TWO BONUS CD-ROMS • Demo version of 3ds max 6 • 3D models from Zygote Media and Viewpoint Datalabs • Over 500 MB of tutorial files and a searchable color PDF of the book Inside, you’ll find complete coverage of 3ds max ™ 6 • Examine BlobMesh and other new modeling features, and work with compound objects like Lofts and Morphs • Learn to use the Particle Flow interface to control complex interactions between particles • Delve into character creation, including bone systems, skin, rigging, and character modeling • Discover how the new reactor 2 works to create realistic physics-based animation sequences • Assign the new mental ray rendering engine to render scenes using custom shaders, caustic photons, and other new features • Explore focused chapters on using 3ds max 6 in game development, architectural visualization, and special effects • Study the work of top 3ds max professionals in the 16-page color sample section • Set up network rendering to help you render scenes in a fraction of the time • Learn to access Mapping Channels in the Channel Info editor MURDOCK If 3ds max ™ 6 can do it, you can do it too . . . Whether this is your first introduction to “Max” or you’ve been eagerly awaiting the newest version, you’ll find everything you need in these pages. If your fingers are tingling to actually create something now, the Quick Start project in Part 1 is made for you. If you can’t wait to check out the new features, start exploring detailed coverage of the Particle Flow interface, architectural objects and materials, Shockwave 3D Export, improved VertexPaint features, and more. All the details are here. Shelving Category: Computer Graphics/Design Reader Level: Beginning to Advanced System Requirements: Please see the “About the CD-ROMs” appendix for details and complete system requirements. ISBN 0-7645-5763-7 $49.99 USA $71.99 Canada £33.99 UK 3dsmax6 3dsmax6 Plunge right into 3ds max with the exciting Quick Start project in Part 1 Explore reactor 2, mental ray, Particle Flow, BlobMesh, and other revolutionary new features Master the use of inverse kinematics, space warps, raytracing, and other techniques 3 ds max 6 Kelly L. Murdock “Kelly’s new book indeed deserves to be called a Bible. Its comprehensiveness and level of detail are quite remarkable.” —Chris Ford, Director of Product Management, 3D Animation, Discreet/Autodesk ,!7IA7G4-ffhgdh!:p;o;t;T;T Demo software and more on 2 CD-ROMs BONUS CD-ROMS Including a demo version of 3ds max 6, tutorial files, 3D models, and a searchable PDF version of the book showing all examples in color www.wiley.com/compbooks/murdock 100% ONE HUNDRED PERCENT COMPREHENSIVE AUTHORITATIVE WHAT YOU NEED ONE HUNDRED PERCENT Create realistic explosions and effects Kick up a little sand with a monster truck animation 3 ds max 6 Bible Perfect Bind • Trim: 7 3/8 x 9 1/4 • • 4 color process • Yellow prints 110y 15m • + spot varnish (see spot varnish pdf) • Matte laminate *85555-IIAIDc 100% COMPREHENSIVE ™ ™ ™ “Kelly’s new book indeed deserves to be called a Bible. Its comprehensiveness and level of detail are quite remarkable.” —Chris Ford, Director of Product Management, 3D Animation, Discreet/Autodesk ™ 557637 Cover_rb2.qxp 2/23/04 8:53 AM Page 1 3ds max ™ 6 Bible Kelly L. Murdock 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page i THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. 3ds max ™ 6 Bible Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, N.J. 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright  2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: 0-7645-5763-7 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1B/SU/QT/QU/IN No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, E-Mail: permcoordinator@wiley.com. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (800) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: 2004103174 Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley and Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. 3ds max is a trademark or registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. is a trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page ii About the Author Kelly Murdock has been authoring computer books for many years now and still gets immense enjoyment from the completed work. His book credits include various Web, graphics, and multime- dia titles, including three previous editions of this book, 3ds max 6 Bible. Other major accomplish- ments include Master VISUALLY HTML and XHTML, JavaScript Visual Blueprint, gmax Bible, Adobe Atmosphere Bible, and co-authoring duties on two editions of the Illustrator Bible (for versions 9 and 10). With a background in engineering and computer graphics, Kelly has been all over the 3D industry and still finds it fascinating. He’s used high-level CAD workstations for product design and analysis, completed several large-scale visualization projects, created 3D models for feature films, worked as a freelance 3D artist, and even done some 3D programming. Kelly’s been using 3D Studio since version 3 for DOS. In his spare time, Kelly enjoys the outdoors while rock climbing, mountain biking, or skiing. He has recently formed a design company with his brother, Chris, called Logical Paradox Design. 