CONTENTS -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- ABOUT THE AUTHOR -- INTRODUCTION -- CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO 3DS MAX -- Examining the 3ds Max Interface -- Using Drop-Downs and Panels -- Adjusting Grid and Snap -- Setting Preferences -- Creating, Viewing, and Modifying Primitives -- Using Viewport Controls -- Modifying Primitives -- Using Viewing Tools -- Using Selection Windows -- Box Modeling a Chair -- Converting to an Editable Poly -- Moving the Vertices of the Editable Poly -- Maximizing the Viewport and Using Arc Rotate -- Extruding the Legs of the Chair -- Extruding the Back of the Chair -- Creating the Arms of the Chair -- Welding Vertices -- Manipulating Vertices -- Working with the Material Editor -- Applying a Standard Material to an Object -- Applying a Custom Material to an Object -- Managing Files -- Saving Your Work -- Merging and Importing Files -- Summary -- CHAPTER 2 LOW POLY MODELING -- Creating Structurally Sound Models -- Keeping a Low-Polygon Budget -- Modeling a Simple Shape -- Modeling a Health Patch -- Welding Vertices with Weld Threshold -- Creating a Pickup with Three Parts -- Modeling a Power Charger -- Modeling a Weapon -- Creating a Template to Model By -- Modeling with a Plane -- Adding Symmetry to Mirror and Weld Vertices Simultaneously -- Scaling Models to Fit the Torque Engine -- Summary -- CHAPTER 3 UNWRAPPING GAME ART -- Unwrapping the Oil Drum -- Deciding Between Material Color and Object Color -- Turning Off Smoothing -- Applying a Cylindrical Map to the Model -- Applying an Unwrap UVW Modifier -- Applying a Normal Map -- Applying a Utility Material -- Correcting Flaws in the UVs -- Moving UV Vertices to Improve the Mapping -- Rendering Out the UV Template -- Using Texporter: An Alternative for UV Rendering -- Unwrapping the Weapon -- Mirroring and Aligning Normal-Mapped UVs -- Normal Mapping the Cooling Fins.

Correcting the UVs at the Edges of the Weapon -- Breaking and Scaling UVs -- Unwrapping the Ammo Box -- Unwrapping the Power Charger -- Applying a Planar Map -- Moving UV Vertices to Improve the Map -- Using a Planar Map for More Complex Models -- Unwrapping the Health Patch -- Summary -- CHAPTER 4 TEXTURING GAME ART -- Texturing Considerations -- Using the Appropriate Equipment -- Using Digital Photos for Textures -- Making the Lighting Consistent -- Creating Textures from Scratch -- Creating in Powers of Two -- Working with Photoshop -- Texturing the Oil Drum -- Pushing Pixels with the Liquify Tool -- Using Offset to Make the Texture Wrap -- Repairing Seams with the Clone Stamp Tool -- Reflection Mapping in Photoshop -- Defining a Reflective Oil Drum Material in 3ds Max -- Assigning Smoothing Groups to the Oil Drum -- Texturing the Health Patch -- Creating Textured Steel -- Applying a Layer Style to Create Raised Steel Panels -- Using Layer Masking Instead of Erase -- Animating a Pulsing Light Using an IFL Material -- Animating a Transparent Exhaust Material -- Applying the Materials in 3ds Max -- Texturing the Weapon -- Texturing the Power Charger -- Creating Concrete Using Filters -- Creating Ancient Metal -- Modifying Smoothing Groups for the Power Charger -- Texturing the Ammo Box -- Summary -- CHAPTER 5 ANIMATING GAME ART -- Understanding Animation Basics -- Creating Keyframes -- Creating a Loop -- Adjusting Key Tangencies -- Animating a Simple Shape -- Animating the Health Patch -- Adjusting Pivot Points with Affect Pivot Only -- Creating Parent-Child Relationships -- Animating the Weapon -- Summary -- CHAPTER 6 EXPORTING GAME ART -- Exporting Game Art-Overview -- Export Components -- Folder Structure -- Static Shapes Folders -- Health Patches Folder -- Weapons Folder -- Bounds Boxes -- Markers, or "Dummy Objects" -- Hierarchy.

