Rating: 
Summary: Great way to learn 3ds Max 4
Review: 3DS MAX 4
Kim Lee
PUBLISHER: New Riders
REVIEWED BY: Barbara RhoadesBOOK REVIEW: Are you into animation? Want to learn more about production animation, modeling or rendering? Then grab a copy of Kim Lee's 3ds MAX 4 book. It comes complete with a CD that contains all the files needed to do the exercises presented in the book. There are plenty of graphics to help you visualize what is being discussed. There are notes, warnings, caution and tips in highlighted boxes to add a special bit of information. An 18-page index helps you look up what you need. An 8-page Table of Contents lays out which chapter has what topics. The (...)price tag is well worth it if you want to really get INSIDE 3DS MAX 4.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the beginner
Review: Based upon the reviews I read here at Amazon I purchased this book. (...)This is NOT a step-by-step book, nor is it a tutorial. What it appears to be is a very well written detailed description of the nitty-gritty of 3DS Max. The skill level on the back of the book acuratly rates it as "Intermediate - Professional". Being a beginner, I was completely lost. I would love to see this skill level rating system in the actual book description by the publisher themselves. Depending on reviews here at Amazon was clearly a mistake in this case (at least for me). To those with skill already on 3DS Max, this book at least appears to be a good choice. It's unfair for me to judge the value of this book from a professional standpoint, so I'm keeping my rating a 4 (as to not lower the score too much on what appears to be a fine professional book).
Rating: 
Summary: in three words, bad, bad, bad, do not buy this book!
Review: do not waste youe money on this book, it barly touches the most impresive addition to max 4, poly editing/modeling. for beginners this book is too hard (skips the basics) but for advanced its too basic. i just mailed it back to amazon. 3ds max users beware! this is not the book you want, no matter if you are a beginner, or advanced user. LOOK ELSEWARE
Rating:
Summary: best max book till date
Review: hi,
been using max for 5 years now and although i'm a little late in writing this review(read the book a year and a half back) credit has to be given. this is by far the BEST max book around and the basic premise of the book is... if the authors havent used the tools in real world situations they wont blab about them and waste our time.This is meant to be an intermidiate to advanced level book(which is rare) and it really goes all the way. it's sad the author hasent had a follow up...these are the people who should be writing more books. any way thanks for the book kim...i recommend it to most other maxers till date inspite of there being books on max 5. thanks b
Rating:
Summary: best max book till date
Review: hi,
been using max for 5 years now and although i'm a little late in writing this review(read the book a year and a half back) credit has to be given. this is by far the BEST max book around and the basic premise of the book is... if the authors havent used the tools in real world situations they wont blab about them and waste our time.This is meant to be an intermidiate to advanced level book(which is rare) and it really goes all the way. it's sad the author hasent had a follow up...these are the people who should be writing more books. any way thanks for the book kim...i recommend it to most other maxers till date inspite of there being books on max 5. thanks b
Rating:
Summary: Want to learn real world max? Get this book.
Review: I just started this book and have found it totally engrossing. It covers real world applications of max through a set of tutorials starting from workflow to the end product of an animated character. There are two tracks in the book - Gamestudio and Broadcast Animation. They are both well done with clear step by step directions and really great insight from people at ILM and other places. Because I'm learning to use Max for animating in a game development environment this book was a dream to find.
Rating: 
Summary: More bad than good
Review: I looked at all of the reviews and they all made it seem like this book is the worst thing ever. I'll admit, if you've never used this program before, you're going to be scratching your head. But if you're at that "I'm three-quarters of the way there and just need that extra boost" stage, I could not imagine a better book. And I've read quite a few. I read the Max 4 Bible and found that it tried to cover so much that it didn't REALLY cover anything. This book goes pretty in depth into the advanced essentials. It'll tell you the pros and cons of patch modelling, poly modelling, and mesh modelling, but it's going to assume that you know how to activate point-edit mode or hold down the shift key to extrude. Don't bash the book if you didn't know these these before you bought it, just do better pre-purchase research next time. Anyway, as I said before, incredible book and well worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Not as bad as everyone says
Review: I looked at all of the reviews and they all made it seem like this book is the worst thing ever. I'll admit, if you've never used this program before, you're going to be scratching your head. But if you're at that "I'm three-quarters of the way there and just need that extra boost" stage, I could not imagine a better book. And I've read quite a few. I read the Max 4 Bible and found that it tried to cover so much that it didn't REALLY cover anything. This book goes pretty in depth into the advanced essentials. It'll tell you the pros and cons of patch modelling, poly modelling, and mesh modelling, but it's going to assume that you know how to activate point-edit mode or hold down the shift key to extrude. Don't bash the book if you didn't know these these before you bought it, just do better pre-purchase research next time. Anyway, as I said before, incredible book and well worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Dont buy this book if you are a beginner Max user
Review: I picked this book for all my students for one reason. It devoted a huge section that demonstrated the difference between version 3 and version 4. This made our upgrading process much easier. If you are a beginner max user this whole section would not make any sense to you. Just that alone made it a great book. The tutorials are a bit confusing (impossible to follow as a class). It does show some good techniques but it is easy to get lost.
Rating:
Summary: More bad than good
Review: I picked up this book to get up to speed in modeling in Max 4. I've done production work with Max 4 in animation, lighting and rendering, so I can't speak to those chapters, but the modeling is frustrating at best. reference images they use for back plane images are not on the CD and entire steps are skipped over with either the assumption you already have the knowlege (in the FIRST chapter on box modeling?) or just blatent neglict. I have to mirror "reader from New Jersey"'s feelings...did New Riders edit this, or just shove it out to be the first on the shelf?
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