Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Essentials -- Letter from the Publisher -- Dedication -- Acknowledgments -- About the Authors -- Contents at a Glance -- Contents -- Introduction -- Who Should Read This Book -- What Is Covered in This Book -- The Essentials Series -- Chapter 1: The 3ds Max Interface -- The Workspace -- Transforming Objects Using Gizmos -- Graphite Modeling Tools Ribbon -- Command Panel -- Time Slider and Track Bar -- File Management -- Chapter 2: Your First 3ds Max Project -- Starting to Model a Chest of Drawers -- Modeling the Top -- I Can See Your Drawers -- Modeling the Bottom -- Creating the Knobs -- Chapter 3: Modeling in 3ds Max: Part I -- Building the Red Rocket -- Creating Planes and Adding Materials -- Chapter 4: Modeling in 3ds Max: Part II -- Creating the Thruster -- Making the Wheels -- Getting a Handle on Things -- Chapter 5: Animating a Bouncing Ball -- Animating the Ball -- Refining the Animation -- Chapter 6: Animating a Thrown Knife -- Anticipation and Momentum in Knife Throwing -- Chapter 7: Character Poly Modeling: Part I -- Setting Up the Scene -- Creating the Soldier -- Chapter 8: Character Poly Modeling: Part II -- Completing the Main Body -- Creating the Accessories -- Putting On the Boots -- Creating the Hands -- Chapter 9: Character Poly Modeling: Part III -- Creating the Head -- Merging In and Attaching the Head's Accessories -- Chapter 10: Introduction to Materials: Red Rocket -- Materials -- Compact Material Editor -- Mapping the Rocket -- Bring on the Nose, Bring on the Funk -- Chapter 11: Textures and UV Workflow: The Soldier -- Mapping the Soldier -- UV Unwrapping -- Seaming the Rest of the Body -- Applying the Color Map -- Applying the Bump Map -- Applying the Specular Map -- Chapter 12: Character Studio: Rigging -- Character Studio Workflow -- Associating a Biped with the Soldier Model.

Chapter 13: Character Studio: Animating -- Character Animation -- Animating the Soldier -- Chapter 14: Introduction to Lighting: Red Rocket -- Three-Point Lighting -- 3ds Max Lights -- Default Lights -- Standard Lights -- Lighting the Red Rocket -- Selecting a Shadow Type -- Atmospheres and Effects -- Light Lister -- Chapter 15: 3ds Max Rendering -- Rendering Setup -- Cameras -- Safe Frame -- Raytraced Reflections and Refractions -- Rendering the Rocket -- Chapter 16: mental ray and HDRI -- mental ray Renderer -- Final Gather with mental ray -- HDRI -- Index -- Advertisement -- Bonus Chapter 1: Particles -- Understanding Particle Systems -- Setting Up a Particle System -- Controlling the Particles with Deflectors.