Hungry minds 3ds max 4 bible aug 2001 ISBN 0764535846 pdf

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If 3ds max 4 can do it, you can do it, too . . .

Blend models and backgrounds
to create vibrant animations

Inside, you’ll find complete coverage
of 3ds max 4
• Get a hands-on introduction to 3ds max 4 with a Quick Start
animation project
• Master the new features in 3ds max, from the enhanced modeling
features to improved Inverse Kinematics
• Create sophisticated 3D models using NURBS, splines, patches,
meshes, and compound objects
• Build intricate special effects using particle systems and Space Warps
• Master the Expression Controller and other advanced animation tools
• Simulate realistic materials and textures using the Material Editor
• Decrease total rendering time using a network

Create and control
particle systems

Jam-Packed CD-ROM!
• Exclusive Furious Research plug-ins, including a Rainbow atmospheric effect and a Sketch render effect

Sample
3D models from Viewpoint Database, Zygote Media, and more!
•
Cool
products
including Rhino 3D demo and Poser 4 trial
•
• Complete tutorial files

www.hungryminds.com
System Requirements:
PC running Windows 98 or later, Windows NT 4
or later. See the CD-ROM appendix for details
and complete system requirements.

$49.99 USA
$74.99 Canada
£39.99 UK incl. VAT

Reader Level:

Shelving Category:

Beginning to Advanced

Graphics/Animation

ISBN 0-7645-3584-6

*85 5 -AHCJIf

,!7IA7G4-fdfiea!:p;o;t;T;T

C O M P R E H E N S I V E

™

• Learn to program your own 3ds max plug-ins

100%

3ds max 4

Take 3ds max 4 to the max — and join the ranks of the pros who’ve created animations for some of today’s
hottest games, movies, and TV shows. Packed with expert advice, time-saving tips, and more than 150 stepby-step tutorials, this all-in-one guide gets you up to speed quickly on the basics — and provides expanded
coverage of advanced techniques. With incisive insights into the next-generation enhancements to 3ds max,
16 pages of full-color examples, and a CD-ROM featuring exclusive plug-ins, it’s just what you need to take
your animations to the next level.

MURDOCK

Bible

100%
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT

“This book is a comprehensive guide to the vast
functionality within 3ds max and is sure to give
even experienced 3D artists new insights.”
— Phillip Miller, Senior Director, Discreet Software Products

COMPREHENSIVE
AUTHORITATIVE
WHAT YOU NEED

Begin
animating
today with a
Quick Start
tutorial!

ONE HUNDRED PERCENT

Master 3D modeling,
rendering, and
animation techniques

Harness the
latest 3ds max
enhancements, from
ActiveShade to Render
Elements

Extend the program’s
functionality using
cool plug-ins

3ds max 4
™

Exclusive
plug-ins
and more on
CD-ROM

JAM-PACKED
CD-ROM!
Exclusive plug-ins
PLUS models, demos, and tutorials

Kelly L. Murdock


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3ds max 4 Bible
™

Kelly L. Murdock

Best-Selling Books • Digital Downloads • e-Books • Answer Networks • e-Newsletters • Branded Web Sites • e-Learning
New York, NY ◆ Cleveland, OH ◆ Indianapolis, IN

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3ds max™ 4 Bible
Published by
Hungry Minds, Inc.
909 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
www.hungryminds.com

Copyright © 2001 Hungry Minds, Inc. All rights
reserved. No part of this book, including interior
design, cover design, and icons, may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the
prior written permission of the publisher.
Library fo Contress Control Number: 2001091958
ISBN: 0-7645-3584-6
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1B/RX/QX/QR/IN
Distributed in the United States by Hungry
Minds, Inc.
Distributed by CDG Books Canada Inc. for Canada; by
Transworld Publishers Limited in the United

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For general information on Hungry Minds’ products
and services please contact our Customer Care
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For sales inquiries and reseller information, including
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Customer Care Department, 10475 Crosspoint
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For information on licensing foreign or domestic
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For press review copies, author interviews, or other
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For authorization to photocopy items for corporate,
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Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive,
Danvers, MA 01923, or fax 978-750-4470.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR
BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK. THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR MAKE NO
REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE
CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES WHICH
EXTEND BEYOND THE DESCRIPTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS PARAGRAPH. NO WARRANTY MAY BE
CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE
ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN AND THE OPINIONS
STATED HEREIN ARE NOT GUARANTEED OR WARRANTED TO PRODUCE ANY PARTICULAR RESULTS,
AND THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY
INDIVIDUAL. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR
ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL,

CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES. FULFILLMENT OF EACH COUPON OFFER IS THE SOLE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFEROR.
Trademarks: 3ds max is a trademark or registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners. Hungry Minds, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor
mentioned in this book.

is a trademark of
Hungry Minds, Inc.


