3ds Max in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself

by Stewart Jones

Overview

This is a full-colour, practical, hands-on guide to mastering Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2014 computer graphics and animation for games, film, TV, and architectural design.

 

One step at a time, this book teaches all the essential CG skills and techniques needed, from using simple primitives and transforms to creating complex hair, fur, and atmospheric effects. Top CG artist, instructor, and author Stewart Jones starts with the absolute basics, making 3ds Max 2014 accessible even to people who've created computer graphics before. In just 24 sessions of one hour or less, he shows how to get productive with every essential 3ds Max tool and feature, with just the relevant details.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780133497267
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	11/11/2013
Series:	Sams Teach Yourself -- Hours
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
File size:	86 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Stewart Jones started his visual journey in graphic and multimedia design. He has since moved into the computer graphics industry, where his focus has been on animation and visual effects. Now a company director and freelance VFX/CG/animation consultant for the film, TV, and games industries, he has previously served in multiple roles in media and entertainment, including mentor and course author, animator, technical animator, character technical director, and computer graphics supervisor. Stewart also wrote Digital Creature Rigging.

Table of Contents

Preface     xvii

Hour 1: Introduction     1

What This Book Covers     2

This Book’s Structure     4

What Is Autodesk 3ds Max?      7

Getting Autodesk 3ds Max     7

Extra Stuff     7

Disclaimer and Disclosure     8

Summary     9

Q&A     9

Workshop     9

Exercise     9

Hour 2: Exploring the Interface     11

The Interface Elements     12

Quad Menus     27

Summary     28

Q&A     29

Workshop     29

Exercise     30

Hour 3: Navigating the Viewports     31

3D Space     31

The ViewCube     33

SteeringWheels     34

Viewport Navigation Controls     35

Viewport Configuration     36

The Viewport Layout Tab     37

Summary     39

Q&A     39

Workshop     39

Exercise     40

Hour 4: Primitives and Transforms     41

Primitive Creation     41

Names and Colors     46

Types of Primitives     47

More Than Primitives     50

Object Manipulation in 3D Space     51

Summary     59

Q&A     59

Workshop     59

Exercise     60

Hour 5: 3ds Max Modifiers     61

The Modify Tab     61

The Buttons Under the Modifier Stack     64

World Space Versus Local/Object Space     66

Summary     68

Q&A     69

Workshop     69

Exercise     70

Hour 6: Sub-Object Exploration     71

An Introduction to the Three Sub-Objects     71

Working with Sub-Objects     73

Vertex, Edge, and Polygon Sub-Object Levels     74

Editable Poly Sub-Object Rollouts     76

Normals     81

Summary     83

Q&A     83

Workshop     83

Exercise     84

Hour 7: 3D Modeling     85

Creating a Cartoon Face     85

Creating a Spaceship     93

Creating a Futuristic City Planet     100

Additional Modeling Techniques     104

Summary     106

Q&A     106

Workshop     106

Exercise     107

Hour 8: Materials and Textures     109

The Material Editor     109

Applying Textures to Objects     114

Assigning Multiple Materials     116

UVW Mapping     123

Summary     129

Q&A     129

Workshop     129

Exercise     130

Hour 9: Computer Animation     131

Basic Animation Concepts     131

The Animation Tools     133

First Steps into Animation     135

Pivot Points     141

Summary     142

Q&A     143

Workshop     143

Exercise     144

Hour 10: Illuminating Scenes Using Lights     145

3ds Max Lighting Introduction     145

Standard Lights     148

Photometric Lights     150

Adding Lights to a Scene     151

Summary     154

Q&A     154

Workshop     155

Exercise     155

Hour 11: Adding and Editing 3D Camera     157

Camera-Based Concepts     157

3ds Max Cameras     159

Animating Cameras     164

Cameras and Modifiers      166

Summary     166

Q&A     166

Workshop     167

Exercise     167

Hour 12: Rendering for Production     169

An Overview of Rendering in 3ds Max     169

Quick Rendering     170

Rendering Tools     172

Still Image Rendering     178

Animation Rendering     178

Summary     181

Q&A     182

Workshop     182

Exercise     183

Hour 13: Combining Techniques to Create a Showcase     185

Stages Explained     185

Stage 1: Preparation     186

Stage 2: Materials     189

Stage 3: Camera     192

Stage 4: Animation     193

Stage 5: Lighting     194

Stage 6: Final Changes     196

Stage 7: Rendering     198

Summary     198

Q&A     198

Workshop     199

Exercise     199

Hour 14: Rigging Objects for Easier Animation     201

Hierarchies and Linking     201

Bone Tools     205

Forward and Inverse Kinematics     207

Creating a Custom Rig     210

Using Character Studio (Biped)      211

Using CAT (Character Animation Toolkit)      212

Summary     214

Q&A     214

Workshop     215

