Applications 3D Studio Max is great and has great depth, but most of the books available that covers it is one of a kind cover all "bible" - a great reference book, but often less in-depth tutorial - or-type launch - which is designed to directing new users without encouraging bad case "overwhelmus featuritis." 3D Studio Max 3 Magic by better meet the needs of intermediate or advanced user. This assumes the reader already familiar with Max, has been working with it for some time, and ready to proceed to the next level. Showing 20 chapters written by nine of the artist's 3D Studio Max, 3D Studio Max 3 Magic is designed to be read, used, and worked through, but not necessarily in sequence. Every page in color, helping to make this book fun to flip through and each chapter is easy to work through. A good case in point is chapter 6, "Lighting Effects:. Rim Lighting and Diffuse Glow" The purpose of this chapter is to simulate the lighting that falls on a fetus in the womb (or at least what we expect to look like). However, the purpose of this chapter is to teach the use of particles and expressions to automate the animation of the dust cloud that followed the tank, not to teach how to model and texture a realistic military vehicles. CD-ROM that accompanies cover all projects and source files for each chapter, many of these files contains a given movie to see the animation. In addition, four bonus chapters on CD-ROM covers topics such as creating a tidal wave and grow a block of ice around the object. 3D Studio Max 3 Magic is a high quality workbook for intermediate or advanced user.