PACKAGE INCLUDES

1 DVD-ROM

296 lessons with over 20 hours of training by Certified AutoDesk Instructors.

COURSE FEATURES

This tutorial series is divided into 3 sections. Modelling, Materials and Lighting, Animation and Scene Assembly.

Your instructor Ted Boardman is an Autodesk 3ds Max training consultant and Autodesk Certified Trainer. Ted's training increases productivity and efficiency in the 3ds Max pipeline for both new and seasoned users by focusing on critical fundamental workflow techniques and has helped provide training and support for clients range from disciplines in architecture, aerospace and manufacturing, television, to computer gaming. Ted has authored nearly a dozen 3ds Max and VIZ books, including the current 3ds Max 8 Fundamentals by New Riders Publishing, and has published monthly columns on visualization topics at www.CGarchitect.com and presents at Autodesk University and Siggraph for Autodesk.

Ted helped develop and implement an ongoing 3ds Max instructor evaluation program for Autodesk.

COURSE OUTLINE

MODELLING Getting Organized Introduction to 3ds Max and VIZ Modeling Introduction to the Project Concept: Project Organization Overview of User Interface Project Organization Display and System Units Setup Adjust the Home Grid in Viewports Save a Prototype file Backup files Increment File Names when Saving Hold and Fetch Object Organization Giving Logical Names to Objects Select objects quickly and efficiently Select objects by the name you assigned Objects by the names you assigned Organize Objects by Layer Organize Objects by Group Reference Coordinate Systems Workspace Coordinate Systems View RCS Screen RCS World RCS Local RCS Pick RCS Alignment tools Align to View Align bounding boxes Align centers of bounding boxes to start Align to extremes of bounding boxes Align Pivots Align Local Reference Coordinate Systems Align Surfaces to Surfaces 2D and 3D Objects Efficiency and Flexibility Primitive Objects 3D Primitive objects Align 3D objects in space 2D Primitive shapes Positioning objects accurately Creating Clone Objects Transform and clone objects Introduction to Compound Shapes Creating Compound Shapes Using Splines for other Shapes Sub Object Editing Editing Vertices and Segments Hold and Fetch Vertex Tangency Modifiers and Modifier Stack Applying Modifiers for Flexible Editing Extrude and Bevel Profile modifier Extrude Modifier Wall Align Bevel Profile Base Shape Bevel Profile Profile Shape Bevel Profile Modifier Modifier Stack Introduction Modifier Stack Navigation Reorder and Remove Modifiers Create a Window Cloning Objects as Instance Array and Spacing Tools Tape Measure Array Tool Edit Clone Shift Transform Clone Spacing Tool Adding Detail and Editing Spline Trim Vertex Weld Primitive Door Primitive Cone Lattice Modifier Align Antenna Box modeling Edit Poly Bevel Edit Poly Inset Scene Organization Create a Light Tower Introduction and setup Create Primitives Align Primitives Apply the Taper Modifier Add a Window Align Window to Base Activate Angle Snap Clone with Pick Reference Coordinate Autogrid Create Roof Shapes Apply Bevel Profile Array Railing Balusters Lofting Introduction Path and Shape Get Shape Shape Orientation Lofting Optimization Shape Editing Create an Outbuilding Box modeling Setting Up the Scene Assign Material ID 1 Slice Plane Connect Settings Inset Settings Multiple Connect Settings Inset By Polygon Polygon Bevel Polygon Extrude Edit Poly Modifier Multi/Sub-Object Material

MATERIALS AND LIGHTING Materials I 3ds Max and VIZ Materials Concepts Project Description Exercise Goals for Definition of Materials and Maps Introduction to the Material Editor Material Editor Overview Assign Materials to Objects Blinn Basic Parameters Specular Colour Specular Highlight Specular Shader Create a New Material Create a Grass Material Assign a Parametric Map Noise Map Parameters Adjusting the Noise map for Grass Introduction to Map Coordinates Material Libraries Lights I Introduction to Lighting Concepts Create a Room for Standard Lights Standard Light Types Omni Light Type Direct Light Type Spot Light Type Lights II Reposition the Direct light Angle of Incidence Adjusting the Angle of Incidence Hotspot and Falloff Light Lister Standard Light Intensity Lights III Lighting the Landscape The Sunlight System Modify panel and Motion panel Reposition the Sunlight Sim Bounced Atmospheric Light Exclude, Include Objects Front Fill Light Optimize Raytrace Shadows Materials II Materials for Tower and Lighthouse Open Tower Scene Rename Objects Introduction to Bump Mapping Choose New Tiles Pattern Resize the Map Adjust Bump Amount Gradient Ramp as Diffuse Colour Adjust the Gradient Ramp Map Create Concrete Material Create Copper Metal Create Black Paint Apply Multi/Sub-Object Material Create a New Material Library Creating Materials for the Lighthouse Opening a Material Library Material Assigned to Objects Material ID Numbers Editing Sub-Object Materials Replace a Sub-Object Material Assign a New Material to the Walls Add Tiles Map to Diffuse Colour Show Map in Viewport Correct Brick Aspect Apply UVW Map Modifier Change Fade Variance Fix Repeating Brick Pattern Clone Tiles Map to Bump Slot Clone a Copy of the Brick Material Gap Setting for Diffuse and Bump Use Map Scaler Modifier Create a New Paint Material Material ID Numbers for Polygons New Multi/Sub-Object Material Clone the Window Material Materials III Define Sky Colour Set Show Safe Frame in Viewport Compress Gradient Ramp Vertically Offset Gradient to Fit View Create Appearance of Clouds Create a Water Material Adding a Wavelet Bump Map Define Ccolour with Smoke Map Adjust the Specular Highlights Adding Reflections Optimize Raytrace Reflectiolns Create a Rock Material Create a Blend Material Mix Amount in Blend Material Apply a Mask Map in Blend Adjust the Mask Map Introduction to Falloff Map Change Falloff Direction Adjust Falloff Mix Curve Add New Materials to Library Materials IV Open the Outbuilding Scene Materials from Existing Libraries Create a New Material Library Complete the New Material

