- An Introduction to 3D
- 3D models are created by manipulating polygon meshes and molding them into objects, characters and scenes. Even if you don't have formal art training that goes beyond the few classes you took in high school or college you can still do great work in 3D. By Vivek Kumar Bhojnagarwala.
- Review: 3ds Max 2009
- This new version of 3ds Max offers a wide range of updates to a popular application. This week we look at several of these updates, including: the ViewCube, Steering Wheels, Photometric Lighting, MentalRay ProMaterials and more. By Nathan Segal
- Create a 3D Scene with Maya and Photoshop: Part 1
- Building and texturing a flying saucer in 3D. By Nathan Segal
- Software Review: Informatix Piranesi
- A hybrid application between 3D and 2D. By Nathan Segal
- 3D in Depth: Lighting: Part 2
- Lighting continued, including 3 point lighting. By Nathan Segal
- 3D in Depth: Lighting: Part 1
- Introduction to lighting concepts. By Nathan Segal
- Book Review: Texturing: Concepts and Techniques
- Review with resource material. By Nathan Segal
- Book Review: Getting a Job in CG: Real Advice from Reel People
- Review with resource material. By Nathan Segal
- 3D in Depth: Materials: Part 2
- Texture creation for your 3D models. By Nathan Segal
- 3D in Depth: Materials: Part 1
- An introduction to materials in 3D. By Nathan Segal
- 3D in Depth: Cameras
- An overview of cameras and how they work in 3D. By Nathan Segal
- A Real-World Project
- How to use 3D to create images for an art exhibition. By Nathan Segal
- Book Review: Stop Staring
- This book covers facial modeling and animation. By Jason Osipa. By Nathan Segal
- Modeling for Animation
- Planning your workflow, including timelines, research, detail, texturing, lighting, final image size, etc. By Nathan Segal
- Animation Tips and Tricks
- The animation process, including storyboards, file formats, polygon reduction, etc. By Nathan Segal
- 3D Modeling for Profit
- Here, you'll learn how to make ongoing royalties from your 3D models. By Nathan Segal
- Swift 3D: Vector Animation for the Web
- Swift 3D is a plug-in which converts 3D geometry into vector animation for Flash. By Nathan Segal
- Effective Export/Import of 3D Models
- Effective Export/Import models from one application to the other. By Nathan Segal
3-D Animation Workshop
The lessons below represent the archived column of Robert Polevoi, with lessons dating from April 1997 - May 2001.
- WildTangent for Online Games
- Outstanding technology for interactive 3D development.
- Welding Vertices in Max 4
- Fundamental changes in basic techniques.
- New Subdivision Tools in Max 4
- Refined control and better integration.
- Polygon Basics in Max 4
- Editable Poly makes life simpler.
- New Polygon Modeling in Max 4
- Assessing the Editable Poly revolution.
- First Look at Max 4
- Initial observations on the new release.
- Photorealistic Web 3D for E-Commerce
- Kaon Interactive delivers razor-sharp 3D graphics using Java.
- From Geometry to Pictures
- Basic rendering concepts explained.
- Getting Under the Hood
- The nuts and bolts of 3D scene descriptions.
- Understanding 3D Technologies
- Digging deeper to remain competitive.
- Scan the Skies!
- Designing a Web 3D game.
- Designing Web 3D Interfaces
- More advanced projects from the new book.
- Web 3D 2.0
- Interactive projects from my new book on Shout3D.
- Second Generation 3D
- New technologies are shaping the future.
- Finishing the Character
- The completed biped figure.
- Modeling the Character
- Building the basic form.
- My Modeling Secret
- Making MAX behave.
- MAX Character Modeling
- Subdivision surfaces introduced.
- Character Arms and Legs
- On to the extremities.
- More Character Skinning
- Perfecting the chest.
- Skinning a Character Skeleton
- Attaching flesh to bones.
- Inverse Kinematics in MAX
- We dissect a simple chain.
- MAX for Character Animation
- We start a critical examination.
- From Sci-Fi to E-Commerce
- Blaxxun's Multi-User 3D Communities
- More Rendering Refinements
- Caustics add a touch of class.
