Autodesk 3ds Max 8 Revealed

By Max Dutton

Aimed at the professional animator and instructor who use 3D models and environments as teaching tools as well as students of computer animation. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0619273437
• ISBN13: 9780619273439
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Course Technology
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 3.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 1.5" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Response to review

As someone who worked on the editorial side of this book, I was surprised to read in a review that files weren't available. I checked courseptr.com, downloaded the files, and opened many of them and they worked perfectly, so I'm not sure what that particular reviewer is talking about. If you have an earlier version of 3ds Max (6 or 7), you can't use the "regular" files because 3ds Max 6 and 7 can't open 3ds Max 8 files. However, you can use the separate download file called "Data Files for Versions 6 and 7 of 3ds Max." Also, both old features and features new to 3ds Max 8 are covered at the right level for a beginner-for example, hair and fur (new to 3ds Max 8) are covered in Chapter 10. In Release 6 or 7 you can't do those paricular tutorials because the hair and fur features didn't exist in those releases, but the book says "Most material compatible with versions 6 and 7 of 3ds Max" right on the cover. I hope this helps to clear up any confusion about files.

Very well done.

I like reference books. I write in many languages on many platforms, so I like a book that gets to the point, but also lets me go back and refresh. This one does that with as little "story telling" as possible. Each lesson typically picks up where the las one left off. I usually HATE this, but the editors were wise by including the state of each lesson after it was done. This means you can just load that file and start right up if you wish. Another very important point to make on style is that instead of being 100% reference, the start of each lesson is an overview of exactly what the forthcoming tutorial will cover, with new terms introduced in bold (nice touch). In many sections, you can't just dive in to the tutorial without having a clue. For example, a common task like making an object an 'editable polygon' is not covered in step-by-step each and every time you do it in a tutorial. This saves time/space, and realistically it is done so much that you really should know it at that point. Neither a pro or con, but you really need to not lose your place in the tutorials. Numbering each step is really helpful, but shading the backgrounds of the tutorials makes for low contrast and an unnecesasary difficulty ensuring you are still where you left off. Putting steps in the margin and illustrations in the body makes for a nice layout. Most text try to mix them up with poor results. This approach is why the book has a lanscape-ish layout. All of the elements of the software are covered, and to a depth not too far to detract. I was very pleased with how particles and bones were covered, including a very useful overview and example of dummy objects to coordinate a complex object (bird and its wings in flight). The fact that more than just the features were covered really impressed me. Note to writers: It is one thing to go through pull-downs, and a completely different thing to apply them in a practical application that has real-world use. Screenshots were all accurate and appropriate. This is an easy place to screw up, and they didn't. Thanks. Cons? Which tutorials doesn't matter now, but there are places where you just have no clue what you are supposed to do. Actions/functions are indicated with no indication of where to find them. In one case I couldn't find the required action in any menus, and searched in vain on the web for it! Not a show-stopper, but a single day of QA would have avoided these annoyances. People unfamiliar with the software line will be very frustrated when they reach one of these, as they make continuing impossible. There are typos and grammar errors that passed spell checker. Most people will never see/notice them, but this shows a measure of haste in production. Most other books for 3ds 8 won't be out until Q1/2 2006, so taking a few hours to actually proof read the text could have turned this one into a real landmark release. I do not like the spline of the book. No, not the 3d splines, but rather the construct

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS

The best book i've ever read. Little parts, no many useless details, but in depth at the important points. It is a "must" for the beginners and a great reference to the experts. I could vote for 5 stars but i did not like the photos. I'd prefer colour pictures.

GREAT BOOK!!!

I am a Computer Graphics major student and I bought this book to help me learn how to do 3d animation. The book has a lot of good tutorials and lessons. All of them are easy to understand. The book is helping me learn 3ds Max and more importantly, like the software. I gave the book four stars because I believe that it is not in color and it is sometimes difficult to see the images. That is the only drawback. Otherwise, it is great.

Great overview of the software!!!!!

I was very impressed with this book for a number of reasons. First of all this book is a pretty comprehensive overview. It covers every major topic in 3ds Max. I don't feel like they skipped any major parts. Just check out the Table of contents. Second of all, it is cheap. Most of the other books I have bought cost an arm and a leg. This one is definitely in my price range. Third, the files are downloadable. At first, I thought this was a bad idea, but now I realize that I don't have a CD that I could loose. This is probably how they kept the price of the book so low. Finally, I am so happy that the author of this book did not try to "perk" the book up with lame humor or sarcasm. Why is it so many of the graphics books try to entertain, when their job is to inform. If I wanted comedy, I would watch Seinfeld. To sum it all up, this book is a must have for any 3ds Max beginner. Buy it, you won't be disappointed and you won't be poor.