How to Cheat in 3ds Max 2009: Get Spectacular Results Fast (How to Cheat in) (Paperback)

by Michele Bousquet (Author)
Key Phrases: mental ray, shadow map, flat mirror, Material Editor, Editable Poly, Auto Key (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Quotes on Michele's previous books:

On Model, Rig, Animate with 3ds max 7:
"A concise, handy reference. I'll be referring to it again and again." -- Vishnu Ramdass, Autodesk Product Support

On Model, Rig, Animate with 3ds max 6:

"The book's rigging chapter alone is worth the price of admission." --Jonathan Seagull, 3ds max Instructor

Review
'My first impression was "WOW!" and my second impression was "This is what reference material should look like!" The balance between illustration and text is just right for visual people - 3D artists will love it.'
- Borislav "Bobo" Petrov, Technical Director of Visual Effects at Frantic Films

'This excellent book will inspire anyone to dig a little deeper into this incredible piece of software.'
- Stefan Vittori, Managing Director Tangram 3DS

'The most visually interactive training tool ever for 3ds MAX. It is visually engaging and sets a new standard for understanding complex concepts. Michele Bousquet Rocks!'
- Richard Lapidus, Assistant Professor, 3D Animation, Mechanical Design and Drafting/CAD

'Best tricks of the trade, deliciously illustrated. Michelle reveals the secrets behind the magic of using 3ds Max. Move over David Blaine.'
- Mark Gerhard, 3ds Max Guru

'I was instantly blown away by 'How to cheat in 3ds Max 2009'! Michele has managed to capture many of the 3D industry's leading techniques and processes as well as a lot of advanced content that a lot of the pro's all use. Not only that - but in a very straight forward and easy to follow process that should be every beginners handbook and a very useful resource for even the most advanced users! Thumbs up!'
- Allan McKay, VFX Supervisor

'I found this book to be thoroughly readable and filled with time saving ideas. It's well organized and clearly written. There's lots of information in each section and the abundance of pictures makes it easy to follow. I know this book will soon become a well used and dog-eared reference in my classroom. It's filled with just the type of information my students need every single day. Each topic is covered in a single two-page spread so it's easy to read and quick to put into practice.'
- Pat Gombarcik, Autodesk Certified Instructor

'Finally a book that conveys the fun and fast side of 3ds Max. Bousquet has packed the pages with colorful and quick tutorials that help you master all of 3ds Max's main concepts.'
- Jim Lammers, President, Trinity Animation Inc.

'Here's a book you'll want to keep close to your workstation, with important workflow techniques in an attractive and accessible format. Remember that computer visualization is all fake, so "cheating" is exactly the way to increase your productivity. Good luck and have fun.'
- Ted Boardman, independent 3ds max instructor and author

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; Pap/Cdr edition (May 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240810325
• ISBN-13: 978-0240810324
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,258 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Useful, February 22, 2009

By	Kelley G. "Kelley "Warrior Woman" G" (NWNJ) - See all my reviews

I am an industry professional and I have used 3ds Max software for almost ten years now. I have read and reviewed several 3ds Max books. This isn't the greatest 3ds Max book I've ever used, nor is it the greatest 'Cheat' book I've ever used, but it is a useful book. Because I have experience with this software I find the hints and cheats easy to use; an inexperienced user would find this book difficult and maybe even unusable. The author writes as if he and the reader are having a one-on-one discussion, and assumes the reader is fully aware of what he is talking about. It is not a, "click here, then click here" type of book, which is the usual format for a volume of tutorials. Instead this book reads like a guide book.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to learn a few new tricks or improve their lighting, texturing or modeling skills with quick and easy mini-projects. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for straight forward tutorials, or anyone who is not very familiar with the 3ds Max environment.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exactly What You Want, June 4, 2008

By	Six Crows "Learning 3D" (USA) - See all my reviews

This book isn't for the newbie - but it can help the newbie. It's exactly what it says - a way to achieve various effects and modeling quickly and efficiently. It doesn't have exercises to make the next full length animated feature but it can help you save time, money and energy for smaller projects. It's written in an-easy-to-understand fashion but it does glaze over basic processes and tools. If you have a basic understanding of 3D modeling, it's a great book. If you are completely new to 3D, learn a little and then buy this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource, June 23, 2008

By	CAD Guy (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews

How to Cheat in 3ds Max 2009 provides an outstanding series of examples of how to approach a task with an eye toward a streamlined process and quality output. The concepts and procedures are clearly defined so that anyone with a basic knowledge of 3ds Max can incorporate them into their own projects to save time and effort. The words "why didn't I think of that?" will undoubtedly go through your mind when you see Michele's approach to some of the more time consuming parts of a project.

I like the fact that, rather than following a single project from the beginning of the book through the end, this text is organized by subject and task so that the readers can go straight to the subject that interests them and jump in. If you're interested in completing your 3ds Max projects in the least amount of time then this book would be a great addition to your 3ds Max library.