Mastering Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2013 -- Contents -- Chapter 1 Getting to Know Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2013 -- Introducing the New 3ds Max 2013 Features -- Getting Started with Autodesk 3ds Max -- Touring the Interface -- The Menu Bar -- The Quick Access Toolbar -- The Information Center Toolbar -- The Main Toolbar -- Docked and Floating Toolbars -- Toolbar Flyouts -- The Viewports -- Tools for Working with the Viewports -- Getting to Know the Command Panel -- Understanding the 3ds Max Tools -- Working with Objects -- Selecting and Moving Objects -- Rotating and Scaling Objects -- Copying an Object -- Selecting Multiple Objects -- Naming Selection Sets -- Editing Named Selection Sets -- Getting the View You Want -- Understanding the Perspective Viewing Tools -- Using Multiple Viewports -- Changing the Viewport Display and Configuration -- Working with the Custom UI And Defaults Switcher -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 2 Introducing Objects -- Understanding Standard Primitives -- Adjusting an Object's Parameters -- Accessing Parameters -- Introducing the Standard Primitive Objects -- Modeling Standard Primitives with Modifiers -- Adding a Modifier -- Accessing Modifier Parameters -- Placing Modifiers Where You Want Them -- Using the Modifier Stack Tools -- How 3ds Max Sees Objects -- Making Clones That Share Properties -- Creating an Instance Clone -- Creating a Reference Clone -- Scaling and Rotating Objects with Transform Tools -- Making a Clone Unique -- Cloning a Modifier -- Introducing Extended Primitives -- Modeling a Couch -- Working with Groups -- Grouping the Components of the Couch -- Working within Groups -- Disassembling Groups -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 3 Creating Shapes with Splines -- Drawing with Splines -- Drawing Straight-Line Segments.

Constraining Lines Vertically and Horizontally -- Drawing Curves -- Lathing a Spline -- Modifying a Shape Using Sub-object Levels -- Adjusting the Lathe Axis -- Flipping Surface Normals -- Smoothing Spline Corners -- Adjusting Tangent Handles -- Creating Thickness with a Spline -- Detailing the Wineglass Base -- Finishing the Wineglass -- Outlining and Extruding Splines -- Drawing Accurate Splines -- Giving Walls Thickness -- Using Grids and Snaps to Align Objects Accurately -- Adjusting a Wall Location -- Combining and Extruding Primitive Splines -- Combining Splines -- Joining Closed Splines with Boolean Tools -- Creating a Solid Form with Splines -- Introducing the Other Spline Types -- Editing Splines -- Placing and Beveling Text -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 4 Editing Meshes and Creating Complex Objects -- Creating Openings in a Wall with Boolean Operations -- Hiding Shapes That Get in the Way -- Creating the Shape of the Opening -- Subtracting the Opening from the Wall -- Creating Multiple Openings in a Single Wall -- Making Changes to the Opening -- Tracing a Sketch -- Using a Bitmap Image -- Scaling the Image Plane to the Model's Size -- Tracing the Image -- Building Objects from Traced Lines -- Editing Meshes -- Creating a Tapered Wall -- Converting the Spline to a Mesh -- Moving a Single Mesh Vertex -- Tapering the Top of the Wall -- Using Instanced Clones to Create Symmetrical Forms -- Adding a User Grid to Aid Tracing -- Building the Tower Walls -- Adding the Vaulted Ceiling -- Creating the Smaller Towers -- Drawing the Remaining Walls -- Attaching Objects to a Mesh -- Smoothing Meshes -- Smoothing within a Mesh -- The Smooth Modifier -- Creating and Modifying Objects Using Box Modeling -- Preparing a Box for Box Modeling -- Using the Transform Toolbox.

