In the old days, artists used to have their apprentices render all of the parts of some human figures except for the face and hands. Those are the hardest parts, and had to be done by the master. If you aspire to be a 3D modeling master, you have to be able to make good-lookin ...more
If you are making games or hybrid machinima in 3D Studio MAX, the occasion may arise where you want to give one of your characters a massive two-handed weapons like a sword or machine gun. This video's sole intent is to teach you how to do that. It focuses on how to link parts ...more
how to create an Ocean in 3DS Max Your tutor, Dave will show you how to build animated water with 3ds Max in the tutorial video. This method does not require expensive plug-in. First select a plane from your screen, then drag it to top view. Rotate the plane so the square edg ...more
Destroying crowds of little people has been a favorite passtime of dictators since time immemorial, but also a colossal waste of manpower. Now you can get some of the same thrill without all the needless death using 3D Studio MAX. This video will show you how to model, animate ...more
When people fire weapons in movies, there is often a shot of the shell-casings leaving the gun and flying through the air. Sometimes we get to follow them all the way to the ground, leaving us with a sense of loss at the firing of the weapon. This video will show you how to mo ...more
Working with particle flow in 3DS MAX allows you to create all sorts of awesome effects, including swarms of small characters or, in this case, realistic liquids. Specifically, this video series will show you how to use pflow to create a liquid splatter effect, which can be us ...more
Creating movie-quality 3D images takes more than just 3DS Max. It takes a village of graphics programs to really make it look professional. This nine-part video tutorial will teach you how to create a hole in a coffee table using a combination of 3DS Max, After Effects, and th ...more
This software tutorial series teaches you how to box model in 3DS Max. Specifically, you will learn the basics of box modeling in 3D Studio Max, then box model a jet and animate it for PaperVision3D. PART 1: covers the basics of shapes and objects and do a review of keyboard s ...more
Create and animate your own piece of clothing! This tutorial series shows you how to properly create and texture a single item of clothing. Once it's created, you can then attach it to an object and animate it realiistically for your Audodesk project. Part 1 of 9 - How to Crea ...more
Cloth is an essential part of almost any 3D modeling project involving people. This video will show you how to properly use the cloth modifier in 3D Studio MAX to create the waving, tarnished American flag shown in the thumbnail. This tutorial does NOT feature Reactor, the in- ...more
There are a lot of videos out there about creating models and animating them using 3D Studio MAX. What isn't often discussed is the next step in creating a movie out of your models, adding sound and syncing your animations to the sound. This eight-part video series will show y ...more
Making a spaceship use its afterburner and escape from the Earth's gravitational pull is tough. Modeling and animating a 3D simulation of the same thing is also hard, although quite as much so. This video series will teach you how to create a 3D model of a flying rocket with a ...more
If you want to model a character in 3DS Max and don't want them to be nude, you are probably going to have to work with 3D cloth. This three-part video will teach you how to create cloth in 3DS Max (without using Reactor), attach it to your character, and make it animate prope ...more
Do you work with 3D graphics? Have you ever wanted to have one character that you've modeled destroy hordes of tiny other characters you've made? Well want no more. This video series will show you how to model and animate a small army of little models that will walk around and ...more
If you want to create really good 3D models on your computer, you need to be able to use more than just 3DS MAX or whatever other modeling program you have. It takes a whole family of specialized programs to handle the diverse tasks involved in creating really good models. Thi ...more
Rigging low poly character models with vertices and physique is one of the most important parts of animating a character in 3DS MAX. This four-part video series will show you how to vertex rig a World of Warcraft low-poly character model, allowing you to use them in your hybri ...more
Learn how to take use the Slate material editor in 3ds Max 2011. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the 3ds Max 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. Fo ...more
For beginners, learning the intricacies of modeling 3D art can seem insurmountable. This video for 3D beginners is here to help you through it. Its four parts are a detailed and slow walkthrough for making low poly BC Rich guitar with splines using 3D Studio Max, a popular 3D ...more
See how to age a chrome metal shader within 3ds Max 2010. See how to use 3ds Max 2010's built-in grouping features to work on multiple meshes the same way you might work on a single object. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just ...more
RayFire is a really powerful (and expensive) plugin for 3DS MAX that is designed to facilitate destroying, shooting, and otherwise causing harm to your 3D models. No, it won't destroy the files, just the images, which is very important for video games or film work. This two-pa ...more
