Reviews (4)

a must-have reference for modeling and animation in 3DS Max7
Have you ever thought in creating 3D character? If so, then you must asked yourself the following questions:
You want basic you'll get basic.
This is a great book and it's really basic. I got most of the concepts of rigging and modeling from here. Then once you get the hang off it you can start on a more elaborate character.

Super Book for new Character Animators
This is a great book for people that are new to character modeling and rigging. There is 80 pages on building a rig step by step. The rig is fully equipped with toe rolls, finger curls, and custom attributes. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Animation    2. Computer Bks - Other Applications    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computer graphics    6. Computers    7. Computers - Other Applications    8. Interactive & Multimedia    9. Computer graphics software    10. Computers / Computer Animation   

Reviews (4)

3D-Max Bible
Excellent book....very helpful for Web Design .Amazon 5 stars also for fast delivery and excellent communication.

Graphic Bible
Great book, complete,exaustive, may be necessary to introduce more colored photo with a better resolution.

Great For Newcomers or Advanced Users
I'm new to 3ds Max 8, so I bought this book to try and help me learn the program~ This book very well written and goes through all the tools and workings of 3ds max 8 plus some of the more popular plug-ins (afterburn etc.) I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to know the ins and outs of 3ds Max, it's great:-) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    4. Computer animation    5. Computer graphics    6. Computers    7. Computers - Other Applications    8. Computer graphics software    9. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    10. Image processing: computer animation    11. Multimedia   

Reviews (4)

Powerful, Smart, Unparalleled
Deconstructing the Elements, 2nd edition is basically what you wish every reference book could be.The binding is strong even though it's a soft-cover and the pages are all color matte finish.Almost every step of every walk-through in this text contains an image of what you should be seeing in 3dsMax.
Brilliant tutorials for creative solutions to common problems
This book is fantastic. I've read at least 12 books on 3ds Max. This is easily one of the best. The author avoids overly technical jargon and is always clear, concise and to the point. This is for intermediate level users. Having used Max for 4 years now I was impressed with all the new things I learned.Take your time, don't get frustrated and you'll get the most out of this book. If nothing else you'll learn about Particle Flow which is an amazing tool.

Excellent intermediate to advanced tutorial
I'm 3 tutorials in and very impressed so far, especially with the methodology behind the use of materials to simulate phenomena.The included screenshots on the DVD Rom have been very useful when I miss something, and the reference material is outstanding.This is definitely for users with some experience, and is refreshingly lacking in redundant instructions, but should add a level of sophistication to any 3D artist's toolbox.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers    6. Computers - Desktop Publishing    7. Computers - Other Applications    8. Internet - General    9. Computers / Computer Graphics / General    10. Image processing: computer animation    11. Multimedia   

Reviews (8)

wonderful max reference book
This book is simply amazing.800 pages of pure greatness.If you have gotten your feet wet a little bit in max, and you are looking to step your skills up to the next level, this is a must have book.
A deeper look into 3ds Max 7
Before I started reading the Inside 3ds Max 7 book, I had read the authors biography. Most of them got a long history with 3ds Max, which makes this book a must-read experience.
Fantastic Book
The author obviously knows his subject matter and is able to communicate it to his audience very effectively.While I am neither an expert with 3ds max, nor a professional, I find the examples in this book to be concise, clearly written and easy to follow.As other reviewers point out this book is a great resource for intermediate to professional users. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - General    3. Computer animation    4. Computer graphics    5. Computers    6. Computers - Other Applications    7. Microcomputer Graphics    8. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    9. Image processing: graphics (static images)   

Reviews (7)

Great beginners book
Honestly a few days ago I did not know a thing about 3D Studio Max 8. All that I knew was that I needed to learn it. This book Ultimately is the beginner's bible for those out there that have no clue about how to use 3d Studio Max. It is divided into sections which cover all the bases from the Overall user interface, modelling, Animation, texturing and finally rendering.
Great book
Great book for 3D beginners, but that's about it. Some tutorials on ligting and shadows are pretty good.

