CompuServe Thread

Hi ! There is a file named 3dbook.txt or 3dbook.zip in the file library, just at your left on the screen if you use Wincim ! Inside you will have a list of all the recent publication on 3DStudio. It's the best one I think.

<< I'm looking for a book(s) on 3DS and was wondering if anyone could suggest or recommend any good titles.>> Steve, FWIW, I just purchased Greg Pyros' (and company) new book Inside 3D Studio Release 3. It is an excellent reference and addition to the 3DS manuals, and it comes with a CD ROM full of cool stuff! Check it out for 60 bucks! Greg, Steve Elliot, are you reading this? I'd like to give Mr. Courtney the number to call, but I can't find it! ,,,,,, – TC ( * >* ) –

Re. 3DS books… There are quite a few on the market, Digimation caries quite a few to choose from (800/854-5596 for their catalog) "Inside 3D Studio" is probalbly the most complete single book around, another good one for new users is "3D Studio Applied." Re. Arch modeling… I find that for Architectural models it is much easier to model in ACad, but there are a few rules that help the model import into 3DS3 in order to get the normals correct. My background is Architecture as well and for years only modelled in ACad, even for non Architectural projects. Recently I completed a very large project which included modeling the insides of a computer in great detail and used the 3DS modeler exclusively and was very pleased. However, due to ACad's use of Osnap, User defined UCS, and layering structure just to mention a few things that help for Arch modeling, I recommend ACad for that perpose. Good luck with your endeavor. Zac P.S. I train ACad 3d if you are at all interested send me an E-Mail 😉

/* Also, with regards to architectural applications, would it be easier to construct 3D models in AutoCAD and then import them to 3DS or just do it all in 3DS (given the fact that I'd need to learn one or the other anyway)? */ Your situation is common. For productivity reasons, yes I would encourage you to translate ACAD stuff (via DXF) to 3DS using 2-sided materials toggle in the rendering menu to get you up and running. Later you can wrestle with 3DS's ability to generate geometry without ACAD, but for fastest results, using what you already know will go quicker. -dave

Dear Steve: Hi! Just thought I'd be another voice from the dead of nite… Although I'm a proficient AutoCAD user (nine years experience teaching AutoCAD 2D & 3D to Architects and engineers in the US and UK) I can't whole heartedly agree that AutoCAD is the only place to make your 3DS models for Architectural animations… If you have a product like ASG (or Archibus) or one of a dozen other 3D architecture apps that make architectural floor plans in 3D (and draw walls, windows, doors, furniture) then its great to use AutoCAD to develop interiors… But I like to loft the outsides of my buildings in 3DS from 2D Elevations created in AutoCAD. (Actually there is a very nice little product called FACADE which will do this inside AutoCAD – i.e. develop 3d elevation panels from 2D elevations). Once the elevations are in the 2d shaper, I assign them and loft them on a thin path to make solid facades. That is because I find it hard to make very nice looking (detailed) elevations in 3D in AutoCAD without resorting to some very repetitive 3D commands (extrusions, surfaces, on bad days a little ame). And making sure all the pieces are on the right layer (so they become independent objects that you can assign materials too without working magic in 3ds — EEK) If you don't have a third party application or an existing library of 3D furniture (door and window routines that create headers and sills) then even some of your interiors might be easier in 3DS… I've heard from Architects/interior designers who say: My ACAD models are too big, render slow, have two many faces. I hate arranging my AutoCAD drawings by innumerable layers that are useful only for conversion to 3DS. I hate using Select Face and Create Face Detach to liberate my walls so I can apply materials to the darn things. Why buy 3DS if I have to create my models in AutoCAD? There are a number of 24 bit rendering applications that create animations in AutoCAD (ARE-24 for example). My AutoCAD Furniture doesn't have smoothing groups so it looks ugly in 3DS. 3DS furniture (from a variety of sources) has different materials already applied to it so it looks better, the furiture also has fewer faces which matters when you have 200 chairs …. I don't like having to create 'working plans' just to create an animation. Anyway – I have worked both ways so I don't have an extremely strong preference, I just thought I should point out some of the hassles. (In the 3DS Applied book I put in one tutorial on interior design, and one on creating architectural models from elevations created in AutoCAD). Sorry to butt in… N.

/* Also, with regards to architectural applications, would it be easier to construct 3D models in AutoCAD and then import them to 3DS or just do it all in 3DS (given the fact that I'd need to learn one or the other anyway)? */ Hi Steve, We've been spending some time with this transition process from both ends,( ie developing our idea in 3DS3 and transforming the mesh into a .dwg for manipulation in AutoCAD R12, and developing our idea in A-CAD and bringing it into 3DS3 as a mesh file with Autodesk's Autovision. The transition is smoooooth! Quick! Your materials, lights, cameras etc can make the trip too if thats what you need. The program is fast enough that I bring everything into 3DS3 for rendering. I've been assured that rendering in ACAD (speed ofcourse) will improve soon. In the long tradition of complication I submit the following. I normally lurk here, far too scary to particpate <g>, and have observed some facinating social phenomena. Hence I will answere the question right now, and besides it's a fable with a happy ending. "Why would you build something in 3DS that ultimatly needs dimensioning, close tollerance…. all those things CAD is very good at…?" A client of ours started this unfortunate process when he used 3DS to conceptualize an idea. It grew. He has a copy of AutoCAD but that was on his things to learn list. Toward the end of this part of his journey he was looking for gravity IPAS and collision detection routines. Scary ehh? The idea sold. It was a coal mining machine in the best Orwelian tradition. You know, drive it into the side of a mountain, the mountain disappears and out pops fairly refined coal by the very large truck load. He was hoping to use his meshes in AutoCAD or for someone to use them. This was pre AutoVision but I'm sure that just bringing the mesh into a .dwg would not have been of benefit. Well he found someone to make the whole thing acceptable to machinists, added to his millions and married the King's daughter…. but I think that it had to be built from scatch in AutoCAD. I am by no means a CADspert. But our inhouse 'spert believes this to be true also. But we dream large here and the posibilities are exciting. AutoVision brings us a step closer to bringing on board those individuals gifted with imagination but no desire, time, capacity….to learn the heathen language of the engineer. I fall into several of those catagories. And where's the darn spell checker in this cissy program? Anyway, we are learning Designer for AutoCAD right now and our CADspert is very excited about the transitional possibilities from ACAD to 3DS and back again. (will we get a drill function in 3DS4? I lean more towards a set of carving knives). I would ask him for his input but he has been digitizing 22,000 blueprints for the last 6 months and really makes entirely too much sense. Have fun and welcome to the mythical, mystical world Mr. John Walker. (the guy not the other stuff)