3D Studio Max 3.0 Workshop

Rating:
Summary: Simply brilliant
Review: I was very impressed with this book. I expected a book full of tutorials, but instead I got a book that actually helps one to understand the idea behind the CGI. I was also impressed by how the start of the chapter explains the current stage of development and then shows you how this can be utilized to create the current stage of the mini movie that is being made during the course of the book. I have a little experince with CGI but after reading this book I realized how little I understood, I knew how to create a certain effect but never understood it since I got most of it from tutorials. I am very glad that I bought this book, and it is certainly the best start I could have asked for. I would really recommend this to anyone not only starting out with CGI, but to anyone who would like to know the production sequence and the different stages a CGI scene has to go though to become what it is meant to be.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Max 3 Book!
Review: I would recommend this book to anyone who is really interested in learning 3D. Duane takes the reader through an actual project rather than just doing random tutorials. The project is fun an educational. Having had the pleasure of knowing Duane Loose for many years, I am ecstatic that he was given the opportunity of sharing his brilliance with others.

Rating:
Summary: Not for anyone but beginners
Review: I've had some experience with 3D programs, and decided, based on reviews that this was a book that would not only show me the basics, but also give an inkling of how MAXs' more advanced features worked. The basics? Yep - lots of it. The advanced stuff? Nope. Not even close. My advice is only buy this book if you have no idea what you're doing with [any] 3D program. All topics requiring skills from intermediate and upwards are covered very sparsely (if at all - there's no mention of NURBS!#?!). The featured artists in the book also have questionable 3D skills. ... is a lot of money for a book you're only going to need for 2 or 3 weeks. I recommend Rob Polevoi's '3D Studio Max R3 In Depth' for the beginner-to-intermediate user.

Rating:
Summary: Best Introduction Book Available.
Review: I've purchased several other beginner 3DMax book (QuickStart, TY, etc.). Other books go over the tools available in 3DMax, but fail to give you a real good idea of how those tools are used to produce professional looking results. This book devotes a great deal of description to how the tools are applied, how an CG animation project develops and progesses. After having worked through the first few chapters of this book I was able to generate much more complex and elaborate projects than I'd been able to prior. The only issue I have is the missing camera file that a previous reviewer mentioned. It's really esential since the project develops as building blocks and the book doesn't describe how to create and position the camera at the point in the book where you need it (which it does in good detail for every other element). There should be a publisher web site or something where you could download this sort of omission.

Rating:
Summary: Very good book for beginners
Review: No book does everything, I've learned that over the last few years, which is why this book can't be a 5 star book, but let me start by saying that this is a great book for beginners. Not absolute virgin beginners, but relatively new beginners. Yes, there are many typos, which is really frustrating, but if you read through the Visual Quickstart Guide (separate book), and have half a brain you can make it work. In a way it makes you have to figure a few things on your own which is important. When I finished the final animated scene, in comparison to the animation shot Duane provides on the cd, my models were a little different in size than his, my lights were placed differently, etc, but basically I had the same thing. I learned a lot from this book. To me the single best thing about this book is that it shows you how to complete something from beginning to end. When you are just beginning, it's important to complete something, even if it is simple. Duane's introduction to Video Post is great, his examples of animation and the use of controllers are a great intro to those new to computer animation, and he proves that you can make a lot out simple modeling techniques. He also provides a lot of art theory, which makes the book a good read. My only real complaints are the typos, which you can deal with, and that I would like to see the discussion of art principles and the step by step instructions more separated. As one reviewer noted, the text is a bit hard on the eyes, and you can get lost when reading directions in paragraph form. Also, when I finish a project, I like to go back and quickly rebuild everything again by just following the step by step, without reading the theory. Overall though, a great beginner book, when read with something like the Quick Start Guide.

Rating:
Summary: Very good book for beginners
Review: No book does everything, I've learned that over the last few years, which is why this book can't be a 5 star book, but let me start by saying that this is a great book for beginners. Not absolute virgin beginners, but relatively new beginners. Yes, there are many typos, which is really frustrating, but if you read through the Visual Quickstart Guide (separate book), and have half a brain you can make it work. In a way it makes you have to figure a few things on your own which is important. When I finished the final animated scene, in comparison to the animation shot Duane provides on the cd, my models were a little different in size than his, my lights were placed differently, etc, but basically I had the same thing. I learned a lot from this book. To me the single best thing about this book is that it shows you how to complete something from beginning to end. When you are just beginning, it's important to complete something, even if it is simple. Duane's introduction to Video Post is great, his examples of animation and the use of controllers are a great intro to those new to computer animation, and he proves that you can make a lot out simple modeling techniques. He also provides a lot of art theory, which makes the book a good read. My only real complaints are the typos, which you can deal with, and that I would like to see the discussion of art principles and the step by step instructions more separated. As one reviewer noted, the text is a bit hard on the eyes, and you can get lost when reading directions in paragraph form. Also, when I finish a project, I like to go back and quickly rebuild everything again by just following the step by step, without reading the theory. Overall though, a great beginner book, when read with something like the Quick Start Guide.

Rating:
Summary: cd rom files
Review: Some of the cd rom files are missing; this will leave you dangling like a monkey for a while, not knowing what to do. How do you get the missing file? That beats me...

Rating:
Summary: The Only Choice for New MAX Users
Review: Spectacular! This is perect for the new MAX user. A comprehensive step-by-step tutorial demonstrating modeling, texuring, lighting, effects and animation. After reading this book you will have a strong understanding of all the capabillities of 3DS MAX. If you want to learn Max but are intimidated by MAX this is the book for you. The best software book I have ever bought.

Rating:
Summary: The Only Choice for New MAX Users
Review: Spectacular! This is perect for the new MAX user. A comprehensive step-by-step tutorial demonstrating modeling, texuring, lighting, effects and animation. After reading this book you will have a strong understanding of all the capabillities of 3DS MAX. If you want to learn Max but are intimidated by MAX this is the book for you. The best software book I have ever bought.

Rating:
Summary: Who edited this book?
Review: The content of the book is actually not too bad. It covers the interface farely well and the project is a good idea that allows you to cover a great deal of the application. The problem I have with this book is all the typos. The book can confuse someone that is not familiar with the interface. (Not to mention the missing files.)