News: Time-Saving Tricks for Working Smarter and Faster in 3ds Max 8

You may be familiar with the general layout of 3ds Max 8's user interface, but a few of version 8's interface features aren't readily apparent to new users. They are, however, critical if you want to navigate quickly in 3D space. The goal of this chapter isn't to show you the nuts and bolts of the interface, but rather to introduce you to a few of these fundamental features that will enhance your productivity.

How To: Create Realistic 3D Shadows

Setting up shadows takes just as much time and attention as setting up lights. You can think of all of your illumination as one half of your lighting design, and shadows as the other, equally important half. Shadows can add richness to the tones and shading of your image, tie elements together, and improve your composition. Besides their artistic importance, rendering shadows is a key technical area to master. This chapter will explore both the visual and the technical sides of shadows and oc...

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