3DS Max 4 In Depth

Rating:
Summary: The book.
Review: 3DS Max 4 In Depth is a book that I feel no serious artist working with 3DS Max should have -- even if they are working with a later version. While the tools shown in this book are refined and their locations moved, the descriptions of their use that you find within this book is priceless.

This is not a pleasure book, nor is it a "cookbook". You won't find the magic numbers that will create a low-poly character in here. What you will find is knowledge if you have the patience to read it. When I first learned 3D -- using 3DS Max 4 -- I began with this book, and I simply treated it as a textbook, reading measured amounts of it every day until I was done.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Even if you are an advanced user, it is likely that this book has something to tell you.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful learning aid for beginners
Review: I found this book tremendously useful when I first started out using 3ds max. Of course, that was in it's previous max 3 incarnation, but it's usefulness to me has not diminshed. I teach 3d modeling classes at a technical college and I recommend this text to students who are looking for something more extensive then thier provided textbook, 3ds max 4 Fundamental Coursewares. While that book is quite useful in the tutorial respect, this book gives a more textbook reference approach to the subject. The book begins with the basics, things such as primative modeling and transform modifiers and builds from there into polygonal modeling, patch modeling and NURBS. Sections are well planned out and useful to me as a reference and teaching aid. Also, I found the sections about materials and track animation superb. I recommend this book to anyone who is starting in 3ds max or even to those that have used it for a while as a reference.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful learning aid for beginners
Review: I found this book tremendously useful when I first started out using 3ds max. Of course, that was in it's previous max 3 incarnation, but it's usefulness to me has not diminshed. I teach 3d modeling classes at a technical college and I recommend this text to students who are looking for something more extensive then thier provided textbook, 3ds max 4 Fundamental Coursewares. While that book is quite useful in the tutorial respect, this book gives a more textbook reference approach to the subject. The book begins with the basics, things such as primative modeling and transform modifiers and builds from there into polygonal modeling, patch modeling and NURBS. Sections are well planned out and useful to me as a reference and teaching aid. Also, I found the sections about materials and track animation superb. I recommend this book to anyone who is starting in 3ds max or even to those that have used it for a while as a reference.

Rating:
Summary: If you are a beginner or advanced or medium experienced...
Review: I have purchased this book, COMPLETELY BLIND! in other words I just heard it was good from someone, I never saw the book in my life. I thought it was a good investment, now, Anyone who does animation and wants to learn features they never used, or people that just got the program and have no clue where anything is THIS BOOK IS FOR EVERYONE!. If you can read, you can work 3d studio max. Now in the beginning as prolly anyone would wonder, does this book have illustrations, YES people IT HAS SCREENSHOTS ON ALMOST EVERY PAGE... (looking through it now...) nope i'm sorry, IT HAS SCREENSHOTS ON EVERY AND I MEAN EVERY PAGE!. This book gets u farmiliar with the program in the beginning like its interface and it covers every topic I could think of! IT HAS FULL CHAPTERS ON
* Part 1 of the book
+Introducing you to 3d studio max (tells u a brief history of the 3d studio max program)
+using primatives and splines (shows you basic parameters and etc. of splines and primative objects)
* Part 2 of the book
+selection and transform tools (teaches u about coordinate systems and much more than I can list in this review (I'D HAVE TO TYPE FOR AGES!)
+managing the display ( tells you about the display tools and what they are used for and vieport parameters and properties and how to use em)
+working smart (this shows you how to do things that would take a long time in a very small time using max's new and old features)
* Part 3 of the book
(i wont list the chapters but i will detail cause it would take tooo long)
+teaches you how to use modifiers to alter objects, how to model patch, nurbs, and how to use compound objects. (basicly 200 + pages on modeling)
* Part 4 of the book
+materials and mapping is covered in part 4, and the material editor and every single possible detail you would look for about mapping is IN THERE (one of the reasons i purchased this book)
* Part 5 of the book
+shows you EVERYTHING about lighting, shadows, render effects and parameters of every feature shown, shows you different screenshots of the renderation after the parameter is changed and tells you below the image about how it changed it etc. Shows you every possible thing you can do with a camera, inclduing camera matching. Goes through EVERY RENDERING PARAMETER YOU CAN THINK OF, TELLS YOU ABOUT THE INTERFACE TOO!!! and rendering effects and so on... then there's its own chapter on render effects...
* Part 6 of the book
+Animation and how to use max curves is covered here. With track view help and tutorials... covers all features about track view including how to add sound to your animation... then goes into inverse kinematics, deforming objects, particle systems, video post and how to use it for anything and everything, Keyboard shortcut list which will speed up the process of your work greatly.
aHHH OK look i gotta go, if u wanna buy a max book get this book, you WILL LOVE IT, pictures of everything on every page so u have a clue of whats going on and detailed easy to follow instructions and usefull information also in it. comes with a cd rom which will assist you with the books instructions...
Great for learners, beginners and people that just want to learn features of the program which are advanced. This is very detailed and i think once u buy this you will never EVER wonder about what you are doing in max again, the rest is upto your imagination. amazon is great for making your purchase of the book that will get you ahead in everything you ever wondered about 3d studio max!

