Learning Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008 | Foundation is your shortcut to learning 3ds Max quickly and effectively. Youll get hands-on experience with the key tools and techniques through easy-to-follow, step-by-step project-based lessons, while learning to model, animate, apply materials and render in both the games & design visualization pipelines. By the end of the book youll have a sense of the entire production process as you work on real-life production examples.

Whether youre a game artist or a graphic artist, Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008 has the tools you need to succeed.

Game Artists will gain in-depth knowledge of the world-class Biped character animation toolset, unparalleled polygon modeling and texturing workflow.

Design Visualization Specialists such as architects, designers, and graphic artists, will gain the power to visually inform the design process through conceptual exploration, design validation and visual communication.

Bonus features included on DVD:
Link to a 30-day trial of Autodesk® 3ds Max® software
Bonus short films and new software feature demos
Autodesk 3ds Max hotkeys reference guide
Free models from Turbo Squid worth $160
Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008

* An all-access pass to the production and teaching experience of Autodesks training experts

* Concept-driven lessons, fully illustrated in color, teach you the essentials of using 3ds Max 2008 so you can master the techniques of animation, modeling, materials, lighting and rendering

* DVD includes instructor led videos, support files and movies as well as interviews with contributing artists and FREE models from Turbo Squid worth US $160!

With this official Autodesk training guide, you will also:
Learn about the user interface (UI) and work in 3D space
Learn about animation basics and key frame animation
Character modeling with editable poly
Create rigs with biped
Make morph targets with paint tools
Learn about unwrapping UVs
Learn about motion mixer workflow
Understand & animate cameras
Learn about light types and advanced lighting techniques
Rendering Techniques & Tools (mental ray & Render Effect)

Frustrating for a Teaching Book

I picked this book up hoping to begin learning 3DS Max 2008. What I got was a book filled with errors that is mostly written in a "paint by numbers" style. In the first project alone, it is very easy to keep messing up, or missing steps, because the book had incorrect words, or was unclear at steps, or was just plain missing instructions. Adding to that frustration, was that the first project did not explain to you why you were doing so many of the steps "Change this to 0.5, then check this box", etc. Great, but why am I doing that?! I would instead recommend "Mastering AutoDesk Viz 2008" by Jon McFarland. It is a way better book.

Learning 3dsMax

Sometimes a bit challenging to follow, but that is the fun of learning! When you finally work through it...it is great fun. The process is really good in how it slowly begins to take you through the processes of learning the ins and outs. It can be a bit frustrating in that you don’t want to mess up a project step...because each tutorial leads into the next...but if it gets too bad...the accompanying DVD allows you to get back on track.