3D Studio Max
3D Studio Max is3-dimensional vector graphicsanimation program, written by Kinetix (a divisionAutodesk) assuccessor3D StudioDOS, but forWindows NT platform. Kinetix was later mergedAutodesk's latest acquisition, Discreet Logic. Current version"3DS Max" asOctober 20036.3DS Maxperhapsmost widely-used 3D software todayseveral reasons, namely its Microsoft Windows platform, its ubiquitous plugin architecture,its low cost relativeother software, while still offering powerful editing capabilities. Professional 3D artists often use 3D Studio Max aswaywork at home on home user machines, where high power workstations like those made Silicon Graphics,cost prohibitive.
Nowdays 3ds maxgetting totop withbest features. In newest version 6.0, discreet mental rayincluded. Thissecond advanced renderer included3ds max. Version 5.0 had advanced lighting. Advanced lighting included radiositylight tracer. This was very useable,it was not so far behind profesional rendering systems like Final-Render, brazil r/s or v-ray.
3d studio also includes Havok reactor 2.0. This isvery powerful solutionrealistic dynamic simulation.
Besides very powerful tools 3ds max has very easyuse user interface, thatnot so complicated asother 3d softwares.
There4 basic modeling methods:
- modelingprimitives
- NURMS
- surface tool
- NURBS
| Tablecontents |
|
2 NURMS 3 Surface tool 4 NURBS |
modelingprimitives
Thisbasic method. The pointthat youmodeling something onlyboxes, spheres, cones, cylynders... you can also subtract, cut, connect... primitives together. For example you can make two spheres which will work as blobs that will connecteach other. Thiscalled blob-mesh modeling, or baloon modeling.
NURMS
Non-Uniformal Rational MeshSmooth.
This is3ds max implementationsubdivision surface modelling,methodology thatrapidly displacing NURBS modeling asmethodologychoiceboth lowhigh polygon modelling. Pointthis methodmodelingpolygons(in 3d studio max youworkingeditable mesh, or editable poly). After creating approximate modelpolygons you apply meshsmooth. AdvantageNURMS meshsmooththat every vertexedge has its own weight. Weight symbolize how much willfinal shape affected by that vertex/edge
NURMS modelingless complicated than spline modeling,can serve very wellnot so profesional users, while providing excellent scalabilitycontrolskilledexperienced artists.
One weakness3ds max's subdivision surface implementationthatentire meshexplicitly tesellated tosame degree at render time, as opposed'true' sub-D's, which subdivide onlynecessary portions ofmodel and/or adaptively change subdivision amounts acrossmodel or from frameframe
Surface tool
Surface tool was originally pluginkinetix bought itversion 3.0(if i am not wrong). Pointsurface toolcreating common 3ds max's splines,then apply modifier called surface. This modifier makes surface from every 3 or 4 vertex grid.
NURBS
-Non-Uniformal rational B-splines.
see NURBSmore info
Default renderer3ds maxscanline. Max's scanline rendererfairly robust comparedsimilar packages' out-of-the box offerings (Lightwave's default renderer being an exception). While several advanced features have been piggybacked ontoscanliner overyears, such as global illumination, radiosityraytraced reflectionrefraction, advanced users may wishconsider using one ofmany 3rd-party renderers availablemax, or make use ofsomewhat limited connectionmental ray. A 3rd-party connection toolRenderman pipelinesalso availablethose that needintegrate max into PRMan shops.
