This tutorial will introduce 3D Studio MAX (MAX) and then explain how to create some simple solids. I am only assuming that you have some understanding of basic computing concepts.

By the end of this tutorial you will be able to create and animate a scene in MAX.

Before you start MAX, create a folder to store your files, if you are working in the computer labs at FBE, create the folder on Drive N:. Start MAX now!

Firstly, we'll have a very quick introduction to MAX's interface.

Once MAX has started, look at the Command Panel (on the right)...

The Create section of the Command Panel is open with the Geometry (sphere) icon / button IN. The buttons for the Standard Primitives are shown in the Object Type "rollout" (a "rollout" is a collection of commands or options, it has a button at the top with a minus "-" on the left if the rollout is open or alternatively a plus "+" if its closed).

Click on the Utilities command panel (the hammer) - this totally changes everything below...

Click on the Create command panel again, then click on the Cameras icon (it's one of the icons below 'Create'). Once again the bit below is totally changed - though this time there isn't much there!

Click on the Geometry icon again, then click on Standard Primitives (a drop-down list will be displayed), choose Extended Primitives. This will change the contents of the Object Type rollout.

Go back to the Standard Primitives, then click on the minus "-" on the left of the Object Type button. This should shrink the rollout, hiding its contents. Click on the plus "+" to expand the rollout.

If this seems messy and really complicated - don't worry! Once you start to learn what all the various things are for, it'll start to become simple and straightforward!

In the application's bottom-right corner are a number of icons that are (mostly) used to control viewport views. Click on the icon in the bottom-right corner, the Min/Max Toggle . This command causes the application to swap between viewing a single viewport and viewing all the viewports.

Click on the Min/Max toggle again to return to the 4 viewports.

To the left of the command panel are the four viewports. In the top-left is the Top (plan) view. To the right is the Front (X-Z) view, under the Front is the Perspective view. Finally, in the bottom-left is the Left (Y-Z) view.

When you draw on any of the three 2D views the object will be 'based' on the "0 height". In other words, if you draw in the top view the X and Y coordinates are visible and the Z coordinate is 0. If you draw in the Front view the X and Z coordinates are visible and the Y coordinate is 0.

Before I explain more, it's worth noting that (like most CAD related applications) MAX uses standard Cartesian coordinates, with the X-Y plane being the ground.

I'll explain more about the interface as we continue.

Click on the Box button. Notice that a Parameters rollout is displayed (at the bottom of the Command Panel). Move the mouse into the Perspective Viewport (near the middle) and press the mouse button down to enter the first corner point, then "drag" the cursor to enter the other corner point of the base (release the mouse button). Move the mouse up - the box height will dynamically change - press the mouse button when you're happy with the result!

Create a few more boxes...

Before we go any further, it's worth understanding how to change what the view(s) are showing. Click on the Zoom icon, then [in the perspective viewport] "drag" the cursor UP - the objects in that view will appear to get bigger. Drag DOWN to zoom out (which reduces the apparent size of the objects in the view).

You should be aware that the undo command does not undo zooming...

Click on the Sphere button, then click to set the centre and then "drag" to enter the sphere. When the object has just been created it's possible to change the object's parameters. Change the radius (in the Parameters rollout), for example round it off to the nearest 10.

Investigate the other Standard Primitives - they're all pretty straightforward! Don't forget to get a teapot or two...

Click on the Select and Move icon (it's located on the toolbar above the viewport), then click on one of the objects you've created - the cursor should change into a shape like the symbol on the icon. You can now drag the object to a new position!

Click on the Select and Rotate icon (beside the Move icon), then click on a box. Rotate is rather strange! Instead of having the mouse movement equal rotation. Movement up and down (the screen) equates to rotation!

Select and Scale is very similar to Rotate, click on the object(s) and then drag up or down to enlarge or reduce the object size.

To delete a shape, pick the Select Object icon (located on the top toolbar, to the left of Move) then simply click on the shape (to select it) and finally press the Delete key.

While there's nothing wrong with the default perspective view, I'll let you know how to change it - in-case you get bored .

