Harnessing 3ds Max 5 [With CDROM]

I didn't want to spend so much money on a book so I have searched in the libraries and reviewed in book stores many books about 3ds max. After waisting about 2 weeks in reviewing book after book I can give you my honest oppinion this is the best book on the market. This is the only book which will give you full explanation how to use 3ds max and why the things work in a certain way. You don't need to have any previous experience to understand the concept of this book. All the other books comparing to this one need experience in programing or at least 3d graphics. Most of them are thousants of pages talking and not saying anything to you.

Just recently, I started to get into 3D design. For past 2 months I worked in Plasma since it was a slimmed down version of 3ds Max. Then finally, I decided to learn it and dig deeper into the program. Without prior experience it was a little hard for me so I bought this book. From the start, I can see how valuable this book is. I read all the posts above and they were dead on. Also, they were part of the reason I picked up this book. The author really explains the 3D design in detail which is very easy to understand for a person who is just starting out. As I only read close to 100 pages of the book, I already feel like I can get around the program lot easier. Not only the techniquest are explained, but also, why things happen and work the way they do. If you have graphic - web design experience and can get around Photoshop, armed with this book and 3dsMax, you will be able to desing some mean layouts. Simply said: The best 42 bucks I spend on a book. GO AND BUY IT! Oh yeah, the book comes with CDROM which includes excersizes for EACH chapter along with AVI movies!!!

I bought this book having no experience in 3ds max or any other 3d program really. After a few weeks of reading and following the tutorials, I feel like I've got the program down pretty well (and that's saying a lot for 3D Studio). The writing, tutorials and examples are excellent and it taught me how to do much more than I ever expected I'd be able to with this program.

I have read many software books. Most are good, some are great. This one is great. 3D Max is one of the hardest programs to master. This book will give you the power to create and animate anything your mind can imagine with jaw-dropping results. With 3D Max, its all about mastering the exhaustive list of toolsets, modifiers, and other utilities this program is jam-packed with. This book makes it all happen. Surprisingly easy to read, you will finish this book with a full arsenal of methods and techniques that may be strong enough to land you an entry level job. As with all instructional books, if you are motivated, and tackle the material with 100% effort, you will not be disappointed with "Harnessing 3ds max 5."

Though not necessarily meant for the advanced user, this book should prove invaluable for those new to 3DS Max, whether you're just starting out or you're moving over from another 3D toolset and need to get up to speed. I think the way it's written and laid out would make it particularly useful in a classroom setting. I have a couple of similar books that sort of walk you through the steps of their tutorials without going over the actual reasoning for their approach. But instead, the authors of this book explain very clearly not only how to go about creating something, but more importantly *why* it is done that way, leaving the reader with a much deeper understanding of the subject. A very well thought out book. I'd say look no further.