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page iii Credits Acquisitions Editor Tom Heine Project Editor Martin V. Minner Technical Editor Chris Murdock Copy Editor Gwenette Gaddis Goshert Editorial Manager Robyn Siesky Vice President and Executive Group Publisher Richard Swadley Vice President and Executive Publisher Robert Ipsen Vice President and Publisher Barry Pruett Project Coordinator April Farling Graphics and Production Specialists Carrie Foster Lauren Goddard Joyce Haughey Jennifer Heleine LeAndra Hosier Michael Kruzil Kristin McMullan Lynsey Osborn Quality Control Technicians John Greenough Susan Moritz Angel Perez Senior Permissions Editor Carmen Krikorian Media Development Specialist Greg Stafford Proofreading and Indexing TECHBOOKS Production Services Cover Image Anthony Stuart Special Help Adrienne Porter 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page iv I tweak the light settings for weeks, but it still doesn’t match the light in your eyes. I scan and layer a hundred photos, but it still doesn’t capture the details of your soft skin. I apply every controller and animation technique, but it still can’t portray the intricacies of your tiny smile. I load hundreds of sound files, but it still isn’t equal to the synchronization of your little laugh. I render thousands of times, and still I’m amazed at the work of the Master Animator. To Max, 2003 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page v 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page vi Preface Whenever I withdrew to the computer room, my wife would say that I was off to my “fun and games.” I would flatly deny this accusation, saying that it was serious work that I was involved in. But later, when I emerged with a twinkle in my eye and excitedly asked her to take a look at my lat- est rendering, I knew that she was right. Working with 3D graphics is pure “fun and games.” My goal in writing this book was to take all my fun years of playing in 3D and boil them down into something that’s worthwhile for you — the reader. This goal was compounded by the fact that all you Max-heads out there are at different levels. Luckily, this book is thick enough to include a little something for everyone. The audience level for the book ranges from beginning to intermediate, with a smattering of advanced topics for the seasoned user. If you’re new to Max, then you’ll want to start at the begin- ning and move methodically through the book. If you’re relatively comfortable making your way around Max, then review the table of contents for sections that can enhance your fundamental base. If you’re a seasoned pro, then you’ll want to watch for coverage of the features new to Release 6. If you’re so excited to be working with Max that you can’t decide where to start, then head straight for the Quick Start. The Quick Start is a single chapter-long tutorial that takes you through the cre- ation of an entire scene and animation. This Quick Start was included in response to some feedback from readers of the first edition who complained that they didn’t know where to start. For those of you who were too anxious to wade through a mountain of material before you could create some- thing, this Quick Start is for you. Another goal of this book is to make it a complete reference for Max. To achieve this goal, I’ve gone into painstaking detail to cover almost every feature in Max, including coverage of every primitive, material and map type, modifier, and controller. As this book has come together, I’ve tried to write the type of book that I’d like to read. I’ve tried to include a variety of scenes that are infused with creativity. It is my hope that these examples will not only teach you how to use the software, but also provide a creative springboard for you in your own projects. After all, that’s what turns 3D graphics from work into “fun and games.” Who Is Max? Max is coming of age. Now with the number 6 attached to its name, it is starting to show some maturity. I’d say that version numbers are akin to dog years, which would place Max in its early 40s. Before we go any further, I should explain my naming convention. The official name of the product in this release is 3ds max 6 with a lowercase m, but I simply refer to it as Max with a capital M. This ref- erence is a nickname given to a piece of software that has become more familiar to me than the family pets (whose names are Fuzzy, Curious, and Parakeetsta, by the way). Note: I have not been successful in training Max to come when I call or to sit on command, but it will on occasion play dead. One way we humans develop our personalities is to incorporate desirable personality traits from those around us. Max’s personality is developing as well — every new release has incorporated a plethora of desirable new features. Many of these features come from the many additional plug-ins being developed to enhance Max. With Release 6, many features that were available as plug-ins for previous releases have been adopted by Max. Several new features have been magically assimilated into the core product, such as mental ray. These additions make Max’s personality much more lik- able, like a human developing a sense of humor. 