In this book you’ll learn:

• How to model an architectural scene and create stunning materials that breathe life into your projects
• How to use real-world photometric lights and global illumination to achieve photorealism
• Efficient project workflow and scene assembly
• Tips and tricks for the production environment that would take years to learn the hard way
• How to market your services to prospective clients

Welcome to the world of 3D architectural visualizations using the most powerful and versatile 3D software package on the planet: 3ds Max. In just the last few years, the visualization industry has arguably become the fastest-growing 3D industry, and may soon overtake all others in total number of users. Just as the use of CAD became the norm for nearly all architectural, engineering, and construction firms in the 90s, 3D visualizations have become standard practice today. This book takes you through the challenge of learning one of the most complex computer programs ever created, by way of easy-to-follow tutorials and instruction. It specifically focuses on those parts of the program you need to know to produce stunning architectural visualizations. The intent is not to show you every possible way to accomplish a task, but rather some of the fastest and most efficient ways. At the end of the book, there is a guide to marketing your services, as well as 20 top tips that took the author almost 10 years to learn in a production environmentsometimes the hard way. 3ds Max is a large and complex applicationbut by learning just the features that apply to visualizations, you’l be learning everything you need to know to get ahead in the industry in the shortest possible time. Summary of Contents:

• PART 1 GETTING AROUND INSIDE 3DS MAX
  • Quick Start 1 Getting Started
  • Chapter 1 Navigating the 3ds Max Interface
  • Chapter 2 Working with Objects
• PART 2 MODELING
  • Quick Start 2 Getting Started with Modeling
  • Chapter 3 Modeling Basics
  • Chapter 4 The Critical Compound Objects Types (Loft, Boolean, Terrain, and Scatter)
  • Chapter 5 The Critical Modeling Modifiers
• PART 3 MATERIALS
  • Quick Start 3 Getting Started with Materials
  • Chapter 6 Material Basics
  • Chapter 7 The Critical Map Channels
  • Chapter 8 The Critical Map Types
  • Chapter 9 UVW Mapping
• PART 4 LIGHTING
  • Quick Start 4 Getting Started with Lights
  • Chapter 10 Basic Lighting
  • Chapter 11 Photometric Lighting
  • Chapter 12 Global Illumination
• PART 5 CAMERAS AND ANIMATION
  • Quick Start 5 Getting Started with Cameras and Animation
  • Chapter 13 Camera Basics
  • Chapter 14 Animation Basics
  • Chapter 15 Animation Controllers
• PART 6 RENDERING
  • Quick Start 6 Getting Started with Rendering
  • Chapter 16 Rendering Basics
  • Chapter 17 Scene Assembly
  • Chapter 18 Effect Basics
• APPENDICES
  • Appendix A Marketing Your Services
  • Appendix B Top 20 Production Tips
  • Appendix C Customizing 3ds Max
  • Appendix D Keyboard Shortcuts

In this book you’ll learn:

• How to model an architectural scene and create stunning materials that breathe life into your projects
• How to use real-world photometric lights and global illumination to achieve photorealism
• Efficient project workflow and scene assembly
• Tips and tricks for the production environment that would take years to learn the hard way
• How to market your services to prospective clients

Welcome to the world of 3D architectural visualizations using the most powerful and versatile 3D software package on the planet: 3ds Max. In just the last few years, the visualization industry has arguably become the fastest-growing 3D industry, and may soon overtake all others in total number of users. Just as the use of CAD became the norm for nearly all architectural, engineering, and construction firms in the 90s, 3D visualizations have become standard practice today. This book takes you through the challenge of learning one of the most complex computer programs ever created, by way of easy-to-follow tutorials and instruction. It specifically focuses on those parts of the program you need to know to produce stunning architectural visualizations. The intent is not to show you every possible way to accomplish a task, but rather some of the fastest and most efficient ways. At the end of the book, there is a guide to marketing your services, as well as 20 top tips that took the author almost 10 years to learn in a production environmentsometimes the hard way. 3ds Max is a large and complex applicationbut by learning just the features that apply to visualizations, you’l be learning everything you need to know to get ahead in the industry in the shortest possible time. Summary of Contents:

