The enormous complexity and depth of 3D Studio Max is explored in this installment in the In Depth series from Coriolis Press. Written by an experienced user and teacher, 3D Studio Max R3 in Depth reads like a handbook, course book, and reference manual, all in one. The book starts off with a general overview of how the program thinks and a rundown of the interface. "Working in Max," Part II, describes a working methodology for navigating the program, managing the interface, and using Max efficiently. Part III, "Modeling," is the strongest section in the book. Comprising six chapters, this section compares every method for modeling that's available currently in Max: using primitives, mesh-level control, modifiers, patch, and NURBS modeling. There's enough information here to help any beginner get his or her head around Max's modeling philosophy. The remaining sections discuss materials and textures (Part IV), lighting, camera control and rendering (Part V), and animation (Part VI). The accompanying CD-ROM includes 250 Max scene files that illustrate not only every topic that's covered in the book, but also virtually every tool in Max. Although the book is comprehensive and designed to take the novice to a fairly proficient level, it could easily have a sequel. Some areas not covered include animated texture maps, a deeper look at render effects, and (although the section on animation is good) character animation. The absence of these topics leaves room for deeper coverage of others, however. An inspiring gallery of color images includes some artful and abstract work that is almost worth the cost of the book. It's refreshing to see a program like Max being used in this way, and even more so when the images are given color press. This book might not be the best choice for a strong intermediate user who's looking to advance to the next level, but 3D Studio Max R3 in Depth would make a worthwhile addition to the library of any beginning Max user. --Mike Caputo Discusses the latest updates to the most popular 3D animation and modeling software in the digital design industry. Shows the reader how to render an object for the modeling process, and create 3D animations and visual effects. Highlights the uses of MAX as a character animation tool.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The enormous complexity and depth of 3D Studio Max is explored in this installment in the In Depth series from Coriolis Press. Written by an experienced user and teacher, 3D Studio Max R3 in Depth reads like a handbook, course book, and reference manual, all in one.
The book starts off with a general overview of how the program thinks and a rundown of the interface. "Working in Max," Part II, describes a working methodology for navigating the program, managing the interface, and using Max efficiently. Part III, "Modeling," is the strongest section in the book. Comprising six chapters, this section compares every method for modeling that's available currently in Max: using primitives, mesh-level control, modifiers, patch, and NURBS modeling. There's enough information here to help any beginner get his or her head around Max's modeling philosophy.
The remaining sections discuss materials and textures (Part IV), lighting, camera control and rendering (Part V), and animation (Part VI). The accompanying CD-ROM includes 250 Max scene files that illustrate not only every topic that's covered in the book, but also virtually every tool in Max.
Although the book is comprehensive and designed to take the novice to a fairly proficient level, it could easily have a sequel. Some areas not covered include animated texture maps, a deeper look at render effects, and (although the section on animation is good) character animation. The absence of these topics leaves room for deeper coverage of others, however.
An inspiring gallery of color images includes some artful and abstract work that is almost worth the cost of the book. It's refreshing to see a program like Max being used in this way, and even more so when the images are given color press.
This book might not be the best choice for a strong intermediate user who's looking to advance to the next level, but 3D Studio Max R3 in Depth would make a worthwhile addition to the library of any beginning Max user. --Mike Caputo
From the Back Cover
Produce professional results with confidence! 3D Studio MAX R3 In Depth provides comprehensive guidance that can be found nowhere else. Starting where the manuals leave off, this book walks you through concepts that concern today's 3D professionals. The visual examples and straight-forward language lead you through all MAX's significant features in a simple, yet insightful, way. Advanced techniques, such as rendering, lighting, and working with textures, are reinforced by their artistic presentation in the book's 32-page color studio. 3D Studio MAX R3 In Depth teaches you how to:
Master and customize the 3D Studio MAX 3 interface.
Use MAX's powerful modifier stack.
Build low-poly models for games and other realtime uses.
Create exciting atmospheric and rendering effects.
Build character skeletons using inverse kinematics.
Develop organic patch and NURBS models.
Precisely map realistic textures to 3D surfaces.
Create and edit animations with Track View.
Edit rendered animations with Video Post.
CD-ROM Contents:
More than 250 MAX files that illustrate practical exercises from the book, covering the entire MAX 3 toolset, including the supporting image files.
