What's new in 3ds Max 8? Should I upgrade? How can 3ds Max 8 help me become more productive? Author and master trainer Ted Boardman answers all those questions and many more in the latest edition of his expert guide, 3ds Max 8 Fundamentals. You'll not only learn the process of modeling and animating objects in 3ds Max 8, but also gain an appreciation for its underlying rationale. As you complete the exercises and tutorials in this book, you'll discover features new in max 8 that make it an even more powerful program than before. Whether you are new to Max 8 or an old pro looking to increase your productivity, you'll benefit from the detailed explanations of such topics as:

* Sharing, controlling, and managing your work-in-progress assets using Asset Tracker, 3ds max 8's new source control solution

* Selecting, viewing, manipulating, and working with curves more easily with the improved Track View

* Developing photorealistic characters with 3ds's improved character development features, cloth and hair simulation tools, award-winning Reactor (R) physics system, and particle flow

* Using the fast, unique Edit Poly approach to create everything from simple to complex models

* How to best light your scenes and use materials for maximum compatibility with other applications such as Discreet Combustion in collaborative work environments