Mastering Autodesk 3ds Max 2013

Mastering Autodesk 3ds Max 2013 Harper, J ISBN-13: 9781118129715 Table of Contents Introduction? xxi Chapter 1? Getting to Know Autodesk? 3ds Max? 2013??? 1 Introducing the New 3ds Max 2013 Features???? 1 Getting Started with Autodesk 3ds Max?????? 4 Touring the Interface???????? 6 The Menu Bar????????? 6 The Quick Access Toolbar???????? 8 The Information Center Toolbar???? 8 The Main Toolbar???????? 9 Docked and Floating Toolbars????? 10 Toolbar Flyouts???????? 15 The Viewports????????? 15 Tools for Working with the Viewports????? 16 Getting to Know the Command Panel????? 19 Understanding the 3ds Max Tools??????? 20 Working with Objects??????? 27 Selecting and Moving Objects????? 27 Rotating and Scaling Objects?????? 31 Copying an Object??????? 34 Selecting Multiple Objects?????? 36 Naming Selection Sets????????? 42 Editing Named Selection Sets????? 42 Getting the View You Want???????? 45 Understanding the Perspective Viewing Tools????? 45 Using Multiple Viewports??????? 51 Changing the Viewport Display and Confi guration?????? 54 Working with the Custom UI And Defaults Switcher???? 61 The Bottom Line???????? 64 Chapter 2? Introducing Objects??? 67 Understanding Standard Primitives??????? 67 Adjusting an Object?s Parameters??????? 69 Accessing Parameters???????? 76 Introducing the Standard Primitive Objects?????? 76

Modeling Standard Primitives with Modifi ers??????? 80 Adding a Modifier??????? 81 Accessing Modifier Parameters???????? 84 Placing Modifiers Where You Want Them?????? 87 Using the Modifier Stack Tools???? 89 How 3ds Max Sees Objects??????? 91 Making Clones That Share Properties??????? 92 Creating an Instance Clone??????? 92 Creating a Reference Clone?????? 94 Scaling and Rotating Objects with Transform Tools?? 97 Making a Clone Unique??????? 100 Cloning a Modifier?????? 101 Introducing Extended Primitives???????? 103 Modeling a Couch?????? 104 Working with Groups?????? 111 Grouping the Components of the Couch??????? 111 Working within Groups??????? 113 Disassembling Groups??????? 115 The Bottom Line???????? 116 Chapter 3? Creating Shapes with Splines??? 117 Drawing with Splines?????? 118 Drawing Straight-Line Segments??????? 119 Constraining Lines Vertically and Horizontally???? 121 Drawing Curves??????? 122 Lathing a Spline??????? 124 Modifying a Shape Using Sub-object Levels??????? 126 Adjusting the Lathe Axis?????? 127 Flipping Surface Normals??????? 129 Smoothing Spline Corners?????? 130 Adjusting Tangent Handles?????? 134 Creating Thickness with a Spline?????? 136 Detailing the Wineglass Base????? 140 Finishing the Wineglass??????? 146 Outlining and Extruding Splines???????? 147 Drawing Accurate Splines?????? 148 Giving Walls Thickness???????? 149 Using Grids and Snaps to Align Objects Accurately?????? 151 Adjusting a Wall Location?????? 157

Combining and Extruding Primitive Splines??????? 161 Combining Splines?????? 162 Joining Closed Splines with Boolean Tools???? 167 Creating a Solid Form with Splines??????? 169 Introducing the Other Spline Types??????? 173 Editing Splines????????? 176 Placing and Beveling Text??????? 177 The Bottom Line???????? 181 Chapter 4? Editing Meshes and Creating Complex Objects??? 183 Creating Openings in a Wall with Boolean Operations?????? 183 Hiding Shapes That Get in the Way?????? 184 Creating the Shape of the Opening?????? 186 Subtracting the Opening from the Wall???? 188 Creating Multiple Openings in a Single Wall????? 190 Making Changes to the Opening?????? 191 Tracing a Sketch????????? 194 Using a Bitmap Image???????? 195 Scaling the Image Plane to the Model?s Size?????? 198 Tracing the Image??????? 201 Building Objects from Traced Lines?????? 204 Editing Meshes????????? 214 Creating a Tapered Wall??????? 214 Converting the Spline to a Mesh??????? 217 Moving a Single Mesh Vertex????? 221 Tapering the Top of the Wall????? 227 Using Instanced Clones to Create Symmetrical Forms?????? 231 Adding a User Grid to Aid Tracing?????? 231 Building the Tower Walls??????? 233 Adding the Vaulted Ceiling?????? 237 Creating the Smaller Towers????? 244 Drawing the Remaining Walls???????? 247 Attaching Objects to a Mesh??????? 253 Smoothing Meshes??????? 255 Smoothing within a Mesh??????? 255 The Smooth Modifi er????????? 258 Creating and Modifying Objects Using Box Modeling?????? 259 Preparing a Box for Box Modeling?????? 259 Using the Transform Toolbox????? 269 Creating Clones with Array and Snapshot???? 271

