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Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Chapter 1: 3D Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Lesson: 3D Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Lesson: Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 2: Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Lesson: Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Lesson: Modeling Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 3: Materials and Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Lesson: Embellishing your models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Lesson: Surface Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Lesson: Shading Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Lesson: Texture Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Lesson: File Textures and Procedural Textures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Lesson: Mapping Coordinates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Chapter 4: Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Lesson: Camera Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Lesson: Animating Cameras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Lesson: How Light Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Lesson: Light Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Lesson: Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Lesson: Lighting Setups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Lesson: Rendering Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Lesson: Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Lesson: Rendering for Compositing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Lesson: Alternative Renderers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

iii

Chapter 5: Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Lesson: Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Lesson: Animation Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Lesson: Reactive Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Lesson: Animation Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Lesson: Hierarchical Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Lesson: Types of Deformations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Appendix B: Chapter Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Lesson: Review User Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Lesson: Review File I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Lesson: Review Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Lesson: Review Transforming Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Lesson: Review Modifying Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Lesson: Review Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Lesson: Review Materials and Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Lesson: Review Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Lesson: Review Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Lesson: Review Animation Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110Lesson: Review Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Appendix B: Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Lesson: Shrine Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Lesson: LakeHouse Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Lesson: Ocean Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Lesson: Chess Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Appendix C: Additional Support and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Courseware from Autodesk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142Autodesk Services & Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Autodesk Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Autodesk Consulting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Autodesk Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Autodesk Authorized Training Centers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Autodesk Student Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Autodesk Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Autodesk Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Useful Links. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

iv ■ Contents

Introduction

Welcome to the Autodesk® 3ds Max® for Design Visualization Education Curriculum Instructor Guide.

The Instructor Guide is a complement to the 3ds Max for Design Visualization Education Curriculum Student Workbook, and contains additional information for educators to use in their classrooms.

The Instructor Guide contains a series of application-independent concepts that illustrate the laws that govern 3D environments and 3D software. This section is not specific to 3ds Max Design but encompasses information about 3D computer graphics in general.

The Chapter Reviews section is a set of quizzes in the form of multiple-choice and/or True or False questions and answers. Each quiz corresponds to a chapter in the 3ds Max Design Student Workbook. Use these quizzes to test student comprehension.

The projects found in the Projects section provide students with workflow information, rather than step-by-step instructions. Use the Projects section as a way to help your students apply their knowledge, and prepare for real-world projects. They will be able to apply their own style and creativity while working through the projects.

v

vi ■ Introduction

Chapter

1

3D ConceptsChapter 1:

Overview

This chapter includes some basic and useful information related to the 3D industry.

Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

■ Describe the concepts of 3D space■ Describe the usefulness of object transformations

1

3D Space

Every day, you come into contact with three dimensional objects and spaces. You have learned how to recognize and work with three dimensions in your daily routine and have an intuitive feel for how it works. If you have ever drawn a sketch, built a model or sculpted model, you also have a creative feel for how shape and form can be described in 3d. Three-dimensional objects can be measured and quantified. If you have ever measured the length width, and height of an object, you have analyzed its three dimensions. You can also determine an object’s position by measuring it in relation to another object or to a point in space.

Using different 3D modeling and animation packages, you can explore three dimensional objects and recreate them on screen as rendered images complete with light and shadows.

Two DimensionsWhen you measure the width and height of an object, you are analyzing two of its dimensions. The X and Y axes can be used to find points on an object, such as the centre of the wheel or the position of the headlight in this two-dimensional space.

Three DimensionsWhen you measure the length, width, and height of an object, you must consider a third dimension as defined by the Z-axis (or Y-axis, depending on the application in use) when defining point in space.

2 ■ Chapter 1: 3D Concepts

XYZ Space

In most 3D software, space is measured using three axes that are defined as the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. If you imagine looking into a movie screen, the width would be the X-axis, the height would be the Y-axis, and the depth would be the Z-axis. Depending on the 3D software package, the Z-axis and the Y-axis directions may be switched. You can find any point in this 3D world by defining a coordinate for each of the axes. To help you visualize these coordinates, a grid with axis indicators shows you their orientation.

Transformations

When an object is moved, rotated, or scaled, the XYZ axes are used for reference. An object is moved along, rotated around, or scaled along the chosen axis line. Values are stored for each of the three axes.

Y-up and Z-up Worlds

As mentioned earlier, depending on the 3D application in use, the axes representing the height may change from Y to Z. In case of transferring work between different 3D packages, you have to either reorient the model or set up the 3D software in use to accommodate the imported model’s specifications.

The Ground GridTo create a ground surface to reference your work in XYZ, most of 3D applications include a grid that maps out an area of user defined units. In most cases the X and Z axes are on the ground and form the lines of the grid. The Y-axis is the height.

OriginPoints in a 3D coordinate system are measured against an origin point. This point is assigned a value of 0, 0, 0.

Axis indicatorTo help you visualize the three axes, each is given a corresponding RGB color.

3D Space ■ 3

Perspective

When you visualize objects in the real world, you do not usually think about axis lines and 3D coordinates. Instead, you see the world in perspective where lines vanish to the horizon and objects get smaller as they get further away. A perspective view allows you to visualize a 3D space in a way similar to how you view the world through either your eyes or the lens of a camera. Most artists have learned to sketch a 3D scene in perspective or use drafting techniques to create more accurate perspective drawings. In all 3D applications, the 3D perspective is calculated for you based on a camera position and a view angle that you set.

Orthographic Projections

While a perspective view can help you compose a shot, it is not always the ideal method for modeling and animating objects. Therefore, an orthographic view lets you analyze your scene using parallel projections of only two axes at a time. Using this view, you can more accurately determine how an object is positioned. Most 3D animators find themselves using perspective views to compose a shot while orthographic views offer a place to view the scene in a more analytical manner. Both views are crucial to working properly in 3D.

The Complete Picture

The different points of view afforded by orthographic and perspective views let you build and evaluate your models.

Perspective cameraPerspective views are generated by cameras that simulate real world camera attributes. It is possible to set up a number or cameras and then choose your preferred shot later

Top view

Side view


World Space and Local Space

When you build an object in 3D, it is possible to parent one object to another. This creates a hierarchy where the parent object determines the position of the group in world space. The child objects inherit this positioning and combine this with their own local space position. This parent-child relationship is used during the animation of an object where keyframes can be set on both the child and the parent.

Front view Perspective view

World SpaceWhen the whole object moves in world space, child objects such as the handle bar and the wheels move with it.

Local SpaceThe handle bar and the front wheel use an angled axis line to set up the local rotations.

3D Space ■ 5

Transformations

Transformations are changes made to an object’s positions, orientation, and scale in space. The Transform node holds all this information and the Transform manipulators such as the Move, Scale, and Rotate Tools are used to transform an object along the X, Y, and Z axes.

About Manipulators

Manipulators are used to move, scale and rotate objects in orthographic and 3D space. Each of the manipulators uses red, green, and blue color handles matching the colors of the X, Y, Z axes, making it easier to distinguish the direction of the transformation to one, two, or thee axes at a time, allowing for complete control.

1. Move ToolThe move Tool has a handle for each X, Y, and Z axis and a center handle to move relative to the view.

2. Rotate ToolThe Rotate Tool has a ring for the X, Y, and Zaxes. One ring moves relative to the view, and a virtual sphere rotates in all directions.

3. Scale ToolWith the Scale Tool, you can scale non-proportionally in X, Y, or Z. You can also scale proportionally by selecting the center handle.


About Pivot Points and Transformations

Objects are transformed around their pivot point location. This is important to be aware of because the position of your pivot point affects the outcome of your transformations. Whichever 3D software you may use, it will give you a possibility to place your pivot point according to your specific animation needs.

Pivot point is in the wrong location

Objects rotating around a properly positioned pivot point

Transformations ■ 7


Chapter

2

ModelingChapter 2:

Overview

In this chapter, various modeling concepts are discussed.

Objectives


■ Describe different geometry types■ Describe different modeling techniques

9

Geometry

The mathematics of geometry is used by the computer to determine what you see on screen. A 3D application’s interface gives you tools to edit geometry without having to understand the math behind it. In order to build complex scenes, you need to understand how to manipulate geometry and how the geometry will be animated and texture-mapped down the line. A good looking model is only complete when it satisfies the needs of all aspects of the animation process.

About Geometry Types

One of the first decisions you have to make when you start a project is how you are going to build your models. There are four types of geometry: Polygons, NURBS, Subdivision and Bezier surfaces. You can use any geometry type to create either simple or complex models. You can use one geometry type as a starting point for another or you can build models that combine geometry types. In general, if you are building organic shapes, you will probably use NURBS or Subdivision surfaces. They will give you smooth surface and have the fewest control points which make edits to the surface easier. Since NURBS are limited to a four-sided patch, there are limitations to the types of organic shapes you can make from a single surface. This is where it is beneficial to use Subdivision Surfaces because they can represent many more types of shapes with a single surface. If you are building none organic shapes such as a desk, or wall, it is easier to use polygons because they easily make shapes like corners or edges. If you are building a surface that combines hard edges with an organic shape, Subdivision surface work well. In this chapter you will learn more about your options so you can decide on the geometry that best suits the way you want to work.

NURBSNURBS geometry is spline based. The geometry is derived from curves and surface approximated from the surface’s control vertices (points) locations. NURBS allow you to start with curves that are then used to generate surfaces. This workflow offers precise results that can be easily controlled. All NURBS surfaces are four sided patches, although this shape can be altered.

PolygonsPolygons are shapes defined by vertices that create three, four or n-sided shapes. Polygonal objects are made up of many polygons. Polygons can appear flat, when rendered, or the Normal across adjacent faces can be interpolated to appear smooth.

10 ■ Chapter 2: Modeling

Modeling Techniques

Choosing the geometry type that best suits your model will depend on several factors such as how the model is going to be used, how complex the model has to be, whether the model be animated and deformed, and what kind of texture maps will be used. If you are unsure what type of geometry to work with, it is possible to begin with NURBS because it can be converted to polygons or subdivision surfaces later. Polygons, however cannot be converted to NURBS, but can be converted to Subdivision Surfaces.

About Geometry Types

One of the most common ways to create a model is to begin with a primitive shape. This simple shape is then molded or expanded to add more detail. This technique using polygons is frequently used for developing environments and characters for interactive games. NURBS primitives such as spheres and cylinders are commonly used to begin organic modeling of objects such as body parts. A polygon cube is a good place to start a Subdivision model by simply converting it to a Subdivision surface and then begin to extrude.

Subdivision SurfacesTo create objects with Subdivision surfaces, you need some understanding of both NURBS and polygonal modeling. Subdivision surfaces are mostly built using a polygon mesh as a base and then refined. The advantage of using this geometry type is that detail is added only where needed, and it creates smooth surfaces like NURBS but does not have the limitations of being four-sided patches.

PrimitivesPrimitives can be made of NURBS or polygons. All primitives have the option of having different spans and sections.

Modeling Techniques ■ 11

About Curve Networks

For more precise surfaces, a network of curves can be used to control the shape and parameterization of the surface. Surfaces can be created from curves, trim edges or isoparms. For industrial type of modeling, creating a network of curves is essential for smooth and precise surfaces.

Subdivision SurfacesThis model was made initially from a polygon cube. It was manipulated on a face and vertex level, and finally was converted to a Subdivision surface.

NURBS primitivesThis model was created from a NURBS primitive sphere that had several spans and sections in both directions to have sufficient detail.

Curve networkThe thumb was created by using a profile curve for the base of the thumb attached to a motion path. The curve was scaled and deformed at the end of the path to the shape of a thumbnail.


About Symmetry

Most objects in life, whether they are organic or industrial, have symmetry. Modeling only half the object and mirroring it offers an efficient method for completing the entire object. This technique is widely used for industrial design, but can also be used for organic shapes such as heads and bodies. A helpful tip to view a mirrored copy update interactively while you work on one half is to use an Instance duplication with a negative scaling instead of a regular copy.

