Rating: 
Summary: cd rom is incomplete - much is poorly organized - too basic
Review: cd rom is incomplete - much is poorly organized - too basici believe basic functions like how to save a file were repeated too often and important steps such as a corrept procedure for model swapping (1 example of many) which doesn't leave out the most important step were frustrating. many of the files referred to on the cd rom weren't where they were supposed to be or weren't there at all. over all a really hard to work with book comprised of some good ideas and some good elaboration on a few poorly documented softimage features. very low rating very much a waste of time and i don't feel like i learned much at all. i feel like i did waste a certain percentage of that money. i wrote this review so that someone considering the purchase might hopefully notice a low star rating and read a review to help with the purchase decision. seriously if you are wanting a book to teach you softimage i just don't think this is going to help at all. i have no idea who ! this book would be ideal for. my suggestion = digital char. animation by George M. an attractively simple book on a not so simple subject.
Rating: 
Summary: Softimage 3D Design Guide Review
Review: For the delay after delay of this book I was hoping for a definitive design guide, but I was very disappointed. My major complaint about the book is the lack of depth on modelling and utiltization of Softimage's features. It is a poor choice if you want to learn the intriques on how to modelling and animate in Softimage. You can learn most of the things covered in this book from the manual or by just spending sometime playing with the features in Softimage. The book had things of interest that wasn't in the manual but not enough to warrant a purchase of this book. If for some reason you don't have a manual or are totally new to 3D and have access to Softimage then this book isn't bad, but you won't come back to the book after you figured things out, because of the lack of depth.
Rating:
Summary: ....?
Review: I am rather disappointed... It is as though the authors were in a hurry that they forgot to explain why and how some things work... I guess now I AM really praying that "Inside Softimage 3D" will not disappoint me and that it will explain everythings clearly...
Rating:
Summary: Reading Softimage 3D Design Guide is like reading a novel.
Review: I bought Softimage 3D Design Guide, because it was the only book (print form) available for Softimage at the time (December, 1997). Reading This book is like reading a novel, and you have to keep reading until you finish the whole book before you can have a general picture of what the book's tutorial is tring to teach. It didn't explain the general interface of Softimage, and hardly mention the concept behind the powerful Softimage. Things are spreading throught out chapters. If you want to find a command that you learned in the previous chapter, you will find yourself in the "twilight zone". For a technical book to explain the magnitute of Softimge- it requires in depth review of Softimage's interface; installation and preparation; concepts and theories; modeling tehniques; animation techniques; textures and materials; lighting and atmospheres; cameras and motion; rendering and post production; script and plug-ins; a list of commands and definitions. This book barely explains half of what I mention in the above. Although Softimage 3D Design Guide has a beautiful cover and in glossy print, it's content is a sharp contrast to it's cover. I don't recommend this book, because I rather read a boring manual.
Rating:
Summary: book for 3d newbies
Review: I couldnt find anything helpful in this book. I really dont know why its rated that good. The Inside Softimage book is so much better.
Rating:
Summary: A basic intro to Softimage, better read the manuals.
Review: I found the book really basic, with some interesting points and some useful tricks, but the original manuals are really better. The exercices presented are too basic, almost a joke.
Rating: 
Summary: Money well spent. The projects rock.
Review: I just wrapped up going through some of the chapters, and this is a very nice resource. The sample databases have some cool Viewpoint models, fully boned and textured, that alone is worth the cost of the book. Some of the basics stuff is fluffy, but the real projects are very cool. Theres alot of hard won workflow info presented that if you're new to Soft you'll greatly appreciate. This isn't ugly ducklings and fake exercises. Each project results in a useful model or animation. The dolphin is great! I would have liked to see more detailed imagery and the CD has some naming inconsistencies, but overall you can't go wrong with this book.
Rating: 
Summary: SI 3D Design Guide isgreat
Review: I rated this what I did because it IS exactly what it says it is- a design guide. If you are a rank amateur, you will get a lot out of this book that you would scratching your head for hours or days trying to figure out using the manuals alone. If you are artistically inclined, you will like the included artwork which will give you an idea of what is possible with the program. The exercises definitely give you a familiarity with the software which is important if you ever want to be productive. If this was a book full of tutorials, you may very well become an expert on creating a few specific types of things, but what they did here is give you a straightforward explanation of the various functions of the menu items and such, which goes a longer way in making you proficient in the entire package instead of a few select areas. It's like the old saying, "give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day...teach a man how to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime". They inspire you to create your own work instead of reproducing someone else's and gaining nothing in the process.
Rating: 
Summary: Why?
Review: I was really quite disheartened when I got hold of this book, I thought it was going to reveal some of the magic that softimage holds, but it didn't. It covers the basics of softimage and general computer modelling but thats it! If you cannot lay yours hands on the manuals and your a beginner, then give it a go. But if you do then use them and wait for "inside softimage". Oh it has some nice pictures as well.
Rating:
Summary: hmm...
Review: Much as I would like to give it a score of 9, but I feel that this book is insufficent in explaning some of the things in there. As I read through it, I feel that I have more "why" than the answers this book had for me. However, this book IS wonderful in guiding you through SI. For that, I can say this book is very much like a strategy guide or a hint book for an RPG game for computer or PlayStation. And certainly, that I would give it a score of 9 out of 10.
| 
