3ds max 4 Magic - Softcover

Bonney, Sean

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0735710937 ISBN 13: 9780735710931

Publisher: New Riders, 2001

3ds Max 4 Magic follows the same project-based pedagogy that has made previous Magic titles a success. The primary goals are to present changes in functionality, best practices, and inspirational effects. Each project is 10 to15 pages in length and provides instruction as well as suggestions for enhancing or modifying the project/effect. Each page is designed in a 3-column format with step-by-step instructions on the left and corresponding graphics (or code) in the middle. The third column is used to provide additional tips and tricks. Any effect, technique, or tip can easily be customized to fit the readers'

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Review:

3ds max 4 Magic is a hands-on project book for those who have already mastered at least the fundamentals of Discreet's professional 3D modelling and animation software.

To take advantage of the 13 projects (there are three additional projects and other material on the CD-ROM) you will at least need to have spent quality time with the 3DS manual and worked through the tutorials. Then you'll be ready to blow up a planet, create an underwater scene, make a rope swing, animate a human character, build a mechanical machine and whip up the perfect storm.

The purpose of the tutorials, apart from enjoying yourself, is only partly to show you how to achieve a particular effect. Each one demonstrates a specific feature including some of the new enhancements to 3ds max 4.

The rope swing makes use of the Flex modifier's new soft body springs and the character animation covers the new Inverse Kinematics (IK) tools and manipulators.

The involvement of many contributors means that each project is dealt with in a fresh and expert fashion by someone whose day job is not writing tutorials, but producing 3D animation and effects for the film and TV industry. The clean layout and colour illustrations make fast progress possible, even with complex subjects.

The choice of projects reflects real world challenges--these are the things 3D designers need to be able to do. And if you bought 3ds max 4 Magic you'll find sufficient new material here to justify a second bite. --Ken McMahon

From the Publisher:

Best Practices, Best Recipes for inspirational effects.
Best practices, new functionalities, and recipes for inspirational effects targeted at high end 3ds max 4 users.

Why We Published This Book:

3ds max is a natural for creating TV, film, and gaming special effects and for providing visualization services in architecture and design. Intermediate and advanced users will be looking for new information on the functionalities and inspirational effects they can create with 3ds max 4.

Key Benefits:

More Magic. Building on the success of the Magic series, 3ds max 4 Magic covers the functional upgrades and best practices through all-new inspirational projects.

Targeted at the intermediate to advanced user. Most books on the market provide tutorials for the beginner. Magic skips the basics and provides more advanced users with time-saving practices, tutorials on new functionalities, and recipes for stunning effects.

Project-based learning at its best. Information is presented through sound project-based pedagogy.

3ds max Magic will follow the same project-based pedagogy that has made previous Magic titles a success. The primary goals are to present changes in functionality, best practices, and inspirational effects. Each project will be 10-15 pages in length and provide instruction as well as suggestions for enhancing or modifying the project/effect. Each page will be designed in a 3-column format with step-by-step instructions on the left and corresponding graphics (or code) in the middle. The third column will be used to provide additional tips and tricks. Any effect, technique, or tip can easily be customized to fit the readers’ own design needs.

Table of Contents

I. Special Effects 1. Explosion 2. Flowing Fluid 3. Smoke II. Lighting 4. Underwater Lighting 5. Lighting Effects III. Modeling and Animation 6. Modeling and Mapping a Head 7. Facial Expression and Lipsynch 8. Soft-Body Dynamics 9. Character Animation Using Environmental Effects 10. Character Animation Using Inverse Kinematics 11. Dynamic Machinery IV. Materials 12. Water Surface 13. Textures for Game Design V. Expanding max 14. Animating with MAXScript 15. Nonphotorealistic Rendering 16. Camera Matching

Audience:

The audience is high end users of 3ds max including: professional animators, intermediate to advanced users and serious students.

What’s on the CD-ROM?:

The CD-ROM includes all of the project files necessary to complete the projects as well as any plug-ins referred to in the text.

About the Author:

Sean Bonney is a 3D animator, fine artist, and game designer. As the principal at Anvil Studios, Sean specializes in animation and game design. He has also worked on a variety of game and broadcast projects. Sean has been a contributor to other New Riders’ books including 3D Studio Max 3 Magic and co-author of 3D Studio Max 3 Professional Animation

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