About Organic Modeling

When the surfacing tools are not sufficient to create the shape you are looking for, direct control point manipulation sometimes is the only solution. Manipulating on such a fine level is an art in itself and demands patience and skill. Selecting the points for manipulation can be the first challenge because it is easy to accidentally select points on the back of the model. Being able to hide unselected CV’s lets you focus on the surface without the clutter, making it easier to change your selection. On NURBS models, when hulls are on, they also offer a good visual clues as to where the CVs are in space.

Modeling Techniques ■ 13

Patch Modeling

This method of modeling requires more planning than the others. This method creates a surface out of many smaller NURBS surfaces that have surface continuity and typically the same number and positioning of isoparms. The planning stage of patch modeling involves deciding where the cutlines are to be positioned and what the parameterization of the surfaces will be.

About Rotoscoping

If the model needs to have exact proportions or is being developed from a sketch, you can import reference images as backdrops and rotoscope (or trace) them. Most 3D applications have objects called Image Planes that can display images or textures. Each image plane is attached to a specific camera, and provides a background or environment for scenes seen through that camera.


Chapter

3

Materials and MappingChapter 3:

Overview

In this chapter, you explore Material concepts in 3D environments as well as Mapping types and strategies.

Objectives


■ Describe different material qualities■ Describe different surface properties■ Describe the characteristics of different shading types■ Describe the different types of texture maps■ Describe the difference between file textures and Procedural textures■ Understand mapping coordinates

15

Embellishing your models

While geometry defines the shape of a model, shading defines how the model’s surfaces react to light and details such as color, transparency, and texture. Most 3D apps use Shading group nodes to tell the renderer which materials, textures, and lights will affect the final look of a surface. Shading networks are made up of nodes that define the final look of a rendered surface. Learning the proper role of each of these nodes will ensure that you build shading networks that render successfully.

About Material Qualities

Before looking at complex shading networks, it is useful to consider the various material qualities that you will be trying to achieve. A basic understanding of how an object is shaded can be translated into attributes on shading network nodes in 3D.

Basic ShadingShading shows you how the surface appears when illuminated. As the light hits a surface, it defines gradation from light to dark that makes the surface’s 3D qualities apparent.

Highlights and ReflectionsAs a surface becomes shinier, it begins to show highlights and reflections. Specular highlights show the hotspots where the light sources are reflected, while reflections simulate light bounced from surrounding objects.

16 ■ Chapter 3: Materials and Mapping

Surface Properties

Materials in the real world react to light by absorbing or reflecting it. Polished surfaces are shiny because they reflect light with strong highlights, while rough surfaces have a softer look because they disperse light. A Material node is a mathematical shading model that simulates a natural reaction to light. The material node contains a number of attributes that let you control how surfaces are shaded. 3D apps include several material types, such as Phong, Blinn, and Anisotropic that each define a different shading model. The Material node acts as a focal point for shading and texturing information. It is then fed into the Shading group node where it is combined with information about lights and the geometry to be rendered.

About Material Qualities

The behavior of light when it strikes a surface in real life is quite complex. Surface imperfections can distort the angle at which light rays are reflected causing them to scatter and can also cause some light to become trapped, or absorbed. This type of scattered reflected light appears soft and even and is known as diffuse light. Very smooth surfaces have little or no surface imperfections so light is not

TransparencyIt is possible to see through transparent areas such as glass on a jar, while opaque areas such as the label, cap, and paint remain solid. Transparent surfaces such as glass can also bend light. This is called refraction and can be achieved in 3D using Raytracing.

Surface ReliefSurface relief, such as bumps and scratches, helps add realistic look to a surface. This effect can be achieved with special textures called bump, normal and displacement maps.

Surface Properties ■ 17

absorbed and reflected light is more coherent or focused. When this light reaches our eyes, we see bright specular highlights. These real world behaviors are simulated in 3D with the diffuse and specular attributes.

Ambient ColorThis attribute creates the effect of even illumination, without requiring a light source. In this image the Ambient color has RGB values of 0.25, 0.25, 0.25 (dark gray) on all objects.

DiffuseDiffuse determines how much light is absorbed and how much is scattered in all directions by surface imperfections. Rougher surfaces tend to have higher Diffuse values while smooth or mirror like surfaces have Diffuse values that approach 0.

Specular HighlightSpecular shading attributes determine the amount of light that is reflected at a consistent angle resulting in an intense bright region called specular highlight. Perfectly smooth surfaces will have very bright tiny highlights because there are no surface imperfections to distort the reflection angle. Rougher surfaces like brushed metals will have a softer highlight.


Shading Types

Several different material types offer you the ability to change the shading characteristics. The main difference between them is how they handle specular highlights when rendered. In the illustrations below, three of the most commonly used shader types are compared. Texture maps on various attributes such as color, bump, and specularity will also have an impact on the appearance of the combined material.

Combined EffectIn real life the proportions of the specularand diffuse components of the total reflected light will vary depending on the characteristics of the surface.

BlinnMany artists use this material type exclusively because it offers high quality specular highlights using attributes such as Eccentricity and Specular Roll off. This material type can be edited to look like a Phong material, which has sharper highlights, in cases where you need better anti-aliasing of highlights during animation. This material is good for glass and metals.

Shading Types ■ 19

Texture Maps

To add extra detail such as bumps, scratches and patterns to your models, you can use texture maps. By applying textures, surface relief can be created using images instead of having to actually build a complex model, and graphic elements such as logos and illustration can be mapped as labels.

PhongThis material adds a sharp highlight to the Lambert material. The size and intensity of the highlights are controlled by the Cosine Power attribute. This material can also have reflections from either an environment map or Raytraced reflections. The Phong material is good for plastics.

AnisotropicThis material type simulates surfaces which have micro-facet grooves and the specular highlight tends to be perpendicular to the direction of the grooves. Materials such as hair, satin, and CDs all have anisotropic highlights. mental ray material types use the anisotropic shader.


About Mapping Attributes

Most attributes on materials, textures, utility nodes, and lights can be texture mapped. However, an output such as outColor, is made up of three channels (RGB). To connect this three-channel output to an input on another node, the input attribute must be a three channel input such as Color, Transparency, or Incandescence. It is easy to see this in the Connection Editor because once you have selected an output; the inputs that you cannot connect to are grayed out.

Color Map (Diffuse)Mapping color allows you to create detail on your surfaces. Color maps can be used for labels as well as natural materials such as wood or brick. A color map is frequently referred to as a diffuse map.

Bump MapA bump map is used to alter the direction of surface Normals when the surface is rendered. This creates the illusion of surface detail.

Specular Map (Glossiness)Mapping Specular Color allows you to vary the highlights on the surface. Adding a stretched noise like texture can produce the effect of a scratched surface. A specular map is also referred to as a glossiness map.

Transparency Map (Cutout or Opacity)When mapping the material’s transparency, the white appears have a value of 0, which means full opacity. The closer to black the value the more transparent the object becomes. A transparency map is synonymous with a cutout or opacity map.

Displacement MapA displacement map is similar to a bump map, except that is applied to the geometry rather than the shading. This creates sharper detail, especially at the edges.

Texture Maps ■ 21

Reflectivity MapMapping Reflectivity lets you specify which areas of a surface are reflective. This is different from Reflected Color, which simulates a reflected environment.

Normal MapIn 3D computer graphics, normal mapping is an application of the technique known as bump mapping. While bump mapping perturbs the existing normal (the way the surface is facing) of a model, normal mapping replaces the normal entirely. Like bump mapping, it is used to add details to shading without using more polygons. But where a bump map is usually calculated based on a single-channel (interpreted as grayscale) image, the source for the normals in normal mapping is usually a multichannel image (that is, channels for “red”, “green” and “blue” as opposed to just a single color) derived from a set of more detailed versions of the objects. The values of each channel (color) usually represent the xyz coordinates of the normal in the point corresponding to that texel.


File Textures and Procedural Textures

When you texture an attribute, you can choose either File Textures or Procedural Textures. File textures are bitmaps scanned from photographs or painted in a 2D or 3D package. Procedural Textures are 2D or 3D plots of mathematical functions where you adjust the attributes to create different looks.

File TexturesA file texture is a bitmap image. These textures can be very realistic if scanned from a photo. File textures can be created as tillable images where the opposing edges of the texture match up. This disguises the fact that it is a repeating texture. In the case of the brick surface, a single texture is used for the whole wall.

Procedural TexturesProcedural texture nodes let you set up attributes for different aspects of the texture. With a grid texture node you can set attributes for the size and color of the bricks. A separate Crater texture gives the surface some detail. The texture is then also mapped to the material node as a mump map. The luminance of the texture is used as the bump values.

File Textures and Procedural Textures ■ 23

About Tileable Textures

While Procedural Textures are tileable by default, File Textures have to be carefully set up if you want to use them as repeatable tiles. For a seamless look, you need to make sure that the edges match properly and that there are no definite patterns created by darker areas of the texture. Using a photograph taken of a brick wall, you can use an image editing program to create a tileable texture.

Step 1A square section of the original photo was cropped out. It was also color corrected to create a lighter texture.

Step 2The texture was tested in a repeating pattern. You can see how even though the texture appears ready for tiling a definite pattern is visible.

Step 3In Adobe Photoshop, the image was offset by half its value. This put the seam in the middle where you can see it.


Step 4Using the Rubber Stamp tool the lighter bricks were used to fix the darker areas where tiling problems were most apparent.

Step 5A test of this texture shows a repeating pattern that works seamlessly. Only with close scrutiny can you begin to see some repeating pattern in the texture.

File Textures and Procedural Textures ■ 25

Mapping Coordinates

Mapping coordinates specify the placement, orientation, and scale of a map on the geometry. Coordinates are often specified in terms of U, V, and W, where U is the horizontal dimension, V is the vertical dimension, and W is the optional third dimension, representing depth.

About Projection Map Types

There are several ways to place mapping coordinates on an object in order to put a 2D texture on its surface. The more common ones are shown here being used to map a simple checker texture to a common object for comparison. You would generally choose a projection type that matches the shape of your objects. The design of your texture will also be affected by this choice.

PlanarThis projection type maps the texture onto objects using a single direction. It can cause stretching where surface Normals are parallel to the icon (gismo).

CylindricalThis projection type maps the texture from a cylindrical shell. The texture will show a seam at the back unless it’s tillable.


SphericalThis projection type maps the texture from a spherical shell. The texture pinches at the poles of the icon and will show a seam at the back unless it’s tillable.

CubicThis projection type maps the texture from the center of a cubic shell in all its directions. The texture will appear bigger on objects further from the icon (gismo).

Mapping Coordinates ■ 27


Chapter

4

RenderingChapter 4:

Overview

In this chapter, Cameras are discussed in terms of their importance to tell a story. Also discussed is CG Lighting and its importance in 3D environments.

Objectives


■ Describe the effect of different camera lenses on the image■ Describe methods of animating a camera■ Describe how light behaves in the real and digital world■ Describe the use of the different light types■ Describe the different types of shadows in the digital world■ Describe different lighting setups■ Describe elements to consider when rendering scenes■ Describe techniques in optimizing rendering workflow■ Describe techniques used in rendering for compositing■ Describe the difference between using basic and an alternative renderer

29

Camera Lenses

The way you position your camera and set up your lens has a big effect on the composition of a shot. Whether the camera is sitting still or being animated, you must understand the choices you can make to enhance the cinematic qualities of the shot. By going beyond the default values, you can begin working like a real-life cinematographer.

About Camera Lenses

When you frame a shot, you must choose how far the camera is from the scene and which angle-of-view or Focal Length to use. These decisions will change how the objects in the foreground, mid-ground, and background relate visually, which, in turn, affects the framing. Learning to use different focal lengths is an important part of driving a CG camera to get the shot you need.

Normal Lens: 50mm lengthThis lens is closest to the human eye. Using it as a starting point, you can explore how changes in Focal Length and distance create different relationships between foreground and background elements.