Master and customize the 3D Studio MAX 3 interface.
Use MAX's powerful modifier stack.
Build low-poly models for games and other realtime uses.
Create exciting atmospheric and rendering effects.
Build character skeletons using inverse kinematics.
Develop organic patch and NURBS models.
Precisely map realistic textures to 3D surfaces.
Create and edit animations with Track View.
Edit rendered animations with Video Post.
CD-ROM Contents:
More than 250 MAX files that illustrate practical exercises from the book, covering the entire MAX 3 toolset, including the supporting image files.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
3D Studio MAX 3: In Depth,
By John (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: 3D Studio MAX R3 In Depth: Take Your MAX Skills to the Professional Level (Paperback)
In response to the everpresent newbie question of "What is a good beginner's book for learning MAX?", I just had to put in a word for this book. AWESOME!If you are a novice MAX user who has completed the tutorials in the MAX 3 documentation, then this book is the one you want. It complements the MAX 3 tutorials far better than ANY book I've ever seen, and in my opinion is an absolute necessity for ANY beginner. Unless you're coming from a previous version, Polevoi's book will give you a deeper understanding of the program than you ever thought was possible. You get a truly overhead view of Parametric Objects, the Modifier Stack, Transforms, Coordinate Systems, Pivot Points, Home & User Grids, Instancing & Referencing, Arrays.....all in the first 5 chapters. He also bluntly describes what MAX does better, worse or just different in comparison to other 3D programs.....an expert perspective that you'll never get from the DISCREET insiders who write the New Riders books. I'm only 1/4 through the book, and I've never felt more "on top" of the program. The tutorials included in MAX 3 are a neccessary first step (and are far better than in previous versions), but the constant omissions never let you feel like you have a true grasp on the program. Polevoi's book puts everything you've done into an incredibly simple perspective.....you'll be silently saying to yourself "Wow!" and "Aha!" throughout the beginning of the book. No longer is the MAX interface a mystery that you hope will make sense later. This book gives you insight into MAX's underlying structure, and leaves you with a very encouraging context in which to view what you haven't learned yet. If your hopes of learning MAX are fading in frustration and depression, the book is better than Prozac. No kidding.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Put away your paintbrush,
By michael lofrano (Tenafly, NJ) - See all my reviews
This review is from: 3D Studio MAX R3 In Depth: Take Your MAX Skills to the Professional Level (Paperback)
Put away your paintbrush. This is not a paint-by the-numbers book like so many other max books are. You know the ones -- you get done with a tutorial and ask yourself "what is it that I just did?" Mr. Polevoi not only gives you the lesson but also takes you behind the scences and into the mind of a skilled max practioner. He takes the time to EXPLAIN what it is your doing, and you come away with the feeling that you are truly learning something. Admittedly, I'm a light-weight Maxer, but this is by far the best book I have encountered. It's not colorful, nor is it highly stylized, but if you want good basic information that will set you atop a good foundation, I believe this book will do that. Be warned though: it is written in a straight-forward style but it does assume a certain intelligence and knowledge on the readers part. If you don't know the max interface well, start somehwere else--the Max Fundamentals or Max Applied book--but for the more-than-a-beginer Maxer, you can't beat it. No book is perfect, but this is a good one. Why didn't I give it five stars? I think I'm saving that for Mr. Polevoi's next book. I only hope that Mr. Polevoi revists the subject soon and takes us even deeper.
36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great coverage of the fundamentals,
By A Customer
This review is from: 3D Studio MAX R3 In Depth: Take Your MAX Skills to the Professional Level (Paperback)
Prior to reading this book, my favorite MAX book was Jon Bell's 3D Studio Max 2.5 Design & f/x... While I picked up the R3 edition to look for any updates, I quickly found that this book had stolen away the position of favorite. It's easily the most clearly written, logically-explained 3d Studio MAX book I've ever come across. The author takes great pains to help you understand where MAX is coming from in his examples, which is extremely helpful, since MAX does some things quite differently from other competing products. While it could stand some more coverage on certain advanced topics, it's a fantastic overview of the fundamentals. If you're new to MAX, or haven't "gotten it" in the past, I highly recommend it.
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