Autodesk 3ds Max 2014 Bible E-Book

Kelly L. Murdock

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Serie: Bible
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1808

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

A complete reference covering the newest version of 3ds Max software Autodesk 3ds Max is the popular 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing software preferred by game developers and graphic designers in film and television. This comprehensive reference not only introduces beginners to this pricey and complex software, but also serves as a reference for experienced users. Packed with expert advice from popular author Kelly Murdock, it begins with a Quick Start tutorial to get you up and running, then continues with more than 150 step-by-step tutorials, advanced coverage, and plenty of tips and timesavers. * 3ds Max is professional modeling and animation software used in the film, television, and game development industries; this complete guide gets beginners started and teaches experienced users how to take advantage of the program's newest capabilities * Covers all the basics as well as advanced topics including crowd simulation, particle systems, rigid body dynamics, state sets, compositing, radiosity, network rendering, and MAXScript * Features more than 150 step-by-step tutorials and complete references detailing all primitives, modifiers, materials, maps, and controllers * Companion website includes examples from the book, unique models and textures that you can customize, before-and-after examples from the tutorials, and bonus Quick Starts from previous editions Autodesk 3ds Max 2014 Bible is the one book you need to succeed with this all-new version of 3ds Max.

Leseprobe

Autodesk 3ds Max 2014 Bible®

Table of Contents

Preface

Part I: Getting Started with Autodesk 3ds Max 2014

Quick Start: Adding a Crowd to the City Center

Planning the Production

Setting Up the Scene

Tutorial: Loading the Clock Tower

Tutorial: Adding a ground plane and some trees

Adding Materials and Lights

Tutorial: Adding materials

Tutorial: Adding a Sun & Sky system

Tutorial: Rendering a test preview

Adding the Crowds

Tutorial: Adding people

Tutorial: Rendering the final animation

Summary

Chapter 1: Exploring the Interface

Learning the Interface Elements

Using the Menus

Using the Toolbars

Docking and floating toolbars

Using tooltips and flyouts

Using the Quick Access toolbar

Learning the main toolbar

Using the Modeling Ribbon

Using the Viewports

Using the Command Panel

Working with rollouts

Increasing the Command Panel's width

Tutorial: Rearranging the interface for lefties

Using the Lower Interface Bar Controls

Interacting with the Interface

Gaining quick access with the right-click quad menus

Using Caddy controls

Understanding the button color cues

Using drag-and-drop features

Controlling spinners

Understanding modeless and persistent dialog boxes

Using Workspaces

Getting Help

Using the Search Command feature

Using the InfoCenter toolbar

Viewing the Essential Skills Movies

Using the online reference guides

Using the rest of the Help menu

Summary

Chapter 2: Controlling and Configuring the Viewports

Understanding 3D Space

Learning Axonometric versus Perspective

Learning orthographic and isometric views

Discovering the viewports in 3ds Max

Using the Navigation Gizmos

Working with the ViewCube

Using the SteeringWheels

Tutorial: Navigating the active viewport

Controlling Viewports with a Scroll Wheel Mouse

Using the Viewport Navigation Controls

Zooming a view

Panning a view

Walking through a view

Rotating a view

Maximizing the active viewport

Controlling camera and spotlight views

Setting the navigation controls to match Maya

Changing the Viewport Display

Undoing and saving viewport changes

Disabling and refreshing viewports

Setting the viewport visual style

Viewing stylized scenes

Enhancing the Viewport

Changing the viewport layout

Displaying Safe Frames

Using clipping planes

Tutorial: Viewing the interior of a tooth with clipping planes

Locating mesh problems with xView

Displaying Materials, Lighting, and Shadows in the Viewport

Viewing materials in the viewports

Displaying lighting and shadows in the viewports

Working with Viewport Backgrounds

Changing the viewport background

Loading viewport background images

Loading viewport background animations

Tutorial: Loading reference images for modeling

Setting Viewport Visual Style and Appearance

Using the Rendering levels

Viewing transparency

Other rendering options

Setting the Field of View

Grabbing a viewport image

Configuring viewport lighting and shadows

Configuring the Viewport Background

Altering the Viewport Layout

Using Safe Frames

Setting Display Performance

Defining Regions

Viewing Statistics

Configuring the ViewCube and SteeringWheels

Summary

Chapter 3: Working with Files, Importing, and Exporting

Working with 3ds Max Scene Files

Using the Application Button

Using the Welcome Screen

Starting new

Saving files

Archiving files

Opening files

Setting a Project Folder

Merging and replacing objects

Using Mesh Inspector

Getting out

Importing and Exporting

Importing supported formats

Import preference

Exporting supported formats