Hands on for beginners
I am new to the world of 3d and have no clue with regards to a 3d environment. My company bought 3ds Max 8 and have also sent me on a course to "get-up-to-speed" quickly. Before the course started I thought I would purchase this book so that I do not look like a total novice on the course. What I love about the book is that it explains concepts and then moves into a practicle aspects of what it explained. At all times I knew exatly what I had to do (as they have many screen dumps) and I never found myself looking for a button or a tab (which I often find myself doing with training matterial). I have completed the book and have attended 2 days of the 3ds Max course. To my amazement I would say that I am compentent at this stage of the course.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Animation    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers    6. Computers - Desktop Publishing    7. Computers - Other Applications    8. Interactive & Multimedia    9. Computers / Computer Graphics / General    10. Image processing: computer animation    11. Multimedia   

Reviews (8)

Terrible Book !!!!!!!!
This book is terrible. Badly written from a grammer standpoint.
Title- misleading
For people venturing into architectural visualization, this book is not for you. Not enough content for 3d modelling(building) and other architecture related stuff. I quite agree with the other guy that the title should be changed to 'Basic 3ds Max'. However, even this title is not appropriate since the author had not covered many important features of 3ds max. The exercises are so simple and won't help you very much in building up your confidence on 3ds max even after you finished reading this book. The book is expensive and lacks quality. I won't buy a book from 'friends of ed' publications anymore.

Not a comprehensive guide for architectural visualization
The author lacks creativity in presenting effective tutorials for the reader. A simple house and a bunch of exercises on teapots, spheres and other built-in 3ds max objects. While I understand that the aim of these simple exercises is to showcase 3ds max features, he should have at least provided more challenging exercises (geared towards the architectural visualization industry) either at the end of each chapter or at the appendix section of the book. There were no tutorials on how to render an building structure using night-time settings, interior structure using both daytime and night-time settings, somehow the reader would have to figure-out the settings for himself/herself. There were no guidelines on a lot of topics that would be very helpful for people working in the architecture industry for instance there were no examples on how to superimpose a 3ds max building into a photograph (an important feature to showcase the proportion of a proposed building to adjacent existing structures) no examples on how to create lights using manufaturer's specs. and no examples on how to use third party plug-ins such as RPC from archvision to provide vegetation, trees, people, cars in your 3d building model. -Again these topics, you have to learn it on your own. The author has also a habit of applauding a particular 3ds max feature in architectural visualization but fails to provide exercises/tutorials on the other hand (eg. panorama exporter, hair & fur effect for 3d grass). If your local bookstore carries this product, find time browsing it before buying this book. Bottomline, this book is not a good reference for the architectural visualization industry and for people planning to study 3ds max 8. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers    6. Computers - Desktop Publishing    7. Computers - Other Applications    8. Computer modelling & simulation   

Reviews (5)

3DS MAX: Character Modeling is awesome!
I am extremely impressed!This is my very first experience with any 3D modeling and software.The program is easy to follow and the instructor is very down to earth.The program explains the modeling process in laymans terms and when 3D terminology is used it is followed by an explanation.I could watch another 50 CD's like this by the same artists.

A must buy!
All in all from start to finish this dvd will bring you along every step of the way in your goal to model the human figure. It is detailing at its best, from the tear ducts in the eyes to the toe nails, this book does not miss a thing. The first time you scim through the various movies in this dvd it can seem quite over whelming, quite slow and monotinous at times. But stick with it, you'll become faster as you take in this brilliant wealth of knowledge from the professionals. It is worth the slog because polygonal sub-divisional modelling has since become industry standered..a must buy if you want to chase a career in this field.

I Guess I should have paid attention to the title
This video is EXCELLENT if you want to know how to model a character.Heck, I even learned things about Paintshop Pro (they use photoshop, but PSP has a lot of the same features) that I never knew existed.The only reason they didn't get a 5 is that I was hoping that they would cover Rigging, Skinning and Animation.Since the title is Modeling, I guess that's all it is.Don't get me wrong, if you want to create a character model, there's no better resource-- the videos are thorough and complete, but Rigging and (especially) skinning a high-polygon model are pretty tough undertakings and it would be nice to have a video course on that.I checked out the home page of the folks who did this disk and they didn't have anything on Rigging and Skinning (sigh).Great disk, though. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Animation    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers    6. Computers - Other Applications    7. Microcomputer Graphics    8. Computer graphics software    9. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    10. Image processing: computer animation    11. Multimedia   

