The following margin icons are used to help you get the most out of this book:
Note | Notes highlight useful information that you should take into consideration. |
Tip | Tips provide additional bits of advice that make particular features quicker or easier to use. |
Caution | Cautions warn you of potential problems before you make a mistake. |
NEW FEATURE | The New Feature icon highlights features that are new to Release 9. |
CROSS-REF | Watch for the Cross-Ref icon to learn where in another chapter you can go to find more information on a particular feature. |
ON the DVD-ROM | This icon points you toward related material on the book's DVD. |
Computer-book CD-ROMs are sometimes just an afterthought that include a handful of examples and product demos. This book's DVD, however, includes a diverse selection of 3D models that you can use in your projects if you choose. Many of these models are used in the tutorials. The DVD also includes the Max files for every tutorial.
If you haven't noticed yet, most of this book is printed in black and white. This can make seeing the details (and colors) of the figures difficult. The DVD includes a complete searchable version of the book along with all the figures in color.
The possibilities of Max are endless, but many individuals and groups have pushed the software a long way. As a sampling of the finished work that can be created, I've included a set of color insert pages that showcase some amazing work done with Max. The 3D artists represented in these pages give you some idea of what is possible.