Wide Angle Lens: 28mm focal lengthThe wide angle lens offers a stronger sense of perspective. You can get close and still see a wide area of the scene, which can be helpful in an interior space. Moving objects appear to move very fast.

Telephoto Lens: 100 mm focal lengthThis lens tightens the perspective. You see less of the scene and can focus on a particular area. Since the depth is flattened, distance is harder to read. Moving objects appear to move slowly.

30 ■ Chapter 4: Rendering

Animating Cameras

Animating the camera is a great way to add a sense of motion to your animation. This means that you can use traditional camera moves such as tracks and dollys to focus on a character and enhance the 3D qualities of your scene, or your camera can fly around in a less controlled manner. In 3D you can animate the camera using its Transform node, which is useful but not as intuitive as aiming the camera at a locator or creating a two-node camera which lets you control the eye point and look at point of the camera separately.

About Zooming and Dollying

When you want to animate the camera getting closer or farther away from the scene, you can choose between zooming, by changing the camera’s Focal Length, or dollying the whole camera. These two approaches yield quit different result and it is a good idea to explore each technique.

ZoomChanging the camera’s Focal Length creates a zoom effect. All parts of the scene get bigger equally, which results in a static relationship between elements in the foreground, mid-ground, and background. Our eyes cannot make this kind of view change.

DollyChanging the camera’s position with a dolly gives you a stronger sense of the space. Objects pass by the frame, creating a more dramatic movement through space. This is the approach used most often with real-life cameras. This is how our eyes would get closer to an object.

Animating Cameras ■ 31

About Cameras on Motion Paths

In cases where you know the path you want your camera to take, a path animation can be used. You can choose to assign a one-, two-, or three-node camera to the path and you can use multiple paths for even more control. If you want to have your camera go around a roller coaster loop, be sure to use a three-node camera and send the Up-vector node down its own path that is offset from the eye’s path. This will keep the camera from flipping at the top of the loop.

How Light Works

Light affects the way in which we see the world around us. Light defines the shape and form of objects and spaces, while at the same time, it works at an emotional level by setting mood and atmosphere. Learning to control light is an important 3D skill. Cinematographers use light to illuminate the objects in the scene while supporting the scene’s emotional context. The quality of the light in a digital shot is equally important, although the rules are different.

About Real World vs. Digital World

In the real world, light bounces. Light starts from a light source such as the sun or a lamp and is either bounced or absorbed by all surfaces. An object appears red because the green and blue light is absorbed while the red light is reflected. A cinematographer sets up lights, and then measures the light levels, which include both direct and indirect light. This information is used to adjust the exposure settings of the camera.

One NodeTo place a one-node camera on a motion path, you must make sure the Front Axis is Z and Inverse Front is turned on. This will aim it correctly down the path.

Two NodesWith a two-node camera, you can have a three eye point and look at point on different paths. You can now control the camera’s tracking using these two curves.


In 3D, surfaces are illuminated directly by lights. Light does not automatically bounce from surface to surface. With basic renderers and lighting algorithms bounced light must be simulated through the use of additional lights. Advanced lighting calculations (radiosity), and renderers like mental ray calculate bounced light and provide a more realistic lighting with fewer lights. Advanced lighting and alternative renderers will take longer to calculate rendered images and animations.

In The Real WorldThe films exposure to light is controlled by the camera. Light is emitted from a source with a controllable intensity. Direct light is hard, while light bounced from another surface is softer. Light Levels are measured using a light meter to determine the proper exposure settings for the camera. Camera controls such as F-stop, shutter angle, exposure time, and film speed are set to control how much light is exposed to the film.

In 3DWith basic renderers simulating a bounced light in 3D, you would need to use a secondary light.

With Advanced Lighting or mental ray bounced light can be calculated. Exposure controls arealso available to adjust the image brightness and contrast.

How Light Works ■ 33

Light Types

There are several types of lights in 3D, each of which illuminates a scene differently. A typical scene combines a number of different light types.

SpotSpotlights emit light that radiates from a point within a limited cone angle. You can use this cone angle to limit the area receiving light.

DirectionalDirectional lights use parallel rays of light to illuminate a scene. Shading is very uniform without any hotspots. These rays are similar to the light of the sun, which hits the earth with parallel rays.

PointPoint lights emit light in all directions, radiating from a single point. This creates an effect similar to a light bulb. This light creates subtle shading effects with definite hot spots.


In addition to the above light types there are specialized light types and light systems.

Skylight is a light type which produces an enhanced and controllable ambient light. Light Portals are special light types which allow you to control light passing through an opening.

Light systems are typically for sunlight; they can contain multiple lights and are often linked to geographic calculators so you can calculate the sunlight at a point on earth at a certain time of day and year.

Shadows

One of the most dramatic aspects of lighting is in the area where there is no light. Shadows add drama to your scene while helping to anchor characters and props top the ground. If your character leaps into the air, you know what is happening because the shadow and the character no longer touch each other. In 3D there are many factors that affect the look and quality of your shadows. You can choose from Depth Map (also referred to as Shadow Maps) and Raytraced shadows which offer different levels

AreaArea lights emit light using a two-dimensional area. The area light’s icon can be used to help define the light’s direction and intensity. A larger area light has a stronger intensity.

AmbientAmbient lights emit light uniformly in all directions. Bump maps are not visible with ambient light alone.

Shadows ■ 35

of quality and speed. Sometimes light attributes, such as cone Angle will affect your shadows and be taken into account. The more you know about how shadows are cast, the easier it will be to adjust the appropriate attributes.

About Depth Map Shadows

Depth map shadows (Shadow Maps) are the more effective of the two shadow types. Depth Map shadows work by recording the z-depth information from the light’s point of view, then using this information to evaluate whether or not a point in your scene is in shadow. When rendering starts, a Depth Map is created from the light’s POV that measures how far the various objects are from the light. White is used to show surface points closest to the light, while the various shades of gray show a greater distance from the light. When a point on a surface is being shaded during the rendering process, the distance is measured between the point and the light source. This measurement is then compared to the depth information stored in the Depth Map. If the points distance is greater than the distance stored in the Depth Map the point is in shadow. If the point is in shadow the light’s illumination does not contribute to the shading.

Default RenderingsHere are two shots of a scene. The first does not use shadows and the second one does. You can see how the scooter in the second image is much more grounded, and it is easier to read the scene’s depth. While shadows do require extra work when you set up a scene, they are well worth the effort.


About Raytraced Shadows

To calculate Raytraced shadows, the 3D application that you are using sends a ray from the camera and when this ray hits a surface, it spawns another ray towards the light. This shadow ray reports whether or not it hits any shadow casting objects on its way to the light. If it does hit a shadow casting object, then the original surface is in shadow. Raytraced shadows have the disadvantage of being slower to render than Depth Map shadows. However, depending on the look you are interested in, there are several reasons why you would use Raytraced shadows in your scene. These include transparent shadows, colored transparent shadows and shadow attenuation.

Default RenderingsUsing the default settings built into a spotlight, the Raytrace rendering offers a sharper shadow than the Depth Map shadows. Rendering time is longer for the Raytraced scooter.

Soft ShadowsBy tweaking the Depth Map shadows attributes you can see much better results. Using Light Radius and Shadow Rays to soften the Raytraced shadows you can see how the rendering took even longer.

Shadows ■ 37

About Transparent Shadows

When casting shadows from transparent objects, Depth Map shadows do not take in account the transparent qualities of a surface, while Raytraced shadows do. This may be a deciding factor when it comes to choosing which technique you will use to cast shadows.

About Shadow Attenuation

Be default, raytraced shadows look more accurate and crisp than Depth Map shadows. This can result in an undesirable computer-generated look in most cases. To avoid this, the shadows can be softened using a combination of non-zero Light Radius and Shadow Rays greater than 1. These controls are found in the Raytrace Shadow Attributes section of the Attribute Editor for a light. The biggest difference between a Raytraced soft shadow and a Depth Map shadow is that a Depth Map shadow is evenly soft around its edges. By contrast a Raytraced shadow will dissipate or attenuate with distance from the shadow casting object. This can be slow to render but often used to create beautiful looking shadows in still renders.

Depth Map ShadowsWhen a Depth Map is generated at the start of a render, it does not take transparency into account. For this reason, the shadow generated by a depth Map will appear solid.

Raytraced ShadowsRaytraced shadows are computed during the rendering process. Therefore, the transparency of the object is taken into account. As a result, Raytraced shadows clearly represent the details of a transparent or transparency mapped object.

Depth Map Soft ShadowsThe light’s Dmap Filter value affects the softness of a Depth Map shadow.

Raytraced Soft ShadowsLight Radius and Shadow Rays define the softness of a Raytraced shadow.


Lighting Setups

Setting up lighting involves a combination of several elements. The direction of the light, how many lights you use, and the properties of each light all contribute to the illumination of a scene. In many cases, you are attempting to create lighting that either mimics real-world lighting or studio/movie set lighting.

On the Importance of Light Placement

The way an object is shaded helps define its shape and form. This shading is dependent on the placement and quality of the lighting. You can in fact use light to sculpt and object by controlling the way its shading and shadows work together. First you must learn how to place lights so they enhance the form of your objects. If you set up a single light, you can see how its placement affects the look of an object. If you than add a second light, you can begin to set up more complex lighting.

The light is hitting the objects directly from above. The spherical shapes appear cut in half, while the rectangular shapes are only defined on one of their faces.

The light is hitting all the surfaces equally. The rectangular objects are receiving equal illumination on all faces. This makes it hard to read the shape. The object’s shadow is also hidden.

Lighting Setups ■ 39

The light is hitting each surface at a different angle. Now the faces are clearly defined with distinct levels of illumination. The drawer’s shape is more clearly defined by this shading.

With multiple lights and different intensities, you get a more subtle sculpting of the form. Illumination appears less like stage lighting with the addition of ambient lighting.


About Basic Lighting

In animation, basic character illumination can be accomplished with two or three lights. The key light is the main light that illuminates the scene, emphasizes the character and helps establish mood. Secondary lights are used to fill the dark areas. Sometimes, back lights are used to make sure a character stands out from its surroundings. This basic lighting set up works well and, in most cases, you only require extra lights from background objects.

Key LightingThe key light is the most intense light aimed at the character. In a complex scene there may be several key lights focusing the audience on different parts of the set. This light is the hardest light in the scene and should have strong shadows.

Fill LightingThe fill light is designed to lighten the shadow areas of the scene. This light is placed on the opposite side of the character. It’s a soft light that may or may not cast shadows. Ambient and area lights work well as fill lights because the offer a more even illumination.

Lighting Setups ■ 41

About Outdoor Lighting

For daytime outdoor lighting your key light is the sun. A directional light is a good choice for this light because it has parallel rays. In a real outdoor scene, light will bounce, which illuminates all the surfaces a little. Some low intensity directional lights pointing up from the ground can help create this effect. Shadows are sharp and clear during sunny parts of the day, while cloudy or twilight portions of the day create less pronounced shadows. On a cloudy day you have less definition in the shading as the light is very diffuse. Advanced Lighting and advanced renders like mental ray help to greatly facilitate exterior lighting setups. mental ray provides a specialized version of a daylighting system which allows you to adjust intensities and color for direct and ambient light. In addition indirect illumination can be easily calculated with the mental ray renderer.

Background and special LightingTo illuminate a set you often need to add lights that illuminate the background surfaces, but that do not take away from the main character. One approach is to use light linking to help you design the character lighting and the set lighting separately.

Sunny DayWith basic renders, a sunny day scene requires a strong directional light with several low intensity directional lights pointing up from the ground to mimic bounced light. Ambient light is also used to simulate bounced, diffuse light. With advanced renders this scene can be illuminated from a single light source or system.


Rendering Scenes

Rendering is where all of the work in setting up the model, textures, lights, cameras, and effects comes together into a final sequence of images. In very simple terms, rendering is the creation of pixels that are given different colors in order to form a complete image. A render involves a large number of complex calculations that can keep your computer busy for quite a while. The key at this stage in the animation process is to find a way of getting the best image quality and the fastest render times as that you can meet your deadlines.