Reviews (3)

Just as the title says: great overview of essencial lighting techniques
I'm not a professional lighting artist, I've been learning 3ds max for a few years, part-time. I've read several books and tutorials about changing a GI photon value from 1 to 10 or ajusting the spotlight faloff to 150, but I needed a book which gave me an integrated and comparative look on the various lighting techniques and methodologies 3ds max has to offer. This book does just that. It doesn't set out to explain every single button or value, it gives you the essencials about the way the various techniques work,not just by explaining sequentially scanline render, advanced lighting or mental ray, but also by transmitting good insight on production methods and light theory..The book explains the main parameters you have to adjust in order to make each technique work, and the pros and cons of every one of those. Obviously, apart from the tutorials in this book, you'll have to play with the values and learn the finer details for yourself. For me it was a great sistematization of all 3ds max lighting techniques, and I'm no longer baffled by the variety of ways I can use to light a scene, because I understood which techique works better in which situation.

Disappointed
Not exactly what I was looking for.I was looking for a book that would guide me through the pit falls but what I received was a mish mash of vague ideas and then comments like, "I hope you see that this stuff is great." It was like reading molases. Please learn to create outlines and procedural steps. Everything in this book can be learned from online tutorials and the 3DS Max help and tutorial system.
Very Nice Book
I'm an architect and i needed some book that actually focused on several types of ilumination for architectural visualization, and this book has it, it's divided in 4 parts, theory, techniques, tips and tricks and taking it further. I like that it has the light theory, an essential part to understand how light actually works in nature.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Animation    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers    6. Computers - Desktop Publishing    7. Computer graphics software    8. Computers / Computer Graphics / General    9. Image processing: computer animation    10. Multimedia   

Reviews (8)

I should've known
Honestly, I was kind of excited to see a book written about Maxscript and the corresponding SDK.Unfortunately, this book is mostly MaxScript and some SDK knowledge.As stated in another review, it doesn't help you master anything; it just introduces you to it.
Wish the SDK took up more space
The Max SDK has gone some improvements since this book was written but the general idea is the same.This is book is an excellent book to start writing your own plug-ins for MAX.It's too bad that it's the only book out there with the SDK.I hope this author comes out with some more of these books.

GREAT MAX BOOK..
I THINK THIS IS THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE FOR ANYONE WANTING TO GET EVERYTHING THEY CANFROM THE LATEST VERSION OF MAX. I LOVED THE PRACTICE FILES IN THE CD ALSO.. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. Interactive & Multimedia    6. Programming Languages - General    7. Image processing: computer animation   

Reviews (10)

Very good overview
Contrary to some of the other reviews I think this is a great book; it's one of the only books I've found that gives a "complete" overview of the film-making process with 3ds Max.While the content may not be in it's final stage; I think the major problem most would have with it is the fact that it claims to be professional work instead of merely educational examples like most books.I've always found its better to learn with "real" examples, so while I don't know how good the film would do they are excellent learning tools.

Poor Animation Quality
Kennedy's book teaches some basics but the quality of his results leaves alot to be desired. It makes you wonder why he would slam the incredible 3D done in Final Fantasy when he isn't even in the same league and probably never will be.The illustrations and textual layout are not as clear as they should be. If you want to learn the basics, you can get something from this book.However, a good book shows you how to get good results.The results he achieves in this book are subpar.
Worst looking renders I've seen in a published tome
I'm stunned that the author claims to have success in this industry given the absolutely horrible work he passes off as being professional in quality. I'm very serious that I have not seen such poor quality in ANY other book. I teach 3D and have seen much better work from novice students. My only conclusion is that the author completely lacks the capacity to be self-critical of his own work given that he obviously believes his film-in-progress merits serious consideration. Do not be misled into thinking that any of the work shown in this book would be acceptable commercially. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 3ds max (Computer file)    2. Computer Animation    3. Computer Books And Software    4. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    5. Computer Graphics - General    6. Computer graphics    7. Computers    8. Computers - Other Applications    9. Film & Video - Direction & Production    10. Miscellaneous Software    11. Art / Graphic Arts    12. Computer graphics software    13. Image processing: computer animation   

