The creation of models and materials is where most 3D work is done. This work offers tutorials and exercises in this area, supplemented by models and textures on the CD-ROM.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The second volume of the most authoritative guide to 3D Studio MAX 2, this guide focuses on the best ways to create sophisticated models and materials. The first part of the book is about modeling and teaches you basic modeling concepts such as polygonal, patch, and Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) modeling, and how to work with curves and primitives. Next you learn how to create models for architectural, industrial, and mechanical design purposes. The authors also discuss how to model for real-time games, virtual reality, and the Web, and how to create high-detail, cinematic output and realistic character models. The second part of the book is about materials: you learn about the types of shaders, reflection and refraction concepts, ray tracing, and rendering, and then move on to design naturally occurring, man-made, fictional, special-effects, and animated materials. You also use the program for creating 2-D maps, which is helpful if you don't have an image editor. The third part of the book guides you through rendering effects, teaching you how to work with cameras, lights, glows, lens flares, highlights, and focal effects.
The intelligently organized guide features tutorials with step-by-step instructions as well as technical discussions and large, clear screen shots. The included CD-ROM has project files for the tutorials. There's also a full-color gallery of interesting models and scenes produced in 3D Studio Max, an appendix that teaches you about importing AutoCAD files into 3D Studio MAX 2, and another appendix that provides an overview of useful 3D Studio MAX plug-ins. --Kathleen Caster
From the Publisher
Inside 3D Studio MAX 2 Volume II: Modeling & Materials is a real-world tutorial that takes users beyond the basics of modeling and material creation to provide detailed information that cannot be found anywhere else. The reader will master high-end techniques by practicing with the detailed tutorials and exercises, all of which are supplemented by models and textures on the book's CD-ROM. - Modeling, the creation of a 3D object, in MAX rivals that of high-end $30,000 SGI software packages
- 3D Studio Max is the world's best selling professional 3D modeling and animation software for PCs
- Includes detailed coverage of NURBS--the hot new modeler that creates stunning models
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A wealth of information ruined by errata,
By cranefly (Daly City, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Inside 3D Studio MAX 2, Volume 2: Modeling & Materials (Textbook Binding)
The authors are very knowledgeable and cover lots of ground, with the emphasis more on materials than modeling. NURBS once more gets short thrift (will no one give it an in-depth treatment?), focusing on the simple creation of lofts, lathes, etc., with few insights into how to work details into these objects once created. The book is riddled with typos, missing steps, erroneous figures or files, etc. The publisher's Web site provides tech-support for this and other books, and through them I received an errata file written by one of the authors. While this is of some use, it barely scratches the surface of what is wrong with this book, and the errata itself contains many mistakes. It was reckless and unprofessional of the authors to hand in so many untested examples, ditto of the publisher in not performing a proper copy-edit, and ditto again for both to foist the mess on unsuspecting customers. If they team up again for a book on the newly-released 3D Studio MAX 3, check for reviews before buying, and it might not be a bad idea to contact the publisher and ask what steps they have taken to avoid the mistakes made here.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
This book sure sucks!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Inside 3D Studio MAX 2, Volume 2: Modeling & Materials (Textbook Binding)
I really can't recommend this book. The NURBS section sucks big time (so does the NURBS -section in Vol I). For example I expected the book to show proper U-Lofting (at least some tips and tricks) - what you get is the explanation how to U-Loft if you already got the Curves!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Inexperienced Modelers Need Not Read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Inside 3D Studio MAX 2, Volume 2: Modeling & Materials (Textbook Binding)
If you are not an experienced 3D modeler-STAY AWAY! This book (I'm only on chapter 3) is riddled with errors, as you see from the other reviews. Filenames, missing images, gaps in the tutorial steps, not enough visual references, etc.Most of these "problems" can be overcome, but all are downright frustrating, considering the good money you have to spend for it. I don't blame the authors, they seem to know the topic well, but the editors really need to be lashed with a rubber hose. There is an onslaught of tough-to-master techniques from page 1 on, which is both good and bad. If you are looking for some cool, time-saving techniques that show you HOW - this IS the place (I love all the hotkey tips!), but it is at the expense of losing the WHY you are doing things. Also, too many tutorials start with a .max file loaded off CD with no background as to how to create the starting point. If you don't understand lofting very well...you will learn very little from this book, except how to follow incomplete and confusing directions. The other books in the series are great...but this one needs to stay on the shelf at the store if you are a beginner.
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