Pickup Rotation -- Animations -- Setting Up for 3ds Max and Torque -- Installing the DTS Exporter -- Setting Up Torque for First Person Shooter -- Deleting CS.DSO Files So That CS Files Will Be Read -- Entering the Torque Editor -- Saving and Renaming Missions -- Checking the Torque Console Window -- Previewing Game Art in Torque Show Tool Pro -- Setting Up and Exporting the Simple Shape -- Accessing the DTS Export Utilities -- Setting Up the Hierarchy of a Simple Oil Drum -- Exporting the Simple Shape -- Inserting the Simple Shape into the Game -- Applying Levels of Detail -- Causing Collisions -- Setting Up and Exporting the Health Patch -- Colliding with Health Objects -- Embedding Sequence Objects -- Inserting the Health Patch into the Mission -- Scripting Health Patch Animation -- Analyzing the Characteristics of a Health Patch -- Setting Up and Exporting Ammo -- Setting Up and Exporting Weapons -- Weapons Components -- The Projectile -- A Simple Weapon Hierarchy -- Preparing and Exporting Weapon Animations -- Scripting for Weapons and Ammo -- Producing Simple Shape Animations -- Creating the Simple Shape Datablock -- Editing Game.cs to Call Your Script -- Troubleshooting -- The Shape Does Not Appear in the Game -- The Texture Does Not Show Up in the Game -- Weapon View in First Person Mode Is Incorrectly Offset -- Summary -- CHAPTER 7 CHARACTER MODELING -- Modeling a Character-Overview -- Planning for Unwrapping the Model -- Acknowledging Character Polygon Limitations -- Setting Up Templates in Photoshop -- Posing the Character -- Sketching a Front and Right-Side View of the Character -- Scanning and Creating Two Matching Images in Photoshop -- Turning Down the Brightness and Saving the Images -- Setting Up the Template Planes in 3ds Max -- Setting Up Units -- Creating Template Planes -- Orienting the Template Planes.

Snapping the Template Planes to the Origin -- Applying the Templates to the Planes -- Freezing the Templates -- Modeling the Astronaut Character Mesh -- Starting with a Box -- Making the Modeling Process Easier by Adjusting Properties -- Adding Symmetry to Speed the Modeling Process -- Extruding the Arms and Legs -- Moving and Adding Vertices as Necessary -- Adding Edges with Row, Loop, and Connect -- Adding Volume and Shape to the Mesh -- Using Edge Loops -- Planning for Movement -- Modeling the Hands -- Merging and Scaling the Hand to Fit the Body -- Modeling the Head and Face -- Finishing Off the Head with a Geosphere -- Converting to Editable Mesh and Turning Edges -- Adding Accessory Meshes -- Creating a Helmet with Detached Polygons -- Adding a Shell Modifier -- Modeling a Robot with Multiple Meshes -- Summary -- CHAPTER 8 CHARACTER UNWRAPPING -- Unwrapping a Character-Overview -- Unwrapping Before You Rig the Model -- Understanding the Impact of Stray Vertices -- Removing Stray Vertices -- Unwrapping the Hands with a Planar Map and Adding Them to the Body -- Unwrapping the Body with a Normal Map -- Breaking and Overlapping UVs -- Breaking and Reorganizing UVs -- Adjusting the UVs on the Body -- Unwrapping the Character's Face -- Adjusting the UVs on the Face -- Unwrapping with the Pelt Map -- Creating a Character UV Template -- Unwrapping the Helmet -- Unwrapping a Component Mesh -- Unwrapping with Multiple Material IDs -- Creating a Multi/Sub-Object Material -- Assigning Mesh IDs to Polygons -- Accessing the Selection Sets in the Edit UVWs Dialog Box -- Saving, Loading, and Combining UVs -- Baking the Texture into the Mesh -- Summary -- CHAPTER 9 CHARACTER TEXTURING -- Texturing the Astronaut -- Setting Up in Photoshop -- Using the Same Smoothing Group -- Creating the Astronaut's Spacesuit Texture.

Using a Layer Style to Create Raised Pixels -- Using a Layer Mask to Draw the Ribs -- Texturing the Astronaut's Helmet -- Texturing the Astronaut's Face -- Texturing the Robot -- Creating a Base Metal Texture -- Creating Panels -- Creating Rivets -- Creating Scratched and Peeling Paint -- Modeling Textures in 3ds Max -- Troubleshooting -- Misaligned Unwrap -- Distorted Textures -- Summary -- CHAPTER 10 CHARACTER RIGGING -- Rigging-Overview -- Deciding Between Bones and Biped -- Setting Up the Mesh as a 3D Template -- Making a Biped -- Modifying the Parameters of a Biped After You've Created It -- Understanding the Biped -- Understanding the Biped Center of Mass (COM) -- Rotating the Biped -- Moving the Biped -- Minimizing Vertex Collapse -- Minimizing Collapsed Vertices by Modeling -- Minimizing Collapsed Vertices by Prerotating Biped Bones -- Minimizing Collapsed Vertices by Using Helper Bones -- Minimizing Deformations by Using the Joint Angle Deformer -- Fitting the Biped to the Character Mesh -- Scaling the Pelvis and Clavicles of the Biped -- Scaling and Rotating the Legs and Arms of the Biped -- Aligning the Biped to the Character Mesh from the Side View -- Saving the Figure File -- Examining the Skinning Process -- Applying a Skeleton via Skin or Physique -- Ensuring You're Ready for Skinning -- Applying the Skin Modifier to the Character Mesh -- Deciding Which Bones to Add to the Skin Modifier -- Adjusting the Envelope -- Assigning Weights to Vertices with Absolute Effect -- Assigning Weights to Vertices with the Weight Tool -- Moving and Rotating Bones to Check Vertex Assignments -- Understanding Forward Kinematics and Inverse Kinematics -- Avoiding the Chewing Gum Effect -- Changing the Skeleton While Skinning -- Looking for Vertex Collapse -- Keyframing the Biped to Check Mesh Deformation -- Creating Optional Controller Objects.

Rigging a Robot.