18	Part I Learning the Max Interface

Figure QS-11: Particles can be used to simulate dust and smoke effects.

Rendering the Final Animation

Rendering the final animation can take lots of time, depending on the output resolution and the power of your computer. The final output is started through the Render Scene dialog box, which you can open with the Rendering Render menu command (or by pressing the F10 key). The Render Scene dialog box offers several options for customizing the output, but before we render the final output, let’s create a preview animation to make sure that everything looks okay.

Tutorial: Creating a preview animation

Before we render the final scene, it is a good idea to produce a Preview animation. Doing so helps to eliminate some problems before the time is spent rendering the entire animation. The Preview is simply the viewport scene stitched together into an animation. The shading options are the same as those available for the viewports.

To create a Preview animation, follow these steps:

1.With the Camera01 viewport active, choose Animation Make Preview. The Make Preview dialog box appears, as shown in Figure QS-12.

2.In the Make Preview dialog box, you can select the Active Time Segment, which includes all frames in the animation. Set the Image Size to 50 percent, and select the AVI Output option. In the Display in Preview section, make sure to check the Geometry, Lights, and Background check boxes. Select Camera01 as the Render Viewport.

Chapter QS Quick Start: Animating a Monster Truck at the Beach

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Figure QS-12: The Make Preview dialog box can produce a quick look at your animation sequence.

3.Click the Create button.

Max begins the rendering, opens the default Media Player when finished, and plays the preview.

4.Choose Animation View Preview to view the preview again, if desired.

As you look at the preview, notice that the material maps and render scaled planes aren’t included in the preview, but you can watch for the following types of errors:

Objects moving through one another

Insufficient lighting

Erratic object (non-smooth) motion

Tutorial: Rendering the final animation

After you’ve fixed all the errors and you’re comfortable with the Preview animation, you can open the Render Scene dialog box and prepare your final animation for rendering.

To view the final animation rendering settings, follow these steps:

1.Open the Render Scene dialog box, shown in Figure QS-13, by choosing Rendering Render (or by pressing F10).

2.In the Time Output section, select Active Time Segment. In the Output Size section, select 320×240 as the resolution.

20	Part I Learning the Max Interface

Figure QS-13: The Render Scene dialog box includes many diverse rendering settings.

3.Next, we’ll save the rendered scene to a file. In the Render Output section, click the Files button to open the Render Output File dialog box. Select the location to save the file, enter the name Monster truck at beach, and from the Save as type drop-down list, select .AVI as the format. Click Save.

Tip	If you don’t want to save the file, you can render the scene to the Rendered Frame Window.
	After the rendering is complete, you can save the animation by clicking the Save Bitmap but-
	ton. The Rendered Frame Window can save animation and bitmap formats.

The Video Compression dialog box appears.

4.Select the Cinepak Codec by Radius Compressor with a Quality setting of 100 and a Key Frame every 15 frames. Click OK to continue.

5.Back in the Render Scene dialog box, check the viewport setting at the bottom of the dialog box and make sure that Camera01 is selected. Then click the Render button to start the rendering process.

Figure QS-14 shows some frames from the final animation. This final tutorial is saved as Final render.max.

We could do much more to this animation, such as using lens effects or adding a motion blur, but I wanted to save some effects for the rest of the book. Feel free to load and modify this simple animation as you desire.

Chapter QS Quick Start: Animating a Monster Truck at the Beach

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Figure QS-14: Four frames from the final animation of our monster truck playing in the sand

With the Quick Start completed, you’re ready to dive into the features of Max, beginning with Chapter 1, “Finding Your Way — Exploring the Max Interface.”

Summary

I hope you’re happy with your first footsteps into Max. This chapter exposed you to a number of important aspects of Max, including

Creating background elements and merging objects

Applying materials to scene objects

Simple modeling of objects and using modifiers

Loading a background image for the scene

Animating objects with keyframes

Adding and animating a camera

Creating special effects like dust using a particle system

Rendering a preview and the final animation

But hold onto your seats because so much of the software lies ahead. In the first chapter, you start easily with an in-depth look at the Max interface. If you feel ready for more advanced challenges, review the Table of Contents and dive into any topic that looks good.

Finding Your Way —

Exploring the Max

Interface

Well, here we are with a new version of Max, and the first question on the minds of existing users is “Did the interface

change?” The answer is a gleeful “not much.” Most serious users would rather go through root canal surgery than have their user interface (UI) change, and although Discreet has learned and respected this valued opinion, you’ll find some minor changes.

As you look around the new interface, you’ll see that everything is still there, but Max has several clever, new additions. You may find yourself saying, as you navigate the interface, “where did that come from?” But, just like encountering a new house in your neighborhood, over time you’ll become accustomed to the addition and might even meet some new friends.

Why is the software interface so important? Well, consider this: The interface is the set of controls that enables you to access the program’s features. Without a good interface, you may never use many of the best features of the software or spend a frustrating bit of time locating it. A piece of software can have all the greatest features, but if the user can’t find or access them, then the software won’t be used to its full potential. Max is a powerful piece of software with some amazing features, and luckily, the interface makes these amazing features easy to find and use.

The interface is all about making the features accessible, and in Max you have many different ways to access the same command. Some of these access methods are faster than others. This design is intentional because it gives beginning users an intuitive command and advanced users direct access. For example, to undo a command, you can choose Edit Undo (requiring two mouse clicks), but as you gain more experience, you can simply click the Undo icon on the toolbar (only one click); an expert with his hands on the keyboard will press Ctrl+Z without having to reach for the mouse at all. All three of these methods have the same result, but you can use the one that is easiest for you.

Has the Max interface succeeded? Yes, to a degree, but like most interfaces, it always has room for improvement, and we hope that

C 1H A P T E R

In This Chapter

Learning the interface elements

Previewing the menu commands

Becoming familiar with the toolbars

Using the Command

Panel

Examining the Lower

Interface Bar

Interacting with the interface

Getting help