ANIMATION Introduction Introduction to the 3ds max project for fundamental animation and production workflow Learn why scene assembly is an important workflow Preview the fundamental topics important to scene assembly 3DS files can be imported for versions of VIZ and Max that won't open the Max 8 files. Scene objects can be managed by placing them on appropriate layers which can be hidden or have other properties set You can increase production by rendering parts of scenes quickly and then composite them together later Xref scenes allows you to include entire scenes in a master file and when the original scene is edited it will update in the master Xref scenes can be removed, bound to the existing file, and the geometry will respect snap options. Xref's can become unstable and should be bound when editing of the original is finished. Xref objects allows you to choose which objects to import and then you can select and apply new modifiers or materials to the object in the current master file Learn to merge objects from other files, there is no editing connection to the original and the objects can be edited in the current file in any way. Use the merge command to bring the lighthouse tower into the current scene. Make sure you choose the objects you want to merge in the list Objects that have been created in space relative to the current scene are positioned correctly when merged. Learn to use Resource Collector utility to archive files with all geometry, bitmaps, etc to send to colleagues or to archive at the end of projects Xref scenes and object can be unstable and I recommend you bind them to your scene when editing is complete Animation I In keyframe animation you will learn to cause an event to take place in time to generate a keyframe to record the event. The software will generate in-between frames to make the animation. Learn the important fundamental interface options for keyframing Learn to record a position keyframe with AutoKey to animate the boat moving You can return the boat to it's original starting point by cloning the key at frame 0 Learn to adjust the velocity of moving objects by repositioning the keys on the timeline Learn to clone position keys on the timeline to stop objects from moving Learn to record the rotation of an object and how to use Hold/Fetch for safety Learn to create keys by right-click on the time slider to record current transform information Review the keyframe process and what animation controllers are Animation II Learning to use animation constraints allow outside data to describe animation properties Learn the interface elements that will come into play in this chapter Learn to change from a PostionXYZ controller to a Noise Position controller on the boat Learn to apply a Path Constraint to an object and see that it can no longer be moved manually You need to tell the Path Constraint which path the object will follow. Two keys are created automatically. Learn to adjust the position of the boat to stay perpendicular to the curvature of the path and face the right direction (automatically rotate) Have a little fun by turning on Bank to have the boat bank into the turns defined by the path Learn to use the curve editor to change animations Learn to apply an Ease Curve to superimpose control over the Position curve Learn to move keys to adjust the curve to change velocity Learn to add keys to the ease curve to adjust velocity Analyze the curve and set the basic velocity and timing Finish roughing out the curve for the boat's velocity Learn to adjust tangency in and out of keys Make final adjustments and slow the animation with time configuration Effects Learn to create special effects to enhance your story Open and save the outdoor scene with the lighthouse Learn to create a atmospheric gizmo to contain clouds Add an Fire Effect from the Environmental dialog for the cloud Learn to assign the Fire Effect to the scene gizmo Change the colours of Fire Effect for appropriate clouds Learn to experiment with Fire Effect parameters to form clouds Parameters are dependent on each other and must be adjusted often Experimentation is essential to building clouds Move the cloud gizmo to the water surface to create ground fog Particles The goal will be to create a flock of seagulls with particles Learn to create and adjust the emitter that will emit particles The behaviour of particles is changed in Particle View Operators that define particle behaviour are stored in Events Learn to adjust the of the particles and the direction of travel Learn to replace viewport ticks with various physical particles Merge the seagull objects into the scene that will replace all particles Learn to remove an operator and add an operator to the event Adjust seagull's rotation to the direction of the boat Learn to have the emitter follow the boat as it moves forward Learn to adjust the birth rate of particles for more even distribution Rendering Learn the fundamentals of rendering scenes for images and animations The default scanline renderer in Max and VIZ is very fast Learn to adjust the number of frames to be rendered; from a single frame to a series of frames Learn to adjust the size of rendered images in pixels Learn to display the exact render output size in the viewports Learn to render for printing with the Print Size Wizard Learn what Alpha channel transparency is and how it is used to enhance compositing Prepare to composite background, midground, and foreground images Learn to use Video Post to composite two images Learn to output the final composite from video post Learn to save files from the Render Scene dialog and save them to disk Highly compressed, medium to low quality image file Highly compressed, high quality image file AVI and MOV animation files are good for testing only Render sequences of still images for safe and flexible editing