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Page iii

About the Author
Kelly Murdock has been involved with more computer books than he cares to
count — to the point that he avoids the computer book section of the bookstore,
except for the graphics section, which still remains an obsession. His book credits
include various Web, graphics, and multimedia titles, including the first edition of
this book, the 3ds max 4 Bible. Other major accomplishments include Master HTML
and XHTML Visually, JavaScript Blueprints, and co-authoring the Illustrator 9 Bible
JavaScript. Kelly also co-authored Laura Lemay’s Web Workshop: 3D Graphics and
VRML 2 at a time when we all thought VRML was going somewhere.
With a background in engineering and computer graphics, Kelly has been all over
the 3D industry. He’s used high-level CAD workstations for product design and analysis, completed several large-scale visualization projects, created 3D models for feature films, worked as a freelance 3D artist, and even done some 3D programming.
Kelly’s been using 3D Studio on and off since version 3 for DOS. He is also the creative force behind the children’s Web site, Animabets.com at www.animabets.com.

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Credits
Acquisitions Editor
Tom Heine
Project Editor
Martin V. Minner
Technical Editor
Chris Murdock
Copy Editor
Paula Lowell
Project Coordinator
Regina Snyder
Graphics and Production Specialists
LeAndra Johnson
Joyce Haughey
Gabriele McCann
Heather Pope
Brian Torwelle
Jeremey Unger
Erin Zeltner

Quality Control Technicians
Carl Pierce
Marianne Santy
Permissions Editor
Laura Moss
Media Development Specialist
Gregory Stephens
Media Development Coordinator
Marisa Pearman
Proofreading and Indexing
TECHBOOKS Production Services
Special Help
Angela Langford


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Page v

Creating beauty enlightens the soul.
Creating humor increases joy.
Creating horror conjures sleeping demons.
Creating pathos builds compassion.
Creating innovation hastens the future.
Pure creation expands the emotions and makes us more than we are. It is the process
of mimicking God.

To Angie, 2001


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Preface

W

henever I withdrew to the computer room, my wife would say that I was
off to my “fun and games.” I would flatly deny this accusation, saying that
it was serious work that I was involved in. But later, when I emerged with a twinkle
in my eye and excitedly asked her to take a look at my latest rendering, I knew that
she was right. Working with 3D graphics is pure “fun and games.”
My goal in writing this book was to take all my fun years of playing in 3D and boil

them down into something that’s worthwhile for you — the reader. This goal was
compounded by the fact that all you Max-heads out there are at different levels.
Luckily, I was given enough leeway that I could include a little something for
everyone.
The audience level for the book ranges from beginning to intermediate, with a smattering of advanced topics for the seasoned user. If you’re new to Max, then you’ll
want to start at the beginning and move methodically through the book. If you’re
relatively comfortable making your way around Max, then review the table of contents for sections that can enhance your fundamental base. If you’re a seasoned
pro, then you’ll want to watch for coverage of the features new to Release 4.
If you’re so excited to be working with Max that you can’t decide where to start,
then head straight for the Quick Start. The Quick Start is a single chapter-long tutorial that takes you through the creation of an entire scene and animation. This
Quick Start was included in response to some feedback from readers of the first edition who complained that they didn’t know where to start. For those of you who
were too anxious to wade through a mountain of material before you could create
something, this Quick Start is for you.
Another goal of this book is to make it a complete reference for Max. To achieve
this goal, I’ve gone into painstaking detail on almost every feature in the basic core
package, including coverage of every primitive, material and map type, modifier,
and controller.
As this book has come together, I’ve tried to write the type of book that I’d like to
read. I’ve tried to include a variety of different scenes that are infused with creativity. It is my hope that these examples will not only teach you how to use the software, but provide a creative springboard for you in your own projects. After all,
that’s what turns 3D graphics from work into “fun and games.”