About Render Output

Based on your post-production requirements, your final rendered image or sequence of images will need to suit the medium you are outputting it to. These image properties, such as size, format, and frame padding, are set from the Render Global Window. The image Formats pop up list allows you to specify the format you need your rendered frames to be in. The pop-up Camera list allows you to choose which camera will be used in the Batch render. It is possible to render from more than one camera in a Batch render. The render Resolution refers to the dimensions of a rendered frame in pixels.

About Animation Formats

Most 3D apps let you render directly to AVI or QuickTime movies. While this may be convenient, you might also consider rendering in one of the other formats that creates separate images so that you have more flexibility. Post production applications such as Adobe After Effects or Maya Fusion allow you to create a movie from the images after any adjustments have been made.

Optimization

As you work on the shading, texturing, and lighting phases of your production, you will go through many iterations and tests before ultimately rendering the final animation. Along the way there are several things to keep in mind to achieve optimal render times. These optimizations can take a few minutes to set up but can save huge amounts of time in your final render. For example, consider that 10 minutes of video requires 18,000 rendered frames. Reducing your render time by 1 minute a frame you will amount to saving 300 hours of render time.

About Batch Rendering

To render your animation, you can use Batch renderers, which are typically launched inside the 3D application’s interface or from a command line. Using Batch Render, you can generally specify the camera, anti-aliasing quality, resolution, etc.

About Interactive Rendering

IPR stands for Interactive Photorealistic Rendering. It is an interactive multi-threaded tool for tuning lights, shaders, textures, and 2D motion blur with immediate feedback in the Render View window. It also lets you tune depth map shadows without having to re-render the entire image. IPR is designed

Rendering Scenes ■ 43

to help you quickly accomplish 90 percent of your tuning. It is not used for final render images because it does not support Raytracing or production quality Anti-aliasing in order to keep the rendering interactive.

Rendering for Compositing

Many 3D artists choose to render their productions in multiple layers and/or passes that are later combined and finished through compositing. Compositing is the process of merging multiple images into one image to create a final look. A common misconception is that compositing is only used by large production houses where there are many 3D artists. However, smaller houses and individual artists can also benefit from the flexibility and advantages offered by compositing. While it is true that rendering scene elements separately may require more time initially, it is well worth the effort when you consider that each layer can be manipulated with color corrections, blurs, and other effects as they are brought together for compositing. You can also increase your creative possibilities by generating effects that are faster and more flexible in 2D such as depth of field and glow or achieve effects that are not possible with the renderer such as blurred reflections or shadows. Another key advantage of compositing is that if the director suddenly asks for the stone to be a brick wall instead, you only need to re-render the layer containing the wall. This flexibility can save significant amounts of time and allow the director more freedom to finesse the final look of the production. Compositing offers even more opportunities; you can add hardware rendered particle effects, combine 3d objects with live-action footage, and save render time by only rendering a single background frame for scenes where the camera does not move.


About Matte Opacity for Black Holes

The images below show what the compositing stage will look like with the images of the helmet, liner, and goggles. In the first example, the alpha channels for each image do not have any information about the other objects in the scene. For this reason, the compositing application won’t know which part of which object goes in front or behind the other objects. Generally, you can use the 3D application’s matte Opacity features to resolve this. Careful planning and use result in images with cutout regions that will composite correctly as shown in the middle image below. Sometimes it is also possible to solve this type of problem using a z-depth channel in compositing applications with depth-compositing capabilities.

About Rendering Reflections and Shadows

Many of today’s 3D applications provide a way to create custom reflections and shadow passes. This involves the creation of render elements which act as shadow and/or reflection catchers. To create the following image, various RGB and alpha render passes were created. In the compositing phase, the alpha channels can be blurred, lightened, darkened, etc. to control the final look of the shadows. The reflection pass shows the reflections in the RGB image and a white mask in the alpha channel. In some cases, the alpha channel would not be used in the final composite because reflections are normally

The Role of the Alpha ChannelThe alpha channel, sometimes called a Mask or Matte channels, contains information about the opacity of objects in an image. The images to the right show the alpha channel for the helmet, liner and goggles. You can see that where the helmet’s visor is semi-transparent, the alpha channel is gray, and where the goggles lenses are transparent, the alpha channel is black. The opaque regions of the objects are white. These grayscale values are used by the compositing application to combine the image later.

Rendering for Compositing ■ 45

added to the background image. However, if the background image is a light or white color the Alpha channel is needed.

Alternative Renderers

Most 3D sophisticated rendering and animation software offer the ability to use an alternative rendering engine through a plugin architecture. One of the most common of these is mental ray, although some individuals prefer others like VRay, Brazil, Maxwell, or Final Render. Whatever the choice, each one of these renderers offer unique and advanced rendering tools.

Lighting

In mental ray several specialized objects and tools exist to help you illuminate your scenes. In mental ray there are several light types which are optimized to work directly with mental ray. In addition, a daylighting system and portals are designed to simulate exterior light and light entering a space through an opening respectively.

mental ray also contains a number of tools to enhance lighting in a scene. Indirect illumination can be turned on and simulate bounced light making dark shadowed areas lighter. Caustics allow you to simulate the concentration of light when reflected or refracted.


Materials

When you switch to the rendered to mental ray, you will note specific materials which work with the renderer. These materials are optimized for mental ray and produce spectacular results. Many of the other 3D applications in the Autodesk® suite of products also use mental ray as a renderer. Materials which are created in one product transfer to other products seamlessly.

Alternative Renderers ■ 47


Chapter

5

AnimationChapter 5:

Overview

In this chapter, various animation concepts are discussed from basic keyframing to more advanced techniques.

Objectives


■ Describe the importance of time in animation■ Describe some animation techniques■ Describe the characteristics of reactive animation■ Describe what animation curves are and how to edit them■ Describe hierarchical animation■ Understand deformations

49

Time

About Time in Animation

In the world of 3D animation, time is the fourth dimension. An object will appear animated if it moves, rotates, or changes shape from one point in time to another. Therefore, learning how time works is crucial to the animation process.

Both live action and animation use either film or video to capture motion. Both media formats use a series of still images that appear animated when played back as a sequence. Film and video images are often referred to as Frames and most animation is measured using frames as the main unit of time. The relationship between these frames and real time differ depending on whether you are working with video, film, or other digital media.

Frames per Second

Playback

When you preview your animations, you will often use interactive playback. The playback speed will depend on the settings you set up in your application. Simple scenes play back faster and complex scenes play back slower. Real time playback is mostly used for game animations. Sometimes the character or object you are animating might have a very complex rigging system which makes it very hard to evaluate the motion in real time. When that happens, there are different possibilities offered by the 3D applications in use. Things like simplified render sequences without any texturing or lighting, or selective display of animated parts are some of the options that animators have at their disposal in order to achieve the necessary quality of motion in their animations.

Frames can be played back at different speeds that are measured in frames per second (FPS). This is known as the Frame rate and it is used to set the timing of an animation. The frame rate is required to output animation to film or video, and to synchronize that animation with sound and live action footage. There is an option to set a frame rate in most 3D applications. 24 frames per second is the most common frame rate used in film. If you have a background in animation, confirm your time units to ensure you set keys properly. Because seconds are the base unit of time, it is possible to set key at 24 FPS, than change your frame rate to 30 FPS. This will scale the timing of your animation to match the timing as measured in seconds.

Game = 15 FPSFilm = 24 FPSVideo (PAL) = 25 FPSVideo (NTSC) = 30 FPSShow = 48 FPSVideo (PAL) Field = 50 FPSVideo (NTSC) Field = 60 FPS

50 ■ Chapter 5: Animation

How Objects Are Animated Using Keyframes

Keyframe animation is created by capturing values for attributes such as translation or rotation at key points in time. An animation curve is than drawn between the keys that defines or interpolates where the object attribute would be at all the in-between frames. Animation curves can be viewed as a graph where time is mapped to one axis and the animated attribute is mapped to another. Virtually every attribute can be animated in this manner. The way in which you set keys and control the in-between motion determines the quality of an animation. As scenes become more complex, you will learn to create control attributes that can drive the motion of different parts of your scene to help simplify the process of setting keys.

Setting KeysWhen you know that your object or character needs to be at a certain place at a certain time, you can create poses out of a number of keys set for different parts of the character.

Mapping against TimeTwo keyframes are mapped against time, than an animation curve interpolates the motion between keys. The shape of the curve determines the quality of the animation.

Time ■ 51

Animation Techniques

When you animate, you bring to life otherwise static and motionless objects. You take aspects of the object such as its position, size, shape, and color and change these over time. If these changes are set properly, you create motion that instills character and life in the object. There is a number of ways to animate an object in 3D. Using a bouncing ball as a common example, it is possible to explore the different animation techniques available in various 3d applications. In a real project, you will most often combine several of these techniques to achieve the best results.

About Setting Keys

Setting keys or keyframing is the most fundamental technique for animating in 3D on a computer. This technique involves recording attribute values as keys for one or more objects at particular points in time. As you set multiple keys, you can play back the scene to see your object animated. Setting key gives you a great deal of control over timing. When you animate using keys, you generate animation

In-BetweenThe position of objects or different parts of a character in between the two keyframes is determined by the shape of the animation curve.

Pivot PointsYou animate objects based on a single point called the pivot point. The pivot for the whole character would lie on the ground at its feet, while the pivot for the arm would be at its shoulder. The position of the pivot sets the center of the axes for rotating or scaling objects in your scene.


curves that plot the key values against time. These curves are great tools for analyzing and editing the motion of an object. Other animation techniques are usually combined with some keyframing. Most animation you do in 3D will involve some form of setting keys.

Path Animation

Path animation involves attaching the object to a curve where points on the path are used to determine where the object will be at particular points in time. It is easy to understand the way an object moves around in 3D space through a path, since its curve clearly depicts where the object is going. When you animate with keyframes, you are focused on setting up poses for your objects at different points in time. With path animation, you use a curve to control the motion of your object. Using the curve’s shape as your guide, you can plan the path of your object. Your object can then be animated along the curve using motion path features such as Follow and Bank to control the object’s rotation.

Keying AttributesBy setting keys on attributes at different times, you define the motion of an object.For example, Translate X is keyed at the beginning and end of the bounceTranslate Y is keyed with an up and down motion that is fast near the ground and slow near the peak of the bounce.

Secondary Motion Rotate Z defines the rolling of the ball; scaling of the ball is used to indicate its impact with the ground.

Method 1A curve is used to represent the path of a bouncing ball. This method lets you describe the path of the bounce by shaping the curve, but timing the bounce requires the setting of several motion path keys to lock down the motion.

Animation Techniques ■ 53

About Motion Paths

To set up a path animation, start by drawing a curve. Next, depending on the specifics of the 3D application in use, you will attach the object to the curve. This places the object on the curve and uses position markers to indicate where the start and end of the motion will be. When you attach to a path, there are attributes that get created that you can work with for added control. By default, your object will simply move along the path. There are a number of options available for motion paths that let you control rotation and timing along the curve.

Method 2Here, a curve is used to replace the horizontal translation of the ball while the vertical translation, rotation, and scaling are keyed normally. This method is ideal if you want to animate the ball bouncing along a curved path, which might suit a cartoon-style bounce.

Local Axis and Pivot PointThe local axis and pivot point of an object play an important part in path animation. The pivot point determines which point is placed directly on the path and the local axis is used to determine the object’s orientation relative to the path.

Path CurvePaths are curves drawn in 3D space. The direction of this curve determines the start and end of the path animation.

FollowFollow rotates the object around its axis perpendicular to the path.

BankAs an object turns corners; Bank sets how much it will rotate around the curve in response to turns in the curve.


