Modeling a Character in 3ds Max [With Cdrm]

I purchased this book due to the overwhelming number of posative reviews it recieved... and boy, I wasn't disappointed. Quite frankly, it's *best* book I've encountered on the subject of modeling low-mid poly figures for use in Games. The technique lessons therein are invaluable to someone new to the software... and veterans will pick up a few nifty things too. I find the best books to be those that will take the reader by the hand, and explicitly lead him/her through the entire life cycle of a 3D project... Paul Steed did a WONDERFUL job with this book!In reference to one of the negative reviews above: This book was not designed specifically to cater to only 3D Studio Max 3.0... I'm not exactly sure how he arrived at that conclusion. It sounds more like either his units are calibrated differently, or he made a misstep through the project. I encountered no such difficulties.

I want to tell people who want to buy this book to go ahead and do it! I am making a 3D shooter with some friends and I want to learn how to model in 3DS MAX 4. Well, when I got the package i opened it and started to read. The book inspired me and in the beggining Paul is telling you ways of inproving your method of drawing and gives you ideas of how things work. On your way through the book, Paul gives you very helpful tips on using certain tools. I can't stress enough how good this book is for new users, the tutorial is very, very, very step by step. Paul guides you through every single move throughout the book.Some people have reviewed this book as a bad book to by. They have said that this is not the true way of modelling characters. Well in this book Paul does a good job,it is a great starting point, and then you can move onto whatever technique you want. You learn how to use the tools and many different ways of going about making a character in 3DS MAX 3 and 4.I hope this review has inspired you into buying this book.If you do buy it and are glad that you bought, I'm glad and i hope that you creat many creative creatures and characters!

"Modeling a Character in 3DS Max" by Paul Steed is by far the best book I've ever read on low poly modeling. I recommend this book to any newbie to low poly modeling. It is easy to follow and Paul Steed explores just about every way to model from using primitives, to using the booleen operation effectively. Go ahead and give it a try!

If you're new to character modelling and have an entry-level grasp of the 3D Studio Max interface this book was designed for you, without a doubt. If you're more advanced you will very likely get a lot out of it as well, as it's a medley of different techniques and riddled with very helpful hints, but really this book is tailor-made for the novice. Paul has made a point of screen-dumping every step, every dialogue, and making explicit the reasoning behind what he teaches. This makes for a detailed and clear step-by-step map of the process and methods he uses to create his characters.I should add that Studio users may have some difficulty and would be well-advised to familiarise themselves with the Max interface before tackling this one, but unless you know every possible route to character creation it's probably worth the effort.A nice touch is the sprinkling of anecdotal gems thrown in. Steed has had a very public career as a character modeller/animator, and there are a few excellent star-studded stories in the mix as well as the actual education. If you want something that you can sit in your lap and work through you want this book. I recommend this book unreservedly to anyone interested in pursuing this branch of digital art. The design chapter of the book alone is invaluable to you, let alone the technical side, and Paul is amply qualified to hold forth on the subject matter.

Finally, a book on character modeling that I can respect and aspire to learn from. Mr. Steed's knowledge of anatomy, his facility with the program and his artistic talent have come together to produce a book that is a pleasure to read with or without a computer. He has clarified so many questions through the copious use of illustrations concerning low poly as well as high poly character modeling that I have had the past years, that I have been able to use some of these principles in non-character modeling. A must have for any serious 3D animator. Anxiously looking forward to his next book.