Introducing 3ds Max 9: 3D for beginners

Dariush Derakhshani, Randi L. Derakhshani, Jon McFarland9780470097618, 0470097612

Video game and feature-film artists have used 3ds Max to create Halo 2, King Kong, Myst V, and more. Now you can harness this popular animation software with the clear, step-by-step instructions in this easy-to-follow guide. This book breaks down the complexities of 3D modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. Clear-cut explanations, tutorials, and hands-on projects help build your skills and a special color insert includes real-world examples from talented 3ds Max beginners.

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Table of contents :
Introducing 3ds Max 9: 3D for Beginners……Page 1
Acknowledgments……Page 7
About the Authors……Page 8
Contents……Page 10
Introduction……Page 14
Basic Concepts……Page 19
What Is CGI?……Page 20
Production Workflow……Page 22
CG Workflow……Page 26
CG Specialties……Page 30
Core Concepts……Page 32
Coordinate Systems……Page 40
Basic Animation Concepts……Page 41
Basic 3ds Max Terms and Concepts……Page 45
Summary……Page 48
Your First Max Animation……Page 49
Project and File Management Workflow……Page 50
The 3ds Max Interface……Page 53
Jumping Headlong into Animation……Page 59
Setting Up the Hierarchy……Page 70
Summary……Page 77
The 3ds Max Interface……Page 79
What Am I Looking At?……Page 80
Managing Scene Objects……Page 114
Summary……Page 121
Modeling in 3ds Max: Part I……Page 123
Planning Your Model……Page 124
Modeling Concepts……Page 125
Look at the Mesh You Got Us Into!……Page 137
Editable Poly Tools……Page 147
Modeling a Chest of Drawers……Page 155
Modeling a Hand……Page 182
Summary……Page 195
Modeling in 3ds Max: Part II……Page 197
Setting Up the Scene……Page 198
The Editable Poly Tools……Page 202
Lofting the Barrel……Page 224
Lathing the Wheels……Page 233
Using Snapshot to Create the Tracks……Page 235
Summary……Page 241
Organic Poly Modeling……Page 243
Setting Up the Scene……Page 244
Creating the Basic Form……Page 249
Adding Detail……Page 272
Final Touches……Page 289
Summary……Page 291
Materials and Mapping……Page 293
Materials……Page 294
The Material Editor……Page 296
Mapping a Pool Ball……Page 312
Mapping, Just a Little Bit More……Page 320
Maps……Page 323
More Mapping Exercises……Page 327
Mapping Coordinates……Page 333
Summary……Page 341
Introduction to Animation……Page 343
Hierarchy in Animation: The Mobile Redux……Page 344
Using Dummy Objects……Page 348
Bouncing Ball……Page 351
Using the Track Editor–Curve Editor……Page 353
Track View……Page 368
Anticipation and Momentum in Knife Throwing……Page 372
Summary……Page 382
Character Studio and IK Animation……Page 383
Character Studio Workflow……Page 384
Creating a Biped……Page 386
Animating a Biped……Page 394
Associating a Biped to a Character……Page 409
Using Inverse Kinematics……Page 417
Summary……Page 422
3ds Max Lighting……Page 423
Basic Lighting Concepts……Page 424
Three-Point Lighting……Page 426
3ds Max Lights……Page 429
Common Light Parameters……Page 443
Creating Shadows……Page 450
Atmospheres and Effects……Page 456
Light Lister……Page 460
Summary……Page 461
3ds Max Rendering……Page 463
Rendering Setup……Page 464
Motion Blur……Page 473
Cameras……Page 475
Safe Frame……Page 480
Render Elements……Page 481
Rendering Effects……Page 484
Raytraced Reflections and Refractions……Page 488
Summary……Page 495
Particles and Dynamics……Page 497
Understanding Particle Systems……Page 498
Setting Up a Particle System……Page 502
Particle Systems and Space Warps……Page 517
Using Rigid Body Dynamics……Page 522
Using Soft Body Dynamics……Page 529
Summary……Page 532
Index……Page 533