#3D Studio Applied Book!!
22 messages in this thread
Hello, Nancy –
Saw some of your articles in Cadalyst (I think) and tracked down how
to order your book. I wish Advanstar would promote it a bit more. The
guy who wrote a similar book (about advanced modeling techniques)
sent everyone on this forum a post about it – you may want to do the
same).
My order has been on back order for some time now… really looking forward to
your book and CD!
Jim
anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing it
Dear Jim:
Yeah – sorry for the wait. This is what happens when promotion anticipates
delivery. I started talking about it around Siggraph – but it takes a while to
get a book out the door (six weeks to write, two weeks to edit, blue lines, CDs
and so forth).
It really should be shipping to you directly.
As for Advanstar promoting, they do a good job. The problem is,
until the book is on the shelves one doesn't want to go too crazy
with promotion. Irritates people, who want it NOW, not in a few days
or weeks. I hope you like it.
I just started learning 3DS; a true novice. If your book would not be
too advanced for the likes of me, how does one go about ordering it?
Lost in the mesh,
Dear Andrew:
I think the book will meet your needs, and I don't think it will be too
advanced.
But, REMEMBER – the tutorials in the 3D Studio manuals are award winning. So
while you wait – go through them. They are short, concise and illustrate
important principles very clearly.
My book provides 'application specific' tutorials – longer and more complex.
They will jump start productivity and show you methodologies for whole
projects. The tutorials also allow me to point out tips and tricks in context.
The tutorials are also progressive – easier to harder (generally – although Mr.
Spider is Tutorial 3 so we don't stay easy too long).
As you require more advanced techniques for specific operations, you should
look at 3D Studio Tips and Tricks (Greg Pyros can help you with that), and
there is a book coming out (in January?) called Inside 3D Studio which merits
your attention (it will be a 1000 pages and come with a CD Rom). It is written
by some very cool people.
I hope this answers your questions.
n.
Nancy,
From one cool person to another, thanks for the plug on the Inside 3D Studio
book. I'm sure that both of our books will find a useful place on most 3D
Studio users shelves. My co-authors and I are knocking ourselves out to meet
that January publication deadline.
I have to wipe the blood off of my keyboard, rewrap my finger stumps and
get back to writing now. Tech editors are such cruel people <G>
Thanks,
Steven
Steven:
Yes, I especially liked Nancy's reference to us 'cool people' also. It was
enough to make me stay up a few more hours last night writing!
Greg Pyros [Pyros Partnership, Inc] 14-Dec-93 at 9:42a PST
Dear Greg:
You Sleep? Stop it right now. No WONDER its taking you so long to finish that
1000 page book. You keep SLEEPing.
I hope the REST of you writers aren't making that mistake…..
<g> n.
I got plenty of time to sleep while I was waiting for an ad for **my**
(non-animation) book to show up. I'm still pretty sleepy! <g>
Chris
SLEEP? What's that?
That's in the same category as a SOCIAL LIFE, filed under "What you will never
see again if you decide to write a 3DS book".
Thank god for Cserve, otherwise I'd never get out of the house. <g>
Michele
PS Thanks for the Tips and Tricks series plug, even if I didn't make the 'cool
people' list… <g>
<MB> even if I didn't make the 'cool people' list…
I think we should make Nancy post the `cool people' list!!
CU GH
(bet Kate is on top)
We don't NEED Nancy's cool people list. We have our OWN. Let's see: me, you,
Glenn, um, um, yeah.
Michele (it's more distinctive to be on a SHORT cool people list)
Yeah, OK..but I don't think Glenn cares if he's on anyone list!
PS Have you checked my MultiMedia disk yet?….No!….What do you do with all
your time..
gh
Of course you make the cool people list , , ,
Are you not on Cis, in the asoft forum?????
n
Hello Steven,
All this book talk has got me wondering. I had ordered a book earlier in the
year for 3DS and found it too easy. I'm looking for a book that gets away from
procedures that are covered in the Tutorials and Ref Man. I was wondering
whether your book is considered a starter or an advanced? Do you go into nitty
gritty details? I really want to find out how 3DS works ("Inside 3D Studio"
_sounds_ like it's what I'm looking for). How does the renderer work? How are
shadows calculated? Not the mathimatical equations, but just a detailed
theoretical evaluation. Does you book cover this stuff? And more?
If so, put me in line for a copy – I'll buy it the minute you have it
available.
James
James,
First let me return the favor to Nancy and say that her book is out now and
is definitely worth a look. Her book is tutorial based with specific,
real-world project examples. Right Nancy?
Our book is concept and technique based and uses short exercises and examples
to illustrate specific techniques. We also assume that you have worked
through both the Reference Manual and Tutorials that ship with 3D Studio. We
are making a strong effort to avoid rehashing anything already covered in the
manuals. Philip Miller and I are the primary authors with major contributions
from Greg Pyros, John Slater and others. New Riders Publishing is the
publisher and we're shooting for a ship date near the end of January.
The working outline breaks down into into the following multiple chapter
sections: Concepts and Theory, Basic Modeling, Advanced Modeling, Basic
Animation, Advanced Animation, and an expansive appendix on hardware and the
multimedia profession.
And Yes, we do get into the nitty gritty. How about optimizing model
efficiency, back-tracking lofter paths, neon lighting effects, camera
perspective control, rotoscoped materials, video post techniques, frame
accurate recording and network rendering? To name a few.
I'd better get back to work before my co-authors start beating on me for
spilling secrets and wasting time. I have a lot to write, a short time to
write it in, and I'm down to one knuckle per finger.
Steven
This book sounds great! I should wouldn't mind getting some paper or e-mail
once it's released. Or just info so I can get my local bookstore to order it
for me…
James
If I survive the writing debacle I'm sure we'll be posting notices.
Thanks for your interest,
Steven
Dear Steven:
I haven't seen your book, or even heard its orientation, so I don't know if we
compete (after all, a thesaurus and a dictionary both cover words, but they
don't compete, now do they…).
And even if they did – On Compuserve I'm not just an author, I'm a
professional. Professionals always point out the alternatives available…
Sides, as I told Phil – I <like> all the Inside 3D Studio writers….
n.
Nancy:
>> as I told Phil – I <like> all the Inside 3D Studio writers…
And we like all the "3D Studio Applied" writers, too! <g>
Greg Pyros [Pyros Partnership, Inc] 15-Dec-93 at 9:31p PST
Sorry, I'm lost … Is your book available and where can I made my order!
Thanks Pierre
Dear Pierre – I posted another message under this header that SHOULD answer
your questions….
If it doesn't give me a call.
n.
Soon there will be 2 new books from New Riders Publishing on 3D Studio and
special effects both of these books will be a plus for many 3DS users.
X-man