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page vii viii 3ds max 6 Bible Other personality traits are gained by stretching in new directions. Max and its developers have accomplished this feat as well. Many of the new features are completely new, not only to Max, but to the industry, such as the Particle Flow interface. As Max grows up, it will continue to mature by adopting new features and inventing others. I just hope Max doesn’t experience a mid-life crisis in the next version. About This Book Let me paint a picture of the writing process. It starts with years of experience, which is followed by months of painstaking research. There were system crashes and personal catastrophes and the always-present, ever-looming deadlines. I wrote into the early hours of the morning and during the late hours of the night — burning the candle at both ends and in the middle all at the same time. It was grueling and difficult, and spending all this time staring at the Max interface made me feel like . . . well . . . like an animator. Sound familiar? This process actually isn’t much different from what 3D artists, modelers, and ani- mators do on a daily basis, and, like you, I find satisfaction in the finished product. Tutorials aplenty I’ve always been a very visual learner — the easiest way for me to gain knowledge is by doing things for myself while exploring at the same time. Other people learn by reading and comprehend- ing ideas. In this book, I’ve tried to present information in a number of ways to make the informa- tion usable for all types of learners. That is why you see detailed discussions of the various features along with tutorials that show these concepts in action. The tutorials appear throughout the book and are clearly marked with the “Tutorial” label in front of the title. They always include a series of logical steps, typically ending with a figure for you to study and compare. These tutorial examples are provided on the book’s CD-ROM to give you a first- hand look and a chance to get some hands-on experience. I’ve attempted to “laser focus” all the tutorials down to one or two key concepts. This means that you probably will not want to place the results in your portfolio. For example, many of the early tutorials don’t have any materials applied because I felt that using materials before they’ve been explained would only confuse you. I’ve attempted to think of and use examples that are diverse, unique, and interesting, while striving to make them simple, light, and easy to follow. I’m happy to report that every example in the book is included on the CD-ROM along with the models and textures required to complete the tutorial. The tutorials often don’t start from scratch, but instead give you a starting point. This approach lets me “laser focus” the tutorials even more; and with fewer, more relevant steps, you can learn and experience the concepts without the complexity. On the book’s CD-ROM, you will find the Max files that are referenced in Step 1 of most tutorials. I’ve put lots of effort into this book, and I hope it helps you in your efforts. I present this book as a starting point. In each tutorial, I’ve purposely left most of the creative spice out, leaving room for you to put it in — you’re the one with the vision. Fourth time around This book is now in its fourth edition and, like aged cheddar cheese, is getting better with time. This edition posed an interesting dilemma. The edition for Max 4 clocked in at 1,246 pages, which was the largest number of pages that can be bound into a paperback book. So, for Max 5, I needed to rework and tighten the content to make room for pages where the new features could be cov- ered, which was an tough task, but I was happy to say I succeeded by cramming in an additional 400 pages worth of content into the 3ds max 5 Bible. However, when the book came back from the printer, it weighed in at only 1,106 pages, making the reader think that the book was put on a diet. It turned out that the editors who laid out the book decided to use a tighter layout, thereby saving 140 pages while providing the additional content. 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page viii ix Preface Now that I’m working on a version covering Max 6, I’m delighted to have that extra 140 pages to cram full of information, and the editors are already looking at an even tighter format. At this rate, the next couple of editions will be shipping with a magnifying glass. There have been several other changes to this edition. In an effort to add some new life to many of the older tutorials (several of which desired a chance to retire), I have secured a new set of Viewpoint models that I’ve used to replace many of the old tutorials. I’ve also included a new Quick Start that lets you play with a monster truck. How this book is organized Many different aspects of 3D graphics exist, and in some larger production houses, you might be focused on only one specific area. However, for smaller organizations or the general hobbyist, you end up wearing all the hats — from modeler and lighting director to animator and