Put Your Imagination To Work Video game and feature-film artists have used 3ds Max to create characters and effects in Halo 2, King Kong, Gears of War, and more. Now you can harness this popular animation software with this sophisticated yet easy-to-follow guide. Introducing 3ds Max 2008 breaks down the complexities of 3D modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. You’ll jump right into the 3ds Max pipeline--from preproduction through postproduction--with clear-cut explanations, tutorials, and hands-on projects to build your skills. A special color insert includes real-world examples from talented 3ds Max beginners. From immediately creating your first animation to mastering poly modeling techniques and lighting final renders, you’ll get a solid grounding in 3ds Max 2008. * Build the knowledge you need for game, film, and TV production * Master modeling from simple and complex polygon mechanical models to organic character modeling * Assign texture effects and texture maps using UV * Create walk cycles and simple character animations with Character Studio * Explore lighting, rendering, and raytracing concepts * Discover simple rigid body dynamics and Max’s particle systems Valuable companion CD The CD includes all the image files, scenes, and support materials needed to create the tutorials in the book as well as a demo version of 3ds Max.

"Introducing 3ds Max 2008" breaks down the complexities of 3D modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. You’ll jump right into the 3ds Max pipeline - from preproduction through postproduction - with clear-cut explanations, tutorials, and hands-on projects to build your skills. A special color insert includes real-world examples from talented 3ds Max beginners. From immediately creating your first animation to mastering poly modeling techniques and lighting final renders, you’ll get a solid grounding in 3ds Max 2008. Build the knowledge you need for game, film, and TV production. This book includes a companion CD.

Put Your Imagination To Work

Video game and feature-film artists have used 3ds Max to create characters and effects in Halo 2, King Kong, Gears of War, and more. Now you can harness this popular animation software with this sophisticated yet easy-to-follow guide.

Introducing 3ds Max 2008 breaks down the complexities of 3D modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. You’ll jump right into the 3ds Max pipeline?from preproduction through postproduction?with clear-cut explanations, tutorials, and hands-on projects to build your skills. A special color insert includes real-world examples from talented 3ds Max beginners. From immediately creating your first animation to mastering poly modeling techniques and lighting final renders, you’ll get a solid grounding in 3ds Max 2008.

• Build the knowledge you need for game, film, and TV production

• Master modeling from simple and complex polygon mechanical models to organic character modeling

• Assign texture effects and texture maps using UV

• Create walk cycles and simple character animations with Character Studio

• Explore lighting, rendering, and raytracing concepts

• Discover simple rigid body dynamics and Max’s particle systems

Valuable companion CD
The CD includes all the image files, scenes, and support materials needed to create the tutorials in the book as well as a demo version of 3ds Max.

Dariush Derakhshani is a Creative Director with Radium, a creative design and VFX boutique, and a writer & educator in Los Angeles, California. Dariush used Autodesk’s AutoCAD software in his architectural days and migrated to using 3D programs when his firm’s principal architects needed to visualize architectural designs in 3D on the computer. Dariush started using Alias PowerAnimator version 6 when he enrolled in USC Film School’s Animation program, and he has been using Alias/Autodesk animation software for the past 11 years. He received an M.F.A. in Film, Video, and Computer Animation from the USC Film School in 1997. He also holds a B.A. in Architecture and Theatre from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. He worked at a New Jersey architectural firm before moving to Los Angeles for film school. He has worked on feature films, music videos, and countless commercials as a 3D animator, as a CG supervisor, and sometimes as a compositor. Dariush also serves as a contributing editor and on the Advisory Board of HDRI3d, a professional computer graphics (CG) magazine from DMG Publishing. Randi Lorene Munn is a staff instructor with The Art Institute of California at Los Angeles. She began working with computer graphics in 1992, and she was hired by her instructor to work at Sony Pictures Imageworks, where she developed her skills with 3ds Max and Shake, among many other programs. A teacher since 1999, Randi enjoys sharing her wisdom with young talent and watching them develop at The Art Institute, as well as at the UCLA Extension. Currently, she teaches a wide range of classes from Autodesk 3ds Max to compositing with Apple Shake and Adobe After Effects. Juggling her teaching activities with caring for a little baby boy makes Randi a pretty busy lady.

Introducing 3ds Max 2008 breaks down the complexities of 3D modeling, texturing, animating, and visual effects. You’ll jump right into the 3ds Max pipeline?from preproduction through postproduction?with clear-cut explanations, tutorials, and hands-on projects to build your skills. A special color insert includes real-world examples from talented 3ds Max beginners. From immediately creating your first animation to mastering poly modeling techniques and lighting final renders, you’ll get a solid grounding in 3ds Max 2008. Build the knowledge you need for game, film, and TV production. Includes a companion CD.

A Helpful Book for Beginners!!

This book is a great introduction to 3ds MAX. After reading just a few chapters I felt comfortable and confident using the program. It is easy to read and cuts to the chase on how to use the tools. I don’t know what kind of person would have any problems with this book, but it is a direct approach to teaching 3ds MAX that is easy to follow.

could be much better

Not much can be said. This book is dry, dull and boring. The author briefly describes a tool in Max, says thats all you will need to know for the book, and to explore the other options on your own. Thats cool, then as you progress in the book, you being using features of specific tools that were never covered.

Overall the book was cluttered and not well organized, how this book has gotten such good reviews as beyond me. I was using this book to teach a class, but have had to write my own material to cover 3ds Max because this book was soo difficult for my High School students to understand.

Too bad I can’t give it 0 Stars. Not sure what the Author was thinking.

Good Book for Any Beginner new to 3ds max

A very good book for beginners. The Authors explain well the functions and it gives details on how to do things. A really good book for a brand new beginner.

HOWEVER...

If you already have the "Introducing 3ds Max 9: 3D for Beginners by Dariush Derakhshani, Randi L. Munn, and Jon McFarland (Paperback - April 9, 2007)" I then strongly recommend you NOT to get this book, as this is a 90% replica of the Introducing 3ds Max 9. The exercises are exactly the same.

AND...

If you don’t have any of these two books, then get this book because it is a really good introductory book for any beginner. Far much better than the "Learning 3ds Max 2008 Foundation by Autodesk".

Must read for beginners

I’ve been playing with different 3d software titles for awhile now, but never very seriouslly, I never got the concept of what I was doing, I’m halfway through this book and must say I’ve learned more in the past few days than I did using a years worth of online tutorials. If you want to learn 3ds Max 2008 from the ground up this book is a great way to start. All the chapters are broken down into sections so that you are stuck reading from front to end you can skip around to find something you like, the authors even suggest that if you are better at hands on then skip a chapter or two.