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Autodesk 3ds max 8 is a mature, robust, full-featured 3D modeling and animation application used by the world s top 3D professional artists and designers to create eye-catching visual effects, cutting-edge games, and unique design visualizations. It features a powerful built-in scripting language, MAXScript. Its Character Studio and biped features, offer rich character animation functionality. Pelt mapping makes applying textures to complex characters faster and easier. In this advanced tutorial, Virtual Training Company author Michael Thomas Green focuses on MAXScript, Character Studio and biped, as well as new features in 3ds max 8, such as cloth, hair and pelt mapping.' A perfect follow up to VTC s discreet 3ds max 7 Tutorial by the same author. To get started learning 3ds max 8 today, simply click on the links.


Introduction and Setting Up
About Max 8 and This Course
New in Max 8 Pt.1
New in Max 8 Pt.2

MAXScript--Basics
What is MAXScript?
The MAXScript Menu
The MAXScript Listener and Mini-Listener
MAXScript Help
Syntax Rules in Help Files
Characters with Special Meanings
Introduction to Variables
the MAXScript Debugger Pt.1
the MAXScript Debugger Pt.2

MAXScript--Creating Objects
Constructors-Classes-Parameters
Creating Geometry
Sphere-WireColor-Pos-Name-Radius
Creating Shapes-Circle
Creating Shapes-Line-Matrix3
Creating Modifiers
Creating Controllers
Creating Materials
Creating Lights
Copy Cloning
Positional and Keyword Parameters

MAXScript--Reserved-Names-Strings
Reserved Words
Names and Naming Rules
Strings

MAXScript--Transforming Objects
Move
3D Vectors
Scale
Rotate Pt.1
Rotate Pt.2
Coordsys

MAXScript--Running Scripts
Enter-Shift Enter
Drag and Drop to Toolbar
Save-Run Script-Hair and Fur
Evaluate All-Hair and Fur
Startup Directory
Include

MAXScript--Conditionals-Loops
If-Else
For-In
For-In Loop Using a Range
Do While
Case

MAXScript--Source Code Layout
Expressions-Basics
Multi-Line Statements
Comments
Indentation/Tabs

MAXScript--Collections
Built-in Sets Pt.1
Built-in Sets Pt.2
Arrays
Wild-Card Pathname Selection
Mapping-NoMap

MAXScript--UI Scripting
Creating a Rollout/Dialog Pt.1
Creating a Rollout/Dialog Pt.2
Rollout UI Control Types
ResetMaxFile
Creating a Rollout Floater Pt.1
Creating a Rollout Floater Pt.2
The Visual MAXScript Editor

MAXScript--Architecture
Undefined
Expressions-Order of Evaluation
Code Blocks
Functions
Interfaces
Scope Introduction
Nested Scopes
Local and Global Variables

MAXScript--Scripting Animation
Animate On and At Time
Specifying Time Pt.1
Specifying Time Pt.2
Scope and Nesting for Time Contexts
Controllers and Keys Pt.1
Controllers and Keys Pt.2
Creating and Manipulating Modifiers
Scripted Custom Attributes

Character Studio--Biped
Creating and Editing a Biped
Figure Mode and Figure Files Pt.1
Figure Mode and Figure Files Pt.1
Footstep Mode and BIP Files Pt.1
Footstep Mode and BIP Files Pt.2
Track View-List Controllers
Editing Footsteps in Track View
Extracting Footsteps from BIP Files
Intro to MAXScript for the Biped
Freeform Animation
Biped Layers
Biped Dynamics and Spline Dynamics
Motion Flow Mode
Mixer Mode and Motion Mixer
Pelvis as Ball Joint
Bone Twist Controls Pt.1
Bone Twist Controls Pt.2
Bone Twist Controls Pt.3
Twist Poses Pt.1
Twist Poses Pt.2
Twist Poses Pt.3
Using Filmbox .fbx Files

Character Studio--Skin and Physique
Skin and Physique-Introduction
Skin
Physique Pt.1
Physique Pt.2
Adjusting Biped to Mesh Pt.1
Adjusting Biped to Mesh Pt.2
Physique and Skin MAXScript Support
Adding Nullhelper to Biped
Skin MAXScript Example
Weight Tool

Character Studio--Biped Animation
Animation Workbench- 3 DOF Rotations
Workbench-Track View Synchronization
IK Blend and Join to Prev IK Key Pt.1
IK Blend and Join to Prev IK Key Pt.2
Presets Pt.1
Presets Pt.2
Pivots Pt.1
Pivots Pt.2
Planting to a Moving Object
Biped Trajectories
Rubber Band Mode
Squash and Stretch w/ List Controllers Pt.1
Squash and Stretch w/ List Controllers Pt.2
Bend Links-Smooth Twist
Layer Retargeting

Character Studio--Motion Flow
Creating keyframes From Motion Flow
Saving and Loading Motion Flow animation
Shared Motion Flow
Positioning and Reorienting-Move All
Retargeting - XAF File

Character Studio--Motion Mixer
Creating a Mixdown
Saving and Loading a .mix File
Creating a Loopable Clip and Tiling
Stretching and Trimming Clips
Combining Clips and Filtering
Mute and Solo Trackgroup
Moving Transition Brackets
Weighting
Timewarp

Garment Maker and Cloth
Introduction to Garment Maker and Cloth
Loading and Scaling Reference Art
Making Panels Pt.1
Making Panels Pt.2
Garment Maker-Arranging Panels
Garment Maker-Creating Seams
Cloth Modifier-Simulate Local Pt.1
Cloth Modifier-Simulate Local Pt.2
Cloth-Animate and Simulate
Skin the Biped-Preliminaries
Cloth-Skin the Biped Pt.1
Cloth-Skin the Biped Pt.2
Cloth-Simulate Local
Cloth-Group-Surface Constraint
Cloth-Fixup and Re-simulate
Local Resimulate with Constraints
MAXScript-Local Cloth Resimulation
Cape-Garment Maker
Cape-cloth-Create Keys
Cape-Simulate-Weld Mesh
Cloth-group-Surface Constrain hood
Cloth-Node Constraint-Script Controller Pt.1
Cloth-Node Constraint-Script Controller Pt.2
Cloth-Final Cape Implementation Pt.1
Cloth-Final Cape Implementation Pt.2
Cloth-More MAXScript Pt.1
Cloth-More MAXScript Pt.2
Cloth-More MAXScript Pt.3

Hair and Fur
Hair and Fur-Basics
Hair-Cut Length and Scale
Hair-Lighting
Hair-Styling-Holding a Style Pt.1
Hair-Styling-Holding a Style Pt.2
Hair-Styling

Mapping
Pelt Mapping-Intro
Pelt Mapping-Create Irregular Object
Pelt Mapping-Check Material IDs
Pelt Mapping-Quick Start
Pelt Mapping-Create Seams
Pelt Mapping-Render UV Template
Pelt Mapping-Edit UVWs
Pelt Mapping-Further Study
Real World Mapping

Summing Up
Wrap Up

Credits
About the Author

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