Hey I wanna make my own simple Models for my OpenGL Demos. The Problem is I have no clue about 3D Studio Max and how to draw the Models. Does somebody know a page where I can find a real beginner Tut for 3D Studio Max. Big Thx

Are you talking about the free version GMax?

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No...
3D Studio Max 4.0

www.3dcafe.com

This is a good place for tutorials and models, the only thing is, make sure you go to the "FREE STUFF" section cuz the V.I.P. section is expensive, but they got tons of free stuff to look at (including the tutorials)! Hope this helps!

thanx alot

http://www.3dlinks.com/tutorials_max.cfm

http://www.maxforums.org/

Alternatively, have you ever heard of a "search engine"?

www.altavista.com - "3dsmax tutorials"

not to be too snide, but the great thing about really expensive software is that when you BUY it, they give you a fatty manual that gives you plenty of info with which to start.

you should look at milkshape3D (google to find it) which is _free_ and good and which has plenty of tutorials and an open file format. if you are in college, i believe that some unis have deals with discreet for cheap copies for students.

incedentally that open file format is a big deal when you start wanting to actually put the models you make into a game. though many people have hacked the .3DS file format i feel like there are less tools available to easily convert 3ds to md2 or md3 or other commonly used model formats. there aren''t a lot of those for .3ds (i think, but i could be lying...) b/c 3d smax comes with the ability to write plugins through which you can export to any file format that you can dream up.

i''ve also heard from peeps who''ve dloaded pirate copies of 3Dsmax that it''s one of the more commonly virus infected files out there. but that''s just paranoid net rumor.

-me

Piracy aside, using .3DS files in your own programs is a major pain in the rear because the format is not well documented at all. I know because I''ve written a .3DS reader, so if anyone needs a program that loads .3DS files with textures and materials let me know and I''ll post it somewhere. However I''ll need to fix a few issues and make sure no tutorial code has crept into it first.

I''ll have to take a look at milkshape3d, so far I''ve been doing things the hard way, with a bunch of example .3DS files, a freeware 3DS viewer and some docs written in 1997.

Also a legit copy of 3DSmax should have a nice manual, but the academic versions of big software packages often don''t, my copies of Visual C++ and VB come to mind (MSDN CS is worth a read but that''s kind of like reading an encyclopedia).

Anywho in conclusion having written programs that use 3DS files I dont recommend it, I''d try an open format with better docs and use a conversion utility if you want 3DS files.