Autodesk 3ds Max 2015 Essentials

About the Authors Randi L. Derakhshani teaches 3D and visual effects at The Art Institute of California and has worked as a digital artist and technical director for games and movie projects with Gizmo Games, RJB Enterprises, and Sony. Dariush Derakhshani is an award-winning visual effects supervisor, author, and educator. He has worked on movies such as The Fantastic Four and Pan's Labyrinth, the South Park TV series, and numerous commercials and music videos. He teaches 3D animation and is the author of all of Sybex's Introducing Maya books. They are both Autodesk Certified Instructors.

Introduction xix
Chapter 1 The 3ds Max Interface 1


Navigate the Workspace 1


User Interface Elements 2


Viewports 4


ViewCube 6


Mouse Buttons 7


Quad Menus 8


Display of Objects in a Viewport 9


Viewport Navigation 10


Transforming Objects Using Gizmos 11


Graphite Modeling Tools Set 13


Command Panel 14


Object Parameters and Values 15


Modifier Stack 15


Objects and Sub-objects 16


Time Slider and Track Bar 16


File Management 16


Setting a Project 17


Version Up! 18


Chapter 2 Your First 3ds Max Project 19


Set Up a Project Workflow 19


Exercise 2.1: How to Set a Project 20


The Secret to Accurate Modeling: Reference Material! 20


Exercise 2.2: Setting Up the Modeling Reference 21


Building a Simple Model 24


Exercise 2.3: Start with a Primitive 24


Exercise 2.4: Modeling in Sub-Object Mode 25


Exercise 2.5: Bring on the Bevel 28


Exercise 2.6: Chamfer Time 31


Creating Details Using Splines 36


Exercise 2.7: Building the Handle 37


Lathing, Extruding, and Beveling to Create 3D from 2D 43


Exercise 2.8: Lathe to Make a Whole 43


Exercise 2.9: Creating the Clock Numbers and Hands 46


Bringing It All Together 51


Exercise 2.10: Using Merge 51


Chapter 3 Modeling in 3ds Max: Architectural Model Part I
55


Setting Up the Scene 56


Exercise 3.1: Setting Up Units 56


Exercise 3.2: Importing a CAD Drawing 57


Building the Room 59


Exercise 3.3: Creating the Walls 59


Exercise 3.4: Creating the Doors 62


Exercise 3.5: Creating the Window 65


Exercise 3.6: Adding a Floor and a Ceiling 66


Adding Special Details to the Room 68


Exercise 3.7: Creating Baseboard Moldings 69


Chapter 4 Modeling in 3ds Max: Architectural Model Part II
75


Model the Couch 75


Exercise 4.1: Blocking Out the Couch Model 76


Exercise 4.2: Using NURMS to Add Softness 78


Exercise 4.3: Building Detail on the Couch Model 80


Exercise 4.4: Creating the Chaise Lounge 83


Exercise 4.5: Modeling the Couch Feet 85


Modeling the Lounge Chair 87


Exercise 4.6: Creating Image Planes 87


Exercise 4.7: Adding the Images 88


Exercise 4.8: Building the Splines for the Chair Frame 89


Exercise 4.9: Building the Chair Cushion 94


Exercise 4.10: Creating the Chair?s Base 97


Bringing It All Together 101


Chapter 5 Introduction to Animation 105


Animating the Ball 106


Exercise 5.1: Setting Keyframes 106


Exercise 5.2: Copying Keyframes 107


Exercise 5.3: Using the Track View - Curve Editor 108


Reading Animation Curves 111


Refining the Animation 113


Exercise 5.4: Editing Animation Curves 114


Exercise 5.5: Squash and Stretch 116


Exercise 5.6: Setting the Timing 117


Exercise 5.7: Moving the Ball Forward 119


Exercise 5.8: Using the XForm Modifier 121


Exercise 5.9: Animating the XForm Modifier 122


Exercise 5.10: Correcting Rotation 123


Chapter 6 Animation Principles 125


Anticipation and Momentum in Knife Throwing 125


Exercise 6.1: Blocking Out the Animation 125


Exercise 6.2: Trajectories 128


Exercise 6.3: Adding Rotation 129


Exercise 6.4: Adding Anticipation 131


Exercise 6.5: Following Through 133


Exercise 6.6: Transferring Momentum to the Target 134


Chapter 7 Character Modeling Part I 137


Setting Up the Scene 137


Exercise 7.1: Creating the Image Planes 138


Exercise 7.2: Adding the Images to the Planes 139


Blocking Out the Alien Model 140


Exercise 7.3: Forming the Torso 140


Exercise 7.4: Creating Symmetry 144


Exercise 7.5: Blocking Out the Arms 145


Exercise 7.6: Blocking Out the Leg 149


Exercise 7.7: Refining the Body 153


Exercise 7.8: Building the Neck 160


Chapter 8 Character Modeling Part II 165


Creating the Alien Head 165


Exercise 8.1: Blocking Out the Head 165


Exercise 8.2: Building the Nose 167


Building the Alien Hand 173


Exercise 8.3: Building the Palm of the Hand 173


Exercise 8.4: Beveling the Fingers 174


Building the Foot 179


Exercise 8.5: Blocking Out the Foot 179