Moving files to other Suite packages

Manually moving files to and from Maya with FBX

Using the OBJ format

Exporting to the DWF format

Exporting utilities

Tutorial: Importing vector drawings from Illustrator

Using the File Utilities

Using the Asset Browser utility

Finding files with the Max File Finder utility

Collecting files with the Resource Collector utility

Accessing File Information

Displaying scene information

Viewing file properties

Viewing files

Summary

Chapter 4: Setting Preferences

Setting General Preferences

Undo Levels and the Reference Coordinate System

Loading Plug-Ins and Sub-Material settings

Scene Selection settings

Spinner, Rollout, and Vertex Normal settings

User Interface Display settings

Layer settings

Real-World Texture Coordinates setting

Setting File Preferences

Handling files

Backing up files

Tutorial: Setting up Auto Backup

Maintaining log files

Configuring Paths

Configuring user paths

Configuring system paths

Setting viewport preferences

Viewport parameter options

Enabling ghosting

Choosing and configuring display drivers

Setting Interaction Mode

Setting Gamma and Look-Up Table (LUT) Preferences

Setting screen gamma

Propagating gamma settings

Setting bitmap gamma

Setting Rendering and Radiosity Preferences

Changing rendering quality

Using Local and Global Advanced Lighting Settings

Setting Animation Preferences

Setting Inverse Kinematics Preferences

Setting Gizmo Preferences

Accessing mental ray Preferences

Setting Global Container Preferences

Setting Help Preferences

Summary

Part II: Manipulating Objects

Chapter 5: Creating and Editing Primitive Objects

Selecting System Units

Using Custom and Generic units

Handling mismatched units

Rescaling world units

Creating Primitive Objects

Using the Objects menu

Using the Create panel

Naming and renaming objects

Assigning colors

Using the Color Clipboard

Using different creation methods

Using the Keyboard Entry rollout for precise dimensions

Altering object parameters

Recovering from mistakes and deleting objects

Tutorial: Exploring the Platonic solids

Exploring the Primitive Object Types

Starting with the Standard Primitives

Extended Primitives

Modifying object parameters

Tutorial: Filling a treasure chest with gems

Using Architecture Primitives

Using AEC Objects

Tutorial: Adding stairs to a clock tower building

Using Modeling Helpers

Using Dummy and Point objects

Measuring coordinate distances

Tutorial: Testing the Pythagorean Theorem

Summary

Chapter 6: Selecting Objects and Using Layers

Selecting Objects

Selection filters

Select buttons

Selecting with the Edit menu

Selecting multiple objects

Using the Paint Selection Region tool

Tutorial: Selecting objects

Using named selection sets

Editing named selection sets

Locking selection sets

Isolating the current selection

Selecting objects in other interfaces

Setting Object Properties

Hiding and Freezing Objects

Using the Display Floater dialog box

Using the Display panel

Tutorial: Hidden toothbrushes

Using Layers

Using the Layer Manager

Using the layer list

Tutorial: Dividing a scene into layers

Using the Scene Explorer

Selecting and filtering objects

Finding objects

Editing in the Scene Explorer

Setting Object Properties

Viewing object information

Hiding and freezing objects

Setting Display Properties

Setting rendering controls

Enabling Motion Blur

Using the Advanced Lighting and mental ray panels

Using the User-Defined panel

Summary

Chapter 7: Transforming Objects, Pivoting, Aligning, and Snapping

Translating, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Translating objects

Rotating objects

Scaling objects

Using the transform buttons

Working with the Transformation Tools

Working with the Transform Gizmos

Using the interactive gizmos

Using the Transform Toolbox

Using the Transform Type-In dialog box

Using the Status Bar Type-In fields

Understanding the Transform Managers

Tutorial: Landing a spaceship in port

Using Pivot Points

Positioning pivot points

Aligning pivot points

Using the Working Pivot

Transform adjustments

Using the Reset XForm utility

Tutorial: A bee buzzing about a flower

Using the Align Commands

Aligning objects

Using the Quick Align tool

Aligning normals

Tutorial: Aligning a kissing couple

Aligning to a view

Using Grids

The Home Grid

Creating and activating new grids

Using AutoGrid

Tutorial: Creating a spyglass

Using Snap Options

Tutorial: Creating a 2D outline of an object

Setting snap points

Setting snap options

Using the Snaps toolbar

Tutorial: Creating a lattice for a methane molecule

Summary

Chapter 8: Cloning Objects and Creating Object Arrays

Cloning Objects

Using the Clone command

Using the Shift-clone method

Tutorial: Cloning ducks

Using Quick Clone

Understanding Cloning Options

Working with copies, instances, and references

Tutorial: Creating instanced doughnuts

Tutorial: Working with referenced apples

Mirroring Objects

Using the Mirror command

Tutorial: Mirroring a robot's leg

Cloning over Time

Using the Snapshot command

Tutorial: Creating a path through a maze

Spacing Cloned Objects

Using the Spacing tool

Tutorial: Stacking a row of dominoes

Using the Clone and Align Tool