Creating a Pew Grid with Array??????? 272 Creating a Multitransform Polar Array???? 275 Creating Multiple Clones Using Snapshot??????? 278 The Bottom Line???????? 280 Chapter 5? Working with External Design Data???? 281 Creating Topography with Splines???????? 282 Updating Changes from an AutoCAD File?????? 287 Exploring Terrain Options?????? 289 Setting Up an AutoCAD Plan for 3ds Max???? 292 Importing AutoCAD Plans into 3ds Max???? 297 Extruding the Walls????????? 299 Extruding Exterior Wall Headers?????? 301 Extruding the Mullions???????? 302 Creating Interior Wall Headers???????? 302 Adding Glass????????? 305 Creating a Floor with Openings??????? 307 Exploring the Manage Links Dialog Box????? 312 Editing Linked AutoCAD Files???????? 315 Understanding the Block Node Hierarchy??????? 316 Understanding the Manage Links Options?????? 319 Understanding File Link Settings??????? 320 Importing Adobe Illustrator Files into 3ds Max???? 325 Importing Autodesk Inventor Files into 3ds Max???? 329 Using the Substitute Modifier with Linked Geometry???? 332 Importing a Truss???????? 334 Linking Revit Files into 3ds Max???? 337 Linking the Revit File in 3ds Max??????? 338 Using the Scene Explorer?????? 341 Importing FBX Files into 3ds Max??????? 344 The Bottom Line???????? 347 Chapter 6? Organizing and Editing Objects?? 349 (Re)Naming Objects?????? 349 Renaming the Ceiling Fixtures??????? 353 Organizing Objects by Layers?????? 355 Setting Up Layers??????? 356 Assigning Objects to Layers?????? 357 Assigning Color to Layers??????? 360 Understanding the Icons in the Layer Dialog Box??? 365 Lofting an Object???????? 366

Setting Up the Shapes to Form the Pedestal????? 366 Lofting a Shape along a Path????? 369 Using Different Shapes along the Loft Path?????? 370 Fine-Tuning a Loft Object??????? 374 Using the Instance Clones to Edit the Loft??????? 379 Using the Noise Modifier???????? 383 Modeling with Soft Selection????? 384 Extruding with the Sweep Modifier??????? 390 Aligning Objects???????? 394 The Bottom Line???????? 398 Chapter 7? Light and Shadow???? 401 Lighting Your Model??????? 401 Understanding the Types of Lights?????? 401 Adding a Spotlight to Simulate the Sun???? 406 Moving a Light???????? 408 Editing a Spotlight?????? 410 Changing the Light Type?????? 412 Rendering a View??????? 414 Ambient Light????????? 417 Faking Radiosity??????? 419 Adding a Highlight with an Omni Light??????? 423 Looking at Omni Light Options??????? 426 Adding Shadow Effects???????? 430 Softening Shadow Edges??????? 432 Understanding Shadow Maps???????? 432 Using Ray-Traced Shadows?????? 435 Using Advanced Ray Traced and Area Shadows???? 437 Playing in the Shadows????????? 440 Using Two Suns??????? 440 Adding a Second Sun???????? 442 Using Unseen Objects to Cast Shadows???? 445 Using a Clone to Cast Shadows???????? 447 Using the Light Lister?????? 449 Using Scene States???????? 451 The Bottom Line???????? 454 Chapter 8? Enhancing Models with Materials???? 455 Understanding Bitmap Texture Maps?????? 455 Diffuse Color Maps????????? 456 Surface Properties?????? 461

