- Paperback: 544 pages
- Publisher: Prentice Hall Certification; 1 edition (18 April 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 073571066X
- ISBN-13: 978-0735710665
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 18.6 x 3.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
1,097,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Books > Computers & Internet > Software & Graphics > Applications > 3D Studio Max
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The target audience for 3ds Max 4 Fundamentals is users new to computer graphics and animation for whom 3ds Max 4 is the tool of choice. Artists experienced with Max and wanting the scoop on the new features might be disappointed, but someone who doesn't know a storyboard from an X axis will probably get quite a bit from this book. Computer graphics is an involved topic, and animation is a specialty by itself. Trying to learn the fundamentals of either of these fields while learning to use a program like 3ds Max 4 is difficult at best, since each is worthy of its own devoted study. This book, however, opens with two chapters making up part I, covering a crash course in graphics from an animation perspective, including storyboarding, composing a shot, the importance of colour and lighting, and movement. Chapter 2 nails down the basics of how 3ds Max 4 works from a conceptual standpoint, a sort of bird's eye view of the application. This chapter covers Max terminology and the basic feature categories without getting into the specifics of exactly how to do things. That starts in the next part. Part II, the bulk of the book, dives into the actual use of Max. Workflow, getting around the interface, modeling, texturing, lighting, the basics of animation, and rendering are discussed over the course of 300-plus pages. Many of the examples follow the making of a single scene throughout the book: the interior of a diner. This is a fairly involved scene, and learning how to create it from scratch all the way through final rendering provides a nice sense of continuity. Part III, "New and Updated Max Features," focuses on what's new in version 4. Since this book is oriented toward new users, this section is more of an overview than a how-to on the new features. Overall, the writing is clear and concise, and each chapter is well illustrated. One drawback is the complete lack of colour illustrations, although the CD-ROM includes colour versions of all the images used in the book, along with all the project files and some free and demo version third-party plug-ins. The 3ds Max 4 application is a major upgrade from v3.1, and although much of the interface hasn't changed, there are enough new features and enhancements to give pause to experienced users and probably stop new users in their tracks. The new features or improved functionality make Max an even deeper and richer program than it was, but the learning curve has grown longer and steeper. This book offers a slightly different take on the tools and features than is provided in the manuals; it is a concise and approachable handbook for mastering this powerful animation system. --Mike Caputo
Product Description
3ds max 4 Fundamentals is a tutorial- reference in which the basic concepts of 3D representation and 3ds max are explored, with special attention given to new and upgraded features of the new release. The book focuses on key features so that the reader can use this basic knowledge to progress to a higher level of understanding and efficiency both in skill and in book choice.
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, easy to follow - if u want 2 learn Max buy this!,
This review is from: 3D Studio Max 4 Fundamentals (Fundamentels) (Paperback)
Having read many books on graphics (including 3D Max 3, Maya 3, Photoshop 6, Softimage XSI etc), and many other guide books, this book is the best. Why? because many books are very wordy and place far too much technical information up front. This means that, if you're like me, you start to loose interest. This book gives the relevent information as it goes. It has simple, easy to follow exercises that teach each action using the techniques that pros would use for fast, quality work. Max has many ways to do most things, some are more efficient/usefull than others - this book helps point you in the right direction there too. The CD has every exercise, so you can skip the ones you know and use the CD copies of the output of the last exercise (if required). It also has all the illistrations in colour (they are B&W in the book). The book is not horrendously large, so can sit next to your PC while following the exersises with it doing a double backflip onto the floor when you get towards the end! This book covers all that you need to know for a grounding in Max, don't expect to become conversant in Max-Script - this is a fundermentals book. Basically, I found it very usefull, and still do as a ref guide. If you are new to Max, or did not have a structured learning course when you started, buy this book and go through all the exercises. You will quickly reap the benefits.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lasers in the jungle somewhere,
This review is from: 3D Studio Max 4 Fundamentals (Fundamentels) (Paperback)
I have been using 3dsmax 4 for a few months, i was worried that this book would prehaps be too basic, i can promise you it is not. it covers all the basics, and beyond to some quite advance tutorials.the tutorials are farily short, and are explained well, so you wont feel overwelmed, you can just do one 2 page tutorial at a time... anyway if your new to 3d max or even if your not i recomend this book, it covers ways of doing things that i had never thought of, saving time effort, and making things more fun, plus tons of stuff i never new max could do! 5 out of 5, hope this has been helpfull.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant introduction to 3D studio Max 4,
By A Customer
This review is from: 3D Studio Max 4 Fundamentals (Fundamentels) (Paperback)
The best thing about this book is that ALL of the tutorials work! I did every single exercise in the book and didn't have a single problem which is a rare event with technical how-to books.This really is a fantastic way to get a solid grounding - but I would also recommend doing the tutorials offered within Max as well. They do compliment each other. Boardman's book only briefly touches on low polygon modelling which I would expect is pretty fundamental to most users these days. Also - I found it pretty irritating to have to work in feet and inches...I guess the Americans still work that way?
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