Click on the Orbit icon (near the bottom-right of the application's window). Move the cursor inside the yellow circle hold the left mouse button down and drag it around... but inside the yellow circle.

Select Rendering - Render..., the dialog box that's displayed is a bit intimidating at first! Click on "640x480" in the Output Size group and click on the Render button at the bottom.

MAX will display a new window and render the active viewport (hopefully the perspective view!), the background should be black and the lighting will be the two default lights. Click on the "X" to dismiss the window and also close the Render dialog box.

Click on the Shapes Icon (beside the Geometry Icon), then select the Rectangle button and draw a rectangle using either the Front or Left viewports. This is a 2D shape, but it can be edited...

Click on the Modify command panel icon, then click on the Modifier List. This will display a large selection of cool effects that can be applied to objects. Select Extrude (pressing 'e' will help...) which is in the Object-Space Modifiers section. Set the Amount value (in the Parameters Rollout) to 20.

In the section beneath the Modifier List (the Modifier Stack), select "Rectangle" and then select Edit Spline from the Modifiers List (its in the Patch/Spline Editing section) click on the Vertex icon to allow vertex editing.

Click on the Select and Move icon then right-click on one of the rectangle's corners and then select Bezier from the menu, then drag one of the green squares and watch what happens...

Repeat this process on one of the other corners - except use "Bezier Corner" instead of Bezier. When you're happy with the resulting shape, go back to the Modifier Stack and click on Extrude.

There are a number of interesting commands in the Modify command panel, in this section I'm going to introduce "Bend"...

Create a tall box with comparatively small width and depth.

Select the Modify icon (if necessary select the box), click on the Modifier Stack, select Bend. Move the mouse down to the Parameters roll-out and then press (and hold down) the left mouse button over the up arrow of the Angle entry area. With the button still down, move the mouse up and down, watch the effect on the box. Let go of the mouse button, you should see the box is now "leaning over" but it is not "curving over".

To make the box "curve over", click on the drop-down list in the Modifier Stack and change the value from Bend to Box, then change the box's Height Segs value from 1 to 10 - the higher the value the smoother the curve.

Now you will create a simple walk-through (or around) with a camera. Due to time constraints, you won't actually create an animation file, but you could have.

Select the Create icon, then select Camera, finally click on Target . In the Top view, click near one of the corners and "drag" towards the centre. The camera is located at the first position and the camera-target is located with the "drag". Once you've located the camera you may want to raise it (use "Select and Move" in the Left or Front viewports).

Once you are happy with the initial camera position, click on the Auto Key button (on the bottom toolbar); the animation timeline should change colour. On the left of the timeline is a button labelled "0/100" drag that button until it reads "10/100". Now change the scene, for example move the camera. Move the timeline button to "20/100"; this time move the Camera-Target. Move the timeline to "30/100" and move the camera; then move one of the objects in the camera's view.

Continue moving the timeline button and make alterations to the scence as you wish. Some suggested alterations include:
    +   moving objects
    +   change objects' size
    +   change objects' deformations (eg: alter the parameters on a bend).

When setting up the final key-frame (100/100), try to make sure that the camera is back in its original position - where it was at "0/100".

Click on Auto Key to stop setting-up the animation. Click on the perspective viewport to make it the current view right-click on "perspective" and select Views - Camera01. It would probably be a good idea to hit the Maximize Viewport Toggle icon to maximise the Perspective viewport.

Finally, click on the Play button which is located to the right of the Auto Key button.

When you are finished watching the animation, simply hit the Stop button (which is located where the play button was).

If there is time, you may want to create an animation file! Select Rendering - Render, the Render Scene dialog box will be displayed. In the first section (Time Output), select Active Time Segment. Scroll up the dialog box, until you can see the sixth section (Render Output), select Files... (the Render Output File dialog box will be displayed) change the Save as type to AVI File (*.avi), type a name in the File name text field, change the path if you wish, and select Save. Back in the Render Scene dialog box, select Render. Depending on the settings and the number of frames, it will take some minutes to create the animation file.

That's the end of the tutorial!