• PART 1 GETTING AROUND INSIDE 3DS MAX
  • Quick Start 1 Getting Started
  • Chapter 1 Navigating the 3ds Max Interface
  • Chapter 2 Working with Objects
• PART 2 MODELING
  • Quick Start 2 Getting Started with Modeling
  • Chapter 3 Modeling Basics
  • Chapter 4 The Critical Compound Objects Types (Loft, Boolean, Terrain, and Scatter)
  • Chapter 5 The Critical Modeling Modifiers
• PART 3 MATERIALS
  • Quick Start 3 Getting Started with Materials
  • Chapter 6 Material Basics
  • Chapter 7 The Critical Map Channels
  • Chapter 8 The Critical Map Types
  • Chapter 9 UVW Mapping
• PART 4 LIGHTING
  • Quick Start 4 Getting Started with Lights
  • Chapter 10 Basic Lighting
  • Chapter 11 Photometric Lighting
  • Chapter 12 Global Illumination
• PART 5 CAMERAS AND ANIMATION
  • Quick Start 5 Getting Started with Cameras and Animation
  • Chapter 13 Camera Basics
  • Chapter 14 Animation Basics
  • Chapter 15 Animation Controllers
• PART 6 RENDERING
  • Quick Start 6 Getting Started with Rendering
  • Chapter 16 Rendering Basics
  • Chapter 17 Scene Assembly
  • Chapter 18 Effect Basics
• APPENDICES
  • Appendix A Marketing Your Services
  • Appendix B Top 20 Production Tips
  • Appendix C Customizing 3ds Max
  • Appendix D Keyboard Shortcuts

In this book you’ll learn:

• How to model an architectural scene and create stunning materials that breathe life into your projects


• How to use real-world photometric lights and global illumination to achieve photorealism


• Efficient project workflow and scene assembly


• Tips and tricks for the production environment that would take years to learn the hard way


• How to market your services to prospective clients

Welcome to the world of 3D architectural visualizations using the most powerful and versatile 3D software package on the planet: 3ds Max. In just the last few years, the visualization industry has arguably become the fastest-growing 3D industry, and may soon overtake all others in total number of users. Just as the use of CAD became the norm for nearly all architectural, engineering, and construction firms in the 90s, 3D visualizations have become standard practice today.

This book takes you through the challenge of learning one of the most complex computer programs ever created, by way of easy-to-follow tutorials and instruction. It specifically focuses on those parts of the program you need to know to produce stunning architectural visualizations.

The intent is not to show you every possible way to accomplish a task, but rather some of the fastest and most efficient ways. At the end of the book, there is a guide to marketing your services, as well as 20 top tips that took the author almost 10 years to learn in a production environment--sometimes the hard way.

3ds Max is a large and complex application--but by learning just the features that apply to visualizations, you’l be learning everything you need to know to get ahead in the industry in the shortest possible time.

Summary of Contents:

• PART 1 GETTING AROUND INSIDE 3DS MAX
  
  • Quick Start 1 Getting Started
  
  
  • Chapter 1 Navigating the 3ds Max Interface
  
  
  • Chapter 2 Working with Objects
  
  


• PART 2 MODELING
  
  • Quick Start 2 Getting Started with Modeling
  
  
  • Chapter 3 Modeling Basics
  
  
  • Chapter 4 The Critical Compound Objects Types (Loft, Boolean, Terrain, and Scatter)
  
  
  • Chapter 5 The Critical Modeling Modifiers
  
  


• PART 3 MATERIALS
  
  • Quick Start 3 Getting Started with Materials
  
  
  • Chapter 6 Material Basics
  
  
  • Chapter 7 The Critical Map Channels
  
  
  • Chapter 8 The Critical Map Types
  
  
  • Chapter 9 UVW Mapping
  
  


• PART 4 LIGHTING
  
  • Quick Start 4 Getting Started with Lights
  
  
  • Chapter 10 Basic Lighting
  
  
  • Chapter 11 Photometric Lighting
  
  
  • Chapter 12 Global Illumination
  
  


• PART 5 CAMERAS AND ANIMATION
  
  • Quick Start 5 Getting Started with Cameras and Animation
  
  
  • Chapter 13 Camera Basics
  
  
  • Chapter 14 Animation Basics
  
  
  • Chapter 15 Animation Controllers
  
  


• PART 6 RENDERING
  
  • Quick Start 6 Getting Started with Rendering
  
  
  • Chapter 16 Rendering Basics
  
  
  • Chapter 17 Scene Assembly
  
  
  • Chapter 18 Effect Basics
  
  


• APPENDICES
  
  • Appendix A Marketing Your Services
  
  
  • Appendix B Top 20 Production Tips
  
  
  • Appendix C Customizing 3ds Max
  
  
  • Appendix D Keyboard Shortcuts
  
  
  
  

In this book you’ll learn:




How to model an architectural scene and create stunning materials that breathe life into your projects

How to use real-world photometric lights and global illumination to achieve photorealism

Efficient project workflow and scene assembly

Tips and tricks for the production environment that would take years to learn the hard way

How to market your services to prospective clients



Welcome to the world of 3D architectural visualizations using the most powerful and versatile 3D software package on the planet: 3ds Max. In just the last few years, the visualization industry has arguably become the fastest-growing 3D industry, and may soon overtake all others in total number of users. Just as the use of CAD became the norm for nearly all architectural, engineering, and construction firms in the 90s, 3D visualizations have become standard practice today.