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Page viii

3ds max 4 Bible

What Is Max?
Max is coming of age. Now with the number 4 attached to its name, it is starting to
show some maturity. Before we go any further, I should explain my naming convention. The official name of the product in this release is 3ds max 4 with a lowercase
“m,” but I will simply refer to it as Max with a capital “M.” This reference is a nickname given to a piece of software that has become more familiar to me than the
family pet (whose name is Pepper by the way). I have not been successful in training Max to come when I call or sit, but it will on occasion play dead.
One way we humans develop our personalities is to incorporate desirable personality traits from those around us. Max’s personality is developing as well — every new
release has incorporated a plethora of desirable new features. Many of these features come from the many additional plug-ins being developed to enhance Max.
With Release 4, Max has adopted many features that were available as plug-ins for
previous releases. Several new features have been magically assimilated into the
core product, including the ActiveShade window and the Render elements. These
additions make Max’s personality much more likable.
Other personality traits are gained by stretching our beings in new directions. Max
and its developers have accomplished this feat as well, with such things as the
overhauled Inverse Kinematics features and Parameter Wiring capabilities.
As Max grows up, it will continue to mature by adopting new features and inventing
others.

About This Book
Let me paint a picture of the writing process. It starts with years of experience,
which is followed by months of painstaking research. There were system crashes
and personal catastrophes and the always present, ever-looming deadlines. I wrote
into the early hours of the morning and during the late hours of the night — burning
the candle at both ends and in the middle all at the same time. It was grueling and
difficult, and spending all this time staring at the Max interface made me feel like . . .
well . . . like an animator.
Sound familiar? This process actually isn’t much different from what 3D artists,

modelers and animators do on a daily basis, and, like you, I find satisfaction in the
finished product.

Tutorials aplenty
I’ve always been a very visual learner — the easiest way for me to gain knowledge is
by doing things for myself while exploring at the same time. Other people learn by
reading and comprehending ideas. In this book, I’ve tried to present information in


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Page ix

Preface

a number of ways to make the information useable for all types of learners. That is
why you’ll see detailed discussions of the various features along with tutorials that
show these concepts in action.
The tutorials appear throughout the book and are clearly marked with the
“Tutorial” label in front of the section title. They always include a series of logical
steps, typically ending with a figure for you to study and compare. These tutorial
examples are provided on the book’s CD-ROM to give you a first-hand look and a
chance to get some hands-on experience.
I’ve attempted to “laser focus” all the tutorials down to one or two key concepts.
This means that you probably will not want to place the results in your portfolio.
For example, many of the early tutorials don’t have any materials applied because I

felt that using materials before they’ve been explained would only confuse you.
I’ve attempted to think of and use examples that are diverse, unique, and interesting, while striving to make them simple, light, and easy to follow. I’m happy to
report that every example in the book is included on the CD-ROM along with the
models and textures required to complete the tutorial from scratch.
For the second edition, I’ve taken a different approach to the tutorials. Rather than
making each tutorial start from scratch, I’ve decided to instead give you a starting
point. This approach lets me “laser focus” the tutorials even more and with fewer,
more relevant steps, you can learn and experience the concepts without the complexity. On the book’s CD-ROM, you will find the Max files that are referenced in
Step 1 of most tutorials. The completed tutorial’s Max file is saved with the word
final tacked on the end. If you get lost midway through the tutorial, you can open
the final resulting file and see for yourself how it is supposed to work.
I’ve put a lot of effort into this book, and I hope it helps you in your efforts. I present this book as a starting point. In each tutorial, I’ve purposely left all the creative
spice out, leaving room for you to put it in — you’re the one with the vision.

How this book is organized
Many different aspects of 3D graphics exist, and in some larger production houses,
you might be focused on only one specific area. However, for smaller organizations
or the general hobbyist, you end up wearing all the hats — from modeler and lighting director to animator and post-production compositor. This book is organized to
cover all the various aspects of 3D graphics, regardless of the hat on your head.
The book is divided into the following parts:
✦ Quick Start — This single chapter is an entire animation project presented in
several focused tutorials. It is designed to whet your appetite and get you up
to speed and producing animations immediately.

