Inside 3D Studio Max 3: Modeling, Materials and Rendering [With CDROM]

If you have experience with earlier 3D Studio MAX versions (or with any other 3D application - it always helpful), you can't find it dificult to follow this book. But don't buy it as your first 3D Studio MAX book. First, this book is directed for the Modeling, Material and Rendering concepts. Sometimes it make some references to commands and terms that you can't understand or just don't know were to find it. I'm a great 3D enthusias but I've never made anything serious (but I would love to - perhaps when I consolidate my MSCE+I carreer, I'll follow some 3DS MAX serious studies =). I've bought this book first and found it a bit dificult to follow. Sometimes I've spent more than 5 minutes to figure out "we're this xxxx command" or "what does it mean by xxx"? So, I've bought the "Inside 3d Studio MAX 3" (ISBN 073570905X) and all becames clear. They really complement each other. Of course, you can then follow other books like "3D Studio MAX R3 f/x and design", "3D Studio MAX R3 in depth" and the great "3D Studio MAX 3 Media Animation".. Although I don't have them yet, I'm planning to buy all them and I had a quick look at them and I also heard many good words and reviews about them. Most Newsriders books (at least the ones about 3DS MAX) are great books. But don't BUY THE 3DS MAX R3 fundamentals. I heard MOST people (from the beginner to pros) says that it sucks.

If you have experience with earlier 3D Studio MAX versions (or with any other 3D application - which is always helpful), you can't find any dificulties to follow this book. But don't buy it as your first 3D Studio MAX book. First, this book is directed for the Modeling, Material and Rendering concepts. Sometimes it make some references to commands and terms that you can't understand or just don't know were to find it if you don't have any previous MAX experience. I'm a great 3D enthusiast but I've never found the time to make anything serious (but I would love to - perhaps when I consolidate my MSCE+I carreer, I'll follow some 3DS MAX serious studies =). I've bought this book first and found it a bit dificult to follow. Sometimes I've spent more than 5 minutes to figure out we're this xxxx command or what does it mean by xxx? So, I've bought the "Inside 3d Studio MAX 3" (ISBN 073570905X) and all becames clear. They really complement each other. Of course, you can then follow other books like "3D Studio MAX R3 f/x and design", "3D Studio MAX R3 in depth" and the great "3D Studio MAX 3 Media Animation".. Although I don't have them yet, I'm planning to buy all them and I've heard browsed them and have heard many good words and reviews about them. Most Newsriders books (at least the ones about 3DS MAX) are great books, by the exception of "3DS Max 3 Fundamentals", which I dislike A LOT.

I'm a fairly advanced user of 3D Studio. I wanted info and practice on three topics; patches, NURBS, and raytracing. Of the 3 books I looked at (at a bookstore), this one had the best info on these topics. Reviewers sometimes mention a lack of depth; there's only one place to get really in-depth info on Max features, and that's the on-line help. This book is as in-depth as most, and offers what the on-line help doesn't- some insight into HOW to use settings, not just a description of the settings. My big complaint is with the CD. The exercises are misnumbered. Exercise 7.3 isn't there at all. The sample bitmaps are mostly stock photos of scenes, people, etc, not textures that will be useful in modeling. If you're fairly new to Max, this is a good book to go through after you do the book that ships with Max. It does assume a bit of prior knowledge, so it's not for a real beginner. If you're an advanced user looking for a good intro to some new areas of Max, it's certainly worth the money. If you need detailed, exhaustive info on certain topics, take a class.

Starting as a novice in 3ds Max, and finding the max tutorials and user's books not exemplary I found Ted Boardman's book to be attuned to the practioner involved in creating the 3d pictures that an ordinary person can see and understand. His book is a "not a step by step creation procecess", but a basis on which one learns the basic principles to use and implement them for your own visualization process to creat a visual reality that others can see and understand. This involves all aspects of the 3d cretive process and his book gives you the basics to expand one's creative process. I keep it at my desk and am fortunate to be able to have it as a reference when the "going gets tough"..might take several readings, but it's all there..at least my clients are awed....and they pay me1

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