formZ 4.0: 3D Modeling, Rendering, and Animation [Paperback]

Lachmi Khemlani (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071425160 | ISBN-13: 978-0071425162 | Publication Date: November 14, 2003 | Edition: 1

* A hands-on guide to form.Z--the most popular 3D software on the market--specifically geared towards architects and designers
* Workshop approach focuses on the concepts, skills, and technologies needed to master form.Z
* CD-ROM contains step-by-step tutorials

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

form*Z COMPLETE -- easygoing workshop style

Relax, pour a cup of coffee, and pull up a chair, because you've just discovered the most enjoyable way to acquire professional skills with form*Z 4.0. Organized just like the author’s workshop courses taught for over 8 years at the University of California at Berkeley, form*Z 4.0 brings Lachmi Khemlani's expert instruction in the world's most popular 3D modeling program right to your desktop.

Work through Khemlani's interesting exercises and assignments at your own pace. Before you know it, you've explored and mastered the full range of form*Z 4.0's capabilities! This hands-on approach -- evolved over many years of instructing architecture, engineering, and design professionals and students, and based on their feedback -- lets you jump right into creating with form*Z. It's a method that's tailor-made to teach you tools and techniques in the order you want to use them, not the arbitrary sequence of program manuals.

Both the book and the convenient CD lead you through an easy-to-follow workshop, showing you how to:

* Create any 2D or 3D objects you can imagine, transform objects into desired configurations, and derive 3D objects from 2D shapes in a number of ways
* Conceptualize dimension and scale, work at multiple topological levels, and create custom textures, reference planes, views, and symbol libraries
* Model free-form shapes with Nurbz, patches, metaballs, and controlled meshes
* Create sketch renderings as well as realistic lighting and rendering effects with multiple light types, radiosity-based rendering, texture mapping, and decals
* Generate walkthroughs, QuickTime VR movies, and animations for interactive presentations of design concepts

form*Z made e-z

About the Author

Lachmi Khemlani, Ph.D., is the author of the earlier to 3D with form•Z, also published by McGraw-Hill. She has taught form•Z workshops and other CAD courses for a number of years at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned her doctorate in architecture, specializing in computer applications.

She works as an independent consultant and writes extensively on CAD and modeling solutions, including articles, product reviews, tutorials, and a biweekly newsletter. Her credentials include a professional B.Arch. (Honors) degree from the Indian Institute of Technology and an M.Phil. in Architecture from the University of Cambridge, England. She has also worked on numerous design projects as a practicing architect.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 1 edition (November 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071425160
• ISBN-13: 978-0071425162
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,209,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphic Design > Rendering & Ray Tracing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, December 16, 2003

By 

Jason Fuchs - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: formZ 4.0: 3D Modeling, Rendering, and Animation (Paperback)

I had to learn formZ for my profession and I've gone to great lengths to do so. I had already taken two courses from different instructors and I was still feeling very unstable and was about to start a new job where I really needed the skills. Stressed-out and feeling at a loss, I did a search on the web and found this book for the new 4.0. While I already had a great understanding of the program, this book showed me so many ways to do things I had not yet been taught and I was able to do it on my own. The information is clearly laid out and easy to understand. Icons let you reference exactly where to go but the best part was the tutorials. I have not been able to find in any class or supporting material that came with the software, tutorials that let you practice. This was the most helpful as it's never enough to just know what everything does. You need to implement the info. This book saved my life (and probably my career!!)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very useful for product design, April 12, 2004

By 

tohuwabohu "tohuwabohu" (ainring) - See all my reviews

This review is from: formZ 4.0: 3D Modeling, Rendering, and Animation (Paperback)

Even though I did not follow the books step by step classroom exercises, but used it as a reference on "how to" questions for my own projects, this book was essential for me in the creation of several designs at a very satisfying level. The explanations are well written and logical. Still at a beginners level, I was surprised at how much I had learned over the course of 2 weeks focussing on form Z (for at least several hours per day). Render Zone is also well covered in the book and it allowed me to create great and surprisingly realistic looking renderings that I was able to use for client presentations.

Clearly written from an architectural standpoint, the only thing the book lacks is addressing some of the specific needs of a product / industrial designer: adjusting the environment to working on a smaller scale, rendering surfaces and materials and lighting set up for a "product shot".

All in all, this book is certainly worth the money and will be my first choice as a guide to improve my 3D skills.