3ds Max in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself

3ds Max in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself

by Stewart Jones
Released December 2013
Publisher(s): Sams
ISBN: 9780133497274

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Book description

Full Color!

In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself 3ds Max in 24 Hours will help you master Autodesk 3ds Max 2014 and use it to create outstanding 3D content for games, video, film, and motion graphics. Using this book’s straightforward, step-by-step approach, you’ll master powerful 3ds Max tools for modeling, animation, rendering, compositing, and more. Every lesson builds on what you’ve already learned, giving you a rock-solid foundation for real-world success!

Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common 3ds Max tasks.

“Try It Yourself” guided mini tutorials offer quick hands-on experience with 3ds Max’s key tools.

Quizzes and exercises test your knowledge.

Notes, tips, and cautions offer extra information and alert you to possible problems.

Learn how to...

  • Quickly get comfortable with the 3ds Max 2014 interface

  • Create, move, and modify 3D objects

  • Edit and tweak the elements of any object

  • Start modeling hard-surface and organic objects

  • Work with materials and textures

  • Explore and create animation

  • Illuminate scenes with lighting

  • Use cameras to control a scene’s point of view

  • Render 3D creations for production

  • Rig and skin objects, making them easier to animate

  • Learn the 12 essential principles of character animation

  • Create devastating dynamic simulations

  • Add visual effects, cloth, hair, and fur

  • Automate repetitive tasks with MAXScript

  • Create a professional-quality showcase

    • The accompanying DVD/website contain how-to videos for dozens of key 3ds Max 2014 tasks, extensive sample art and models, and additional bonus content.