The Architectural Material?s Physical Qualities Rollout???? 462 The Special Effects Rollout?????? 463 Ink?n Paint Material???????? 464 DirectX Shader???????? 465 Adding Materials to Objects?????? 465 Adding a Map Path to Help 3ds Max Find Bitmaps?????? 465 Understanding Material Libraries??????? 472 Editing Materials???????? 473 Using Bump Maps?????? 474 Creating a New Material??????? 477 Adding Material Mapping Coordinates???? 479 Understanding Mapping Coordinates?????? 483 What Happens When You Add the Mapping Coordinates???? 483 Adjusting the UVW Map Gizmo??????? 484 Using the Standard Material??????? 491 Map Scalar Modifi ers?????? 493 Spline Mapping??????? 496 Adding Entourage???????? 499 Hiding Unwanted Surfaces with Opacity Maps???? 499 Adjusting an Object to a Bitmap Shape???? 508 Assigning Materials to Parts of an Object????? 509 Creating a Multi/Sub-object Material????? 509 Applying a Sub-material to an Object?s Surface???? 512 Exploring the Autodesk Materials??????? 514 Adjusting the Autodesk Material Parameters????? 516 Using the Material Explorer?????? 517 The Material Utilities?????? 519 Modeling with Displacement Maps??????? 522 Using the Displace Modifi er?????? 522 Using the Material Editor to Create Displaced Geometry???? 525 Converting a Displacement Map into an Editable Mesh???? 528 Creating an Editable Mesh from a Displacement Map???? 530 Additional Mapping and Material Features??????? 531 The Bottom Line???????? 543 Chapter 9? Using the Camera???? 545 Understanding the 3ds Max Camera??????? 545 Adding a Camera??????? 546 3ds Max Viewport Improvements??????? 551 Editing the Camera Location with the Viewport Tools????? 552

Setting Up an Interior View??????? 557 Creating an Environment???????? 560 Making Adjustments to the Background??????? 563 Using Immersive Environments for Animation?????? 569 Creating a Believable Background?????? 569 Using a Texture Map and Hemisphere for the Sky??? 571 Using Render Types?????? 576 Using Render Elements for Compositing???? 578 Matching Your Scene to a Background Image?????? 580 Setting Up the Model and the Image????? 581 Adding the Background Image???????? 582 Adding the Camera Match Points??????? 584 Aligning the Camera Match Points to the Background Image????? 586 Fine-Tuning a Camera-Matched View???? 589 Matching the Design Image Quality to the Background???? 589 Standard Cinematic Terminology??????? 590 The Bottom Line???????? 591 Chapter 10? Organizing Objects and Scene Management??? 593 Gaining Access to Materials and Objects from Other Files???? 593 Arranging Furniture with XRefs and the Asset Browser????? 600 Replacing Objects with Objects from an External File?? 603 Substituting Objects for Faster Viewport Performance????? 605 Importing Files with the Asset Browser???? 607 Arranging Furniture with XRef Scenes?????? 610 Using the Rendered Frame Window?????? 615 Copying the Rendered Image????? 616 Printing Images??????? 616 Opening Multiple RFWs for Comparisons?????? 617 Zooming, Panning, and Controlling Channels in the RFW??? 617 Obtaining Colors from External Bitmap Files????? 618 Tracking and Locating a Scene?s Assets?????? 620 Creating Panoramas??????? 622 Publishing a DWF File????? 627 The Bottom Line???????? 631 Chapter 11? Understanding Animation??? 633 Understanding the World of Video Time???? 633 Creating a Quick-Study Animation??????? 635 Adding Camera Motion??????? 636

Adjusting the Camera Path?????? 637 Viewing the Camera Trajectory???????? 639 Controlling the Camera Trajectory Visibility????? 641 Creating a Preview Animation??????? 642 Understanding Keyframes???????? 644 Increasing the Number of Frames in an Animation Segment??? 646 Accelerating and Decelerating the Camera Motion Smoothly??? 658 Editing Keyframes???????? 651 Adding More Frames for Additional Camera Motion??? 654 Adding Frames to the End of a Segment??????? 654 Adjusting the Camera Motion through a Keyframe????? 656 Compressing and Expanding Time????? 661 Adjusting the Camera Trajectory Using the Track View???? 666 Increasing the Number of Frames between Selected Keys??? 672 Speeding Up the Preview Rendering Time?????? 673 Adding Frames to the Beginning of a Segment?????? 673 Other Options for Previewing Your Motion??????? 675 Moving the Camera Target over Time?????? 676 Controlling Lights over Time?????? 677 The Bottom Line???????? 680 Chapter 12? Creating Animations, Particles, and Dynamics? 683 Rendering the Animation??????? 683 Creating a Study Animation????? 684 Creating a Quick Overall Study Animation????? 686 Adding a Moving Car???????? 698 Automating the Output of Multiple Still Images????? 692 Setting Up a Camera for Elevations????? 692 Setting Up the Four Elevations??????? 693 Rendering a Shadow Study??????? 699 Adjusting for True North?????? 699 Changing from an IES Sun to a Standard Light???? 700 Creating a Walkthrough????????? 702 Fine-Tuning the Camera?s Orientation????? 704 Adjusting the Camera?s Timing???????? 706 Adjusting the Path?????? 708 The Animation File Output Options?????? 709 True Color vs 256 Colors??????? 711 File Naming in Animations?????? 712 Choosing an Image Size??????? 712