This book takes you through the challenge of learning one of the most complex computer programs ever created, by way of easy-to-follow tutorials and instruction. It specifically focuses on those parts of the program you need to know to produce stunning architectural visualizations.

The intent is not to show you every possible way to accomplish a task, but rather some of the fastest and most efficient ways. At the end of the book, there is a guide to marketing your services, as well as 20 top tips that took the author almost 10 years to learn in a production environment--sometimes the hard way.

3ds Max is a large and complex application--but by learning just the features that apply to visualizations, you’l be learning everything you need to know to get ahead in the industry in the shortest possible time.

Summary of Contents:




PART 1 GETTING AROUND INSIDE 3DS MAX



Quick Start 1 Getting Started

Chapter 1 Navigating the 3ds Max Interface

Chapter 2 Working with Objects




PART 2 MODELING



Quick Start 2 Getting Started with Modeling

Chapter 3 Modeling Basics

Chapter 4 The Critical Compound Objects Types (Loft, Boolean, Terrain, and Scatter)

Chapter 5 The Critical Modeling Modifiers




PART 3 MATERIALS



Quick Start 3 Getting Started with Materials

Chapter 6 Material Basics

Chapter 7 The Critical Map Channels

Chapter 8 The Critical Map Types

Chapter 9 UVW Mapping




PART 4 LIGHTING



Quick Start 4 Getting Started with Lights

Chapter 10 Basic Lighting

Chapter 11 Photometric Lighting

Chapter 12 Global Illumination




PART 5 CAMERAS AND ANIMATION



Quick Start 5 Getting Started with Cameras and Animation

Chapter 13 Camera Basics

Chapter 14 Animation Basics

Chapter 15 Animation Controllers




PART 6 RENDERING



Quick Start 6 Getting Started with Rendering

Chapter 16 Rendering Basics

Chapter 17 Scene Assembly

Chapter 18 Effect Basics




APPENDICES



Appendix A Marketing Your Services

Appendix B Top 20 Production Tips

Appendix C Customizing 3ds Max

Appendix D Keyboard Shortcuts

In this book you’ll learn:




    How to model an architectural scene and create stunning materials that breathe life into your projects

    How to use real-world photometric lights and global illumination to achieve photorealism

    Efficient project workflow and scene assembly

    Tips and tricks for the production environment that would take years to learn the hard way

    How to market your services to prospective clients



Welcome to the world of 3D architectural visualizations using the most powerful and versatile 3D software package on the planet: 3ds Max. In just the last few years, the visualization industry has arguably become the fastest-growing 3D industry, and may soon overtake all others in total number of users. Just as the use of CAD became the norm for nearly all architectural, engineering, and construction firms in the 90s, 3D visualizations have become standard practice today.

This book takes you through the challenge of learning one of the most complex computer programs ever created, by way of easy-to-follow tutorials and instruction. It specifically focuses on those parts of the program you need to know to produce stunning architectural visualizations.

The intent is not to show you every possible way to accomplish a task, but rather some of the fastest and most efficient ways. At the end of the book, there is a guide to marketing your services, as well as 20 top tips that took the author almost 10 years to learn in a production environment--sometimes the hard way.

3ds Max is a large and complex application--but by learning just the features that apply to visualizations, you’l be learning everything you need to know to get ahead in the industry in the shortest possible time.

Summary of Contents:




    PART 1 GETTING AROUND INSIDE 3DS MAX



    Quick Start 1 Getting Started

    Chapter 1 Navigating the 3ds Max Interface

    Chapter 2 Working with Objects




    PART 2 MODELING



    Quick Start 2 Getting Started with Modeling

    Chapter 3 Modeling Basics

    Chapter 4 The Critical Compound Objects Types (Loft, Boolean, Terrain, and Scatter)

    Chapter 5 The Critical Modeling Modifiers




    PART 3 MATERIALS



    Quick Start 3 Getting Started with Materials

    Chapter 6 Material Basics

    Chapter 7 The Critical Map Channels

    Chapter 8 The Critical Map Types

    Chapter 9 UVW Mapping




    PART 4 LIGHTING



    Quick Start 4 Getting Started with Lights

    Chapter 10 Basic Lighting

    Chapter 11 Photometric Lighting

    Chapter 12 Global Illumination




    PART 5 CAMERAS AND ANIMATION



    Quick Start 5 Getting Started with Cameras and Animation

    Chapter 13 Camera Basics

    Chapter 14 Animation Basics

    Chapter 15 Animation Controllers




    PART 6 RENDERING



    Quick Start 6 Getting Started with Rendering

    Chapter 16 Rendering Basics

    Chapter 17 Scene Assembly

    Chapter 18 Effect Basics




    APPENDICES



    Appendix A Marketing Your Services

    Appendix B Top 20 Production Tips

    Appendix C Customizing 3ds Max

    Appendix D Keyboard Shortcuts

A complete joke!!!!

