3d Studio MAX tutorals

Good luck. I don’t use 3DS Max, but from what I understand, it has a very steep learning curve. You would be better off modelling in SketchUp and pairing it with a render engine.

But, if you are determined to stick with 3DS I would recommend posting at http://forums.cgarchitect.com/ and they might be able to steer you in the right direction.

I can not disagree more with the Sketchup to Max methodology, not if you want your renders to finish sometime this year. Sketchup is notorious for exporting messy and error ridden meshes that can cause havoc with rendering engines. The more complex the model, the worse it’s going to be as well. While Ma & Sketchup share some 3rd party renderers, they’re optimized differently and I’ve never had a Sketchup model imported into Max without lots of light leaks, flipped normals, and odd spikes in meshes.

Otherwise, there is no real fast track to 3ds Max. There are 3 (at least) distinct areas within Max to learn (for designers): Modeling, Lighting, and Materials. Focus first on modeling, but think about what you’ll be creating most of the time. Don’t spend your time on spline cages or nurbs, instead focus on boolean and mesh/poly modeling (these terms will make sense as you get into the program). Run through the tutorials built into the Max help menu, at the least they’ll teach you the language of the program so you’ll know how to phrase your questions and get them answered.

Along with http://www.cgarchitect.com, check out http://www.cgsociety.org (more animation and character modeling oriented but a great resource none the less), and http://www.3dtotal.com. If you need models fast and have a few bucks to spend, try http://www.turbosquid.com. They have some free stuff too that I’ve found useful in the past.

Lastly, if you can find someone local who knows the program, or someone you can e-mail your .max file to, there is nothing more helpful than having an expert look over your model and answer your questions. Let me know if I can help…