What's a good book?

[Brandon Miller]

What's a good book to get started with 3DS? What about the one listed in the link below?

Barnes*&*Noble.com - Books: 3ds Max 9 Bible, by Kelly L. Murdock, Paperback, BK & DVD

[KMyers-MG]

The one listed is a good book... If you are just wanting to get started and have no experience with any other 3D app,.. I'd look at the foloowing (many other good ones out there I'm sure):

3ds Max # for Dummies (lots of good informaion in simple form)
3ds Max # Fundamentals

Also, work the "included" tutorials to learn the basics.

Best of luck.

[Brandon Miller]

I have 3d experience but it is all with Pro E and Solidworks.

[ColdFlame]

I have 3dsmax 7 Bible.And its absolutely awesome

[natec]

The manuals that come with it. Seriously, do the tutorials and read the manuals...they will get you going quickly.

[multimediaman]

eh... I wouldn't use a "___ for Dummies" book. Too simplified, not enough explanations or sample images, and more issues with them...

Any book by Focal Press seems good if you want to learn specific aspects... though they do have a "3dsmax fundamentals" book...

New Riders also has several good books about 3dsmax things.

The "all-in-one" books, like the "bibles" or "mastering 3dsmax" usually seem to cover too many things too briefly for a beginner to learn real-world applications (IMO)


WordWare Publishing has some books by paul steed that seem pretty good, like "Modeling a Character in 3dsmax"


As far as modeling vehicles? I haven't found a book yet that covers that much.

I'd also avoid Charles River Media books. Especially the book "Game Modeling Using Low Polygon Techniques" though "Animating Real-Time Game Characters" was used by my old company, and "3d Creature Workshop" was part of my school's course books.

They had a book by Peachpit Press called "Visual Quickstart Guide - 3DS MAX 4" ... there may be updated versions of that book. I'll warn you though, they're pretty much everything the manuals cover, except maybe a different organization. I don't think much modeling technique is even covered in the quickstart guide.



I'd look either in the manuals/tutorial book, or online first before considering any additional book(s)