The AVI Codecs??????? 714 Using MassFX to Animate Objects???????? 715 Assigning Properties to Simulation Objects????? 715 Setting Up and Running the Simulation??? 718 Refining the Settings????????? 718 Using MassFX mcloth???????? 719 Using Particle Systems????????? 724 Creating the Initial Flow??????? 726 Adding and Editing the Operators?????? 728 Adding Materials and Space Warps?????? 729 Adding Deflectors?????? 732 The Bottom Line???????? 735 Chapter 13? Rigging for Animation????? 737 Creating Parent?Child Hierarchies??????? 737 Using the Morpher Modifier??????? 747 Animating the Morpher Modifier??????? 750 Assembling an Articulated Luminaire?????? 751 Transforming Pivot Points?????? 752 Aligning the Light Source with the Fixture?????? 753 Using Schematic View???????? 754 Understanding Bones?????? 767 Understanding Biped?????? 778 The Bottom Line???????? 786 Chapter 14? Advanced Rendering Using mental ray?? 789 Understanding mental ray???????? 789 Setting Up mental ray???????? 793 The Material Editor and mental ray????? 794 Using Photon Maps??????? 798 Testing the Photon Map Effects???????? 801 Final Gathering???????? 816 Reviewing the Basic mental ray Workflow?????? 819 Contour Renderings?????? 820 Using the mr Multi/Sub-Map Material?????? 824 Skylight Global Illumination??????? 828 Image-Based Lighting and Skylight?????? 831 Using High Dynamic Range Images?????? 834 Using mr Proxy Objects????????? 837 Using IES Files????????? 840 The Bottom Line???????? 841

Chapter 15? Finishing It Off: Atmosphere, Effects, and Compositing?? 843 Adding Atmospheric Effects??????? 844 Creating a Volume Light??????? 844 Adjusting the Volume Light Parameters??? 846 Adding Fog????????? 847 Adding a Fire Effect????????? 851 Using Hair And Fur?????? 856 Adjusting the Hair And Fur Parameters??? 857 Refi ning the Hair And Fur Parameters????? 858 Using Glare??????? 860 Assigning the Glare Output Shader?????? 860 Using Depth of Field????????? 863 Creating Stereoscopic Renders in 3ds Max???? 868 Using Autodesk Composite 2013????? 871 Composite the Stereo Pair into an Anaglyph Image????? 883 The Bottom Line???????? 888 Appendix A? The Bottom Line??? 891 Chapter 1: Getting to Know Autodesk? 3ds Max? 2013????? 891 Chapter 2: Introducing Objects?????? 893 Chapter 3: Creating Shapes with Splines????? 896 Chapter 4: Editing Meshes and Creating Complex Objects???? 899 Chapter 5: Working with External Design Data?????? 903 Chapter 6: Organizing and Editing Objects??????? 907 Chapter 7: Light and Shadow?????? 913 Chapter 8: Enhancing Models with Materials?????? 915 Chapter 9: Using the Camera??????? 919 Chapter 10: Organizing Objects and Scene Management????? 922 Chapter 11: Understanding Animation?????? 925 Chapter 12: Creating Animations, Particles, and Dynamics??? 928 Chapter 13: Rigging for Animation??????? 934 Chapter 14: Advanced Rendering Using mental ray???? 937 Chapter 15: Finishing It Off: Atmosphere, Effects, and Compositing???? 941 Appendix B? Autodesk? 3ds Max? Certification??? 949 Index????? 953