and dynamic hair, fur, and cloth to your models
Create complex characters with Max's new biped features
Use the expanded Edit Poly options to work more efficiently with Edge Ring and Edge Loop selections
Explore Max's new Asset Tracking system including the Autodesk(r) Vault client
Make texture creation a snap with the new Pelt mapping method and the Render UVW Template feature
Save, load, and retarget animation files using the supported XML Animation File (XAF) format
Easily render a series of stills from several angles with the new Batch Render tool
Bonus DVD Included!
Features a wide selection of 3D models and textures just right for your own projects, plus the Max files and examples to more than 150 tutorials. The DVD also includes a full-color electronic version of the book!
A true bible I couldn't express it better: a must have for everyone seriously involved in 3DS Max 8. If you have a question or a problem, Murdock will show you the way. No one can teach you the use of 3DS Max on paper but this book is a magnificent help anyway. Worth it's money.
so so this book would have been better served to cater to either the professional or the beginner instead of trying to pass out material for both. This book have done with more step by step walk throughs as well.
The perfect compliment to 3D Studio I used to own a version of this Bible for 3D Studio 4x for DOS, and was very satisfied with the multitude of information it shared about the 3D software. The new version even comes with a set of tutorials on DVD-ROM and even a backup copy of the entire Bible. I haven't perused through much of the book, but I doubt I'll be disappointed by what it will teach me about 3D Studio MAX 8.
Another example of how NOT to write an instruction manual Looking through this book I saw immediately that it suffered from the same problem as it's predecessor: lack of thought to the student's learning path.
It is a problem that is almost universal to computer instructional guides do... lack of any educational theory in its writing. It does not guide the newcomer through the art of learning the software, but rather deals with issues as if one is going through the menu commands. The tutorials consistantly use elements and commands that one will not cover for another hundred por more pages, and the chapters are not designed to "build on the student's knowledge" but rather to give all information about a given cocept right from the beginning. Thus, I am taught how to personalise the user interface and use XREFs (external references) before I am told how to create even the simplest of objects.
I am an experienced 3D analylist, with knowledge of CAD and GIS, so I am not the least experienced of readers on this topic. Even so I found it frequently infuriating to attempt to learn this software using this book.
it IS the bible As you might expect, this book has an excellent overview of 3DS Max functionality. If you need depth, probably you will need to read the on-line forums. But if you are getting started, or you need a reference book, this book belongs on your shelf.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