post-production compositor. This book is organized to cover all the various aspects of 3D graphics, regardless of the hat on your head. The book is divided into the following parts: ✦ Quick Start — This single chapter (which is actually a chapter in Part I) is an entire anima- tion project presented in several focused tutorials. It is designed to whet your appetite and get you up to speed and producing animations immediately. ✦ Part I: Learning the Max Interface — Whether it’s understanding the interface, working with the viewports, dealing with files, or customizing the interface, the chapters in this part get you comfortable with the interface so you won’t get lost moving about this mammoth pack- age. ✦ Part II: Working with Objects — Max objects can include meshes, cameras, lights, Space Warps, and anything that can be viewed in a viewport. This part includes chapters on how to reference, select, clone, group, link, transform, and modify these various objects. ✦ Part III: Modeling — Max includes several different ways to model objects. This part includes chapters on working with spline shapes, meshes, polys, patches, NURBS, com- pound objects like Lofts and Morphs, and particle systems. ✦ Part IV: Materials and Maps — With all the various materials, maps, and parameters, under- standing how to create just what you want can be difficult. These chapters explain all the various types and how to use them. ✦ Part V: Cameras — This part describes how to control cameras and use the Camera Matching and Tracking utilities and the Multi-Pass Camera effects. ✦ Part VI: Lighting — This part describes how to create and control the standard lights, as well as coverage on advanced lighting, radiosity, and global illumination. ✦ Part VII: Animation — To animate your scenes, you’ll want to learn about keyframing, the Track Views, constraints, and controllers. This part includes a chapter specifically on expressions. ✦ Part VIII: Character Animation — I cover creating and working with characters, bone sys- tems, skinning, rigging, and character modeling in this part. I also provide complete cover- age of the various inverse kinematics methods. ✦ Part IX: Dynamics — This part includes coverage of Space Warps, the Dynamics utility, and all the cool features found in Reactor. ✦ Part X: Rendering — To produce the final output, you can render the scene as described in this part. In addition, this part discusses environments, Render Elements, Render Effects, network rendering, raytracing, and mental ray. ✦ Part XI: Compositing and Post-Production — This part describes the compositing process using external tools, as well as post-processing using the Video Post interface. ✦ Part XII: MAXScript and Plug-Ins — This part provides details on using Max’s scripting lan- guage, MAXScript, and on using plug-ins. 01 557637 FM.qxd 3/4/04 2:28 PM Page ix [...]... 68 5 68 5 68 6 68 7 68 8 68 8 68 9 68 9 68 9 68 9 69 0 69 0 69 0 69 0 69 1 69 1 69 2 69 3 69 4 69 5 69 5 69 7 69 7 69 7 xxix xxx 3ds max 6 Bible Shadow parameters Optimizing lights Manipulating Hotspot and Falloff cones Working with Photometric... 65 3 65 4 65 4 65 5 65 6 65 7 65 8 65 8 65 9 66 1 66 1 66 2 66 2 66 2 66 4 Contents Chapter 25: Matching and Tracking Cameras 66 5 Matching a Camera to a Background Image Setting Camera Match points Tutorial: Driving in Rome ... 66 5 66 5 66 7 66 8 66 9 66 9 67 0 67 1 67 1 67 3 67 3 67 4 67 4 67 6 Chapter 26: Multi-Pass Camera Effects 67 7 Using Multi-Pass Cameras Creating Multi-Pass Camera Effects Using the Depth of Field effect... 63 0 63 0 63 0 63 0 63 0 63 0 63 0 63 0 63 1 63 1 63 1 63 1 63 1 63 3 63 4 63 5 63 6 Chapter 23: Controlling Mapping Coordinates 63 7 Mapping Modifiers UVW Map modifier Tutorial: Using the UVW Map modifier to apply decals... 955 9 56 9 56 957 959 959 961 962 964 964 964 965 965 966 966 968 968 969 969 970 971 971 972 973 973 974 9 76 9 76 xxxv ... 60 3 60 4 60 5 61 5 62 2 62 4 62 5 62 8 62 8 62 9 62 9 62 9 62 9 xxvii xxviii 3ds max 6 Bible Specular Level mapping Glossiness mapping Self-Illumination mapping Opacity mapping Filter color mapping Anisotropy mapping... Part V: Cameras 63 7 63 7 63 9 64 0 64 0 64 0 64 1 64 1 64 2 64 3 64 3 64 6 64 8 65 0 65 1 Chapter 24: Working with Cameras 65 3 Working with Cameras Creating a Camera Object Creating a Camera View Tutorial: Setting up an opponent’s... 61 62 62 63 64 65 65 65 66 67 67 67 68 68 69 71 72 78 79 80 82 Contents Working with Viewport Backgrounds Loading viewport background images Loading... 458 459 463 463 463 463 465 465 466 466 467 468 468 469 471 472 Chapter 17: Building Compound Objects 473 Understanding Compound Object Types Morphing Objects Creating... 161 161 163 163 164 166 167 169 169 169 170 171 171 1 76 185 185 187 Chapter 6: Selecting Objects and Setting Object Properties 189 Selecting Objects Selection filters Select buttons Selecting with the . complete system requirements. ISBN 0- 764 5-5 763 -7 $49.99 USA $71.99 Canada £33.99 UK 3dsmax6 3dsmax6 Plunge right into 3ds max with the exciting Quick Start. book, 3ds max 6 Bible. Other major accomplish- ments include Master VISUALLY HTML and XHTML, JavaScript Visual Blueprint, gmax Bible, Adobe Atmosphere Bible,