Sams Teach Yourself 3D Studio Max 3 in 24 Hours teaches you to complete an animated short using upwards of 30 features within the program. And, by creating a final real-world project, youll experience the concepts behind the entire process of creating 3D models and animation.

Table of Contents:
Introduction. I. ENTERING THE THIRD DIMENSION (GETTING STARTED). HOUR 1. Exploring the MAX 3 Interface. Views and the View Tools. Perspective vs. Orthographic Views. Zooming In and Out. Panning a View. Rotating a View for Additional Points of View. Maximizing a Viewport. The Command Panel, Tab Panel, and Menu Bar. Select and Transform Tools. Selecting an Object. Transforms (Moving, Rotating, and Scaling. Using the Transform Gizmo. Locking the Axes. Locking the Selection. Selection Filter. Selection Sets. Undoing an Unwanted Action. Redos. Spinners, Swatches, Buttons, and Boxes. Basic Interface Customization. Floating a Toolbar. Docking a Tab. Replacing a Tab. Saving a Custom Interface. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 2. Understanding Modeling Basics. MAX's Coordinate Systems. The Create Tab. Parametric Modeling. The Benefits of Parametric Modeling. Geometry Versus Shapes. Working with Primitives. Creating Primitives. Creating a Sphere. Using Keyboard Entry for Creation. Multidimensional Primitives (Creating a Box). Changing Parameters through the Modify Panel. Segments and Sides. To Smooth or Not to Smooth. What Are Mapping Coords? Slice Parameters for Just a Piece of the Pie. Building an Eye. Cloning: Copy, Instance, or Reference? Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 3. 2D and a Half—Working with Shapes. Shape Primitives. Creating Circles, Ellipses, and Donuts. Creation Method-Edge or Center? The Essential Rectangle. Creating Text. Creating Arcs. Creating an Ngon. Creating a Helix. Vertices and Segments and Splines, Oh My! Vertices-The Structures Behind Shapes. Drawing Simple Lines. Drawing Curved Splines. Editing Shapes. Changing Point Types. The Incredible Editable Spline. Attaching Shapes. Creating a 3D Logo with Shapes. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 4. Expanded Modeling-Working with Editable Meshes. Sub-Object Vertex. Basic Vertex Manipulation. Soft Selection. What Are Edges? Sub-Object Faces and Polygons. Elements. Modeling Tools. Using the Extrude Tool. Using the Chamfer Tool. Using the Bevel Tool. Using the Cut Tool. Create a Cartoon Hand from a Box. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 5. Composing the Start of a Scene. Merging Existing Objects. Snapping to It. 2D, 2.5D, 3D Snaps. Using Angle Snap and Object Snap Together. Percent Snap. Spinner Snap. Align Tool Basics. Align Position. Align Orientation (Local). Match Scale. Creating a Simple Scene. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. II. BUILDING SOPHISTICATED MODELS. HOUR 6. Manipulating Geometry Using Modifiers. The Modifier Stack-The Backbone of MAX. Building a Stack-Adding Modifiers. Accessing the Stack Hierarchy. Pinning the Stack. Removing Modifiers from the Stack. Changing the Order of Modifiers within the Stack. Activating/Deactivating Modifiers. Edit Mesh/Splines Modifier Versus Editable Mesh/Spline. Working with the Bend Modifier. Accessing and Using Gizmos. Do the Twist. Using the XForm Modifier for Transforms. Making Mushrooms. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 7. Adding Detail to a Scene. Creating a Plant. Making the Stem from a Cylinder. Creating Leaves. Creating the Flower Head. Making a Petal. Using Arrays. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 8. Building with Compound Objects, Part 1—The Loft. Lofting-A Better Extrude. Creating Multiple-Shaped Lofts. Using the Percentage and Distance Settings. Adjusting Path Steps to Affect Object Smoothness. Adjusting Shape Steps to Affect Geometry Resolution. Editing a Loft Sub-Object. Deleting a Shape. Creating a Loft Deformation. Using the Scale Deformation. Using Multiple Deformation Points. Using the Twist Deformation. Using the Teeter Deformation. Using the Bevel Deformation Using the Fit Deformation. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 9. Building with Compound Objects, Part 2—Booleans and Morphs. Booleans in Brief. A Basic Boolean Operation. Manipulating Operands. Modifying Operands. Transforming Operands. Extracting an Operand. Refining with the Boolean Cut. Morph Objects. Starting a Morph and Creating Targets. Loading Morph Targets. Creating a Morph Sequence. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 10. Organic Modeling with Patches, NURMS, and Surface Tools. Non-Uniform Rational MeshSmooth (NURMS). Using MeshSmooth for Organic Modeling. Using Display/Weighting for Added Mesh Control. Building a Ship with MeshSmooth. Patch Objects. QuadPatch and TriPatch. Manipulating a Patch with an EditPatch modifier. Surface Tools. Using the CrossSection Modifier. Adding the Surface Modifier. Creating the Spline Network. