Every time I enter the computer room (which my wife calls the dungeon), my wife still says that I am off to my "fun and games." I, as always, flatly deny this accusation, saying that it is serious work that I am involved in. But later, when I emerge with a twinkle in my eye and excitedly ask her to take a look at my latest rendering, I know that she is right. Working with 3D graphics is pure "fun and games."
My goal in writing this book was to take all my fun years of playing and working in 3D and boil them down into something that's worthwhile for you, the reader. This goal was compounded by the fact that all you Max-heads out there are at different levels. Luckily, this book is thick enough to include a little something for everyone.
The audience level for the book ranges from beginning to intermediate, with a smattering of advanced topics for the seasoned user. If you're new to Max, then you'll want to start at the beginning and move methodically through the book. If you're relatively comfortable making your way around Max, then review the Table of Contents for sections that can enhance your fundamental base. If you're a seasoned pro, then you'll want to watch for coverage of the features new to Release 2009.
Another goal of this book is to make it a complete reference for Max. To achieve this goal, I've gone into painstaking detail to cover almost every feature in Max, including coverage of every primitive, material and map type, modifier, and controller.
As this book has come together, I've tried to write the type of book that I'd like to read. I've tried to include a variety of scenes that are infused with creativity. It is my hope that these examples will not only teach you how to use the software, but also provide a creative springboard for you in your own projects. After all, that's what turns 3D graphics from work into "fun and games."
Before you go any further, I should explain my naming convention. The official name of the product in this release is 3ds Max 2009, but I simply refer to it as Max. This reference is a nickname given to a piece of software that has become more familiar to me than the family pets (whose names are Fuzzy, Snickers, and Pooky). Note: I have not been successful in training Max to come when I call or to sit on command, but it will on occasion play dead.
One way we humans develop our personalities is to incorporate desirable personality traits from those around us. Max's personality is developing as well: Every new release has incorporated a plethora of desirable new features. Many of these features come from the many additional plug-ins being developed to enhance Max. With each new release, Max has adopted many features that were available as plug-ins for previous releases. Several new features have been magically assimilated into the core product, such as the Character Studio or the Hair and Fur system. These additions make Max's personality much more likable, like a human developing a sense of humor.
Other personality traits are gained by stretching in new directions. Max and its developers have accomplished this feat as well. Many of the new features are completely new, not only to Max, but also to the industry. As Max grows up, it will continue to mature by adopting new features and inventing others. I just hope Max doesn't experience a mid-life crisis in the next version.
Along with adopted features and new developments, the development teams at Autodesk have also sought the feedback from Max users. This feedback has resulted in many small tweaks to the package that enable scenes to be created quicker and easier.
Some additional factors have appeared in Max's house that certainly have an impact on Max's development. First is the appearance of Max's adopted brother, Maya. There are other siblings in the Autodesk household (including MotionBuilder and AutoCAD), but Maya is closest in age to Max and its personality likely will rub off in different ways.
The second big factor is that Max has developed an alter ego that imagines it is a superhero. The 3ds Max installation discs ship with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The 64-bit version overcomes the 2GB hardware restriction and lets users work with huge datasets. This represents a huge leap forward in the scale of models that you can work with. In time, I see Max assuming this superhero persona permanently.
Max also has a split personality with two different versions. The standard 3ds Max 2009 is intended for the entertainment markets and the new 3ds Max 2009 Design package is intended for visualization and architecture users. The differences between these two versions are subtle, but I'm glad to report that both versions are covered.
Let me paint a picture of the writing process. It starts with years of experience, which are followed by months of painstaking research. There were system crashes and personal catastrophes and the always-present, ever-looming deadlines. I wrote into the early hours of the morning and during the late hours of the night—burning the candle at both ends and in the middle all at the same time. It was grueling and difficult, and spending all this time staring at the Max interface made me feel like ... well ... like an animator.
Sound familiar? This process actually isn't much different from what 3D artists, modelers, and animators do on a daily basis and, like you, I find satisfaction in the finished product.
I've always been a very visual learner—the easiest way for me to gain knowledge is by doing things for myself while exploring at the same time. Other people learn by reading and comprehending ideas. In this book, I've tried to present information in a number of ways to make the information usable for all types of learners. That is why you see detailed discussions of the various features along with tutorials that show these concepts in action.
The tutorials appear throughout the book and are clearly marked with the "Tutorial" label in front of the title. They always include a series of logical steps, typically ending with a figure for you to study and compare. These tutorial examples are provided on the book's DVD to give you a firsthand look and a chance to get some hands-on experience.
I've attempted to "laser focus" all the tutorials down to one or two key concepts. All tutorials are designed to be completed in ten steps or less. This means that you probably will not want to place the results in your portfolio. For example, many of the early tutorials don't have any materials applied because I felt that using materials before they've been explained would only confuse you.
The tutorials often don't start from scratch, but instead give you a starting point. This approach lets me "laser focus" the tutorials even more; and with fewer, more relevant steps, you can learn and experience the concepts without the complexity. On the book's DVD, you will find the Max files that are referenced in Step 1 of most tutorials.
In addition to the starting point files, every tutorial has been saved at the completion of the tutorial steps. These files are marked with the word final at the end of the filename. If you get stuck in a tutorial, simply open the final example and compare the settings.
I've put lots of effort into this book, and I hope it helps you in your efforts. I present this book as a starting point. In each tutorial, I've purposely left out most of the creative spice, leaving room for you to put it in—you're the one with the vision.
This book is now in its ninth edition and, like aged cheese, is getting better with time. This edition is packed with the maximum number of pages that can be bound into a paperback book, so if you're planning on taking a book to read on a subway ride, take this book and leave all the others behind. I'd hate to think that I caused some loyal readers back pain.
