Datasheet

How to Read This Book
First and foremost, you don’t need to read this book cover to cover and front to back to
get the most from it. If you are the type who loves to jump right into the pool to learn to
swim, then skip this chapter and jump into Chapter 2, “Your First 3ds Max Animation”
to start working with the interface. If you already know how to navigate 3ds Max, you can
begin with any of the other chapters. You can leave this chapter for bathroom reading
when you’re bored or the cable goes out.
If you like slowly dipping your toe in the water first, then by all means sit back, put on
your bifocals, and have a long soak in this chapter. It will cover a lot of basic concepts and
core topics with which you may or may not already be familiar. It will gently ease you into
the powerful program that is Autodesk 3ds Max 10 and into computer graphics in general.
No matter how you choose to read this book, it is crucial that you approach the lessons
as a way to begin the learning process. This book aims to give you a solid foundation in
many aspects of 3ds Max, so that you can take this beginning and move on to more study.
In keeping with that ideal, you will need to understand that you will not necessarily become
proficient in any one aspect of 3ds Max just by reading this book. Instead, you’ll gain an
understanding of how it works and how you can work with the program to create anima-
tions and models.
Frequently, students are annoyed by tutorials that don’t seem to lead them to perfec-
tion in the first go-around. This is the case for all tutorials, and indeed for all books that
purport to teach anything. The key is to use the lessons as a guideline not just once, but
repeatedly. Doing a lesson multiple times will help you understand the concepts better
and give you opportunities to try out a few different methods, stray a little from the dic-
tated steps, and try your own ideas on for size. Ideally, you will obtain a stronger educa-
tion this way, but doing so will perhaps be slower and require you to be more patient.
However, getting a good education always requires this sort of dedication.
What Is CGI?
In addition to standing for computer graphics, CG is sometimes used as an acronym for
computer generated. You may have heard the term CGI (computer-generated imagery).
These terms refer to any image or images that are created with the aid of a computer. In
this day and age, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with any computer experience who
hasn’t messed around with electronic images such as scanned pictures or digital photos.
Learning a CG package such as 3ds Max is just an extension of the simple concept of play-
ing around with a digital photo. The obvious differences are that 3ds Max adds the dimen-
sion of depth as well as control over time.
Computer graphics is a more common toolset in the hands of the masses than it was
just a few years ago. Within the next decade or so, 3D rendering will be as ubiquitous
as “Photoshopping” a photo is today. Artists who are not in the 3D or CG industry are
2 ■ chapter 1: Basic Concepts
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