Exercise 8.6: Beveling the Toes 181


Completing the Alien 183


Exercise 8.7: Attaching to the Body 183


Exercise 8.8: Using Symmetry 188


Exercise 8.9: Finishing the Head 188


Chapter 9 Introduction to Materials 195


Navigate the Slate Material Editor 195


Identify the Standard Material 197


Standard Materials 197


Identify the mental ray Material 198


Identifying Shaders 198


Build Materials for the Couch 199


Exercise 9.1: Creating a Standard Material 199


Exercise 9.2: Applying the Material to the Couch 200


Exercise 9.3: Adding a Bitmap 202


Exercise 9.4: Mapping Coordinates 204


Exercise 9.5: Adding Materials to the Feet 206


Exercise 9.6: Applying a Bump Map 207


Build Materials for the Lounge Chair 208


Exercise 9.7: Creating a Leather Material for the Chair Cushion
209


Exercise 9.8: Creating a Reflective Material 210


Build Materials for the Window 213


Exercise 9.9: Creating a Multi/Sub-Object Material 213


Chapter 10 Textures and UV Workf low: The Alien 219


Define UVs on the Alien?s Body 220


Exercise 10.1: Seaming the Alien?s Body 220


Unwrap UVs on the Alien?s Body 226


Exercise 10.2: Unwrapping the Alien?s Arm 226


Exercise 10.3: Unwrapping the Alien?s Body 230


Exercise 10.4: Arranging the Alien?s UVs 231


Build the Material and Apply It to the Alien 235


Exercise 10.5: Applying the Color Map 236


Exercise 10.6: Applying the Bump Map 237


Exercise 10.7: Applying the Specular Map 239


Chapter 11 Character Studio: Rigging 243


Character Studio Workflow 243


General Workflow 244


Associating a Biped with the Alien Model 245


Exercise 11.1: Creating and Modifying the Biped 246


Exercise 11.2: Adjusting the Torso and Arms 252


Exercise 11.3: Adjusting the Neck and Head 254


Skinning the Alien Model 255


Exercise 11.4: Applying the Skin Modifier 255


Exercise 11.5: Testing the Model 256


Exercise 11.6: Tweaking the Skin Modifier 258


Exercise 11.7: Testing the Alien Model Rig 261


Exercise 11.8: Controlling the View 263


Chapter 12 Character Studio: Animation 265


Animating the Alien 265


Exercise 12.1: Adding a Run-and-Jump Sequence 266


Freeform Animation 267


Exercise 12.2: Moving the Head 268


Exercise 12.3: Moving the Arms 270


Exercise 12.4: Completing the Motion Sequence 272


Modifying Animation in the Dope Sheet 272


Exercise 12.5: Adding Footsteps Manually 273


Exercise 10.6: Using the Dope Sheet 274


Chapter 13 Introduction to Lighting: Interior Lighting
279


Recognizing 3ds Max Lights 279


Standard Lights 280


Target Spotlight 280


Target Direct Light 282


Free Spot or Free Direct Light 283


Omni Light 284


Lighting a Still Life 285


Exercise 13.1: Basic Light Setup 286


Exercise 13.2: Adding Shadows 289


Exercise 13.3: Adding a Fill Light 290


Exercise 13.4: Attenuation of the Fill Light 292


Selecting a Shadow Type 294


Atmospherics and Effects 296


Exercise 13.5: Creating a Volumetric Light 296


Volume Light Parameters 300


The Light Lister 301


Chapter 14 3ds Max Rendering 303


Navigate the Render Setup Dialog 303


Common Tab 304


Choosing a Filename 305


Rendered Frame Window 306


Render Processing 306


Assign Renderer 307


Render a Scene 308


Exercise 14.1: Rendering the Bouncing Ball 308


Work with Cameras 309


Exercise 14.2: Creating a Camera 311


Exercise 14.3: Animating a Camera 312


Exercise 14.4: Safe Frames 314


Raytraced Reflections and Refractions 315


Exercise 14.5: Raytrace Material 316


Exercise 14.6: Raytrace Mapping 318


Exercise 14.7: Refractions Using the Raytrace Material 319


Exercise 14.8: Refractions Using Raytrace Mapping 322


Render the Interior and Furniture 324


Exercise 14.9: Adding Raytraced Reflections 324


Exercise 14.10: Outputting the Render 325


Chapter 15 mental ray 329


Navigate the mental ray Renderer 329


Exercise 15.1: Enabling the mental ray Renderer 329


mental ray Sampling Quality 330


Navigate the Final Gather Parameters 332


Basic Group 333


Advanced Group 335


The mental ray Rendered Frame Window 335


Navigate mental ray Materials 336


Exercise 15.2: Setting Up the Material Editor 336


Exercise 15.3: Using Arch & Design Material Templates
338


Exercise 15.4: Creating Arch & Design Materials 341


Exercise 15.5: Using the Multi/Sub-Object Material and Arch
& Design 342


Use Photometric Lights with mental ray 344


Exercise 15.6: Using Photometric Lights in mental ray Renderings
344


Use the Daylight System 350


Exercise 15.7: Using the Daylight System in mental ray
Renderings 350


Appendix A Autodesk 3ds Max Certification 355


Index 359