Rating:
Summary: Could be more detailed, in my opinion.
Review: I have recently purchased 4 3ds max books. This one was by far the worst in my opinion. It describes begginer topics in a intermediate to advanced way. I breifly tried to read a few chapters I found interesting, one for instance, the Mesh Modeling chapter, mesh modeling is something every 3D modeler MUST do, its what 3D modeling IS. Yet this book says make a simple box, edit this edit that and now you have a basic face. Well it doesn't show pictures of the buttons to click or where their even located, so you find your self searching through max's DEEP and i mean DEEP interface to find a simple command only to be fooled because thats not the right button or what not. I kept getting lost my objects/meshs' never looked remotley close to the one or two pictures in each tutorial did. It isn't very indepth at all, and it asumes you know the whole interface but not how to use the program, is that realistic? I don't think so. If your new to 3Ds max get 3Ds Max 4 Bible, a much better writen book, if your a intermediate 3d modeler, get a more advanced book as this book will only cover things you allready know, but with less detail. Remember, always save your receipts and if your not satisfied completely with a book, return it or your only cheating your self.

Rating:
Summary: Could be more detailed, in my opinion.
Review: I have recently purchased 4 3ds max books. This one was by far the worst in my opinion. It describes begginer topics in a intermediate to advanced way. I breifly tried to read a few chapters I found interesting, one for instance, the Mesh Modeling chapter, mesh modeling is something every 3D modeler MUST do, its what 3D modeling IS. Yet this book says make a simple box, edit this edit that and now you have a basic face. Well it doesn't show pictures of the buttons to click or where their even located, so you find your self searching through max's DEEP and i mean DEEP interface to find a simple command only to be fooled because thats not the right button or what not. I kept getting lost my objects/meshs' never looked remotley close to the one or two pictures in each tutorial did. It isn't very indepth at all, and it asumes you know the whole interface but not how to use the program, is that realistic? I don't think so. If your new to 3Ds max get 3Ds Max 4 Bible, a much better writen book, if your a intermediate 3d modeler, get a more advanced book as this book will only cover things you allready know, but with less detail. Remember, always save your receipts and if your not satisfied completely with a book, return it or your only cheating your self.

Rating:
Summary: Stuff you can use in a way you can understand
Review: If you're looking for specific tutorials to get the more out of specific tools in MAX this may not be the book for you. But if you are like me and just entering the 3D graphics field, this book is invaluable. In Depth has goes into the subtle nuance of 3DS MAX that you won't find in other books or tutorials. It explains the means to the end. Rather then teaching a specific goal, it gives you comprehensive knowledge of MAX that you can apply your 3d scenes. You may not end up with a nifty 'hey-look-at-what-can-be-made-in-max' scene, but you'll have an comprhensive understanding of the tools and how to apply it to any scene. Basically you learn what the hell all the features are and how the hell to use them. It gives you an 'in depth' comprehensive knowledge of said features to apply to a broad ranges of situations rather than a way to use whatever tool to apply to a situation you may never even encounter. I think it's my best peice of reference I have on my shelf, but if you already have a fairly good understanding of all the features of 3D with MAX it may not be worth the investment. I can almost gurantee you'll learn SOMETHING you didn't know, but if you're already very experienced it may not be worth the overhead. To sum it up, if you're new to 3D and to MAX this book will teach you all the skills you need to be cool, but people with a fairly extensive knowledge may want to look to more specialized book specific to your needs. However, if you've got the money to spare there's at least something in there for you.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to follow if your new
Review: Im brand new to the 3d world. I had no clue how 3ds max 4 worked at all. I was clueless about what book to buy but for some reason i coose this one. I have only had it for a few weeks but it is so hard to follow its quite frustrating to use. Now it might just be a hard program to use but the book leads you though but you spend a lot of time looking for buttons, finding shapes and not really sure what the book wants you to do after you find it. I dont know if all the books are like this but i sure hope not. I just want to do fun stuff and it doesnt really look like the book even shows you how to. But im just in the begining so i have no ideas. Do you have an idea of a better book that wont take forever to lean? It looks quite exclusive in some of its progrmas. It needs to be shaped for the newbe in the beging of the book. I have spend hours with this book and got no were. You have to much dissifing to do.

Rating:
Summary: Its OK
Review: No 700 page book is going to cover 3dsmax comprehensively (as some books claim, including this one), but this is a good book to go through in order to fill in gaps in your knowledge. I'd say that this book, along with Mastering 3dsmax 4, make a good background for most of Max 4's features.

Rating:
Summary: Good for looking up stuff but as a tutorial ...
Review: Now dont get me wrong, this book is good if you want to look up for specific tools... and if you are really patient you could probably learn a lot if you read it cover to cover(the explanations are good)..but thats just it..you have to be REALLY patient as there are no real world type examples... just 'ok here is this tool now create a box and apply this tool' ... i mean i am on chaper 7 but i dont think i can read anymore or i will explode with boredom ..c'mon I mean 3D is supposed to be EXICITING... I need to use the tools in some exciting context ... I've heard good reviews about 3D studio Max 4 Media Animation by P Chrismar ..now I'm really considering buying that book... anyway theres my two bits .. now back to chapter 7 .... and my jaano maryam