Creating Clones with Array and Snapshot -- Creating a Pew Grid with Array -- Creating a Multitransform Polar Array -- Creating Multiple Clones Using Snapshot -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 5 Working with External Design Data -- Creating Topography with Splines -- Updating Changes from an AutoCAD File -- Exploring Terrain Options -- Setting Up an AutoCAD Plan for 3ds Max -- Importing AutoCAD Plans into 3ds Max -- Extruding the Walls -- Extruding Exterior Wall Headers -- Extruding the Mullions -- Creating Interior Wall Headers -- Adding Glass -- Creating a Floor with Openings -- Exploring the Manage Links Dialog Box -- Editing Linked AutoCAD Files -- Understanding the Block Node Hierarchy -- Understanding the Manage Links Options -- Understanding File Link Settings -- Importing Adobe Illustrator Files into 3ds Max -- Importing Autodesk Inventor Files into 3ds Max -- Using the Substitute Modifier with Linked Geometry -- Importing ?a Truss -- Linking Revit Files into 3ds Max -- Linking the Revit File in 3ds Max -- Using the Scene Explorer -- Importing FBX Files into 3ds Max -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 6 Organizing and Editing Objects -- (Re)Naming Objects -- Renaming the Ceiling Fixtures -- Organizing Objects by Layers -- Setting Up Layers -- Assigning Objects to Layers -- Assigning Color to Layers -- Understanding the Icons in the Layer Dialog Box -- Lofting an Object -- Setting Up the Shapes to Form the Pedestal -- Lofting a Shape along a Path -- Using Different Shapes along the Loft Path -- Fine-Tuning a Loft Object -- Using the Instance Clones to Edit the Loft -- Using the Noise Modifier -- Modeling with Soft Selection -- Extruding with the Sweep Modifier -- Aligning Objects -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 7 Light and Shadow -- Lighting Your Model -- Understanding the Types of Lights.

Adding a Spotlight to Simulate the Sun -- Moving a Light -- Editing a Spotlight -- Changing the Light Type -- Rendering a View -- Ambient Light -- Faking Radiosity -- Adding a Highlight with an Omni Light -- Looking at Omni Light Options -- Adding Shadow Effects -- Softening Shadow Edges -- Understanding Shadow Maps -- Using Ray-Traced Shadows -- Using Advanced Ray Traced and Area Shadows -- Playing in the Shadows -- Using Two Suns -- Adding a Second Sun -- Using Unseen Objects to Cast Shadows -- Using a Clone to Cast Shadows -- Using the Light Lister -- Using Scene States -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 8 Enhancing Models with Materials -- Understanding Bitmap Texture Maps -- Diffuse Color Maps -- Surface Properties -- The Architectural Material's Physical Qualities Rollout -- The Special Effects Rollout -- Ink 'n Paint Material -- DirectX Shader -- Adding Materials to Objects -- Adding a Map Path to Help 3ds Max Find Bitmaps -- Understanding Material Libraries -- Editing Materials -- Using Bump Maps -- Creating a New Material -- Adding Material Mapping Coordinates -- Understanding Mapping Coordinates -- What Happens When You Add the Mapping Coordinates? -- Adjusting the UVW Map Gizmo -- Using the Standard Material -- Map Scalar Modifiers -- Spline Mapping -- Adding Entourage -- Hiding Unwanted Surfaces with Opacity Maps -- Adjusting an Object to a Bitmap Shape -- Assigning Materials to Parts of an Object -- Creating a Multi/Sub-object Material -- Applying a Sub-material to an Object's Surface -- Exploring the Autodesk Materials -- Adjusting the Autodesk Material Parameters -- Using the Material Explorer -- The Material Utilities -- Modeling with Displacement Maps -- Using the Displace Modifier -- Using the Material Editor to Create Displaced Geometry.

Converting a Displacement Map into an Editable Mesh -- Creating an Editable Mesh from a Displacement Map -- Additional Mapping and Material Features -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 9 Using the Camera -- Understanding the 3ds Max Camera -- Adding a Camera -- 3ds Max Viewport Improvements -- Editing the Camera Location with the Viewport Tools -- Setting Up an Interior View -- Creating an Environment -- Making Adjustments to the Background -- Using Immersive Environments for Animation -- Creating a Believable Background -- Using a Texture Map and Hemisphere for the Sky -- Using Render Types -- Using Render Elements for Compositing -- Matching Your Scene to a Background Image -- Setting Up the Model and the Image -- Adding the Background Image -- Adding the Camera Match Points -- Aligning the Camera Match Points to the Background Image -- Fine-Tuning a Camera-Matched View -- Matching the Design Image Quality to the Background -- Standard Cinematic Terminology -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 10 Organizing Objects and Scene Management -- Gaining Access to Materials and Objects from Other Files -- Arranging Furniture with XRefs and the Asset Browser -- Replacing Objects with Objects from an External File -- Substituting Objects for Faster Viewport Performance -- Importing Files with the Asset Browser -- Arranging Furniture with XRef Scenes -- Using the Rendered Frame Window -- Copying the Rendered Image -- Printing Images -- Opening Multiple RFWs for Comparisons -- Zooming, Panning, and Controlling Channels in the RFW -- Obtaining Colors from External Bitmap Files -- Tracking and Locating a Scene's Assets -- Creating Panoramas -- Publishing a DWF File -- The Bottom Line -- Chapter 11 Understanding Animation -- Understanding the World of Video Time -- Creating a Quick-Study Animation -- Adding Camera Motion.

Adjusting the Camera Path.