Get the most realistic effects from 3ds Max without having to spend more on plug-ins!

Boost your effects skill-set with this 3ds Max workshop. Tutorial lessons give you hands-on experience in creating realistic fire, earth, air and water effects. Updated to demonstrate production techniques suitable for any version of 3ds Max, this new edition is co-published by Autodesk Media and Entertainment, and includes new tutorials on entering the Earth’s atmosphere, glaciers, lava eruptions and a Badlands landscape.

Inspirational color images cover every page of the book as the author shares his professional techniques and workflow processes. The companion DVD contains all of the required tutorial media as well as over 6 hours of video tutorials.


User level: Intermediate and advanced

Realistic effects without plug-ins!
Tutorial lessons demonstrate professional techniques and workflow processes.
Companion DVD contains all of the required tutorial media plus additional video tutorials.
Co-published by Autodesk Media and Entertainment.

Boost you effects skillset with this 3ds Max workshop. Tutorial lessons give you hands-on experience in creating realistic fire, earth, air and water effects. Updated for 3ds Max 8, this new edition is co-published by Autodesk Media and Entertainment, and includes new tutorials on entering the earths atmosphere, icebergs, lava eruptions and a Badlands landscape.

Inspirational color images cover every page of the book as the author shares his professional techniques and workflow processes. The companion DVD contains all of the required tutorial media as well as over 6 hours of video tutorials.

Realistic effects without plug-ins!
Tutorial lessons demonstrate professional techniques and workflow processes.
Companion DVD contains all of the required tutorial media plus 6 hours of video tutorials.
Co-published by Autodesk Media and Entertainment.

Makes 3DS MAX Cheaper...

There are a million expensive plugins out there, and each does only one thing. You can buy each of them, or you can invest in your ability to learn Max’s subtleties. This guy has apparently been doing great work since before there was a big plugin market, so buy his book, and you’ll save all kinds of money. Plus you’ll have a FAR better understanding of the various methods that can be used to perform relatively complex and difficult tasks. It’s an exciting read for the right kind of 3D geek. You will probably find yourself thinking "I didn’t know you could do THAT with THIS!"

The best book on 3DSMax, Period.

Pete Draper knows his stuff! The tutorials are in color and quite easy to follow, except for the complex materials, but Pete explains what each one does in detail.

The author makes use of the Particles Systems a lot which you will be very good at by the end of the book. I own a bunch of books on Max, and this is by far, hands down, bar none the best book currently available.

Be warned this book does not cover everything in Max(such as Mental Ray), but after you finish this book you will have an arsenal of things you can do.

I recommend this book to beginners and experts alike, both will walk away with a lot of new ideas and knowledge about 3DS Max.

#1 Max Particle Book on the Market

If you want to know how to use 3ds Max’s Particle Flow...this is the book you should buy. One word of caution...make sure you brush up on your PFlow basics before digging in. The book definitely assumes that you know what you’re doing when wiring up PFlow’s Operators and Tests. There’s screen shots to help you along, start and completed scene files, and a real nice handful of cool effects covered. More for the Intermediate and Advanced user.

Amazing!

If you want to learn particle flow this is the book for you. Pete does things I never thought 3DS Max was capable of. The tuts in the book are great and there are a couple of bonus video tuts on the accompanying DVD. Buy this book!

Almost Perfect......

This book has EXCELLENT tutorials, very descriptive and in-depth, the only complaint I have is it needs more tutorials on water, such as a running faucet tutorial, would’ve been helpful for my 3d animation class.

recontructiong the elements is awesome

a great book - the only flaws are that is it not for beginners and it doesnt tell u much about changing the parameters to change each effect to your own style - otherwise- i loved it

Great buy for anyone getting into the world of 3ds Max

I have only recently started working with 3ds max, yet i could follow along with every single tutorial in this great book, simply because the book takes you through every single detail of the scene creation process. One of the best 3ds Max books I have come across yet.