Exercise     215

Hour 15: Influencing Geometry Using Skinning Techniques     217

What Is Skinning?      217

Influence Area and Envelopes     218

The Skin Modifier     219

Manual Skin Weighting     223

Setting Up Characters for Animation Use     228

Summary     231

Q&A     231

Workshop     231

Exercise     232

Hour 16: Character Animation     233

The 12 Principles of Animation     233

The Bouncing Ball     242

Summary     252

Q&A     253

Workshop     253

Exercise     254

Hour 17: Dynamic Simulations     255

The MassFX Toolset     255

Creating Keyframed Animation from Dynamic Simulations     259

Causing Destruction with MassFX     261

Summary     266

Q&A     267

Workshop     267

Exercise     267

Hour 18: Particles and Effects     269

Space Warps     269

Non-Event-Driven Particle Systems     273

Event-Driven Particle Systems: Particle Flow     275

Summary     283

Q&A     284

Workshop     284

Exercise     285

Hour 19: Cloth, Hair, and Fur Creation     287

Simulating Cloth     287

Simulating Hair and Fur      292

Summary     299

Q&A     299

Workshop     299

Exercise     300

Hour 20: Mental Ray Rendering     301

Mental Ray Introduction     301

Common Render Settings     304

The Mental Ray Daylight System     306

Daylight and Additional Lights     311

Summary     312

Q&A     312

Workshop     312

Exercise     313

Hour 21: 3ds Max Project Management Techniques     315

Scene Workflow     315

Naming Conventions     323

Project Setup and Folder Handling     325

Project Management in Production     326

Summary     328

Q&A     329

Workshop     329

Exercise     330

Hour 22: Combining Advanced Techniques to Create a Showcase     331

Stage 1: Getting Started     331

Stage 2: Preparation     332

Stage 3: Project Management     332

Stage 4: Creation     335

Stage 5: Layout     337

Stage 6: Camera and Lensing     341

Stage 7: Animation and Visual Effects     342

Stage 8: Lighting     344

Stage 9: Final Changes     345

Stage 10: Rendering and Output     346

Summary     347

Q&A     348

Workshop     348

Exercise     349

Hour 23: Scripting in 3ds Max Using MAXScript     351

Programming and Scripting Basics     351

The MAXScript Tools     352

Basic MAXScript Scripting     355

Using MAXScript to Create User Interfaces     359

Summary     362

Q&A     363

Workshop     363

Exercise     364

Hour 24: Conclusion     365

Hour 24: The Final Hour     365

Developing Your Skills     366

One Piece of Advice     368

Additional Help and Guidance     369

Summary     371

Q&A     371

Workshop     372

Exercise     375

Index     377

Editorial Reviews

“Sams Teach Yourself 3ds Max in 24 Hours by Stewart Jones is the perfect book to start an artist who has never used 3ds Max and is new to 3D. Stewart has put in enough detail and challenges to give readers a solid grounding in techniques while leaving room to explore on your own. Stewart writes with humor, making something that could be dry interesting and fun to read. I enjoyed going through the book and even picked up a few tips along the way that I didn’t know in Max. I would recommend the book without hesitation to students and artists looking for a great start to quickly feel accomplished instead of frustrated with all aspects of 3D production in 3ds Max 2014.”

--Brad Clark, Cofounder, Rigging Dojo.com

“Sams Teach Yourself 3ds Max in 24 Hours--‘challenge accepted!’ If you are looking for a textbook to guide you through the intricacies of Autodesk 3ds Max, this is the 24 for you. Blending a perfect balance of technical and demonstration, Stewart’s witty, stylish, and pointed approach to introducing 3D modeling, animation, and the 3D modeling production environment is well worth staying up all day and night to read.”

--Dr. Tim J. Harrington, Teaching and Learning Applications Analyst

“Sams Teach Yourself 3ds Max in 24 Hours is a great way to learn the basics of working in 3D on a computer. This is a fantastic book for anyone who wants to start in this field.”

--Gregory Scott Johnson, Professor of Game Development, SCAD

“For anyone looking to get a solid foot into the 3D industry, Sams Teach Yourself 3ds Max in 24 Hours is the perfect solution to get you started. Stewart Jones puts his years of experience into 24 simple and concise ‘hours’ that make learning the basics fun and then build into more advanced steps as you work your way through. Sams Teach Yourself 3ds Max in 24 Hours is the perfect guide to putting that first foot forward and opening the door to the exciting world of 3D.”

--Matthew Johnson, Principal 3D Artist

“Sams Teach Yourself Teach Yourself 3ds Max in 24 Hours not only gets the reader started with 3ds Max, it gives a comprehensive survey of all aspects of 3D. Through clear and succinct tutorials, readers will learn to model, rig, skin, animate, create particles, utilize dynamic, fur, and even experience a little scripting. Sams Teach Yourself 3ds Max in 24 Hours has everything needed to get the successful digital artist proficient in 3ds Max in a short 24 hours. You’ll keep this on your shelf as a go-to resource guide for 3ds Max.”

--Tina O’Hailey, Dean of Digital Media, SCAD

From the Publisher