VFX Masterclass : AE + 3Ds Max + PFtrack + Tyflow + Vray

Explore the 3ds Max interface, from menus and toolbars to the command and modify panels, and learn to navigate viewports, the time slider, and the scene explorer.

Change the 3ds Max theme by opening the customize menu, selecting Custom Default Switcher, and choosing dark or light mode. After setting, restart 3ds Max to apply the new theme.

Set up measurements in 3ds Max by configuring unit setup, switching from generic to metric units such as centimeters, and applying length, width, and height to objects for VFX.

Navigate four viewports, create and focus on objects, and master pan, orbit, and zoom shortcuts. Switch perspective views, toggle shading, and center or delete objects for precise viewport control.

Explore the 3ds Max command panel: create basic and extended primitives, use scene explorer for selection, modify object properties, and manage viewports, splines, lights, cameras, and Ty flow workflow.

Explore different workspaces, including default menus and toolbars, standard design, and modular toolbars; learn to hide the ribbon, view the scene explorer, and save a custom workspace.

Use the transform tool to move objects and splines in a 3d scene with the select and move (W) command. Constrain motion to 2d planes and deselect with Q.

Master the rotation tool in 3ds Max using the gizmo to rotate objects along the x and y axes, undo with Ctrl Z, and rotate by view.

Learn to use the scale tool in 3ds Max to resize objects in one, two, or three directions, with shortcuts q, w, e, r for fast modeling.

Discover the select and place tool to snap and move objects onto surfaces in 3D scenes, using click and hold to place boxes or complex objects onto other surfaces.

Enable auto grid to place objects on another object's surface, then create shapes like boxes, cylinders, or geospheres directly on that surface, and turn auto grid off when finished.

Create a simple 3d table with four boxes of height 60, using autogrid and r2 grid, then convert it into a chair by adjusting heights.

Create basic shapes and stairs with auto grid, including spiral stairs; add a tree with foliage controls and pruning, and place a window and door.

Learn how to save a scene, start a fresh scene, and reset all viewports to default in 3ds Max, ensuring a clean workspace for new projects.

Explore how to use modifiers in 3ds Max to shape objects, adjust segment counts for smooth renders, and apply twist, bend, ffd 4x4 controls, and melt effects to edit geometry.

Learn to create clones using copy and instance in a 3ds Max workflow, compare performance benefits, and convert instances to unique copies with Make Unique.

Learn how to use angle snap toggle in 3ds Max to rotate objects precisely, enabling snapping to 5, 90, or 180 degrees for faster, accurate rotations.

Master the snap tool to position and rotate objects precisely using angle and normal snaps, grid points or vertices, while viewing etched faces and polygon vertices for accurate placement.

Create 3ds Max arrays quickly using the array tool to clone objects in x, y, and z directions, with preview, instance options, rotation and scale controls, enabling abstract animation.

Learn how the pivot, the center of an object, guides animation by moving it with effect pivot only in the hierarchy tab to control rotation, cloning, and scale.

Master the align tool in 3ds Max to align position, rotation, and scale between objects with the line tool, choosing center or pivot point and applying orientation.

Create and customize text in 3ds Max by editing fonts, applying size, bold, and tracking, and adding extrusion and bevel for depth. Experiment with bevel types or custom bubble shapes, rotate 90 degrees on the x axis, and use the mirror tool to clone and position mirrored text.

Learn how to create and edit splines in 3ds Max by manipulating vertices, converting circles to editable splines, and shaping tangents with bezier and smooth options.

Explore applying a noise modifier in 3ds Max to create fractal noise, adjust seed and frequency, animate motion, and balance quality with turbosmooth and iterations.

Create a basic cloth simulation in 3ds Max by letting a plane collide with a sphere, enable self collision, add thickness with the shell modifier, and improve quality with Turbosmooth.

Learn to use the displace modifier in 3ds Max with a gradient and noise map, edited via the material editor, and adjusted with the gizmo for controlled strength and decay.

Learn to use the sweep modifier on splines to turn a line into a star, adjust offset and angle, and tweak render and viewport settings for size and quality.

Create a glass model with splines in 3ds Max from a top view, shape the outline, adjust axis, increase segments, and apply fillet and vertex adjustments to smooth the top.

Apply the chamfer modifier to a box, switch to uniform, increase the amount and segments, and choose quad, tri, or radial types to create smooth edges in 3d models.

Explore the scene explorer in 3ds max, create objects and lights, freeze and unfreeze selections, hide and unhide items, and use advanced filters to display lights by intensity.

Explore the Layer Explorer to manage your scene by creating layers, assigning objects with drag-and-drop, selecting children to hide them, and freezing layers to lock and prevent rendering.

Learn to use the light explorer to quickly manage lights, adjust individual color and intensity, and apply color and intensity changes to all lights simultaneously for efficient lighting.

Set up a Phoenix liquid container with flow particles, adjust grid resolution, walls, gravity, time scale, surface tension, and density, and enable particle interfaces for interaction.

Create and manage groups in 3ds Max, turning multiple objects into a single object for modifiers, then open, detach, or attach objects, and convert a group back to individual objects.

Learn to create and apply space probes to objects, adjust amplitude, decay, and fragment size, then simulate explosive detonation, spin, and shell thickness with modifiers.

Master the reference coordinate system in 3ds Max to transform objects locally by switching between view and local, enabling accurate move, scale, and rotate for animation.

Utilize the selection filter to isolate geometry, lights, or splines, then switch to bones or helpers during character animation to avoid geometry.

Select objects and name a selection set in the text box, then press enter to update. Use the selection tool to access and adjust light intensity via these sets.

Explore types of selection, including square, circle, custom range, spline, freehand, and spray tools; learn to add with Ctrl, remove with Alt, deselect with Alt, and move selected objects.

Explore basic 3D modeling in 3ds Max, from creating a box to converting it to an editable poly and using vertex, edge, polygon operations, extrude and bevel.

Create a sofa in 3ds Max by box modeling, extruding, using cloth modifier with pressure, simulate, then apply TurboSmooth for quality.

Explore boolean operations in three-dimensional modeling, using boolean modifiers and pro boolean to union, intersect, or subtract shapes by adding operands and quickly creating complex models.

Create a morphing animation by cloning a sphere, shaping it with an ffd modifier's control points, and applying a morph key to drive shape changes over time via time slider.

Learn to scatter objects on the plane in 3ds Max using the distribution object, noise, and instance-driven duplicates to create forest-like foliage efficiently.

Demonstrates using the loft compound object to convert a spline into a star shape, adjusting scale, twist, and surface parameters, with notes on bevel limitations.