Overview
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Learn what you need to know to use 3ds Max 2021 to create professional 3D models, animations, and motion graphics.
Syllabus
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Introduction
- Introducing 3ds Max 2021
- Using the exercise files
- Choosing a workspace
- Setting preferences
- Using project folders
- Getting familiar with the interface
- Customizing a workspace
- Customizing background and grid colors
- Creating primitives with keyboard entry
- Creating primitives interactively with the mouse
- Position objects with Select and Move
- Rotate and scale objects
- Navigating in viewports
- Orbit and viewport Undo
- Saving time with keyboard shortcut hotkeys
- Customizing hotkeys
- Choosing viewport shading modes
- Advanced viewport settings and presets
- Configuring viewport layouts
- Specifying display units
- Specifying system units
- Defining the home grid
- Saving a maxstart.max template scene
- Merging scenes
- Duplicating object instances with Array
- Clone objects with transforms
- Introducing snap
- Precision transforms with Grid and Snap
- Outlining object names with Scene Explorer
- Collecting objects in groups
- Managing display layers
- Controlling object and layer display properties
- Understanding XREF external references
- Creating an XREFrecord
- Moving objects in reference coordinate systems
- Rotating objects in reference coordinate systems
- Manipulating objects around a Transform Coordinate Center
- Using Isolate Selection and Lock Selection
- Selecting in Window and Crossing modes
- Creating shapes
- Editing Bezier splines
- Setting shape detail with interpolation
- Modeling with the Extrude modifier
- Extruding along a path with the Sweep modifier
- Exporting paths from Adobe Illustrator
- Importing Illustrator paths to 3ds Max
- Adding a Bevel modifier
- Controlling level of detail for a Bevel modifier
- Modeling typography with TextPlus
- Manipulating and fine-tuning TextPlus
- Deforming an object with a modifier
- Layering deformers in the modifier stack
- Defining polygon level of detail
- Passing a selection up the stack
- Understanding topology dependence
- Versioning and collapsing the stack
- Preparing Boolean operands
- Combine volumes with Boolean Compound Objects
- Adding edges with QuickSlice
- Adding edges with Cut
- Hardening polygon edges with the Smooth modifier
- Using the Modeling ribbon
- Simplifying geometry with Remove
- Branching with Editable Poly Extrude
- Detailing a mesh
- Rounding corners with chamfer
- Understanding subdivision surfaces
- Best practices for modeling subdivision surfaces
- Box modeling for subdivision surfaces
- Modeling with the Symmetry modifier
- Modeling curvature with Soft Selection
- Refining geometry with SwiftLoop
- Constraining sub-object transforms
- Correcting a seam with Non-Uniform Scale offset
- Sharpening corners with edge crease
- Baking subdivisions
- Creating a physical camera and target
- First-person camera navigation in viewports
- Enabling Safe Frames
- Setting resolution and aspect ratio in Render Setup
- Creating a free camera
- Rotating in Gimbal coordinate space
- Setting rotation Axis Order to emulate a tripod
- Previewing renders with ActiveShade
- Creating photometric lights
- Adjusting light intensity and color
- Adjusting light shape
- Controlling spotlight parameters
- Using the Light Explorer
- Illuminating with an environment color
- Illuminating with an HDRI environment
- White balancing an environment
- Separating environment from background
- Creating a sun and sky
- Using the Slate Material Editor
- Assigning materials to objects
- Managing scene materials
- Managing sample slots
- Saving a material library
- Physical Material color and roughness
- Physical Material reflection parameters
- Controlling viewport material shading
- Controlling material sample size
- Creating a 3D procedural map
- Art directing 3D map parameters
- Mapping bitmap image files
- Projecting UVs with UVW Map
- Using Real-World Map Size
- Restoring links with Asset Tracking
- Understanding hierarchies
- Moving pivot points
- Rotating pivot points
- Prioritizing rotation axes
- Linking objects
- Locking transforms
- Correcting and avoiding scale issues
- Choosing frame rate and playback speed
- Choosing the active time segment
- Creating keyframes in Auto Key mode
- Creating keyframes in Set Key mode
- Editing keyframes in the Track Bar Timeline
- Editing keyframes in the Dope Sheet
- Editing keyframes in the Curve Editor
- Editing interpolation in the Curve Editor
- Manipulating tangents in the Curve Editor
- Editing a trajectory with a motion path
- Choosing a renderer
- Choosing render options
- Rendering an image sequence
- Playing an image sequence with the RAM Player
- Tonemapping a high dynamic range rendering
- Next steps