- Refinements in Rendering
- Global illumination in Mental Ray 2.1.
- Thinking in Pulse 3D
- New concepts to ponder in Web 3D.
- Lightmaps in Pulse 3D
- Great, fast lighting for realtime Web 3D.
- The Pulse of Web 3D Entertainment
- Character animation for the Internet.
- Learning 3D Graphics
- The education (or self-education) of the 3D artist.
- The New 3D Artist
- New opportunities demand new skills.
- More Cult3D Interactivity
- Building a virtual consumer gadget.
- Cult3D Automates Interactivity
- Strong authoring tools for Web 3D
- Superscape Reborn in Web 3D
- New ideas from an old player.
- More on MetaStream
- A closer look at multi-resolution Web 3D.
- 3D E-Commerce With MetaStream
- The Virtual Store Debuts
- VRML to Web 3D Continued
- VRML is alive and kicking.
- From VRML to Web 3D
- The past shapes the present in Web 3D.
- Web 3D—Charting a Course
- Assessing current options for Web 3D.
- Shout is Out!
- Some impressive experiments with the new Web 3D package.
- Web 3D Gaming
- Inside a true Web 3D game built with Shout3D and Java.
- JavaScript-Powered Web 3D
- Shout3D and JavaScript make a powerful team.
- Interactivity in Shout 3D
- Shaping the user's experience in Web 3D.
- Introducing Shout 3D
- First look at the revolution in Web 3D.
- New Era in Web 3D
- Breakthroughs bring realtime 3D to Web pages.
- Notes From SIGGRAPH 99
- New products shine at annual 3D industry bash.
- A Challenging Model
- Building a NURBS violin teaches us strategy and instincts.
- 3D Studio MAX 3 Reviewed
- We assess the new MAX and its impact on the 3D world.
- MAX NURBS—Finishing the Piston
- We complete our series on MAX NURBS with a finished model.
- MAX NURBS—The Piston Project
- We try our hand at a complete NURBS model.
- Trimming MAX NURBS
- We take out our scissors and snip away at NURBS surfaces.
- Basic MAX NURBS Patches
- We look at the structure of simple NURBS surfaces.
- From MAX NURBS to Polygons
- We examine how NURBS surfaces become polygonal meshes for rendering.
- Basic MAX NURBS Surfaces
- We look at sweeping, lathing and lofting NURBS curves.
- Introducing MAX NURBS
- We begin a series on NURBS modeling in 3D Studio MAX.
- Puppet Master Plus
- We finish our character animation series with an advanced setup.
- Puppet Master
- We look at a radically different approach to character animation.
- Modeling and Animating
- We explore the relationship between modeling and animating a character figure.
- Movin' on Up
- We turn to forward kinematics to pose our character's arms.
- Stepping Nicely
- We put together what we've learned to get our character walking.
- Using Inverse Kinematics
- We learn about methods for creating a realistic stepping motion.
- Getting Started with Character Animation
- We start a series on character animation using Lightwave 3D.
- Surface Suite for Professional Texturing
- A look at today's high-end tool for texture mapping.
- More Texture Mapping
- We put our texture mapping concepts to work.
- Texture Mapping Basics
- We start a look at wrapping pictures around 3D models.
- Nendo -Curves Without Splines
- Brilliant tools coax subtle curvature out of polygons.
- Low-Polygon Modeling
- We build a human head for games or other real-time 3-D use.
- Nendo - Innovation in Modeling
- The new Nendo modeler is fun, fantastic and almost free.
- VRML - Platinum Speaks
- Tony Parisi talks about Platinum Technologies' plans for VRML.
- VRML - Back From the Brink
- Platinum Technologies buys Cosmo, takes charge.
- Picture Perfect
- Photorealistic smooth objects in Lightscape.
- More Radiosity Magic
- We add ray-traced refinements to radiosity.
- The Natural Magic of Radiosity
- Astounding realism with Lightscape.
- VRML - Embers in the Ashes
- Where does VRML go from here?
- VRML - Life After Cosmo?
- Thoughts about the crisis in VRML.
- Cutting Edge VRML
- "State of the Art" VRML from Shout Interactive.
- VRML for Web Advertising
- We look at some breakthrough "embedded" VRML for Web pages.