Reviews (1)

Dont Get The Ebook Version
I ordered the downloadable version hoping I could immediately get my copy, print off and start reading. It so happens that the pdf format doesn't allow printing more than 30 pages, doesn't allow cut and paste beyond 30 selections, and there's no copy of what's in the accompanying cd. I really felt deceived since for a few more bucks I could have gotten the whole thing, though I had to wait a few weeks. One thing's for sure - Im never downloading any ebooks again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Animation    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    4. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    5. Computer graphics    6. Computers    7. Computers - Desktop Publishing    8. Desktop Publishing - General    9. Microcomputer Graphics    10. Computers / Computer Animation    11. Image processing: computer animation   

Reviews (9)

The word Bible attracts attention... clever marketing.
The book covers a great deal of 3d max.But I was looking for instructions on how to make something glow once, so I thought of Render Post, Max's lens effects UI.I looked at the book and it had a "tiny" and yes I mean "tiny" section on Render Post.Absolutely nothing endepth.
A Great Resource
This big book really covers a lot of territory.Whether you are a beginner or more advanced, there is plenty of great information.

This Book is Great !!!
I purchased this book so I could get a handle on some of the new features in 3D Studio Max 7, and guess what, It's got just about everything in it. The tutorials are pretty simple stuff,(no real eye candy here) but the principals learned are great.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - Design    3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    4. Computer animation    5. Computer graphics    6. Computers    7. Computers - Desktop Publishing    8. Desktop Publishing - General    9. Computer Software Packages    10. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    11. Image processing: computer animation   

Subjects:  1. Computer Animation    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    4. Computers    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Computers / Computer Animation    7. Image processing: computer animation   

Reviews (3)

I have actually read this book...
I just wish to state that this book has some major tutorials/projects on using splines, cvs to model flowers in a vase and then a fantasy animal, using the normal polygon methods.
Graphic Tutorial
Great book above all for a beginners. Reading this book it is no necessary to buy a generic help guide for 3Dmax.

3Ds Max 8
I personally liked the concept of this book. It tells you how to Model and step by step it blends with Animation.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - Design    3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    4. Computers    5. Computers - Other Applications    6. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design   

Reviews (13)

Not much help to the beginner
As a person trying to learn a new program from scratch, this book was not helpful as it should've been.Aside from the MAX interface and toolbar explanations, this book did not do much in explaining key functions.I understand one book, no matter how many pages it has, is not enough to explain in detail a complex program like MAX, but this book was just not helpful to me.I found the tutorials that come shipped with the 3ds MAX software to be much more user friendly and in-depth.In fact, I learned how to use the program mostly through the software tutorials than any reference books.If you are familiar with the format of the Wiley "Bibles" and like it, than buy this book.For me, this is my third "Bible" series from Wiley and I have not been satisfied with any one of them.
dictionary
This is a great book. Not a step-by-step guide on how to do stuff, or a tutorial. It is a dictionary where you can find answers for your questions. It's great. A must for every 3ds Max 6 user.

About as Complete as you could Ask
This huge 1255 page book is truly Bible sized as is needed to describe such a massive software system. By any standard ‘max’ is massive. It is, of course, a graphics software package capable of the most advanced graphical images.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computer Graphics - Design    3. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    4. Computers    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Microcomputer Graphics    8. Computer Software Packages    9. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    10. Image processing: computer animation   

Reviews (4)

Great book for Newbies - Like Me!
I had no idea what the interface looked like or ANY idea about how to use 3DS Max; I just knew I want to learn how to do animations.
Excellent beginner book for 3ds max.
I highly recommend this book to the beginning 3ds max student.It was very helpful to me, as it explained more of the basics and gave more detail behind the steps.Also, the tutorials frequently used diffent tools to accomplish the same task.This showed how to use the graphical interface, quad-menus, toolbars, etc.
Great for Beginners!
This book is perfect for those just getting started in 3ds Max 7.There are a lot of easy to follow screen shots to accompany the text so it is possible to still follow along when you're not in front of your computer.It is written with plenty of step by step explanations of what you are doing and why as well as a great accompanying disk to help with tutorials.It even tackles some of the more difficult aspects of 3d modeling such as composition, the dreaded material editor (it even throws in a side bar about UVW unwrapping) and lighting.It is written with the beginner in mind and does a great job explaining concepts and procedures without insulting your intelligence.It may, however, be a little below intermediate users, it can be a great tool to brush up on fundamentals.I can't recommend this book enough for those looking to get their feet wet in MAX. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 3ds max (Computer file)    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - 3D Studio    4. Computer Graphics - Game Programming    5. Computer animation    6. Computer graphics    7. Computers    8. Computers - Other Applications    9. Graphic Design    10. Art / Graphic Arts    11. Computer Software Packages    12. Image processing: computer animation   

