Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've played around with 3ds max for a few years but never really got to grips with it until now.
3ds Max Modelling for Games has taught me more in a month than every other book and DVD I've wasted my money on all together.
The book is extremely simple to begin with, taking you through modelling a box, step by step.
Now I thought that this was a joke initially until I realised that the tutorial was not about modelling a box, but about setting 3ds max up properly with automatic backups, units, scale and the core principles of mapping and unwrapping textures. It even shows how to get a great looking render out of the simplest of models - something I had struggled with in the past.
The book moves on teaching more complex modelling techniques, more complex mapping and even how to take your own photographs and turn them into great looking texture maps - I didn't expect a number of great Photoshop lessons in a 3ds Max book.
Again the tutorials get more complex and cover normal mapping, dirt maps, ambient occlusion, scratch maps, specular maps, and complex lighting and rendering.
But the best thing about the book is that all of the tutorials grow all fit together as pieces of the final finished scene which is an abandoned warehouse. The models, the vehicle, the character - everything all fits together to make a scene with lots of rendering advice to put a good portfolio together.
Finally the book ends with some of the best advice I've ever seen on putting a portfolio together and how to act in an interview.
I haven't been able to put this book down since I got hold of it and I'm now looking forward to the massive character modelling tutorial.
5 stars from me.
p.s. The book has an accompanying website with extra content promised too.
Click Here to see more reviews about: 3ds Max Modeling for Games, Second Edition: Insider's Guide to Game Character, Vehicle, and Environment Modeling: Volume I
The2nd edition of Andy Gahan's 3ds Max Modeling for Games, covering the latest version of 3ds Max is here. This book features the realistic style of art that the 1st edition covered, with six completely new chapters for the new version of the software.These newly added sections including: an Intro to 3ds Max, a new normal maps tutorial, expanded portfolio section, LOD's, a brand new environment and muchmore - as well as updates throughout covering latest version of Max.
The gallery will consist of a mix of inspirational concept art, and orthographics for the reader to build various models from. The book comes to us directly from successful game artists within commercial game development circles (Gahan + contributors) and consists of tutorials that start with simpler models and gradually move up to more complex builds.The strength of this book is that it teaches all of the important game modeling elements: character& environment modeling, mapping, texturing, basic animating of credible game characters and levels - using latest version of 3ds Max. As readers move from tutorial to tutorial, they build their own portfolio of high quality work.
Website (www.3d-for-games.com)is unique-an online forum where readers can post and answer questions about their work. In terms of developing a portfolio, online peer critiques are invaluable, and current readers have made use of this feature, in fact some have happily become the forum responders (along with Andy) to coach anddevelop new artists at work. Alsoincluded: step-by-step project files for each chapter; all the relevant texture files and source photos; panoramic skies, small scene objects, bonus texture maps& models so that artists can create whole scenes very quickly without starting from scratch each time; countless examples of what's hot and what's not in 3D modeling and also enough support images and photos to keep the budding artist busy for months. Unrivalled support in over 10,000 currentposts- backing up the book with a lively forum and community of readers from all over the world, ready to help your work.
* New, expanded tutorials (with the time they take indicated) lead readers through a character and environment from beginning to end and become more complex as the book progresses * Companion website features a robust and supportive forum where readers can get commentary on new work, develop their skills and network with games professionals--currently has over 10,000 posts * Companion website also offers all project files for tutorials and source images and photos to keep the budding artist busy for months
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