Review: How to Cheat in 3ds Max 2015: Get Spectacular Results Fast by Michael McCarthy

I found this book to be quite interesting, but it’s also very specific to the 3ds Max package. How to Cheat in 3ds Max 2015: Get Spectacular Results Fast by Michael McCarthy has about 15 chapters focusing on various aspects of the 3d modeling process. It probably only took me about a week to read the text, which I don’t mind at all. Not every book has to be a 1000 page tome. I actually find it refreshing to read short books, especially if the author can impart a deal of knowledge in a quick span of time. How to Cheat in 3ds Max 2015 was one of those books.

Included in the 328 page copy are some very essential topics in the creation of art in 3ds Max: customizing the UI, navigating the scene and transforming objects, basic modeling, character modeling, materials, lighting and shadows, reflections, animation, MAXScript, rendering, plug-ins, special effects, and more. Not a bad amount of coverage, though many of the chapters are not extensive.

If you’re using 3ds Max, I think this is a decent addition to your library. It covers some specific things well, and gives you enough information to know what to search for to find out more. I especially liked the chapter on how to make an object fracture and then fall into pieces using physics. It also shows you what tools there are (sometime even 3rd party plug-ins) and does give you a good idea of what’s possible if you’re new to Max. However, if you are using a different 3d package, the book may not be as useful.

What I wish is that there were more general 3d art and modeling books out there. I’ve already read Digital Modeling by William Vaughan and it was amazing, but sort of a one-of-a-kind. Too many of the books out there seem to focus on one particular toolset and don’t try to abstract the concepts into something more widely applicable. Clearly, the basic foundation of modeling and texturing techniques are not all that different with different programs. The buttons or methods may be different, but the thought process is very similar. I can’t knock this book for that, though, it’s just more of a general musing on the subject.

Overall I thought How to Cheat in 3ds Max 2015 was a competent book, and achieves what it set out to do. I feel like it would probably be useful for beginner 3d artists trying to up their game, but maybe as a 2nd or 3rd book. The chapters each have a sort of “cookbook” feel to them, so I think some other books do a better job of building on top of previous chapters in a more cohesive manner. However, I don’t think that was the goal here, so I won’t penalize the author. All in all: not bad.