- Building in Cosmo Worlds
- We look at the "DynaControls" for VRML world assembly.
- Enter Cosmo Worlds
- The definitive VRML authoring package arrives on the PC.
- SOFTIMAGE—NURBS Blending
- We explore techniques for seamlessly welding NURBS objects together.
- SOFTIMAGE—Closing NURBS Surfaces
- We play with basic NURBS techniques to create closed surfaces and objects.
- SOFTIMAGE—Introducing NURBS Surfaces
- Using NURBS, we turn a rigid square into a fluid piece of cloth.
- SOFTIMAGE—From Splines to NURBS
- We learn how NURBS improve upon simpler curves for powerful modeling.
- SOFTIMAGE—Starting With Splines
- We begin a look at true spline modeling in this famous program.
- SOFTIMAGE—View From the Top
- We start an in-depth look at the Mount Everest of 3-D applications.
- 3D Hardware Update
- We talk to the hardware experts about crashing prices and poweful graphics cards.
- VRML 97—Using Authoring Tools
- We examine an inexpensive authoring program—Cosmo's Home Space Designer.
- VRML 97—Magical Mystery Tour
- Take a spin through a VRML world.
- VRML 97—Touch and Go!
- VRML worlds go interactive.
- VRML 97—On the Move
- VRML worlds slip into motion.
- VRML 97 Free Fall
- We leap into VRML space, learning the basics of the new specification.
- VRML 97—Now's The Time
- We start an in-depth look at this new version of interactive 3-D for the Web.
- Animation Tools—MAX vs. Lightwave
- Our two professional 3D heavyweights face off in animation tools.
- Lightwave Metanurbs
- It's Lightwave's turn to shine in our comparison of professional 3-D packages.
- 3D Studio MAX
- We jump right to the ambitious core of this major 3-D application.
- Comparing Professional Packages
- We start a side-by-side look at two major 3-D packages.
- Getting Started in 3-D
- Some advice and orientation for the serious 3-D beginner.
- The Art of Glass
- We finish our still-life with a clear glass beaker.
- Metal and Mirrors
- We play with reflection and ray tracing to create the feel of metal.
- Good Enough to Eat
- We create convincing surfaces for our photorealistic scene.
- Lights, Shadows and Feelings
- We explore the sense of environment to create persuasive 3-D scenes.
- Photorealism 101
- We begin an exploration of photorealism in 3D, using a still-life.
- Bevels and Details
- We finish our chest with a look at bevels and multiple surfaces.
- Onward and Upward
- We continue our modeling project, exploring perspective and orthogonal viewing.
- Modeling Like The Pros
- We start a realistic modeling project, using professional methods.
- More About Surfacing
- We look at the ways to get surface texture and "touchable" realism in 3-D objects.
- Getting Started With Surfacing
- We get oriented with the tools that bring color, realism and imagination to the surfaces of our 3-D objects.
- Today's 3-D Workstation
- We visit with 3-D hardware experts to learn about the affordable workstations that are bringing 3-D to a wide audience.
- Intersecting Spaces
- We learn how multiple "spaces" co-exist in a single scene, and about creating families of objects.
- Modeling, Modeling
- We explore the basics of modeling geometry from scratch, pulling flat objects out into the third dimension.
- Mind Candy
- Using deformation tools, we animate shapes and consider what it means to create an animation concept.
- Bringing It To Life
- We learn about keyframing and make a simple object dance and play.
- The Software Landscape
- Responding to numerous reader requests, we take a quick look over the world of 3-D animation packages.
- Lights, Camera, Render!
- 3-D graphics means not only creating objects in space, but also coating them with exciting, realistic surfaces that interact with light.
- Get Primitive
- We start modeling using only the simple geometric objects that our applications give us, and good things happen right away.
- Let There Be Light
- We add a simple light to create shading and shadows, and surprisingly enough, smooth curving surfaces as well.
- Building an Object
- Using points, we create surfaces, and therefore our first simple object.
- Through the Looking Glass
- A tutorial on 3D Space that takes a visual approach. Learn how 3D graphic artists break out of their 2D existence and work, and think, in another dimension.
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