3ds max 4 Ground Rules [Paperback]

Todd Peterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0766837831 | ISBN-13: 978-0766837836 | Edition: 1

The first in our new Ground Rules series, this book paves the way to mastery of 3ds max Release 4 basics - that is, the "ground rules" - by inviting readers to work through thoughtfully crafted examples, exercises, and tutorials for this powerful design and animation tool. A refreshing alternative to command-driven books, 3ds max 4 Ground Rules puts novices on the fast-track to new skills as it guides them to an understanding of the fundamental principles underlying 3ds max Release 4 use. Fast-paced coverage spans the entire spectrum, from exploration of the user interface through Character Animation and Special FX. In addition, unique features, such as AVI files and full-color inserts, result in an extraordinarily interactive experience that goes beyond that offered by other introductory books.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

3ds max 4 Ground Rules is not, despite its name and the picture of a green-lawned golf course on the cover, about creating terrain and landscapes with 3ds max 4, Discreet's 3-D CG animation package. It's a new series from Autodesk Press, and its charter is to lay the groundwork for new users so they can build their own projects.

Michael Todd Peterson is an experienced writer and 3ds max user, and the breadth and depth of his experience shows in this book. More than 600 pages and 17 chapters cover everything from the absolute basics to advanced and complex features. Sections cover installing and navigating the interface of 3ds max 4, and there is a bird's-eye view of the workflow in a Max project--using basic shapes to build a model; using models to build a scene; adding detail with textures, lights, and particles; adding and animating a camera; and rendering the finished animation to a movie.

Later parts of the book are about modeling. Techniques are discussed for surface modeling, patch modeling, using splines and compound objects, creating editable meshes, and using modifiers and how they work with the stack paradigm. The last third of the book is all about animation: an introduction to animation, using Track View, character animation, and special-effects animation using particles, space warps, and more.

For anyone climbing 3ds max 4's learning curve, this is probably one of the better books available. The author's easy style, the use of screenshots, and the rich material on the CD make this book a valuable asset to any Max user. --Mike Caputo

Review

The strength is Peterson's extreme depth of knowledge of the program, and ability to convey this in a straightforward manner. -- Wen M. Andrews, 'Triple 'T'' Trainer for Autodesk; J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Virginia - Book Review Completed for Publisher

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Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Autodesk Press; 1 edition (May 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0766837831
• ISBN-13: 978-0766837836
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,977,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good books are rare. This is a good book!, June 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: 3ds max 4 Ground Rules (Paperback)

Even dough I am not new to 3d modeling, I am a new user of the 3ds max4 program. Mr. Peterson's book is well written and I am very happy that I own it. His teaching style is down to earth and the CD (included with the book) is a must have. 3ds max 4 Ground Rules covers pretty much everything that one needs to know to get up and running with this amazing program.

I have found nothing negative about this book and the CD is gold worth. I don't think I need another book for a long time. It covers everything I wanted to do and the information is accurate and easy to follow.

If you are a new user, check it out!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but not a lot detail, August 7, 2001

By 

Matt David Rittman (Altoona, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 3ds max 4 Ground Rules (Paperback)

If you are a newbie to 3ds max then this would be a good book for you. I am on chapter 7 of this book and am finding a small fraction of difficulty. This book doesn't get into as much detail as I would have preferred it to. One thing I didn't like was making this robot model. All it really is, is spheres and cylinders. But I guess it's just a newbie book. So let me just say that its not the best book in the world for max 4. Seriously my friends, if you want to start 3ds max 4, there are better books out there than this one. Overall, this book is an alright book to get a novice modeler up and going.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, easy to learn, June 17, 2001

By 

Michele Bousquet "Animation Girl" (Raymond, NH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 3ds max 4 Ground Rules (Paperback)

This book makes it so easy to learn 3ds max! The writing style is so easy to read and follow. You can learn quickly and painlessly just by doing the examples. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn 3ds max 4.