Reactive Animation

The term Reactive animation is not one that you will find in most 3D applications. It is used to describe a number of different tools that all serve the same basic purpose. These tools all set up situations where one or more objects react to the animation of other objects. This idea of cause and effect can be seen every day. When you open up a refrigerator, its lights turn on, when the wheels of a car rotate the car moves forward, or when you raise your arm, your clavicle bone rotates. By applying reactive animation techniques, you can create these kinds of relationships.

Direct Connections/Wiring

Depending on the software you use, you will have some type of graphs that represent the connection between object attributes. In most cases, these connections get generated automatically, but you may want to build your own, in order to support a specific animation.

Set Driven Keys

Set Driven Key is another reactive animation tool. It enables you to choose one object attribute to drive the value of another. The driver attribute and the driven attributes are mapped to an animation curve that can be shaped and refined in its appropriated editing menu. These curves limit the motion and define the quality of the motion. Set Driven Key lets you build high-level control attributes. You can add new attributes to the root node of an object, than use these to drive one or more attributes lower down the object’s hierarchy, or even on other objects altogether. In the end, setting keys on the driver object will result in a change on the driven object.

Rotation Wiring In this example, the vertical rotation of the front tire is linked to the local rotation of the steering wheel. As the steering wheel rotates, the front tire turns accordingly.

Step 1: Set a KeyAfter setting a key on the driver attribute (the first bone on the index finger), the driver attribute and the driven attribute (the next bone in line) are now mapped together. Think of the driver as replacing time in the animation curve.

Reactive Animation ■ 55

Working with Constraints

Constraints offer a way of controlling transform attributes on objects. There are a number of constraint types and each offers a different method of controlling an object. The key advantage of this technique over a direct connection is that you can constrain an object to more than one target object. The weighting of these targets can then be adjusted or animated to shift the constraint from one target to another. This is a very powerful tool for controlling objects and characters.

Step 2: Set more KeysUpdate the driver’s value first and then the driven attributes values. Set another key. Repeat this for as many driver values as you need to define your motion.

Constrained ObjectThis is the object that you want to control. Since some constraint types affect an object’s orientation, be sure to check the local axes to help you set aiming, or up axes in the constraint options.

Target objectsIt is possible to select one or more targets for your object. You can choose to add all the targets at once or you can add them later. Once a target is set up, you can use its transformations to control the constrained object.

Aim ConstraintOnce the aim constraint is applied, the constrained object is oriented to point at the targets based on a defined aim axis. If there is more than one target, than the object will attempt to aim at all of them based on their weighting.


Working with Expressions

In case where the connection you need between attributes must follow a more complex relationship, an expression will often solve the problem. Using mathematical equations or embedded scripts, expressions let you define the value of an attribute, or how two or more attributes work together.

Rigid Body Dynamics

Using various 3D packages you can recreate the effect of real world forces using dynamic simulations. These simulations are used to calculate an object’s transformations based on forces such as gravity and turbulence. This approach can offer a more natural-looking motion than setting keys, and can yield a few surprises that wouldn’t happen if you were controlling every aspect of an animation. Another situation in which dynamic simulation is useful is when you have too many objects to animate individually with conventional keyframing, especially when these objects collide.

VectorsFor some constraints, you must set vectors for the up or aiming of your object. These should be defined based on object’s local axes. To aim this spotlight you would need to use its negative Z axis.

Weighted ConstraintsThe constraint creates a nod for each of the targets. You can adjust or animate the target weights to create different results. Be sure not to set a targets weight to 0 unless another target is available.

Rotating WheelHere the rotation of the wheel is driven by an expression that uses forward motion of a vehicle and divides it by the circumference of the wheel. The equation can be built from the fact that the circumference is 2 x Π x radius.

Reactive Animation ■ 57

Animating Rigid Bodies

To use dynamic simulations on objects, your objects must first become either active or passive rigid bodies. This designation tells your 3D application to include the objects in a simulation. The motion of a rigid body is defined by the various forces that are applied to it. Collisions can also play a key role in the resulting simulation.

Dynamic ConstraintA dynamic constraint creates limits for your active objects. For example, you could use a hinge so that the object can only rotate around a single axis at the hinge pivot.

Fields/ForcesA Field is a force that influences the motion of your active rigid bodies. A Field must be assigned to an active rigid body for it to have any effect.

Passive Rigid BodiesA passive rigid body is not affected by forces and will not react to collisions. Instead, active rigid bodies can collide with it.


Animation Curves

When attributes are keyed, their values are mapped against time. All the keys for a single attribute are joined into an animation curve, or the value of attributes in between the keys. The slope of the curve determines the attribute’s speed. Thus, to control the quality of the motion, you must tweak and edit your curve.

Graph/Curve Editor

There is a tool available to you in most 3D packages for manipulating the shape and timing of animation curves. It’s called the Curve Editor or the Graph Editor. You can edit the timing and basic tangent types in the Time Slider or the Dope Sheet, but the Graph editor is the best place to view the animation curve’s shape and use tangents to edit that shape. Once you have a better understanding of how the curve shapes work, the Time Slider and the Dope Sheet will be easier to work with.

Active Rigid BodiesAn active rigid body is affected by forces and reacts to collisions with other rigid bodies. These are the objects you want to animate using the simulation.

NormalsAlways make sure your surface Normals are pointing outward to tell the Dynamics solver which part of a surface should be used for collisions.

Animation Curves ■ 59

Loading Objects

By default, your selected objects are loaded into the Graph Editor. From the List menu, you can choose to load objects manually. This makes it possible to keep an object loaded in this window even if is not selected. Active characters are always displayed in this window.

OutlinerLoaded objects are shown n the Graph Editor’s Outliner. You can than expand the different nodes to view the attributes that have been keyed.

StatsThe values of each key can be viewed and edited here. If you select multiple keys, editing the stats will give all the keys the same time or value.

TangentsThere are several different tangent types, and each key on a curve can have its tangency set individually. Tangents can also be broken, allowing for different tangents in-to and out-of a key. Tangents can be manipulated interactively by the user through the use of Tangent Handles, to refine the shape of the curve.


About Curve Tangents

While keys define the location of points and an animation curve, curve tangents define the curve’s shape and determine what the curves look like between the keys. You can assign curve tangents to the whole animation curve or you can set them on a key-by-key basis. You can also set the tangents in-to and out-to key tangents by assigning different tangent types to each. You can assign tangent types to your keys in the Graph Editor, Dope Sheet and Time line. The Graph Editor offers the best view of the results. After you have used the other tangent options to set up the curve, you can use the Fixed tangent setting to ensure the tangents don’t change if you move the keys around.

SplineWith this tangent, the in and out tangents of the keys are aligned to create a smooth transition along the curve resulting in a more organic motion.

LinearThis tangent has no tangency at the keys and the motion is linear between keys. This results in a very mechanical motion.

ClampedThis option uses linear tangents when the values between keys are similar or the same, and Spline tangents when the values between keys are different.

SteppedThis tangent goes flat out from the key until it hits the next key and which point it immediately changes value. This results in a jerky motion. It is used for on/off attributes.

Animation Curves ■ 61

Hierarchical Animation

When you models in 3D, they are often built of many pieces, each represented by its own Transform node in the scene hierarchy. To help you organize these parts and for others to understand your models, you can build up hierarchies using grouped Transform nodes. These hierarchies also play an important part in how you animate. For example, if you were to group together all the parts of a door (handle, hinges, wood) you could set the pivot point of the root node of the hierarchy at the location of the door’s hinges. Then, you could animate the door opening and closing by rotating around this pivot point. If this door is grouped or parented to an Airplane node, then as the plane flies in the sky, the door will move without losing its ability to open and close.

FlatThis tangent is flat at the keys, but the curve is smooth between them. It is useful for ease-in and ease-out motion where an objectaccelerates into motion than decelerates to a stop.

Pre-and-Post-InfinityThis type of tangent is particularly useful if you want to cycle you animation. This repeating animation will run no matter what the time range is set to.


Building a Hierarchy

To build up a hierarchy, you need parent and child relationships between different Transform nodes. You can accomplish this by either parenting or grouping nodes.

ParentingParenting makes one object the “child” of another. The child inherits the motion of the parent transform.

GroupingIf you group two objects, you make them children of a third node that has its own pivot point. Transforming this node affects both children.

Local Axis and Pivot PointEach Transform node in a hierarchy has its own pivot point and its own local axis. The pivot point defines the center of rotating and scaling animation, while the local axis defines the orientation. By setting up different nodes in your hierarchy with different pivot points and local axes, you can establish very sophisticated mechanics for the objects you animate.

Hierarchical Animation ■ 63

Types of Deformations

About Deforming Objects

Many objects in our 3D world are able to change their shape—a soft chair gives as someone sits in it, a rubber ball squashes and stretches as it hits the ground, human skin bends as the elbow rotates. To achieve these kinds of effects in 3D, surfaces have to be able to have their shape animated. This means animating the positions of control points instead of simply translating and rotating the object.

In 3D, there are a number of ways to change or deform the shape of an object. These deformers can be used to help you model surfaces or animate organic forms. While there are a set of tools, called deformers, there are other tools that change the shape of objects. By becoming familiar with all these techniques, you can best decide which one can be used in your work.

DeformersMost 3D apps have a category of tools called deformers that either perform a specific type of surface deformation such as twist or bend, or make the process of deforming an easier in some way. For example a lattice is a cage-like manipulator made of a small number of lattice points. Each lattice point controls several control points in a specified region of the surface. Moving one lattice point can affect many control points on the surface that would be difficult to select and move individually.

Simulated DeformationsThere are features in 3D for simulating properties of clothing and soft dynamic moving materials, like curtains, flames and flags. A soft body is a geometry object whose control points are controlled by particles and dynamic fields such as turbulence and gravity.


CV and Vertex EditsThe most rudimentary method of deforming a curve or geometry is to select component level control points and translate, rotate, or scale them. This is useful when you need to move a surface point to a specific location.

Skeleton ChainsA skeleton chain consists of joint nodes that are connected visually by bone icons. Skeleton chains are a continuous hierarchy of joint nodes that are parented to each other. You can group or bind geometry (skin) to these join hierarchies. You can than animate the joints (usually by rotating them) and the geometry will be animated. Binding geometry to a skeleton causes the geometry to be deformed as the skeleton is animated. For example you could rotate a neck joint and the geometry around the neck joint would rotate as well.

Types of Deformations ■ 65

MorphsMorphing is commonly used for lip sync and facial expression on a 3D character, but can be used to change the shape of any 3D model. On a mesh object, vertex count on the base object and targets must be the same. On a patch or NURBS object, the Morpher modifier works on control points only. This means that the resolution of patches or NURBS surfaces can be increased on the base object to increase detail at render time.


Appendix

B

Chapter Reviews Appendix B:

67

Review User Interface

By default, 3ds Max® and 3ds Max Design open with four equal-sized viewports displayed in the UI. You can change this layout in:

❏ The Help menu

❏ The Viewport Configuration dialog

❏ The Preferences dialog

❏ You can’t change the layout in 3ds Max

Answer: The Viewport Configuration dialog

The welcome screen gives you the opportunity to review essential skills by playing back short movie clips.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The size of the viewports can be easily adjusted by clicking the line between the viewports, and then dragging it to another point in the viewport area.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

68 ■ Appendix B: Chapter Reviews

You cannot change the default four equal-sized viewports displayed in the UI (User Interface) with the Viewport Configuration dialog.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

You can scroll a toolbar by positioning the mouse cursor over an empty area of the toolbar.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

To change a viewport display, you can choose abbreviations: P for Perspective, L for Left, T for Top, and F for Front.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

When you right-click a viewport label, a menu appears. This menu contains a number of commands for controlling the viewports.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Review User Interface ■ 69

Which of the following is not a viewport shading mode?

❏ Smooth + Highlights

❏ Wireframe

❏ Hidden Line

❏ Ghost

Answer: Ghost

The command panels are organized in a hierarchical fashion, with six panels, activated by clicking tabs at the top of a panel.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Which of the following are options found in the 3D Geometry category?

