Getting Started in 3D with 3ds Max

Animation is an important part of the functionality of 3ds Max that breathes life into an otherwise static presentation. The basic concepts behind animation are derived from the traditional “cartoon” animation techniques where a master animator sketches objects at key points in time and then passes those sketches to the junior animators whose job is to draw all the “in-between” positions that transition from one pose to the next.

An important user interface element of animation is the Auto Key button. While the Auto Key button is toggled on and you have set 3ds Max to some point in time other than frame 0, almost any changes you make will become ...