3dsMAX - How about them tutorials?

Been thinking of what I want to do next month in my Media Arts class since I'm nearly done with my Traditional-Animation project I've been working on all semester, and decided I wanted to make me a character in 3ds, and possibly get some game-ready animations going for possible use in a B3d demo or something...

Anyhow, been watching some of the excellent video tutorials I found over @ Lynda.com, problem is, gotta pay to view the entire tutorial contents, but hey, I got to learn how to rig up a character in less then an hour using them for free, good enough for me. :P

Just been having problems finding something that greats straight to the point with regards to modelling a human-like figure though, something practical that can actually be used in something, but its hard to come across good like the Joan of Arc tutorial that does steps out a model from start-to-finish and what not.
(which I'll be using that when I get a move on on this character I have in mind).

Been exploring my possibilities after I ditch high-school, and it seems I'm heading down the artistical route more-so then "computery" work as everyone around me seems to have predicted, I quite like the idea on making something in 3d rather and be able to manipulate it all with the almighty god named "Undo" then visualizing it out in my mind onto a flat piece of paper, which unfortunately for me also plays a part in modelling a character in 3d. :P

Already tried traditional animation, bit......tedious/slow as hell when solo, so I'm off to try 3d animation, see if that's any better.
(which I'm guessing will, since it appears there's never any new traditional-animation shows on the air these days due th the amount of work/time required for one, it's all done in either 3d, or what appears to be Macromedia Flash these days)

Just wish my high-school was more uniformed with its PCs, some have some software installed that others dont have, and etc....half the PCs in my media arts class have 3dsMAX2.5, and only around 4 have v6.
(and I freaking love v6, although I cant do much modelling wise, only made simple objects and animated them, like a door slamming open, or a ball bouncing along a path with the usual slow in/outs, squash/stretch, etc..)


Annnnnd shit, didn't expect that to turn into a long conversation with myself regarding my possibly future careers, sorry for all those who read the whole thing. :P
(force of habit perhaps? Seems none of my topics are short, except when I *can* get straight to the point without adding my own tid-bits)

Was there a question somewhere? :) BTW what is "traditional animation"? Is this Non-MoCap Animation, or are you refering to those times without bones, rigging etc?

If you like, I made a character animation tutorial for 3dsMax 2.5 based on rotation/move/scale only, that may be useful, although it's "very traditional" or rather "retro" I'd say:
http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=48899

Should have been more specific, I meant the kind as in the way television cartoons were done, where you draw every frame out by hand, using all the little tricks to speed up process, like drawing specific-body movements on a different page layered on top of current one (for instance, repeated guy walking animation armless on lower layer, with arms on another, so you dont have to redraw the whole figure if you screw up the arm gestures)on a light-box/animation-disc/whatever and etc, painfully slow, but you learn a lot doing it that way especially with regards to the rules of animation, unlike in the computer world where everythings just tweened by the PC with your little adjustments between keys to give it more flow rather the a stiff robot-like figure.

[EDIT] Should have checked out Rob's links first :P, I mean traditional in the sense like the idleworm link he posted.


With regards to your tutorial, am I to assume v2.5 doesn't have actual "bone" objects like the ones I saw in 6?

I believe the current bones in max were added in version 3, and skin was added in version 4.

Before that, you would need to use biped with physique, which has been available since version 1, but was not part of the entire package until version 6 or 7.

There was an IK and bone system before the current one (it's still there actually) but it is not as friendly to use. That system should be in max 2.5, but there is no nice way to skin an object.

have you looked at www.simplymax.com ?
I havent used it myself but I have been in the simplylightwave sister site and I was quite impressed.

They have several free tutorials and loads of non-free tutorials. Dont let that put you off though... they are not very expensive and the ones I paid for I was very pleased with. I learnt more from watching someone than I did from books and online 'text' tutorials.

Anyway... just thought Id mention it... even if you just take a look at the freebies.