Written by 3ds Max 2010 Architectural Visualization – Advanced to Expert
- 3ds max 2011
- 3ds max 2010
- 3ds max 2009
- architectural visualization
- 3d visualization
Brimming with tutorials and practical production techniques from dozens of experts in multiple fields of 3D, this book is arguably the finest collection of 3D talent ever assembled under one title. Written for advanced users in any field, but flavored for those in visualization, this book is a collection of 20 independent chapters containing some of the most sophisticated learning material ever written for 3D. The goal is to take readers from an advanced level to an expert level by providing a s
List Price: $ 119.95
Price: $ 119.95
A great book for any 3ds Max user!,
I think it’s important to know that this book would be helpful to any advanced 3ds Max user. I know it’s called `3ds Max 2010 Architectural Visualization – Advanced to Expert’ but the topics covered are easily usable in many 3d related disciplines.
I am interested in all the capabilities that 3ds Max has to offer. Modeling, animation, rendering, etc but everything in that paragraph above excited me. Here is a book with Max andarchitectural visualization in the same title aimed at someone at about my level. Wow! (As part of my day job I do architectural visualizations in Max based on AutoCad drawings)There are not many instructional products like this available. Over 50 talented experts working to produce 20 independent chapters, I hoped that Brian Smith and Brian Zajac would not let me down. They did not.
There are many things about this book I like. If I had to choose one it would probably be that it is filled with lots of techniques, ideas, tips and tricks many of which I have never read, or heard of for that matter, anywhere else. Page
after beautifully laid out page, I was delighted that the two Brians pulled it off. They managed to produce a book that contains information that the long-time Max user might not have been exposed to.
If this book was to be compared to a well paced movie that starts out with a bang then the foreword by none other than Tom Hudson would justify that analogy. I’m someone who is interested in the history of 3d Studio and 3ds Max so, although it was satisfying, it was too short for me (never thought I would feel that way about a `foreword’). This slice of history from `the father of 3ds Max’ was a nice way to start a book that takes us into some very sophisticated uses of a program that had such a humble beginning.
This book assumes that its reader is at an advanced level in his or her knowledge of Max and the level of instruction reflects this. No hand-holding here. Only occasionally was I surprised by what I thought was beginner explanations. I guess it is sometimes necessary to verbalize simple concepts when explaining something complicated in order to get some point across. Just because a program like 3ds Max is complicated it does not mean that instruction, even at this advanced level, has to be complicated. If the right author, or authors are assigned the job as they were in this case, then what you end up with is a clear, well thought-out set of topics taught in a way that brings everything into sharp focus. I now have a better view of the big picture, and that is part of what becoming an expert in this field is about.
I’d like to mention that there is a link given in the book to where you can download the chapter’s exercise files so you can follow along if you want.
Part 1 is all about Color and Composition and Chapter 1 covers the important topic of color management quite well. Jeff Mottle knows the subject and presents it in an easy to follow way. This was a great way to start the book – if the reader uses good color management throughout his/her pipeline then the techniques acquired from this text will be that much more impressive
I think one of the paths to compelling architectural visualization is in the composition and that is where we land next in Chapter 2. Many, if not all of the different facets that make up good composition are outlined here by Ernest Burden.
Materials are the subject of Part 2 and we start off with a look at advanced mental ray shaders written by Joep van der Steen. The tips I got for compositing the provided car model with the background will come in handy I’m sure.
I found the advanced unwrapping chapter by Lukas Dubeda very useful as unwrapping is not my strongest skill in Max. By the way, none of the authors are shy about suggesting outside plugins and stand alone utilities if they think they will do the job better or at least faster than Max.
Leigh van der Byl’s “Texture Painting’ in Chapter 5 starts off with good advice on observing the world around us and the effect of the world on textures we see. This chapter has a great deal on how to use the tools in Photoshop to come up with believable textures.
I was interested in Chapter 6 on Physically Based Material by Pierre-Felix Benton because I deal with color at work. A very well done chapter that gives you not only a lot to think about when photographing material but solid instruction of how to go about getting the best results when doing so.
This takes us to Part 3 – Lighting with Tod Stephens writing about `Exposure Lighting Analysis Tools’. We are in good hands tackling this highly technical topic with Tod Stephens. It’s amazing what our Max program can do…
Chapter 8 with Louis Marcoux is all about `Render to Texture’ which helps reduce overall render calculation time. He explores the different types…
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|The Best in 3DS Max Training, “Hands Down”!!!,
If you are trying to learn 3ds Max, there is no better collection of books available on the market. Brian has managed to assemble the best in the business with easy to follow COLOR instructions. Thank You for all of your efforts! I have been waiting for someone to write books exactly like this for years!
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|A Excellent Resource,
The authors of this book have achieved a level of mastery in Architectural Visualization that few can match. The material is thorough, well presented with lots of colorful examples and references. This book is a “MUST HAVE” for anyone in the Arc Viz industry seeking to take their visualization projects & skills to the next level and “stand out in the crowd”!
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