One of the worst series of books ever written, by a complete conman. Totally void of depth, imagination and decency. A glossy manual of aesthetic. Avoid at all costs, and that goes for the complete series. Why waste hours and hours of precious time with a man who sells the periphery of a densely complexed program. Miles short of any relevance to all serious students of architectural modelling. A complete joke Mr. Smith!

0-stars!!!!

Foundation 3ds Max 8 Architectural Visualization

Great book for beginners, and a good book to keep as reference for more advanced users of 3ds Max or Viz.

Best text Book

This is the best text book I have ever bought. It is so easy to read and understand. It is written as if the autor is casually talking to you.

Wise words for intelligent 3d artists.

It’s a very good manual to see the real level CG artists knowledge who wish to have creative sensitivity.

Excellent for Architects and Designers

I found that this book was written and ordered in such a way that made it very easy to work your way through 3ds max, build on your progress, and slowly but surely learn how to use the program. The book isn’t extensive, but I feel that is a high point for an introductory book dealing with a program who’s many features could be confusing to a novice. While I used this book as part of a course, I do think that anyone really interested could at least teach themselves many of the basics of 3ds max with just the book alone. I don’t believe it will be the best book to reference back to necessarily in the future, but as a way to work your way through the program bit by bit in a logical progression, it certainly works well.

detailed

This book is extremely comprehensive and detailed on some, not all procedures. I wish there was coverage on everything, but I guess as with any program it’s all trial and error.

Terrible Book !!!!!!!!

This book is terrible. Badly written from a grammer standpoint.
Not comprehensive and lacks a direction. Explains by steps but leaves out many steps. You have to figure out those yourself. But more than that, just doesnt cover rendering with 3d in architecture. You are far better off buying a book like "Master Visually Max d3 8", an introduction book. I have purchased alot of books and this has to be one of the worst ever. Its way overpriced!!! Laughable how they charge this price for this crappy book!! DONT BUY THIS BOOK !!!!!!

Terrible Book !!!!!!!!

This book is terrible. Badly written from a grammer standpoint.

Not comprehensive and lacks a direction. Explains by steps but leaves out many steps. You have to figure out those yourself. But more than that, just doesnt cover rendering with 3d in architecture. You are far better off buying a book like "Master Visually Max d3 8", an introduction book. I have purchased alot of books and this has to be one of the worst ever. Its way overpriced!!! Laughable how they charge this price for this crappy book!! DONT BUY THIS BOOK !!!!!!

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.

Good beginning

If you are starting out in 3ds max, this is a good reference book or school text book for you. I say reference because it covers the basics and has a lot of detail about basic things in Max. The author also shares some gems of wisdom on how to get the best out of the application. One of the book’s dissabpointments is that it doesn’t have many examples of how to model or map buildings. It talks about lighting, basic modeling, and cameras but leaves a lot to be desired by a more experienced user. If I were the author, I would change the title from "Visualization" to Basic 3ds Max. Also be warned that the author does not cover the character animzation features or advanced lighting capabilities in Max. I guess that is ok considering it is about "Visualization".

By if you are a beginner.

The book is only for beginners, if you know your basics in max this isn’t the book for you.
Instead should look at the lighting and rendering books for max if you want your renders to shine.

Very good book.

If you are the beginner in 3D architectural visualization and you are looking for jumpstart in this branch of 3D business, this book is definately for you.
It tells you how to organize production process from beginning to completion. Gives you illustrated advices with explanation what and how.
Book is very easy to understand even if english isn’t your primary language. Everything written clean and understandable.

An Architects Tool

This book is succinctly written and specific to the Architecture profession. The author thoroughly covers all pertinent aspects archtectural visualization-- written in such a way that is clear and easily understood.

The author explains the best methods of performing actions and emphasizes shortcuts. The only complaint I have is that the book is black and white and sometimes difficult to see what he is referring to in the a few of the images. Although conceptually his explanations make up for this deficiency. Overall, this book is heads and shoulders above all over books on 3dmax if you’re specifically looking for Architectural visualization.

Great resource and learning tool.

To my knowledge, this is the first text written specifically for architectural visualization using 3D studio max. This book is very well written and provides an excellent foundation for beginners and an indispensable reference for the more experienced 3D artist. As an architect, 3D artist, and educator, I would highly recommended this book for use in both the classroom and the office.