ix


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3ds max 4 Bible

✦ Part I: Getting Started with 3ds max 4 — Whether it’s understanding the
interface, working with the viewports or dealing with files, the chapters in this
part will get you comfortable with the interface so you won’t get lost moving
about this mammoth package.
✦ Part II: Working with Objects — Max objects can include meshes, cameras,
lights, Space Warps, and anything that can be viewed in a viewport. This part
includes chapters on how to reference, select, clone, group, link, transform,
and modify these various objects. It also includes a chapter on all the various
modifiers.
✦ Part III: Modeling — Max includes several different ways to model objects.
This part includes chapters on working with spline shapes, meshes, patches,
NURBS, and a variety of specialized compound objects like Lofts and Morphs.
✦ Part IV: Materials and Maps — With all the various material and map types
and parameters, understanding how to create just what you want can be difficult. These chapters explain all the various types and how to use them.
✦ Part V: Lights and Cameras — This part describes how to control lights and
cameras as well as several lighting special effects and the camera utilities.
There is also a chapter on using the Camera Matching and Camera Tracking
utilities.
✦ Part VI: Particle Systems and Space Warps — Particle systems can be used to
create groups of thousands of particles, and Space Warps can add forces to a
Max scene. Chapters in this part explain and provide examples of working

with these two unique object types.
✦ Part VII: Animation — To animate your scenes, you’ll want to learn about
keyframing, the Track View, and controllers. I cover all of these topics here. I
also cover expressions and dynamic simulations in this part.
✦ Part VIII: Inverse Kinematics — I cover creating and working with bone systems and give complete coverage of the various Inverse Kinematics methods
in this part.
✦ Part IX: Rendering and Post-Production — To produce the final output, you
can render the scene or composite it in the Video Post dialog box, as
described in this part. In addition, this part discusses environments, Render
Elements, Render Effects, and network rendering.
✦ Part X: Customizing Max — This part provides details on customizing the
Max interface and environment. This part also includes a chapter on using
Max’s scripting language — MAXScript.
✦ Part XI: Extending Max with Plug-Ins — Plug-ins provide a way to add to
and extend the features of Max. The chapters in this part explain how to use
plug-ins, and one chapter explains how to create your own plug-ins.


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Preface

At the very end of this book, you’ll also find four appendixes that cover system configuration, Max keyboard shortcuts, plug-ins exclusive to this book, and the contents of the book’s CD-ROM.

Using the book’s icons
The following margin icons will help you get the most out of this book:
Note

Note boxes highlight useful information that you should take into consideration.

Tip

Tips provide an additional bit of advice that will make a particular feature quicker
or easier to use.

Caution

Cautions warn you of a potential problem before you make a mistake.

New
Feature

This icon highlights features that are new to Release 4.

CrossReference

Watch for this icon to learn where in another chapter you can go to find more
information on a particular feature.

On the
CD-ROM

This icon points you toward related materials that are included on the book’s
CD-ROM.

The book’s CD-ROM and exclusive plug-ins
Computer book CD-ROMs are sometimes just an afterthought that includes a handful of examples and product demos. This book’s CD-ROM, however, is much more
than that — its content was carefully selected to provide you with an additional
resource that can supplement the book. Appendix D, “What’s on the CD-ROM?” supplies the details of the content on the CD-ROM.
The CD-ROM includes a large selection of 3D models that you can use in your projects if you choose. Many of these models are used in the tutorials. The CD-ROM
also includes the Max files for every tutorial.

xi


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3ds max 4 Bible

If you haven’t noticed yet, most of this book is printed in black and white. This can
make seeing the details (and colors) of the figures difficult. The CD-ROM includes a
complete searchable version of the book along with all the figures in color.
As a special bonus, the CD-ROM also includes several custom-built, exclusive plug-ins
developed by Furious Research and Dave Brueck, one of this book’s contributing
authors. To find out more about these plug-ins, see Appendix C, “Exclusive Bible
Plug-Ins.”

Color insert pages
The possibilities of Max are endless, but many individuals and groups have pushed
the software a long way. As a sampling of the finished work that can be created,
I’ve included a set of color insert pages that showcase some amazing work done
with Max. The 3D artists represented in these pages give you some idea of what is
possible.


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Page xiii

Acknowledgments

I

have a host of people to thank for their involvement in this major work. The
order in which they are mentioned doesn’t necessarily represent the amount of
work they did.
Thanks to my family, Angela, Eric, and Thomas without whose support I wouldn’t
get very far. I was recently playing a game with Eric and Thomas where we needed
to guess the word on a card given some synonyms. Eric gave the hint that this is
what Dad likes to do and Thomas immediately blurted out, “Work on the computer!,” so I guess I haven’t hidden my work from my boys. The funny part of the
story was that the word on the card was “groove.” The moral of this story is that
working long hours on the computer is okay as long as you know how to groove.