Pretty good

This book is great for creating scenes. It saved me some cash because I could develop the scene myself, instead of buying a scene online.
The one criticism is that it gives very specific tutorials for generating several scenes. But it doesn’t have a general discussion of techniques.

A great book for the intermediate

If your looking for creating some quite convincing effects without plugins, this is the book for you.

Book is aimed mainly at the intermediate user, but after working through autodesks good tutorials in 3dsmax, this book is a snap.
Ever wanted to combine live video with CGI effects? do what the film makers do in most modern films?
Would recommend this book to anyone interested in film or game productions.

Structure of the book is well laid out, each section (Earth, water, fire and air) is sectioned nicely, and such is each section that you can jump to an effect that interests you (or require), and not worry about it asking for information contained in previous sections - can tend to repeat some things in each section, but personally prefer this method.
Much easier to follow than some of the books in previous years.

Would give it a 5 star rating, but the DVD was a bit of a pain, badly pressed disc gave some trouble, but made a copy, and works great now.

Files all contained in relevant sections and rendered clips of what you do from the tutorials provided.
Another nice thing about this book involves "Taking further", which gives ideas on how each effect can be taken further (adding glows, particles). Also has some additional material of tutorials not featured in the book, and some video tutorials if you get stuck.

Thumbs up for this book - look forward to seeing more books like this

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.

I was personally surprised to see that every technique is grounded in real-world observation. The cigarette smoke tutorial takes a full page to investigate how a real smoke trail acts before attempting to replicate it in 3d. Draper moves quickly but guides you along the way making for a very intuitive yet fast approach.

I believe Pete still has his web-site up and running at Xenomorphic.co.uk

If you’re looking to create realistic effects and scenes in 3dsMax, you will not be sorry when you purchase this book.

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.

You Need this book!

If you use 3DSMAX there is no reason why you shouldn’t own this book! It will astronomically increase your understanding of procedural texturing using many multiple nested maps, Particle flow, legacy particles and other fancy trickery i never knew existed until buying this book.

I have worked through the first 4-5 tutorial and can honeslty say that my own knowledge has grown exponentially (I am a 3D art hobbyist 2yrs exp) and now i find myself attempting things and problem solving in a whole new way after working through only 1/10th of the books content.

Awesome colour images every step of the way and tons of reference images / movie files are also supplied on the DVD as well as the best video tutorial i’ve ever seen! (a teapot entering a planets atmosphere and violently burning as it heats up!)

Congrats to Pete draper on creating, in my opinion, the best 3D learning resource out there.

You Need this book!

If you use 3DSMAX there is no reason why you shouldn’t own this book! It will astronomically increase your understanding of procedural texturing using many multiple nested maps, Particle flow, legacy particles and other fancy trickery i never knew existed until buying this book.

I have worked through the first 4-5 tutorial and can honeslty say that my own knowledge has grown exponentially (I am a 3D art hobbyist 2yrs exp) and now i find myself attempting things and problem solving in a whole new way after working through only 1/10th of the books content.

Awesome colour images every step of the way and tons of reference images / movie files are also supplied on the DVD as well as the best video tutorial i’ve ever seen! (a teapot entering a planets atmosphere and violently burning as it heats up!)

Congrats to Pete draper on creating, in my opinion, the best 3D learning resource out there.

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.
I just wish I knew they were going to drop $20 off the price before I preordered...

Can’t Wait

I am a student currently studying Digital Animation and Game Design. I first heard of Pete Draper’s book from a fellow classmate who currently owns a first edition copy. Just thumbing through the tutorials my jaw dropped.

Deconstructing the Elements has fast become the keystone to many students personal 3ds Max libraries. (We have even been recommending it to our teachers) The tutorials are laid out fantastically and teach you as much about the concepts as well as `how to.’

Deconstructing the Elements is the best resource for anyone who wants to learn elemental effects and particle systems within 3ds Max. I can’t wait for this book...