3ds max 6 Killer Tips

Rating:
Summary: A nice organized book for all kinds of max users
Review: I use max since version 3, so I consider myself to be an intermediate user. With this spirit I bought this book promising to be helpful to all users. Well, the truth is that you can find any kind of tips in this book, things that a veteran user could have forgotten, or that a novice would kill to find. The book covers all areas of the 3d process through 3d studio from customization of 3dsmax to final renderings and compositing, not exluding some maxscripting. Due to that fact, the amount of tips for each section is somewhat selective (not that it could be done in another way though!). I discovered many features in "unknown" territories (at least for me) and many tips that claryfied things for other sections. I only wished it covered more the lightining and rendering section (as it is now, it is evenly divided among all sections), because there are many more things I would like to find out about the mental ray, lightrace and radiosity settings.
Overally, this is a good book, well worth the price, and it is almost certain that you will find something new in here. My wish is that it doubled its 300 pages.

Rating:
Summary: A lot for everybody...
Review: Let me first tell that I am from the games industry, and our use of Max is very specific and thus limited from the broad range the program has. As such I would say I am an intermediate to advance user in some areas, but a beginner in other features.

The book does not aim itself specifically at any one industry, but rather has a lot for everybody. And as such it is VERY useful. It is chokeful of tips, work arounds and time savers in every single area of Max. Even if you know the Max 6 version almost inside out (and who can honestly claim that?), there will still be a tonne of reminders on good workflow and timesavers, easily worth the cover price. This is not the kind of book you read from cover to cover, but rather flip through, and then keep close to your workstation, as problems arise. I use the materials chapter the most due to the nature of my work, but I am deeply grateful for all the goodies on lightning, rendering and modelling etc. as well.

This book is for everybody, save absolute gurus and people who have never touched a 3D application before.

Rating:
Summary: Can't live without it book
Review: There can't be very many Max 6 users who have so mastered its' incredible array of tools that they won't find something new in this book. It not only explores hard to learn topics, it provides new insights into creating effects. And the topics are all about the "cool" things that make using Max exciting and productive.

Rating:
Summary: Useless to the advanced user
Review: This book is just to short and just does not explain anything in any amount of detail at all!!!! For the amount of money I really would just order somethingelse. I.E. 1 section of the book says find that perfect lighting solution try setup a line and space lights around it, now if you are advanced then you would usally go straight only radiosity or light tracer. This book to me was a real dissapointment and Im waiting for someone to buy it second hand from me. A real book to collect dust in your bookcase

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: this tip book is ideal if you are putting together a demo piece or the like. It has strong tips in areas such as raytracing, surface tools, animating, lights, materials, and other general 3dsmax information. Good tips at the end in working with 2d editors. There is also 25-30 pages of maxscript, which you either like or you don't. The book is only 270 pages, and of that about 200 pages are very worthwhile. The other 70 pages, maybe not as much. In the end, you must decide if $25 is worth 200 strong pages of 3dsmax tips. I think it is.