If you want to make a hybrid machinima movie using WoW characters, you are probably going to have to import them into 3DS MAX at some point. Unfortunately, you cannot just do this straight away. This video will teach you how to use a program called Milkshape 3D to prepare a ch ...more
Alpha channels are powerful tools for creating low-space 3D images, but 3DS Max cannot work with them properly. This is a major problem if you are working with World of Warcraft characters since they are largely constructed of alphas. This video will teach you how to work with ...more
In this clip, you'll learn how to use 3ds Max's Parameter Collector tool. See how to use 3ds Max 2010's built-in grouping features to work on multiple meshes the same way you might work on a single object. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasone ...more
In this 3DS Max video tutorial, you'll learn how to create and apply lens shaders. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular 3D modeling program or a seasoned graphic artist just interested in better acquainting yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by th ...more
This very simple tutorial is ideal for a beginner to Autodesk 3ds Max. Start your project by creating a simple cardboard box. Then apply texture mapping, add graphics to the face, and then set the animation so your box behaves like a real one would! Part 1 of 2 - How to Model ...more
See how to work with multi-sub materials in Autodesk 3ds Max 2010. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more i ...more
Using a UVW unwrap modifier, this tutorial shows you a few Autodesk technqiues to unwrap a 3-D model and then apply your own texture to it. It also outlines a couple pitfalls animators sometimes experience, and how to avoid them in your own work. Part 1 of 3 - How to Unwrap a ...more
Creating 3D models of the human head that will show emotion, eat, and do all the other things that heads do properly is hard. Fortunately, this video is here to help you get started. It demonstrates the basics of 3D head modeling using 3D Studio MAX. Follow these instructions ...more
Using motion capture is one of the easiest and most effective ways to animate the motions of a bipedal character who is proportional to a normal human. When the character is not in proportion, like the World of Warcraft low-poly models in this video, it gets a little more comp ...more
In the need of a animated wine glass for your next animation masterpiece? If you have Autodesk 3ds Max, it can be done. As long as you follow the techniques used in this video tutorial on modeling a long-stemmed wine glass in 3ds Max. It's actually a simple design, just enough ...more
See how to use Dreamscape to generate foam, how to export it as a bitmap sequence and how to control every single parameter to change its look. See how to use 3ds Max 2010's built-in grouping features to work on multiple meshes the same way you might work on a single object. W ...more
The silent film era ended long before anyone had conceived of something like machinima, so your machinima movie had better have some talking! This movie will teach you how to use morph target in 3DS MAX to give your imported World of Warcraft characters facial expressions and ...more
Causing World of Warcraft characters to do what you want them to do in your machinima film can be a major challenge. Motion capture is one useful tool that you can use to solve the problem. This video will teach you the basics of using the Biped plugin for 3DS Max to animate W ...more
This video tutorial is meant to help you model your own curtains in Autodesk 3ds Max. If you need some window curtains, this is the best way to model them. You'll learn how to do it using several modifiers and layer techniques. You can download the finished curtain from Visual ...more
For 3D artists new to 3DS Max, learning your way around this massive piece of software can take a long time. It need not do. This video will teach you how to use some of the many hotkeys in the program to navigate it like a pro, easily accessing all of the most popular tools a ...more
If you want to make an omelette, you're going to have to break a few eggs. Or shoot them! This video will walk you through the process this artist took for creating 3D movie of a bullet passing through an egg, destroying it. This is very good educational exercise for 3D artist ...more
3D modeling is a difficult but lucrative trade that can take many years to master. Let this video be your first step along that road. It's aim is to teach the basics of 3D Studio MAX to beginners by demonstrating the modeling of a mace (or morning star). This tutorial is desig ...more
This tutorial walks you through how to set up a procedural night sky with twinkling stars in Autodesk 3ds Max. You will be creating a opacity material with noise maps, and using an phase animated noise behind this to illuminate the stars. To edit the star size and brightness, ...more
In this 2 part tutorial, Michael Park will demonstrate how to create a shotgun blast at the camera using 3D rendered particles and distortion trails along with some 2D footage to create a convincing effect. In part 1 of this tutorial, we will use 3ds Max to create the 3D shotg ...more
