Overview

Welcome to Introducing 3ds Max 2008. The world of Computer Generated Imagery (CG) is fun and ever-changing. Whether you are new to CG in general or are a CG veteran new to 3ds Max, you'll find this book the perfect primer. It introduces you to Autodesk 3ds Max and shows how you can work with the program to create your art, whether it is animated or static in design.

This book exposes you to all facets of 3ds Max by introducing and plainly explaining its tools and functions to help you understand how the program operates but it does not stop there. This book also explains the use of the tools and the ever-critical concepts behind the tools. You'll find hands-on examples and tutorials that give you firsthand experience with the toolsets. Working through these will develop your skills and the conceptual knowledge that will carry you to further study with confidence. These tutorials expose you to various ways to accomplish tasks with this intricate and comprehensive artistic tool.

Finally, this book explains the 3ds Max workflow. It explains how specific tasks are accomplished and why that is, it explains how the tasks fit into the larger process of producing 3D animation. By doing that, these chapters should give you the confidence you need to venture deeper into 3ds Max's feature set, either on your own or by using any of 3ds Max's other learning tools and books as a guide.

Learning to use a powerful tool such as 3ds...