Updated version of the bestselling 3ds Max book on the market

Used by more than 150,000 people, and the winner of more than 65 industry awards, 3ds Max is the world's most popular animation modeling and rendering software for film, television, video games, and design visualization. 3ds Max Bible is the world's most popular book for getting the most out of the software. Whether a novice looking to create something immediately using the Quick Start tutorial, or an experienced 3ds Max user who simply wants to check out the software's latest and greatest features, this update to the bestselling 3ds Max book on the market continues to be the most comprehensive reference on this highly complex application.

• Packed with expert advice, timesaving tips, and more than 150 step-by-step tutorials
• 16-page color insert highlights the work of some of today's most cutting-edge 3D artists
• Includes a companion DVD with a searchable, full-color version of the 3ds Max Bible, as well as customizable models and textures

The only comprehensive reference-tutorial on 3ds Max, it's no wonder the 3ds Max Bible is the bestselling 3ds Max book in the world and a favorite of both amateur and professional animators.

• I: Getting Started with 3ds Max
  • Quick Start: Animating a Walking Dinosaur
  • Exploring the Max Interface
  • Controlling and Configuring the Viewports
  • Working with Files, Importing, and Exporting
  • Customizing the Max Interface and Setting Preferences
• II: Working with Objects
  • Creating and Editing Primitive Objects
  • Selecting Objects and Setting Object Properties
  • Transforming Objects, Pivoting, Aligning, and Snapping
  • Cloning Objects and Creating Object Arrays
  • Grouping, Linking, and Parenting Objects
• III: Modeling Basics
  • Accessing Subobjects and Using Modeling Helpers
  • Introducing Modifiers and Using the Modifier Stack
  • Drawing and Editing 2D Splines and Shapes
  • Modeling with Polygons and Patches
  • Using the Graphite Modeling Tools and Painting with Objects
• IV: Materials, Cameras, and Lighting Basics
  • Using the Slate Material Editor
  • Creating and Applying Standard Materials
  • Adding Material Details with Maps
  • Creating Compound Materials and Using Material Modifiers
  • Configuring and Aiming Cameras
  • Using Lights and Basic Lighting Techniques
• V: Animation and Rendering Basics
  • Understanding Animation and Keyframes
  • Animating with Constraints and Simple Controllers
  • Rendering a Scene and Enabling Quicksilver
• VI: Advanced Modeling
  • Building Complex Scenes with Containers and XRefs and Using Asset Tracking
  • Working with the Schematic View
  • Deforming Surfaces and Using the Mesh Modifiers
  • Working with Compound Objects
  • Working with Solids and Body Objects
  • Adding and Styling Hair and Fur, and Using Cloth
• VII: Advanced Materials
  • Using Specialized Material Types
  • Painting in the Viewport Canvas and Rendering Surface Maps
  • Unwrapping UVs and Mapping Textures
  • Creating Baked Textures and Normal Maps
• VIII: Advanced Animation Techniques
  • Using Animation Layers, Modifiers, and Complex Controllers
  • Animating with the Expression Controller and Wiring Parameters
  • Working with Function Curves in the Track View
• IX: Working with Characters
  • Understanding Rigging and Working with Bones
  • Working with Inverse Kinematics
  • Animating with CAT and Creating Crowds
  • Skinning Characters
• X: Dynamic Animation
  • Creating Particles and Particle Flow
  • Using Space Warps
  • Simulating Physics-Based Motion with reactor
  • Animating Hair and Cloth
• XI: Advanced Lighting and Rendering
  • Working with Advanced Lighting, Light Tracing, and Radiosity
  • Using Atmospheric and Render Effects
  • Rendering with mental ray
  • Batch and Network Rendering
• XII: MAXScript and Plug-Ins
  • Automating with MAXScript
  • Expanding Max with Third-Party Plug-Ins
  • Appendix A: What's New with 3ds Max 2011
  • Appendix B: What's on the DVD