Chapter 1. Basic Concepts

There are several ways to learn a program such as Autodesk 3ds Max 9, or any other computer graphics (CG) package. Ultimately, you'll get the best education through months or even years of working with the software in different capacities. Ask any successful student, and they will tell you one thing: there is no such thing as book smarts when it comes to good CG production—it all comes down to what you can achieve.

Achievement comes only from practice. You can't avoid the many pitfalls of production work without falling into and climbing out of them. Some readers may find this idea frustrating, but it is an intractable truth. The more you work with 3ds Max, the better you will become with it.