In the previous edition, the task at hand was too big for just me, so I shared the pain
with two co-authors. But for this edition, I’ve decided to do all the updates solo
(actually Dave was busy with a book of his own, so he also had better learn how to
groove). I would still like to thank my former two co-authors, Dave Brueck and
Sanford Kennedy, whose work, although overhauled, still maintains their spirits.
Dave deserves a second huge thanks for taking time from his busy schedule to
recompile the Furious Research plug-ins for Release 4. These exclusive plug-ins by
themselves make this book worth having.
Major thanks and choruses of gratitude go out to the editors at Hungry Minds: to
Tom Heine for steering the ship during a few corporate tidal waves; to Colleen
Dowling, Marti Paul, and Marty Minner, who project-managed this fast ball, curve
ball, and screw ball all at once; to Paula Lowell for her excellent copy editing input
and to Chris Murdock for taking on the technical editing of this monster while slaying some computer demons of his own. Additional thanks go out to Laura Moss and
her co-workers in the media department for chasing down the required permissions
for the CD-ROM content, and finally, to the entire staff at Hungry Minds who helped
me on this journey.
The various people who work in the graphics industry are amazing in their willingness to help and support. I’d like to thank first of all David Marks and Jo-Ann Palmer
and the entire Discreet beta team for getting me the product when I needed it and
to Phillip Miller for taking time from his busy schedule to review sections of the
text. I’d also like to thank the following individuals and companies for supplying
software and models:


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3ds max 4 Bible

✦ Steve Yatson at Creative Labs
✦ Mark Madsen at Zygote Media
✦ Robert Landsdale at Okino Computer Graphics
✦ Robert McNeel at Robert McNeel and Associates
✦ Lavina Larkey and Beau Perschall at Digimation
✦ Hou Soon Ming at 3D Toon Shop
✦ William Capozzi at Dedicated Digital
✦ Marvin A. Lee II at 3D Paralex
Finally, I’d like to thank the many artists who contributed images for the color
insert pages for sharing their talent, knowledge and vision with us. They are an
inspiration to me: Molly Barr, Ian Dale, Beth Anderson, Joe Poppa, Peter Syomka,
Eni Oken, Justin Durban, Virgin Lands, Tazhi Kezhet, Dawid Michalczyk and
Szymon Masiak.


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Page xvi

Contents at a Glance
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Part I: Getting Started with 3ds max 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Quick Start: Animating a Fighter Jet Fly-By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 1: Exploring the Max Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Chapter 2: Working with Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Chapter 3: Working with Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Part II: Working with Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Chapter 4: Using Primitive Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5: Selecting Objects and Setting Object Properties
Chapter 6: Cloning Objects and Creating Object Arrays . .
Chapter 7: Grouping and Linking Objects . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 8: Transforming Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 9: Using Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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133
163
187
209
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265

Part III: Modeling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Chapter 10: Modeling Basics and Miscellaneous Tools .
Chapter 11: Drawing and Using 2D Splines and Shapes .
Chapter 12: Working with Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter 13: Creating Patches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 14: Building Compound Objects . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 15: Working with NURBS . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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319
333
373
397
415
463

Part IV: Materials and Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
Chapter 16: Exploring the Material Editor . . .
Chapter 17: Applying Materials . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 18: Using Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 19: Working with Materials and Maps .

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489
511
545
589

Part V: Lights and Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615
Chapter 20: Working with Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617
Chapter 21: Controlling Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 651
Chapter 22: Camera Matching and Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 667

Part VI: Particle Systems and Space Warps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685
Chapter 23: Creating and Controlling Particle Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687
Chapter 24: Using Space Warps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715


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Part VII: Animation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 747
Chapter 25: Animation Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 26: Working with the Track View . . . . . .
Chapter 27: Restricting Movement with Constraints
Chapter 28: Animating with Controllers . . . . . . .
Chapter 29: Using Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 30: Creating a Dynamic Simulation . . . . .