Several changes have been made in this edition. First of all, many of the older tutorials have been retired to make room for the new features. I've also included a new Quick Start. I've also made room for new sections throughout the book covering the new features.
Although I've strived to make the book comprehensive, there are some features that have fallen by the wayside and only remain in the software for backward compatibility. The Dynamics utility, for example, has been replaced with the much more agile reactor system. These deprecated features are mentioned, but not covered in depth. If you need to learn about these features, I suggest you look for a previous edition of the 3ds Max Bible where these older features were covered.
Since the last edition, I've begun teaching at the local university, and the experience has made me rethink how the book is organized. Previous editions presented all the information on specific topics like animation together. This is a fine approach for experienced users who are getting up to speed with Max, but for students just starting out, this comprehensive approach easily overloads beginners before they even get out of the starting gate.
The new approach splits the book into beginning level topics that cover modeling, animation, and rendering before moving on to the advanced features in each topic. This allows the first half of the book to be used for beginning students as an introduction to the software without digging too deep into the advanced, trickier features.
Many different aspects of 3D graphics exist, and in some larger production houses, you might be focused on only one specific area. However, for smaller organizations or the general hobbyist, you end up wearing all the hats—from modeler and lighting director to animator and post-production compositor. This book is organized to cover all the various aspects of 3D graphics, regardless of the hat on your head.
If you're so excited to be working with Max that you can't decide where to start, then head straight for the Quick Start. The Quick Start is a single chapter-long tutorial that takes you through the creation and animation of an entire scene. This Quick Start was included in response to some feedback from readers of the first edition who complained that they didn't know where to start. For those of you who were too anxious to wade through a mountain of material before you could create something, this Quick Start is for you.
The book is divided into the following parts:
Quick Start—This single chapter (which is actually a chapter in Part I) is an entire animation project presented in several focused tutorials. It is designed to whet your appetite and get you up to speed and producing animations immediately.
Part I: Getting Started with 3ds Max—Whether it's understanding the interface, working with the viewports, dealing with files, or customizing the interface, the chapters in this part get you comfortable with the interface so you won't get lost moving about this mammoth package.
Part II: Working with Objects—Max objects can include meshes, cameras, lights, Space Warps, and anything that can be viewed in a viewport. This part starts by introducing the various primitive objects and also includes chapters on how to reference, select, clone, group, link, transform, and modify these various objects.
Part III: Modeling Basics—Max includes several different ways to model objects. This part includes chapters covering the basic modeling methods and constructs including working with spline shapes, meshes, and polys. It also introduces modifiers and the Modifier Stack.
Part IV: Materials, Cameras, and Lighting Basics—This part shows how to apply basic materials to objects including maps. It then delves into using cameras and lights, but it focuses on the basics of these topics while avoiding the advanced features.
Part V: Animation and Rendering Basics—The simplest animation features include keyframing, constraints, and controllers. With these topics, you'll be able to animate scenes. This part also covers the basics of rendering scenes.
Part VI: Advanced Modeling—This part continues the modeling features with coverage of XRefs, the Schematic View, mesh modifiers, compound objects, NURBS, patches, hair, fur, and cloth.
Part VII: Advanced Materials—The Advanced Materials part include coverage of unwrapping, UV coordinates, pelt mapping, the Render to Texture interface, and Normal maps.
Part VIII: Advanced Animation Techniques—After users are comfortable with the basics of animation, they can move on to advanced techniques, including animation modifiers, the expression controller, wiring parameters, the Track View, and the Motion Mixer.
Part IX: Dynamic Animation—This part covers creating animation sequences using physics calculations. It includes coverage of particles, Space Warps, the cool features of reactor, and using forces to animate hair and cloth.
Part X: Working with Characters—This part covers creating and working with bipeds, bone systems, rigging, skinning, and character crowds. It also provides coverage of the various inverse kinematics methods.
Part XI: Advanced Lighting and Rendering—Advanced lighting concepts include using the Light Tracer and Radiosity; and the advanced rendering topics include Atmospheric and Render Effects, network rendering, raytracing, and mental ray. This part also describes the compositing process using the Video Post interface.
Part XII: MAXScript and Plug-Ins—This part provides details on using Max's scripting language, MAXScript, and on using plug-ins.
Appendixes—At the very end of this book, you'll find two appendixes that cover the new features of Max 2009 and the contents of the book's DVD.
The following margin icons are used to help you get the most out of this book:
Note
Notes highlight useful information that you should take into consideration.
Tip
Tips provide additional bits of advice that make particular features quicker or easier to use.
Warning
Cautions warn you of potential problems before you make a mistake.
Note
The New Feature icon highlights features that are new to the 2009 release.
Note
Watch for the Cross-Ref icon to learn where in another chapter you can go to find more information on a particular feature.
Note
This icon points you toward related material on the book's DVD.
Computer-book CD-ROMs are sometimes just an afterthought that include a handful of examples and product demos. This book's DVD, however, includes a diverse selection of 3D models that you can use in your projects if you choose. Many of these models are used in the tutorials. The DVD also includes the Max files for every tutorial.
If you haven't noticed yet, most of this book is printed in black and white. This can make seeing the details (and colors) of the figures difficult. The DVD includes a complete searchable version of the book along with all the figures in color.
The DVD also includes two bonus chapters, "Installing and Configuring 3ds Max 2009" and "3ds Max 2009 Keyboard Shortcuts".
The possibilities of Max are endless, but many individuals and groups have pushed the software a long way. As a sampling of the finished work that can be created, I've included a set of color insert pages that showcase some amazing work done with Max. The 3D artists represented in these pages give you some idea of what is possible.