❏ Standard primitives

❏ Extended primitives

❏ Compound Objects

❏ All of the above

Answer: All of the above


The Modify panel controls let you modify the base parameters of objects or change them using modifiers.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The File Open and File Save dialogs look similar, and have the ability to display thumbnails.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Time Slider, Track Bar, and Timeline are features used for animations.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The playback area controls do not let you play your animations live in the viewports.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Review User Interface ■ 71

Review File I/O

There is absolutely no difference between File New and File Reset. You can use either one equally well in any situation.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

The Open Recent list can have this many entries:

❏ 3

❏ 9

❏ 30

❏ 50

❏ 99

Answer: 50

When you need to save scene geometry to a separate file, you use the Save Copy As function.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


The File > Save function is the only Save command that doesn’t open a dialog box.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

File > Merge only works with files with the extension .max.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

You should use the Bind option as soon as you have linked a DWG™ file to 3ds Max or 3ds Max Design.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

The File Link Manager always brings all the data from the CAD file. You have no way of filtering the data that you need.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Review File I/O ■ 73

Review Getting Started

When you set a custom UI, it remains current until you change it again through the Custom UI & Defaults Switcher dialog.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Grid Settings are fixed and cannot be changed.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

The location of a pivot point is usually not chosen by default.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

The pivot point is the point

❏ which is unaffected by any operation

❏ about which an object’s transformations occur

❏ which can never be moved

❏ about which grid spacing appears

Answer: about which an object’s transformations occur


When you create an object, the initial orientation of the object is determined by

❏ Z-axis always

❏ the viewport where the object is created

❏ its pivot

❏ Grid Spacing

Answer: the viewport where the object is created.

Grid spacing is the number of units between grid lines.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: TrueWhen you create an object, a standard practice is to switch from the Create panel to the Modify panel before making changes to the object’s parameters.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

If the face count of a geometry is too high,

❏ lighting calculations take longer

❏ it takes more memory to open a scene or render it

❏ it affects the smoothness of real time rendering



Review Getting Started ■ 75

In 3ds Max, you can animate numeric values, such as the Radius and Height of a cylinder.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Holding down the Ctrl key while you drag a selection region does not add all objects in the selection region.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

When the Selection Lock Toggle button is turned on, you cannot add or remove objects from the current selection until:

❏ other objects are locked

❏ any prior selection is cancelled

❏ you turn off the button to unlock the selection

❏ you drag a selection

Answer: you turn off the button to unlock the selection

When the Select tool is active and you click an object, you select that object. Any prior selection is cancelled.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


When you select an object and then choose Isolate Selection from the Tools menu, only the selected object remains visible in the viewport.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Hiding an object removes it temporarily from the

❏ clipboard

❏ render scene

❏ selection window/crossing

❏ viewport display

Answer: viewport display

When you choose one of the items in the Selection Filter list, all other object types are unavailable for selection in the viewports.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Creating a selection set enables you to select a collection of objects quickly and easily.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Review Getting Started ■ 77

When you attach objects,

❏ they become part of a different selection set

❏ they become hidden

❏ they become part of a different file

❏ they lose their independence and become part of a single object

Answer: they lose their independence and become part of a single object

A group is a single object that you select with a single click. Objects within a closed group behave as if they were one object.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


Review Transforming Objects

The results you obtain, when you rotate objects, depend greatly on the location of the point you rotate about and the axis of rotation.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

3ds Max and 3ds Max Design provide the following command(s) for scaling objects:

❏ Select and Uniform scale

❏ Select and Non-uniform scale

❏ Scale and Squash



When using the Move tool, if you drag one of the three axes in the gizmo, movement is constrained to that direction.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Review Transforming Objects ■ 79

The Transform Center flyout allows you to set the mode for selection center and the transform coordinate center.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

By default, scaling never uses the pivot point of the object as a base point.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

The World coordinate system is based on the XYZ axes in the application’s workspace, where XY plane is the ground plane and the Z axis is perpendicular to this plane.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The Local coordinate system is based on

❏ the XY axes in the 3ds Max workspace

❏ the XYZ axes in the 3ds Max workspace

❏ the coordinate system of the object being transformed

❏ None of the above

Answer: the coordinate system of the object being transformed


The Pick Coordinate System is so called because it allows you to pick another object to use as a transform center.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

If Grid Points snapping is on when you create a box, each point of the base lands on a grid intersection, and height is restricted to the grid spacing.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

It is impossible for Angle Snap to limit rotation increments to a fixed number of degrees.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

If you turn on Vertex snapping, you can position new geometry accurately

❏ using Grid Points

❏ the vertices of existing geometry in the scene

❏ using faces of existing geometry

❏ using Pivot point of existing geometry

Answer: the vertices of existing geometry in the scene.


The Align Tool lets you line up a selected object, called the source object, with the position of a target object.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Quick Align works on the position of the two objects’ pivot points.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

When you use Align to reposition an object in XYZ, you can use one of four different alignment options:

❏ Minimum, Maximum

❏ Center

❏ Pivot Point

❏ Any of the Above

Answer: Any of the Above

The behavior of cloned objects when modified does not differ regardless of which clone option is chosen.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


The Make Unique tool found on the Modify panel

❏ converts an instance or reference to a copy

❏ highlights your geometry

❏ creates reference objects

❏ creates a unique link between objects

Answer: converts an instance or reference to a copy

When you choose to instance objects as you clone them, all the objects are linked together. Any change to one is reflected in the others.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The Clone and Align tool lets you distribute source objects to a selection of destination objects.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The Array tool makes multiple clones of objects in the X, Y, or Z direction.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


The Mirror transform takes an object and

❏ creates a reference of a geometry

❏ creates multiple objects along a spline object

❏ makes multiple clones of objects in the X, Y, or Z direction

❏ creates a symmetrical object along a mirror plane

Answer: creates a symmetrical object along a mirror plane


Review Modifying Objects

In the modify tab of the command panel, the modifier stack combines the modifiers, “stacking” them one on top of the other.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

As with objects, you can rename modifiers.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

When you copy and paste modifiers through the right-click menu, you can:

❏ paste an independent copy of the modifier

❏ paste an instanced duplicate of the modifier

❏ paste either a regular independent copy or an instanced duplicate of the modifier

❏ change the visibility icons for modifiers

Answer: paste either a regular independent copy or an instanced duplicate of the modifier

Review Modifying Objects ■ 85

When you want to change a modifier in the modifier stack, you don’t need to return to that level in the stack.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Next to each modifier is a small light bulb icon for controlling the visibility of the effect of a modifier on an object in the viewport.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

If you find that a modifier is not in the proper position, you can simply move it to the right level by dragging it in the modifier stack.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Modifiers are added on top of each other, and the current modifier acts on the result of all evaluated modifiers before it.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


The Free Form Deformation (FFD) modifier family lets you change object shapes to produce organic forms.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

How many modifiers can be used to change and animate geometry?

❏ It is impossible to use modifiers in order to change and animate geometry

❏ Several

❏ Only two

❏ Not more than one

Answer: Several

In order to introduce irregularity to your geometry, the following modifier should be applied:

❏ Bend

❏ Noise

❏ Twist

❏ Shell

Answer: Noise

Review Modifying Objects ■ 87

To convert a geometric object to a base object type, you can use the quad menu or the modifier stack right-click menu.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Editable Spline is the basic object type for Shape elements, such as lines, circles, and rectangles.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The process of converting an object and all its modifiers to a single object is called collapsing the stack.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


Review Modeling

The Wall object is parametric and you can easily convert an existing 2D spline into a 3D wall object.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

There are no advantages to using 3ds Max’s doors & windows, you could just as easily import them from a CAD application.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Foliage objects looked good when rendered but one has to be careful with the amount of faces/polygons they add to the scene.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

A Boolean union combines two or more separate volumes, removes excess faces and creates correct edges where the volumes intersect.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Review Modeling ■ 89

Which of the following operations are possible when creating boolean objects?

❏ Subtraction, Intersection and Scatter

❏ Subtraction, Intersection and Union

❏ Lathe, Intersection, Union and Merge

❏ Subtraction, Deformation, Union and Merge

Answer: Subtraction, Intersection and Union

When using ProBoolean operations, once you have chose an operand type, it cannot be changed.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

When you want to change the ProBoolean operation, you must select the operand in the history list, change the operation type, and then click the

❏ Multiple Selections button

❏ Left button on your mouse

❏ GeoSphere button

❏ Change Operation button

Answer: Change Operation button


A shape is typically a 2D object.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

A vertex type can be made into any of the following:

❏ Bezier Corner, Segment, Corner, and Smooth

❏ Bezier Corner, Bezier, Corner, and Turbo

❏ Bezier Corner, Bezier, Corner, and Smooth

❏ Bezier is the only type applicable to a vertex

Answer: Bezier Corner, Bezier, Corner, and SmoothWhen creating shapes with a Bezier vertex type, straight segments are created.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


The Interpolation rollout contains an Adaptive check box, which

❏ removes shape steps where they’re unnecessary, usually on curved segments

❏ controls the distribution of shape steps. It removes steps in linear segments and distributes steps in curved segments based on the angle of the curve

❏ converts a Line into polygonal geometry

❏ adds an Adaptive Modifier to a shape

Answer: Controls the distribution of shape steps. It removes steps in linear segments and distributes steps in curved segments based on the angle of the curve

Regardless of how you create a shape, you can convert it to an editable spline at any time.

❏ True

❏ FalseAnswer: True

The Edit Spline Modifier, found in Modifier List, enables you to edit the base object with ease, using the same workflow as the editable spline base object.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


A shape is a collection of one or more splines.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

A spline must first be selected before you can detach it from a shape.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

After selecting a shape and accessing the Spline sub-object level, you can use the Mirror tool found on the

❏ Surface Properties rollout

❏ Outline dialog

❏ Detach menu

❏ Geometry rollout

Answer: Geometry rollout

It is impossible to connect two vertices with the Connect tool by clicking and dragging from one open vertex to another.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


The Refine tool at the Segment or Vertex sub-object level provides a quick way of adding vertices to add detail to the shape.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

When you weld vertices, two or more vertices are combined into a single vertex, reducing the number of vertices.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

On an open spline, the first vertex has to be in the middle.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

An angled straight line segment between 2 segments can be created by:

❏ it is not possible to create this effect

❏ detaching splines

❏ filleting the vertices

❏ chamfering the vertices

Answer: chamfering the vertices


The Extrude modifier enables you to take an open or closed 2D shape and create a 3D object by providing a height to the shape.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The Lathe modifier uses exclusively the Z-axis for its revolution.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

A Loft object is a compound object that uses existing shapes to generate 3D geometry.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

A Loft can use only one shape along the path.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


The Skin Parameters rollout enables you to control

❏ the number of faces used in the creation of Lofts

❏ the number of Pivot Points used in the creation of Lofts

❏ the number of the First Vertexes used in the creation of Lofts

❏ the quality of a Bezier vertex

Answer: the number of faces used in the creation of Lofts


Review Materials and Mapping

The Material Editor dialog consists of the following sections:

❏ The menu bar

❏ The sample slots, the toolbars

❏ The material type and name



You can view additional slots in three ways:

❏ Pan the slots window

❏ Use the scroll bars at the side and bottom of the sample windows

❏ Increase the number of visible windows

❏ Any of the above

Answer: Any of the above

Commonly used options are shown on the vertical toolbar to the right of the sample slots are:

❏ Sample Type flyout

❏ Background

❏ Options and Material/Map Navigator



Review Materials and Mapping ■ 97

When you assign a material to an object in a scene, the material sample slot appears with small triangles in each corner.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Each ProMaterial is a version of the Arch and Design material, optimized for a particular material application.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

A Multi Sub-Object Material

❏ is most useful when you want to apply one material to several separate objects

❏ allows you to assign different materials to different surfaces of one object

❏ is a material that can be only used with mental ray

❏ can only be assigned at the element level

Answer: Allows you to assign different materials to different surfaces of one object


When using mental ray it is preferable to use Arch & Design or ProMaterials instead of Architectural materials.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

When you assign materials to objects you cannot assign materials to more than one object at a time.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

A texture is the distinctive physical composition of an element with respect to the appearance and feel of its surface.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

When you create materials you can use image maps and procedural maps to create textures for an object.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


To achieve a look of a realistic material, most of the time is necessary to combine more than one texture.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The Maps rollout does not provide access to all map channels.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

What is a specular color map?