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749
769
797
811
843
861

Part VIII: Inverse Kinematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 883
Chapter 31: Working with Bones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 885
Chapter 32: Creating and Using Inverse Kinematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 899

Part IX: Rendering and Post-Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 921
Chapter 33: Rendering Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 923
Chapter 34: Working with Environments and Atmospheric Effects . . . . . . . . 947
Chapter 35: Using Render Elements and Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967
Chapter 36: Network Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 999
Chapter 37: Post-Processing with the Video Post Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . 1029

Part X: Customizing Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1055
Chapter 38: Customizing the Max Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1057
Chapter 39: Using MAXScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087

Part XI: Extending Max with Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1127
Chapter 40: Using Third-Party Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129
Chapter 41: Creating Your Own Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1139
Appendix A: Installing and Configuring 3ds max 4
Appendix B: Max Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . .
Appendix C: Exclusive Bible Plug-Ins . . . . . . .
Appendix D: What’s on the CD-ROM? . . . . . . .
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. . . 1171
. . . 1181
. . . 1195
. . . 1207
CD1-CD12

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1211
Hungry Minds, Inc. End-User License Agreement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1254
CD-ROM Installation Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1256


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3584-6 FM.F

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Page xix

Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Part I: Getting Started with 3ds max 4

1

Quick Start: Animating a Fighter Jet Fly-By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Speed of Jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tutorial: Importing the Jet Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tutorial: Applying Materials to the Jet Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Tutorial: Positioning the Background Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Tutorial: Adding a Building Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Tutorial: Working with Cameras and Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Animating the Jet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Tutorial: Creating an animation path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Tutorial: Assigning a controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Tutorial: Adding a Smoke Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Rendering the Final Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Tutorial: Creating a preview animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Tutorial: Rendering the final animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 1: Exploring the Max Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The Interface Elements . .
Using the Main Toolbar . .
Using the Tab Panel . . . .
Using the Command Panel
Create panel . . . . .
Modify panel . . . .
Hierarchy panel . . .
Motion panel . . . .
Display panel . . . .
Utilities panel . . . .
Using the Menus . . . . . .
The File menu . . . .
The Edit menu . . .
The Tools menu . . .
The Group menu . .
The Views menu . .
The Create menu . .
The Modifiers menu
The Animation menu

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36
37
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
46
48
48
52
54
56
56
59
59
60


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3ds max 4 Bible

The Graph Editors menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Rendering menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Customize menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The MAXScript menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Help menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Additional Interface Controls . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Time Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Time Slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Track Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Learning from the Status Bar and the Prompt Line
MAXScript Listener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interacting with the Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Right-click quadmenus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Floating and docking panels . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding the color cues . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drag-and-drop features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Controlling spinners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modeless and persistent dialog boxes . . . . . . . .

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61
61
62
63
64
65
65

67
67
67
69
69
69
70
71
71
72
72
72

Chapter 2: Working with Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Understanding 3D Space . . . . . . . . . . . .
Orthographic views . . . . . . . . . . .
Perspective view . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Viewport Navigation Controls . . .
Tutorial: Navigating the Active Viewport . . .
Configuring the Viewports . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the viewport rendering method
Altering the Viewport layout . . . . . .
Using Safe Frames . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Adaptive Degradation .
Defining regions . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting System Units . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loading a Viewport Background . . . . . . .
Obtaining Background Images . . . . . . . . .

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75
76
77
77
79
81
82
88
89
91
92
94
94
97

Chapter 3: Working with Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Working with Max Scene Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Saving files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Opening files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Merging files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Archiving files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
File utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Importing and Exporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Importing geometric objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Importing additional formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Exporting geometric objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
The VRML Export bonus tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118


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Contents

Referencing External Objects . . . . . . .
Using XRef Scenes . . . . . . . . . .
Using XRef Objects . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Using an XRef proxy . . .
XRef Objects in the Modifier Stack
Configuring XRef paths . . . . . . .

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Part II: Working With Objects

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119

120
124
126
127
128

131

Chapter 4: Using Primitive Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Creating Primitive Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Create panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Create menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Naming objects and assigning colors . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using different creation methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Keyboard Entry rollout for precise dimensions
Altering object parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Exploring the Platonic solids . . . . . . . . . . .
Primitive Object Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Standard Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Extended Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Chapter 5: Selecting Objects and Setting Object Properties . . . . . 163
Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selection filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Select buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting with the Edit menu . . . . . . .
Selecting multiple objects . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Selecting objects . . . . . . . . .
Locking selection sets . . . . . . . . . . .
Using named selection sets . . . . . . . .
Editing named selections . . . . . . . . .
Selecting by material . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting objects in the Track View . . . .
Selecting objects in the Schematic Views
Setting Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Viewing object information . . . . . . . .
Setting rendering controls . . . . . . . . .
Enabling Motion Blur . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting Display properties . . . . . . . . .
Setting Bone properties . . . . . . . . . .
Using the User-Defined panel . . . . . . .
Hiding and freezing objects . . . . . . . .