    Table of contents

    1. Cover Page
    2. About This eBook
    3. Title Page
    4. Copyright Page
    5. Praise for Sams Teach Yourself 3ds Max® in 24 Hours
    6. Contents at a Glance
    7. Table of Contents
    8. About the Author
    9. Dedication
    10. Acknowledgments
    11. We Want to Hear from You!
    12. Reader Services
    13. Preface
    14. Hour 1. Introduction
      1. What This Book Covers
      2. This Book’s Structure
      3. Q&A
      4. Workshop
      5. Exercise
      6. What Is Autodesk 3ds Max?
      7. Getting Autodesk 3ds Max
      8. Extra Stuff
      9. Disclaimer and Disclosure
      10. Summary
      11. Q&A
      12. Workshop
      13. Exercise
    15. Hour 2. Exploring the Interface
      1. The Interface Elements
      2. Quad Menus
      3. Summary
      4. Q&A
      5. Workshop
      6. Exercise
    16. Hour 3. Navigating the Viewports
      1. 3D Space
      2. The ViewCube
      3. SteeringWheels
      4. Viewport Navigation Controls
      5. Viewport Configuration
      6. The Viewport Layout Tab
      7. Summary
      8. Q&A
      9. Workshop
      10. Exercise
    17. Hour 4. Primitives and Transforms
      1. Primitive Creation
      2. Names and Colors
      3. Types of Primitives
      4. More Than Primitives
      5. Object Manipulation in 3D Space
      6. Summary
      7. Q&A
      8. Workshop
      9. Exercise
    18. Hour 5. 3ds Max Modifiers
      1. The Modify Tab
      2. The Buttons Under the Modifier Stack
      3. World Space Versus Local/Object Space
      4. Summary
      5. Q&A
      6. Workshop
      7. Exercise
    19. Hour 6. Sub-Object Exploration
      1. An Introduction to the Three Sub-Objects
      2. Working with Sub-Objects
      3. Vertex, Edge, and Polygon Sub-Object Levels
      4. Editable Poly Sub-Object Rollouts
      5. Normals
      6. Summary
      7. Q&A
      8. Workshop
      9. Exercise
    20. Hour 7. 3D Modeling
      1. Creating a Cartoon Face
      2. Creating a Spaceship
      3. Creating a Futuristic City Planet
      4. Additional Modeling Techniques
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    21. Hour 8. Materials and Textures
      1. The Material Editor
      2. Applying Textures to Objects
      3. Assigning Multiple Materials
      4. UVW Mapping
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    22. Hour 9. Computer Animation
      1. Basic Animation Concepts
      2. The Animation Tools
      3. First Steps into Animation
      4. Pivot Points
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    23. Hour 10. Illuminating Scenes Using Lights
      1. 3ds Max Lighting Introduction
      2. Standard Lights
      3. Photometric Lights
      4. Adding Lights to a Scene
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    24. Hour 11. Adding and Editing 3D Cameras
      1. Camera-Based Concepts
      2. 3ds Max Cameras
      3. Animating Cameras
      4. Cameras and Modifiers
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    25. Hour 12. Rendering for Production
      1. An Overview of Rendering in 3ds Max
      2. Quick Rendering
      3. Rendering Tools
      4. Still Image Rendering
      5. Animation Rendering
      6. Summary
      7. Q&A
      8. Workshop
      9. Exercise
    26. Hour 13. Combining Techniques to Create a Showcase
      1. Stages Explained
      2. Stage 1: Preparation
      3. Stage 2: Materials
      4. Stage 3: Camera
      5. Stage 4: Animation
      6. Stage 5: Lighting
      7. Stage 6: Final Changes
      8. Stage 7: Rendering
      9. Summary
      10. Q&A
      11. Workshop
      12. Exercise
    27. Hour 14. Rigging Objects for Easier Animation
      1. Hierarchies and Linking
      2. Bone Tools
      3. Forward and Inverse Kinematics
      4. Creating a Custom Rig
      5. Using Character Studio (Biped)
      6. Using CAT (Character Animation Toolkit)
      7. Summary
      8. Q&A
      9. Workshop
      10. Exercise
    28. Hour 15. Influencing Geometry Using Skinning Techniques
      1. What Is Skinning?
      2. Influence Area and Envelopes
      3. The Skin Modifier
      4. Manual Skin Weighting
      5. Setting Up Characters for Animation Use
      6. Summary
      7. Q&A
      8. Workshop
      9. Exercise
    29. Hour 16. Character Animation
      1. The 12 Principles of Animation
      2. The Bouncing Ball
      3. Summary
      4. Q&A
      5. Workshop
      6. Exercise
    30. Hour 17. Dynamic Simulations
      1. The MassFX Toolset
      2. Creating Keyframed Animation from Dynamic Simulations
      3. Causing Destruction with MassFX
      4. Summary
      5. Q&A
      6. Workshop
      7. Exercise
    31. Hour 18. Particles and Effects
      1. Space Warps
      2. Non-Event-Driven Particle Systems
      3. Event-Driven Particle Systems: Particle Flow
      4. Summary
      5. Q&A
      6. Workshop
      7. Exercise
    32. Hour 19. Cloth, Hair, and Fur Creation
      1. Simulating Cloth
      2. Simulating Hair and Fur
      3. Summary
      4. Q&A
      5. Workshop
      6. Exercise
    33. Hour 20. Mental Ray Rendering
      1. Mental Ray Introduction
      2. Common Render Settings
      3. The Mental Ray Daylight System
      4. Daylight and Additional Lights
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    34. Hour 21. 3ds Max Project Management Techniques
      1. Scene Workflow
      2. Naming Conventions
      3. Project Setup and Folder Handling
      4. Project Management in Production
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    35. Hour 22. Combining Advanced Techniques to Create a Showcase
      1. Stage 1: Getting Started
      2. Stage 2: Preparation
      3. Stage 3: Project Management
      4. Stage 4: Creation
      5. Stage 5: Layout
      6. Stage 6: Camera and Lensing
      7. Stage 7: Animation and Visual Effects
      8. Stage 8: Lighting
      9. Stage 9: Final Changes
      10. Stage 10: Rendering and Output
      11. Summary
      12. Q&A
      13. Workshop
      14. Exercise
    36. Hour 23. Scripting in 3ds Max Using MAXScript
      1. Programming and Scripting Basics
      2. The MAXScript Tools
      3. Basic MAXScript Scripting
      4. Using MAXScript to Create User Interfaces
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    37. Hour 24. Conclusion
      1. Hour 24: The Final Hour
      2. Developing Your Skills
      3. One Piece of Advice
      4. Additional Help and Guidance
      5. Summary
      6. Q&A
      7. Workshop
      8. Exercise
    38. Index
    39. Where are the Companion Content Files?

    Product information

    • Title: 3ds Max in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself
    • Author(s): Stewart Jones
    • Release date: December 2013
    • Publisher(s): Sams
    • ISBN: 9780133497274