❏ A map that determines the visible surface of an object

❏ A map that creates illusion of sunken and raised portions of a surface by setting a positive or negative value in the amount area

❏ A map that is used to create reflective materials, such as mirrors, chrome, shiny plastic, etc

❏ A map that determines that color of the specular highlight on a material

Answer: A map that determines that color of the specular highlight on a material

Bump maps do not create the illusion of sunken and raised portions of a surface by setting a positive or negative value in the amount area.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


The Cutout map (also referred to as an opacity or transparency map) can be used to simulate complex 2D geometry on a flat plane.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

To globally activate or deactivate all maps simultaneously, you can find such options in

❏ the Views pull-down menu

❏ the Render window

❏ the Material / Map Browser

❏ the Material / Map Navigator

Answer: the Views pull-down menu

When all Maps are activated, the scene is more difficult to render, because processing slows down based on the quality of the graphics card.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

When all maps are deactivated, the maps are still visible in the viewport, but invisible in a render window.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


You use the UVW Map modifier to control mapping coordinates on objects.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Planar mapping applies the UVW coordinates as a cylinder projected onto an object.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


Review Cameras

The Target camera has an associated object called a target, which acts as a focal point to the camera.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

A Free camera has an associated target and can look only in one direction.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

The camera type you use in a given situation depends largely on

❏ the size of your focal point

❏ the dependency between your Target camera and Free Camera

❏ the quality of your video card

❏ the action taking place and the camera shot you are trying to capture

Answer: the action taking place and the camera shot you are trying to capture

Review Cameras ■ 103

A two-point perspective has two vanishing points and all vertical lines run vertical to one another.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

You have to right-click the camera to choose Camera Correction Modifier from the quad menu, in order to correct the perspective distortion in a two-point perspective.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


Review Lights

The standard lights you use most often are Omni, Spot, and Systems.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Attenuation is a process of a light’s intensity diminishing with distance.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: TruePhotometric Lights always attenuate using the Inverse Square format.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

You can turn off the area light calculations on omni or spot mr lights to speed up render time.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Review Lights ■ 105

Which Shadows are not very accurate and do not take an object’s transparency or translucency into account?

❏ Advanced ray traced shadows

❏ Shadow Maps

❏ Ray-Traced Shadows


Answer: Shadow Maps.

The Light Lister, found in the Tools menu, is a dialog that lets you control a number of features for each light.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

A sunlight system and a daylight system are created exactly the same way in the viewport.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Both the sunlight and the daylight systems are based on a direct light and are not compatible with any other light type.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


The only way to simulate bouncing light in 3ds Max is to use an advanced lighting system such as radiosity or mental ray.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Color bleed is the color effect a surface has on another nearby surface.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Ambient Occlusion was originally developed by Autodesk® for 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Which settings allow you to obtain indirect illumination with the mental ray render?

❏ Final Gather

❏ Color Bleed

❏ Light Lister

❏ Scene States

Answer: Final Gather


Ambient Occlusion is a lighting technique which calculates shadows based on objects which are in close proximity to one another.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Color Bleed is an effect obtained by light bouncing off a surface and tinting adjacent objects with color.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

mental ray is a rendering engine that was specifically written for 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Even though the Arch & Design material is optimized for mental ray, you can still use it with the scanline renderer.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


A fast way to save different scene conditions with various lighting, etc. is to use the Scene States function.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


Review Animation Basics

A Keyframe is a value recorded on an object at a specific frame.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

The principle of ease in / ease out (also known as cushioning), is the art of accelerating and decelerating an object, so its motion does not look too mechanical.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

There are two types of Track View: the Curve Editor and the Dope Sheet.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Almost all motion in real life is linear.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False


Review Rendering

When you render a scene, you can output

❏ to JPG format only

❏ a still image or an animation

❏ an animation but not a still image

❏ a still image but not an animation

Answer: a still image or an animation

It is impossible to save your image if you render a single frame.

❏ True

❏ FalseAnswer: False

The Manage Scene States can be accessed by right-clicking in the viewport and choosing Manage Scene States from the quad menu.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True

Batch render can be chosen from the Customize menu.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: False

Review Rendering ■ 111

With Batch Render, you can render your scene from different points of view based on different cameras in the scene.

❏ True

❏ False

Answer: True


Appendix

B

ProjectsAppendix B:

113

Shrine Project

In this project you’ll create a detailed shrine. Although this could be completed in a variety of ways you are encouraged to make extensive use of the ProBoolean tool and Bevel Profile modifier.

The starting file includes most of the shapes required for the job. Typically you’ll be using Bevel Profile to convert the shapes to geometry and then ProBoolean to join them into a single object. After modeling you’ll create and apply a material, merge in extra scene elements, apply an environment map and then render the scene.

Project Submitted by: Autodesk M&E

114 ■ Appendix B: Projects

Getting Familiar with the Starting File

Open Shrine.max. The file contains many shapes which form the basis for the model. Towards the right side of the front viewport are the molding profiles. The location of the profiles is adjacent to where that molding exists on the finished shrine.

Have a look in the Layer manager. The shapes are organized into layers whose names indicate the element of shrine geometry they relate to. As you work through the project set the layer visibility to help isolate the shapes you’re working with.

The first few steps of this project will be provided to get you started. As you work through repeat the pattern of creating geometry from a shape, and then combining that geometry with ProBoolean.

Shrine Project ■ 115

Starting the Shrine

Use the Extrude modifier to extrude the base rectangle 3.5 meters.

Creating the Vault

Use the Bevel profile modifier on the circle to define the shape of the vault.


Apply ProBoolean to the Shrine (the box shape), and then subtract the volume for the vault.

Creating the Triangular Panels

Create the triangular shapes near the top of the vault by making the triangular moldings and subtracting them from the shrine.


Creating the Vault Molding

To create the Vault Molding you’ll need an arc defined by the intersection of the spherical and cylindrical portions of the vault. There are a few ways to obtain this, one is to apply a temporary edit poly modifier to the shrine and extract the arc. The arc is shown out of position in the following image for clarity.

When you obtain the arc outline it and use it as the basis for a Bevel Profile.

When you finish the Vault molding don’t forget to combine it to the main shrine.


Creating the Recessed Frame

In this section you’ll create the recessed frame that runs around the vault opening.

The recess can be made by forming a U shape that you can subtract from the vault.

You may have to change the order of ProBoolean operations so that the horizontal molding you added earlier isn’t affected by the recessed frame.


Creating the Columns

The column requires several steps to create. Remember to set layer visibility to isolate the shapes you’ll be working with.

When the column is complete copy it to the other side and then union it with the Shrine.


Create Horizontal Moldings

Create the two Horizontal Moldings and union them to the Shrine.

Creating the Text

Create some text between the horizontal moldings by extruding text and subtracting it from the vault.


Building the Roof

The roof is formed using the shapes on the roof layer.

Extrude the outer perimeter to the front molding line and the inner one about half that distance.

Create the molding around the roof.


Sweep the same profile along the front roof molding curve.

When the roof components are complete combine them to a single object, and then union it to the Shrine.

Add Material and Extras

If necessary add a Smooth modifier to clean up the geometry and then apply a material to the completed shrine.

Create a few extra objects around the shrine to add some interest. Also have a look in Extras.max. It has several objects that you can readily merge into your shrine file.

Add an Environment Background

Add the image Sky-Sunset.jpg as an environment map. The image is designed for spherical mapping with a V axis tiling value of 2 and offset of 0.25.


Render the scene to view the result.


LakeHouse Project

In this project you’ll prepare and render a scene with a house situated on a lake. You’ll be starting with a file containing the house along with some terrain. This house has been exported from Autodesk Revit® as a .dwg file and then imported to 3ds Max®. You’ll add a few materials and then supplement the scene by creating some rocks along the edge of the lake and adjusting the terrain. Next you’ll add a daylight system and animate the time of day. The scene will then be rendered to illustrate the changing shadows through the day. Finally you’ll set up some lighting within the interior of the home and render a night time scene.

Modeling

Starting with a new file create a Geosphere about 400mm diameter. Use the Noise modifier and squash transform to create a rock.

LakeHouse Project ■ 125

Texturing

Create a new Arch & Design material using Rock.jpg as the diffuse color bitmap. Adjust the main material parameters so that it looks similar to the following.

Save the file as Rock.max.

Adding a Material to the Roof

Open the file LakeHouse.max. The house has had most materials applied already but you need to add a material to the roof.

Use the supplied bitmap GrayConcrete.jpg to create the roof material.


Adjusting the Terrain

The Terrain is an Editable Poly object. A very useful feature of this object type is the built in Paint Deformation, which is accessible in the Modifier panel. Use the Paint Deformation Push/Pull tool to deform the terrain adjacent to the lake and give it a bit more interest.

Placing and Cloning the Rocks

Merge in the file Rock.max you created earlier. Position and copy it to several positions along the water’s edge.

Make changes to the Geospheres and their modifiers to make them distinct from one another.


Adding Foliage

Use the AEC Extended Foliage tool to add a Scotch Pine to the area on the right side of the house.

Adding a Daylight System

Create a daylight system in the scene. Set the geographic location and north direction so that the sun would follow a trajectory similar to that shown between the indicated times in the following plan view of the home.


Animating

Animate the Daylight system time from sunrise to sunset over a range of 300 frames.

Render the Animation

Create a camera directed toward the front of the house and render the 300 frame animation to an .avi file.

Create a Night Scene

Create omni lights in each of the rooms adjacent to the balcony.

Adjust the Daylight system time to a point just beyond sunset and render the scene.


Ocean Project

In this project you will create a scene representing the ocean floor. You will use modeling and material creation techniques that yield a natural look. You will also merge an existing lighting file to provide volume light and caustic effects appropriate for this environment.

Creating the Ocean Floor

Start with the file Ocean.max.

The bottom of the ocean can be created with a simple flat plane to which you add a noise modifier. Remember to include enough divisions in the plane object so that it curves nicely. Also always remember to give objects names that make sense, for example, Floor Or Ocean Floor.



If you convert the object to an editable poly, you can tweak further more by using the Paint Deformation tool.

Smooth the result with the TurboSmooth modifier.

Ocean Project ■ 131

Creating the Rocks

Create a rock starting with a geosphere, add a noise modifier, and then scale it on one axis. Name the object Rock01.

Create a distribution of rocks over the ocean floor. You can achieve this by cloning the first rock and adjusting one or more of the following: Sphere radius, Noise modifier seed and strength values, scale transformation amount.

Create a selection set of the rock distribution when complete. This will be helpful when adding materials later in the project.


Add a Complex Rock Formation

Use a Torus with a FFD and Noise modifier to create a complex rock formation.

Name the object ComplexRock01, and then clone it to other positions on the ocean floor. Make a few changes to the modifiers on the clones to help distinguish them from one other.


Merge the Lights

A lighting system has been created for this scene. Merge in all the lights from the file OceanLights.max.

Adding Materials

Create and apply a Blend material to the ocean floor. Use the Sand.jpg bitmap in the diffuse channel of one sub material and Rock.jpg in the other.


Apply a VertexPaint modifier to the ocean floor and use it to paint a random pattern.

Apply a Vertex Color map to the Blend materials Mask channel to define where the sand and rock materials appear on the ocean floor.


Create a second Blend material for the rocks. This material will use Moss.jpg for the second sub material’s diffuse map, and a noise map for the blend Mask. The noise map will use its default black and white colors to randomize the blending of the two textures.

Apply this new Blend material to all the rocks in the scene.


