3ds max Magic will follow the same project-based pedagogy that has made previous Magic titles a success. The primary goals are to present changes in functionality, best practices, and inspirational effects. Each project will be 10-15 pages in length and provide instruction as well as suggestions for enhancing or modifying the project/effect. Each page will be designed in a 3-column format with step-by-step instructions on the left and corresponding graphics (or code) in the middle. The third column will be used to provide additional tips and tricks. Any effect, technique, or tip can easily be customized to fit the readers¿ own design needs.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Diving into 3ds max 4 Magic is like immersing yourself in a pool of experience. Written by a montage of professional 3ds max users, 13 chapters cover everything from flowing water to asteroid impacts to using inverse kinematics for complex machinery, and more.
Spanning five sections, the tutorials are grouped according to effect. "Special Effects" includes two chapters illustrating particle systems. For example, "Impact" describes a technique for creating explosive surface impacts (an asteroid collision), while "Flowing Water" demonstrates how to create water pouring from a faucet.
"Lighting" is the next section, also with two chapters, followed by "Modeling and Animation" (four chapters, including one on setting up Max 4's Inverse Kinematics), "Materials," and "Expanding Max," which includes chapters on nonphotorealistic rendering (think sketchbook illustrations), camera matching, and setting up a scene and animating objects using displacement effects and MAXScript.
In addition to the tutorials in the book, the enclosed CD-ROM contains five more projects (two of which build on chapters in the book) that explore and teach things like facial expressions, lip-synch, and modeling and mapping a photorealistic head. The CD-ROM also includes the files needed for each of the book and CD-ROM projects, and a collection of shareware and commercial plug-ins for creating things like forests of plants and trees, hair, and more.
There are some fine tutorials here. Project 8, "Mechanical Machine," is a great example of solid writing mixed with an exciting project, and deftly explains a number of new key features in Max 4. Each chapter strives to illustrate a particular technique or new feature, and the book is worthwhile for users new to Max 4 as well as users new to Max. --Mike Caputo
From the Back Cover
3ds max Magic will follow the same project-based pedagogy that has made previous Magic titles a success. The primary goals are to present changes in functionality, best practices, and inspirational effects. Each project will be 10-15 pages in length and provide instruction as well as suggestions for enhancing or modifying the project/effect. Each page will be designed in a 3-column format with step-by-step instructions on the left and corresponding graphics (or code) in the middle. The third column will be used to provide additional tips and tricks. Any effect, technique, or tip can easily be customized to fit the readers' own design needs.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Max4 Magic a worthy addition to your library,
By
This review is from: 3ds max 4 Magic (Magic (New Riders)) (Paperback)
Max4 Magic builds upon the its earlier edition for Max3. The 13 tutorials are well set out and easy to read, you can put it down and pick it back up where you left off with ease. Well constructed and clear presentation giving details only where necessary and not dealing too much with basics. I was highly delighted with the book and CD and feel it a worthy addition to anyones library. Recommended for 3ds Max fans
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Approach,
By A Customer
This review is from: 3ds max 4 Magic (Magic (New Riders)) (Paperback)
Definitely I give this book 5 stars, and mostly because it's not a tired treatise on the POTENTIALITY of what can be done with Max 4, but gives practical, workman-like exercises that provide an excellent jumping-off point. Given the burgeoning explosion in animation techonology, there is still only limited, specialized groups of professionals working to provide clear, concise instruction in these books and bring in new artists who will expand the medium with powerful ideas and fresh perspectives. The book is fast and lean, looks good, and approaches Max 4 like it's a TOOL to unlock your imagination, which it is. You can look at '3d Max 4 Magic' like the old Chemistry 101 text Ash uses in the ARMY OF DARKNESS movie. It's all about application, baby.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Impressed!,
By A Customer
This review is from: 3ds max 4 Magic (Magic (New Riders)) (Paperback)
I rented the last max magic book out from my college library; now working as a 3d artist I decided to buy this latest book. A fine improvement on the last max magic book, this one delves deeper inside max 4 and explains how and why every step should be taken. New features such as parameter wiring are used, and the cd is a wealth of information. This being said, one or two of the chapters do let the side down ever so slightly, mainly due to the end result not being too hot, but the techniques you learn through these chapters are what this book is all about.Heartily recommended! Well done to the Max 4 Magic team!
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