Mastering 3D Studio VIZ 3

Master 3D Studio VIZ
Including All the New Features of Release 3

In Mastering 3D Studio VIZ 3, world-renowned AutoCAD expert George Omura teaches you every aspect of AutoDesk's powerful 3D design and modeling tool. Whether you're entirely new to VIZ or just want to get up to speed on the latest release, this book offers the explanations and clear, step-by-step instruction you need to put VIZ to work in even the most complex of design projects. Coverage includes:
* Finding your way around in VIZ
* Getting up to speed on the newest features
* Importing and exporting AutoCAD files
* Creating walls and doors
* Creating complex shapes
* Matching designs to background photographs
* Creating realistic and dramatic lighting effects
* Creating materials and applying materials to objects
* Creating geometry from bitmap images
* Basing designs on bitmap sketches
* Setting up animated walkthroughs
* Producing video output from animations
* Adding props to VIZ models
* Produce design presentation views-building elevations and top, front, and side views
* Placing sunlight for sun-shadow studies
* Using image editing programs in conjunction with VIZ
* Using AutoCAD in conjunction with VIZ

Written for architectural designers, Mastering 3D Studio VIZ 3 is a practical, hands-on guide to using this 3-D modeling and rendering tool from Kinetix. The author is a good writer, and he's got lots of experience in VIZ. This book, his fifth, highlights both facts.

Spanning over 1,100 pages, and containing 16 chapters and four appendices, the book covers everything from the basics of using VIZ all the way through final rendering and delivery of VIZ-rendered animation on videotape. Each chapter is illustrated with screen shots and rendered frames, and contains step-by-step text for the tutorial in question.

While the book does a terrific job of teaching how to use the program, the real stars are the appendices. "Modifiers and Materials," "Patches and NURBS," and "Helpers and Effects" offer clear and concise information on all of these important features. These appendices alone are an invaluable reference resource.

Technically oriented tools like 3D Studio VIZ aren't easy to use. At best, the rendered image simply will look wrong; but, at worst, it can convey the wrong information to the client, and force design changes when none should be made. Using a tool like VIZ with accuracy is important, and Mastering 3D Studio VIZ 3 is a terrific reference guide for learning and using it correctly, efficiently, and painlessly. --Mike Caputo