Adding the Volume Lights

Some atmosphere effects have been added to the scene to simulate light reflecting off particles within the water. These effects simply have to be associated with scene lights to take effect. Follow these steps to activate the volume lighting.

1. Open the Environment dialog.

2. Highlight Volume Light Caustic in the Effects list.

3. Click Pick Light.

4. Press H to open the Select Dialog.

5. Select Direct Light 1, Direct Light 2, Direct Light 3 and click Pick.

6. Highlight Volume Light Back within the Effects list.

7. Click Pick Light.

8. Press H to open the Select Dialog.

9. Select Direct Light 4 and click Pick.

10. Render the Scene.


Chess Project

In this project you’ll animate the movement of a pawn, rook and chess timer. Before you get started preview the video Chess.avi to get an idea of the animation timing.

Animating the Pawn

Use the file Chess.max as the basis for your animation.

The pawn jumps between squares and stretches/shrinks on takeoff and landing. Use the combination of the Stretch modifier and transform animation to create the animation.

The pawn, whose pivot is centered on its base, should follow a trajectory similar to that shown below.



In preparation for the first jump the pawn squashes and expands. Note that this happens before the pawn leaves the board.

Similarly when the pawn lands it squashes and expands for the next jump.

Animating the Rook

View the video Rook.avi. This has been slowed down by 10 times and shows the rook’s response to the pawn in a detailed manner. First is recognition, then panic and finally flight. Stretch, twist and bend modifiers can be used in conjunction with transform animation to obtain the motion.

Chess Project ■ 139

Animating the Clock

Animate the Needle rotation on the right clock face. It should rotate approximately 10 degrees every 5 frames.


Appendix

C

Additional Support and ResourcesAppendix C:

A variety of resources are available to help you get the most from Autodesk® software:

■ Courseware from Autodesk (AOTC, AATC)■ Autodesk Services and Support■ Autodesk Subscription■ Autodesk Consulting■ Autodesk Partners■ Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATC®) ■ Autodesk Student Community■ Autodesk Certification■ Autodesk Store■ Useful links

141

Courseware from Autodesk

Autodesk publishes dozens of courseware titles every year designed to help users at all levels of expertise improve their productivity with Autodesk software.

Courseware from Autodesk is the preferred classroom training material for Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATC) and Resellers. The same training materials are also well-suited for self-paced, standalone learning.

Autodesk offers two brands of Courseware:

Autodesk Official Training Courseware (AOTC) is developed by Autodesk for hands-on learning covering the most important software features and functionality.

Autodesk Authorized Training Courseware (AATC) is created in cooperation with leading Autodesk partners, and includes a growing number of local-language titles.

Experience Real-world, Hands-on Learning

Students simulate real-world projects and work through hands-on, job-related exercises. Most titles include a trial version of the software.

Reaching All Levels

Autodesk has courseware titles to fit a wide range of skill levels. Beginners, advanced users, and those looking for transitioning and migration materials will find a title that fits their needs:

■ Essentials titles teach the basics.■ Transition titles help smooth the way of upgrades and migrations.■ Advanced titles focus on advanced skills to improve productivity.■ Solution Series apply a process-based approach to real-world projects.

Role-specific Learning Paths

Autodesk Courseware fits into a wide range of role-based Learning Paths so you can focus your training on skills and certifications that are most important to your job—and career. Within each Learning Path, you’ll find a series of courses that follow a natural progression and build on each other, delivering a powerful synergy of both theory and practical skills. Like a roadmap, each Learning Path provides you with a clear and effective route to your career destination.

To embark on your personal learning path, talk with your local Autodesk Authorized Training Center www.autodesk.com/atc. An ATC instructor can lead you through the steps to improve your product knowledge and map the way to gaining Autodesk Certification www.autodesk.com/certification.

Available for Most Autodesk Products

■ AutoCAD® Architecture ■ Autodesk® Vault■ AutoCAD® MEP ■ AutoCAD®■ Revit® Architecture ■ AutoCAD LT®■ Revit® MEP ■ AutoCAD® Raster Design■ Revit® Structure ■ AutoCAD® Map 3D

142 ■ Appendix C: Additional Support and Resources

Digital Site Licenses

Delivering training for a large number of students? A Courseware Digital Site License enables you to print courseware yourself to flexibly meet your training schedules and enrollment levels. Contact your Autodesk Reseller or inquire directly with Autodesk by emailing [email protected] for more information.

Finding Courseware

Courseware can be found in training classes offered by Autodesk Authorized Training Centers, Autodesk Resellers, or may be purchased directly from the Autodesk Store (store.autodesk.com).To find up-to-date information on the latest official Autodesk courseware titles, visit www.autodesk.com/aotc and browse the Courseware Catalog for titles and topics.

Feedback Encouraged

If you have comments, suggestions for future titles, or general inquiries about Autodesk courseware, please email [email protected]. We value your feedback!

Autodesk Services & Support

Accelerate return on investment and optimize productivity with innovative purchase methods, companion products, consulting services, support, and training from Autodesk and Autodesk authorized partners. Designed to get you up to speed and keep you ahead of the competition, these tools help you make the most of your software purchase—no matter what industry you’re in. To learn more, visit www.autodesk.com/servicesandsupport.

Knowledge Base

Search the support database for answers, hot fixes, tips, and service packs. Access the knowledge base from the main Autodesk Services & Support page at www.autodesk.com/servicesandsupport.

Contact a Reseller

Get in touch with a reseller near you for information on product support programs that fit your needs. Find a reseller near you with our reseller locator at www.autodesk.com/reseller.

Discussion Groups

Ask questions and share information in peer-to-peer forums. For more information visit the Discussion Groups area at www.autodesk.com/discussion.

■ AutoCAD® Civil 3D® ■ Autodesk® MapGuide® Studio■ AutoCAD® Land Desktop ■ Autodesk® MapGuide® Enterprise■ AutoCAD® Electrical ■ Autodesk® VIZ■ AutoCAD® Mechanical ■ Autodesk® 3ds Max®■ Autodesk® Inventor®

(not a stand-alone product)

■ Autodesk® Maya®

■ Autodesk® Inventor® Professional ■ Autodesk® NavisWorks®■ Autodesk® Productstream®

Appendix C: Additional Support and Resources ■ 143

Autodesk Subscription

Get the benefits of increased productivity, predictable budgeting, and simplified license management with Autodesk® Subscription. Customers get the latest release of Autodesk software by electronic download or physical shipment, incremental product enhancements, and exclusive license terms that are available only to Subscription members. A range of community resources, including web support direct from Autodesk technical experts and self-paced training to extend user skills, make Autodesk Subscription the best way to optimize the Autodesk software investment.

■ Autodesk Subscription offers a way to make software costs predictable. Whether a customer opts for a one-year subscription or a multiyear contract, the costs are known for the entire term of the contract.

■ Autodesk Subscription makes managing software licenses easier. Customers have added flexibility to allow their employees to use their Subscription software—in the office or at home. Better yet, designers are entitled to run previous versions of the software concurrently with the latest release under certain conditions.

■ Get what you need to stay productive. With web support you get direct, one-to-one communication with Autodesk support technicians for answers to your installation, configuration, and troubleshooting questions. Web and email communications deliver support straight to your desktop.

■ e-Learning lessons give customers a quick and easy way to learn about the features and functionality of most current products and previous versions. Choose from a range of online tutorials by logging into Subscription Center or by accessing e-Learning directly from most products via the InfoCenter. These short lessons are available on demand and complement more in-depth training provided through Autodesk Authorized Training Centers or Autodesk Authorized Resellers.

■ For more information visit www.autodesk.com/subscription.

Autodesk Consulting

Accelerate your return on investment with Autodesk Consulting. Offering a comprehensive range of business consulting services, Autodesk Consulting can help you identify your business needs, recommend the right Autodesk® and partner products and services, and help you configure and implement the optimal solution. For more information please visit www.autodesk.com/consulting.

Autodesk Partners

Developer Center

The Developer Center was created for software developers seeking proven tools, technologies and support to create competitive advantage. Whether you plan to customize Autodesk software for internal use or develop a commercial application, Autodesk is committed to giving you the information and support you need. For more information visit www.autodesk.com/developer.


Autodesk Developer Network (ADN)

Members of ADN, commercial software developers, consultants and customers, develop software that leverages Autodesk technology creating competitive advantage for their organization. Whether developing a simple utility, plug-in, integration or large scale application, ADN membership gives you access to direct support from Autodesk software engineers, development software, and the marketing tools you need to succeed. For more information visit www.autodesk.com/joinadn.

Reseller Center

Autodesk’s resellers understand your design processes and business requirements, and specialize in all kinds of industries and applications. You can maximize your productivity with Autodesk software with Reseller services, from implementation and customization to learning and training. To learn more and find a reseller near you, visit www.autodesk.com/resellers.

Partner Products & Services

Autodesk works together with thousands of software development partners from around the world. In the Partner Products & Services catalog, you can search for and find detailed information on Autodesk partners around the world that further enhance our broad range of fully integrated and interoperable solutions, for every design profession you can imagine. For more information visit www.autodesk.com/partnerproducts.

Autodesk Authorized Training Centers

Be more productive with Autodesk Software. Get trained at an Autodesk Authorized Training Center (ATC) with hands-on, instructor-led classes to help you get the most from your Autodesk Products. Autodesk has a global network of Authorized Training Centers offering Autodesk-approved training of the highest quality. Many ATCs offer end-user Certification testing. Locate a testing center near you at autodesk.starttest.com.

Every day, thousands of our customers are taught how to realize their ideas, faster, with Autodesk software. You can perform smarter and better with Autodesk software products when you turn to an Authorized Training Center. ATCs are carefully selected and monitored to ensure you receive high-quality, results-oriented learning.

An ATC is your best source for Autodesk-authorized classes, tailored to meet the needs and challenges facing today’s design professionals.

Find an Authorized Training Center

With over 2000 ATCs around the world, there is probably one close to you. Visit the ATC locator at www.autodesk.com/atc to find an Autodesk Authorized Training Center near you. Look for ATC courses offered at www.autodesk.com/atcevents.

Autodesk Student Community

Student Engineering and Design Community Students and Faculty can take advantage of free Autodesk software, self-paced tutorials, worldwide discussion groups and forums, job postings, and more. Become a member of the Student Community today and be a leader in the next generation of design. www.autodesk.com/edcommunity

NOTE: Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that accompanies download of the software.


Autodesk Certification

Gain a competitive edge with Autodesk Certification. Autodesk certifications validate that you have the knowledge and skills required to use Autodesk products. Demonstrate your software skills to prospective employers, advance your career opportunities, and enhance your credibility.

Certification Benefits■ Immediate feedback on your certification status.■ An Electronic Certificate with a unique serial number.■ The right to use an official Autodesk Certification logo.■ The option to display your certification status in the Autodesk Certified Users database.

For more information:

Visit www.autodesk.com/certification to learn more and to take the next steps to get certified.

Autodesk Store

Autodesk software and numerous training tools are available to buy online at the Autodesk Store. Find Courseware, DVDs, User Guides, Getting Started Guides, Handbooks, Tutorials, and more at store.autodesk.com.

NOTE: Autodesk software is available for purchase through the Autodesk Store for users in U.S. and Canada only.

Useful Links

Courseware: www.autodesk.com/aotc

Consulting: www.autodesk.com/consulting

Certification: www.autodesk.com/certification

Discussion Groups: discussion.autodesk.com

Find a Reseller:www.autodesk.com/reseller

Blogs: www.autodesk.com/blogs

Find an Authorized Training Center:www.autodesk.com/atc

Communities: www.autodesk.com/community

Find an Authorized Training Center Course:www.autodesk.com/atcevents

Student Community: students.autodesk.com

Services & Support:www.autodesk.com/servicesandsupport



Documents

© 2008 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.studentsdownload.autodesk.com/cdcoll/downloads/sd/2009/Curriculum/3ds... · v Introduction Welcome to the Autodesk® 3ds Max® for Design