Learn how to use FumeFX in 3D Studio Max to generate realistic fire and smoke effects. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you're sure to be well served by this video ...more
This quick tutorial offers an overview of the 3D Studio Max Symmetry Modifier tool, a highly efficient means of modeling symmetrical objects. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the ap ...more
In this 3D Studio Max tutorial, you'll see how to use procedurals to create a rock texture. Specifically, the guide addresses displacement tuning in Mental Ray, specularity properties and using stacked procedurals to create cracks, rust, and bumpy structures over the surface. ...more
See how to simulate the interaction between a boat (a mesh) and water (a plane), creating the waves, ripples and particle splashes. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, ...more
So you're mastered the basics of modeling 3D characters in 3D Studio MAX. Good for you. Where to now? This video perhaps? It will teach you how to use plane modeling to create a model of a human head. This technique requires some skill and experience at using 3ds Max, but if y ...more
This tutorial will walk you through how to create a car paint shader from scratch utilizing materials inside of 3D Studio Max. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you' ...more
Want to share a screenshot of a 3D Studio Max project with your art director? With the built-in Grab Viewport tool, it's easy. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the application, you' ...more
Surface tools are a powerful part of 3D Studio Max, allowing the creation of more realistic textures for organic and natural forms. This video demonstrates how to use them as a part of the process of modeling a human leg. The legs may not be as important as the face models, bu ...more
If you want to demonstrate your 3D model on a turntable or create some other sort of short animation with your models without having to use more specialized software, you can render an AVI video inside 3D Studio MAX. This video will show you how to do this quickly and easily, ...more
This tutorial shows you how you can generate mattes and masks to use in 3-D compositing. The video shows you which render elements to use for greatest effects for your project, such as changing the color of paint on a car.
In this new 3D Studio Max tutorial from Max Cookie, you'll see how to use the Prime Focus Krakatoa plug-in. Specifically, you'll see how to create a volume, how to pick an animated mesh, and then how to make a good setup to create a basic sand creature. Whether you're new to A ...more
The noble rock may not seem like the most fun thing to create a 3D model of. They are a useful example though because their basic shape and lack of movement make them manageable for beginners to work with while their many facets and textures present fun areas to work with. Thi ...more
Mapping the camera properly in 3DS Max is, like doing most things in 3DS Max, a bit of a challenge but very rewarding when you get it right. This six-part video will teach you how to use Photoshop and 3DS Max together to create a simple animation of a title and some punching b ...more
This video series shows you how to use the interface (UI) in 3D Studio Max. Topics covered are viewports, menu bar, main tool bar, status bar, command panel, and animation controls respectively. Part 1 of 8 - How to Use the interface in 3ds Max. Part 2 of 8 - How to Use the i ...more
This six-part 3ds Max video tutorial will guide you step by step through the process of exporting from 3D Studio Max into the award-winning, science-fiction, first-person shooter, computer game Crysis. You'll see how to take an MD 500 helicopter and prepare it inside 3D Studi ...more
This 3D software tutorial was developed by Discreet (creators of 3ds Max) to show you how to use the shell modifier new to version 6 and up of 3D Studio Max. If you are a 3ds Max modeler, you should learn how to use this powerful tool. Great 3ds Max tutorial for anyone new to ...more
This software tutorial demonstrates how to build with primitives in 3DS Max for Papervision3D. This first part demonstrates 3D Studio Max basics and how to build a column base using primitives. This second part demonstrates how to use the Shift clone tool. This third part demo ...more
This tutorial shows you how to take a model figure created using the Poser program and export them for use in Autodesk 3DS Max. While you can use Poser Fusion, it can be somewhat unstable on a Mac, and this tutorial shows you a few workarounds and alternate methods. Part 1 of ...more
This 3ds Max Video Tutorial goes over the majority of the procedures that can be done at the segment and spline level of an editable spline. All of the example are simplified to show the fundamentals of each command. The second part of the series that will try and go through a ...more
This 3ds Max software tutorial shows you how to build a spline tower. Using modifiers such as Cross Section, Skin, Shell and Spline IK we build a spline based system that uses reference geometry to build parametric relationships in 3D Studio Max. The video is best viewed full ...more
This 3D software tutorial shows you how to use the relax modifier in 3ds Max. Learn how to implement mesh relaxation with the relax modifier when modeling in 3D Studio Max. Using mesh relaxation is a fast way to turn cubed or planar surfaces into curved shapes in 3ds Max. Impl ...more