Reviews (6)

Harnessing 3ds max 8 - A Book I've Been Waiting For
3ds max is a huge program offering literally thousands of different commands. What is doesn't have is something that says "Start Here." This is the first thing I found out when I was assigned to a project which was going to use 3ds max, and I had to learn it on-the job. I didn't have the option of returning to a university or even the time to wait for the next term to start, so I used the "read everything available" learning method. The book Harnessing 3ds max 5 ended up being the one that helped the most.
A welcome update to the series
This edition is an excellent revision of the previous versions. I recently acquired this one to replace my aging Harnessing Max 5. Although there are some nice color plates in the back, the real reason to buy this book is for the high quality exercises. While other books give you standard "follow-the-bouncing-ball" examples, the authors here give a thorough explanation of exactly why you are doing each step as you go. This provides a much deeper understanding of both the tool and the processes. The value of this approach simply cannot be understated. Even though this book isn't necessarily targeted for advanced users, I still regularly refer back to Harnessing myself to review certain topics when I get a bit rusty in spots. Max is a massive tool, and this book makes understanding it manageable.

Ditto
I agree with Mr. Stapp.Who tries to justify himself to some dude on the internet and gives their own book 5 stars? I have seen this book's cover and I can assure you that he did not do that image. I feel that this alone is a misrepresentation of what is inside. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animation    2. CAD-CAM - General    3. Cad/Cam    4. Computer Animation    5. Computer Books: General    6. Computers    7. Computers - General Information    8. Engineering - General    9. Computer graphics software    10. Image processing: computer animation    11. Technology / Engineering / General   

Reviews (8)

a cut above
I'm a 3ds user since 2nd version of 3d-studio (3d studio) not MAX it was DOS 5 era, I found it very hard for me to look at 3d books without snickering at it, This one I can always find useful tips here and there, well worth the money I paid for. THey are not earth shattering tips but a good collection of alternative ways to do things, very cool, One thing though, if all the Max scripts are typed into a CD it will be much better, I'll pay an extra 5 bucks for it.

Very useful book with a lot of short/sharp tips.
Firstly, please take itchybob's review with a grain of salt.With regard to his "issue" with the lighting setup tip mentioned, there is a reason almost everyone in the industry uses the same or similar setups . . . speed and control.If you are in a production environment, using skylight or radiosity takes incredible amounts of time and is just plain crazy.Therefore it is a very good tip.
GREAT REFERENCE, VERY USEFUL
If you every wanted to know the in-depth functionalities and the "hidden" or more overlooked features of 3ds max, get this book.
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Subjects:  1. 3ds max (Computer file)    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computer animation    5. Computer graphics    6. Computers    7. Computers - Other Applications    8. Microcomputer Graphics    9. Computer graphics software    10. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    11. Image processing: computer animation    12. Multimedia   

Reviews (8)

Good for beginners
This book is great for someone who is starting out with MAX. This book is best used to learn some basic tools of MAX while creating a character. This book should not be used for learning how to create a character that you may be using in a demo reel. The character is too basic and lacks in detail. The clothes are just extrusions of the body, the legs and arms are just cylinders with little to no depth.

Fantastic, a MUST have book
I have been an animator for many years and now an instructor teaching 3DS Max.
fairly - easy to follow
Unlike some tutorials that just tell you what to do, she explains what you are doing and why you are. The book is logical and simple to follow. I have worked with other 3D software, but I needed a quick start in Max animation, so this book was basic enough. So I was able to jump into this project without much trouble
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books And Software