3D Studio Max 3 Professional Animation [With CDROM]

...I've only had this book for a week, and it's well on it'sway to becoming the most referenced book on my shelf. Excellent readand, if you're prepared to do a little work, outstanding tutorials.The facial animation section alone has given me several 'eureka'moments, which is what books like this are supposed toelicit.Simply wonderful.

I want to express my gratitude toward the authors of 3dStudio Max Professional Animation. This is the first book I have found that truly enhanced my skills and knowledge--not only of 3d Studio Max, but of 3d animation in general. As a teacher of 3d animation, I am always looking for information that gives me the skills to answer any questions my students can throw at me. While I haven't really noticed any errors or typos in particular, I find that because the book is not simply a list of steps to follow, and because it explains in detail WHY the steps are to be taken, this helps to clear up any misunderstanding of the steps themselves. These lengthy explanations are packed with helpful information and are essential for understanding the material. This is not a book for those who like to blindly follow tutorials. Finally, I must say that I trust the information in the book. This is not only because of the authors' qualifications and experience, but because my own work has improved significantly. Once again, this book is an invaluable addition to any professional animator's library.

Since I began work in MAX, modelling has always been second nature to me. However, my animation technique has never been up to par with my modelling; until I read this book! I must confess, I am a video game freak, and what originally drew me to this book was the fact that the author had created and animated many of my favorite characters. When Pro Animation came to my door, I was more won over by the fact that it covers all of the fine details of animation; from bones to Character Studio. The companion CD has many video examples of the projects that Angie Jones works through with you so that you can compare your work with her work and see where you need improvement. I can't say enough about how much this book has helped me, but I can say that if you need help in animation, it's not far away. Buy it...

The entire book is a well-conceived construction of diverse and interesting approaches to the sometimes frustrating world of graphics animation. In particular, and most helpful to me, has been the film references. This has been an eye-opening development in my own thoughts on gaming. The mediums of film and gaming are so close and mirror one another in ways I hadn't considered before, for they are both cinematic, kinetic visual forces. The techniques described in the chapter on camera movements and lighting have been tremendously helpful. And the hand-drawn illustrations of film scenes by Mr. Bonney (in particular one of my all-time favorites, PLANET OF THE APES) are wonderful. It helps to have a book like this that makes it clear just what can be accomplished with imagination and the technical know-how to back it up.

This is the first Max book I got that covers the finer points of character animation in detail. It gives you good background info, but doesn't skimp on the "how to" and gives plenty of examples. Great chapters on facial animation with morph and a jawbone, and informative character studio tutorials. Saiko da!