Using the Display Floater dialog box . . .
Using the Display panel . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Playing hide and seek . . . . . .

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Chapter 6: Cloning Objects and Creating Object Arrays . . . . . . . 187
Cloning Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Clone command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Shift-clone method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Cloning cows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Understanding Cloning Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with copies, instances, and references . . . . .
Tutorial: Copied, instanced, and referenced teddy bears
Creating Arrays of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linear arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Building a white picket fence . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Filling the survivalist’s pantry . . . . . . . . . .
Circular arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Building a Ferris wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spiral arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Building a spiral staircase . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cloning over Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Snapshot command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Following a mouse through a maze . . . . . . .
Mirroring Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Mirror command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Mirroring an ant character . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spacing Cloned Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Spacing tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Building a roller coaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with a Ring array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Chapter 7: Grouping and Linking Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Working with Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ungrouping objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opening and closing groups . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attaching and detaching objects . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Grouping the fish parts together . . . .
Understanding Parent, Child, and Root Relationships

Building Links Between Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linking objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unlinking objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Creating a solar system . . . . . . . . .
Displaying Links and Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . .
Displaying links in the viewport . . . . . . . . . .
Viewing hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Linked Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linking to dummies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Creating the two-cars-in-a-sphere stunt
Using the Schematic View Window . . . . . . . . . . .
The Schematic View menu . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Schematic View interface . . . . . . . . . . .

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Contents

Working with Schematic View Nodes . . . . . . .
Rearranging nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Node colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Renaming objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing the object color . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copying materials between objects . . . .
Copying and reordering modifiers . . . . .
Tutorial: Building an inverted solar system

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Chapter 8: Transforming Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects . . . . . . .
Moving objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scaling objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transformation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the transform buttons . . . . . . . . . .
Working with the Transform Gizmo . . . . . .

Using the Transform Type-In dialog box . . .
Using status bar coordinate fields . . . . . .
Understanding Transform Managers . . . . . . . .
Understanding coordinate systems . . . . . .
Tutorial: Exploring the coordinate systems .
Using a transform center . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Pivot Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Positioning pivot points . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aligning pivot points . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transform adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Exploring the Transform Centers .
Selecting Axis Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Locking axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inheriting transformations . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Link Inheritance utility . . . . . . .
Practicing Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Re-creating a chess game . . . . . .
Tutorial: Setting the dining room table . . . .
Tutorial: Building a snowman . . . . . . . . .
Using the Align Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aligning objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aligning normals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Creating a string of pearls . . . . . .
Aligning to a view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Building with pipes . . . . . . . . .
Using Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Home Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating and activating new grids . . . . . .
Using AutoGrid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Building a multicolored caterpillar

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Using Snap Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting snap points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting snap options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Creating a lattice for a methane molecule

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Chapter 9: Using Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Working with the Modifier Stack . . . . . . . . . .
Applying modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Renaming modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copying and pasting modifiers . . . . . . .
Reordering the Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Learning the effect of Stack order
Disabling modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Collapsing the Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Collapse utility . . . . . . . . . .
Using Gizmo subobjects . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Transforming a gizmo . . . . . . .
Modifying subobjects . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Configuring modifier sets . . . . . . . . . .
Exploring Modifier Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selection modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Patch/Spline Editing modifiers . . . . . . .
Mesh Editing modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . .
Animation modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . .
UV coordinate modifiers . . . . . . . . . . .
Cache Tool modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Subdivision Surface modifiers . . . . . . . .
Free Form Deformer modifiers . . . . . . .
Parametric Deformer modifiers . . . . . . .
Surface modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NURBS Editing modifiers . . . . . . . . . . .
Other modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
World-Space modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loft Objects versus Surface Tools . . . . . . . . .
Understanding the differences . . . . . . .

Tutorial: Modeling a vacuum hose . . . . .
Using Instanced Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Part III: Modeling

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Chapter 10: Modeling Basics and Miscellaneous Tools . . . . . . . . 319
Parametric versus Non-Parametric . . . . . . . .

Modeling Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying Object Parameters . . . . . . . . . . .
Tutorial: Filling a treasure chest with gems
Adding custom parameters . . . . . . . . .

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