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 11. Creating a Character Head. Building a Head. Creating the Basic Head Shape. Creating the Mouth and Cheeks. Creating Eye Sockets. Weighting a Nose. Refining the Eye Sockets. Adding Eyes. Creating Ears. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. III. ADDING REALISM WITH MATERIALS AND ENVIRONMENTS. HOUR 12. Introduction to Basic Rendering. A Simple Render. The Rendering Tab. Common Parameters of the Render Scene Dialog. The MAX Default Scanline Rendering Parameters. Rendering Multiple Frames. Rendering Numbered Frames. Rendering Multiple Frames to a Single File (.avi, .mov). Choosing a CODEC. Rendering a Sequence. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 13. Creating Materials. The Material Editor. Applying a Material. Material Types. Common Material Properties. Material Name. Diffuse and Ambient Color. Highlighting Specular Color and Specular Levels. Self-Illumination. Material Opacity. Understanding Shaders. Choosing a Shader. Diversifying Materials with Maps. Adding Reflection Maps. Using Refractions Material Editor Tools. Creating a Raytrace Reflection. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 14. Setting Up Lighting and Cameras. Basic Lighting. Default Lighting. MAX Light Types. Adding Lights to the Scene. Adjusting Light Parameters. Spotlight Cone Parameters. Attenuation Parameters. Shadow Parameters. Choosing and Adding a Camera. Camera Parameters. Camera Tools. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. IV. ADDING LIFE THROUGH ANIMATION. HOUR 15. Applying Animation Principles in MAX. Key Frames-The Key to Animation. Keeping Time. The Animate Button and Key Frames. Controlling Animation with Key Info. Animating Object Parameters. Working with Track View. Track View Function Curves. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 16. Adding Life and Dimension with Space Warp Effects. Space Warps-Global Modifiers. Creating a Space Warp. Changing Space Warp Settings. The Bomb Space Warp Parameters. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 17. Advanced Rendering and Environmental Effects. Adjusting Scanline Rendering Options. Choosing the Options. Using the Production and Draft Toggle. Smoothing the Edges with Antialias Filters. Object and Image Motion Blur Settings. Environmental Effects. Changing Background Color. Adding an Environment Map. Global Lighting. Atmospheric Effects. Atmospheric Apparatus. Creating Combustion Effects. Creating Volume Fog. Creating Volumetric Light Effects. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 18. Advanced Animation with Bones and Inverse Kinematics. The Hierarchy of Parts. The Hierarchical Chain. Viewing Hierarchies. Why a Hierarchy? Building a Simple Hierarchy. Basic Inheritance. Setting Up an Inverse Kinematics (IK) Chain. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. V. ADDING FINE DETAIL TO A SCENE. HOUR 19. Using Image Effects for Greater Images. Rendering Effects. Applying and Previewing an Effect. The Infamous Lens Flare. Using a Blur Effect. Simulating Depth of Field. The File Output Effect. Adding Film Grain for Consistent Compositing. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 20. Working with Particle Systems. General Particle Types. Common Particle Parameters. Advanced Particle Systems. Creating Snow. The Super Spray. The Particle Cloud. Using the PArray for Object Emitters. Particle-Specific Space Warps. Using Particles with Instanced Objects. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 21. Using Video Post to Polish Images and Animations. The Video Post Process. Adding Video Post Events to the Queue. Adding a Scene Event. Rendering through Video Post. Adding a Filter Event. Saving Rendered Special Effects with Output Events. Disabling Events. Editing an Event's Active Time. Layering Multiple Images. Fading to Black. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 22. Exploring the MAX 3 Utility Set. The Utilities Tab. Using the Configure Button Sets Icon. Accessing Different Utility Sets. Using the Color Clipboard to Store Color Swatches. Creating a Floating Clipboard. Using the Asset Manager to Locate Resources. The MAX File Finder Utility. Finding and Setting Resource Paths with the MapPath Editor. Tracking Model Size with the Polygon Counter. Creating Dynamic Simulations. Using Materials in Dynamic Simulations. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 23. Generating MAXScripts to Increase Productivity. Running the MAXScript Utility. Running an Existing Script. Opening and Editing a Script. Quick Scripting with Macros. Using Macro Recorder. Using the Listener Window with Macro Recorder. Creating Custom Scripts. Using the New Script Button. Creating a Utility. Creating a Rollout. Grouping Parameters in a Utility. Using Spinners and Sliders for Setting Values. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Activities. HOUR 24. Adopting a Studio Workflow for Efficiency. Advantages of a Studio Workflow using Xrefs. Using XRef Objects and Scenes. When to Use XRef Scenes. Modifying XRef Objects. Proxy Objects. Summary. Workshop. Q&A. Index.