Game character design complete using 3ds Max 8 and Adobe Photoshop CS2

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A game is only as intriguing as the characters that inhabit its world. Game Character Design Complete demonstrates each step of modeling, texturing, animating, and exporting compelling characters for your games. You'll learn how to model in 3ds Max from sketch references, texture in Adobe Photoshop, rig bones, and animate a character back in 3ds Max. Game Character Design Complete covers all aspects of character creation-from the technical to the artistic. Don't worry if your artistic ability isn't awe-inspiring. You'll cover every aspect of the design process in easy-to-follow steps, including texturing and animating your character. If you have a working knowledge of 2D and 3D graphics, then you have all of the skills you need to begin creating cool characters for your games.

Introduction	p. xii
Chapter 1 3D Game Character Design Basics	p. 1
Character Concept	p. 2
Game Styles	p. 3
Character Type	p. 6
Sketch Art	p. 7
Modeling	p. 7
Modeling Techniques	p. 8
Repairing, Adjusting, and Optimizing	p. 9
3D Modeling File Types	p. 9
UV Unwrapping and Mapping	p. 9
Texturing	p. 11
Shaders	p. 11
Bump Maps	p. 12
Normal Maps	p. 13
Texture Map File Types	p. 13
Skeletal Rigging	p. 14
Animating	p. 15
Game Engine Exporting	p. 16
Engine File Types	p. 16
Summary	p. 16
Chapter 2 Preparing to Model: Configuring 3ds Max and Referencing Sketch Art	p. 19
Hardware and Software Considerations	p. 20
Choosing a Proper Video Card	p. 20
Graphics Software and Drivers	p. 20
Monitors and Settings	p. 21
Configuring the Max 8 Environment	p. 21
Orthogonal Sketch Art	p. 23
The HICKS Rebuild #2A163 Background	p. 24
Creating Reference Planes in 3ds Max 8	p. 24
Summary	p. 29
Chapter 3 Box Modeling in 3ds Max 8	p. 31
Environmental Considerations Before You Begin	p. 32
Modeling the Boot	p. 32
Shaping the Pants (Lower Body)	p. 35
Adding Some Military Detail	p. 39
Creating the Upper Body	p. 41
Forming the Torso	p. 41
Forming the Shoulders and Arms	p. 45
Forming the Hands	p. 48
Detailing the Torso	p. 50
Creating the Head	p. 53
Making the Face	p. 53
Finishing the Head	p. 57
Summary	p. 60
Chapter 4 Mesh Optimization in 3ds Max	p. 63
Analyzing the Character Mesh Using STL Check	p. 63
Isolating Mesh Elements	p. 65
Fixing Mesh Errors	p. 66
Reattaching Elements and Test Optimizing	p. 68
Changing the Character's Pivot Point	p. 69
Summary	p. 71
Chapter 5 UV Mapping the Character in 3ds Max	p. 73
The Mapping Process	p. 73
Selecting Body Parts	p. 75
Defining Seams	p. 75
Stretching the Pelt	p. 76
Positioning the UVs	p. 76
Stitching Edges	p. 77
Packing UVs	p. 77
Step 1 Unwrap the Boots	p. 77
Step 2 Unwrap the Legs	p. 80
Step 3 Unwrap the Arms and Hands	p. 84
Step 4 Unwrap the Body	p. 87
Step 5 Unwrap the Eyes	p. 89
Step 6 Unwrap the Head	p. 90
Pack the Map	p. 92
Rendering Templates	p. 92
Update and View the Results in Max	p. 93
Summary	p. 93
Chapter 6 Skin Texturing with Photoshop CS2	p. 95
Thoughts on Texturing	p. 95
Texturing Techniques We'll Utilize	p. 97
Fixing UVs: Add a Checkerboard Map	p. 97
Texturing Hicks	p. 105
Rendering Templates	p. 105
Opening the UV Templates in Photoshop	p. 106
Texturing the Head	p. 107
Texturing the Eyes	p. 111
Texturing the Torso, Arms, Legs, and Boots	p. 113
Texturing the Arms and Hands	p. 116
Cleaning Up	p. 116
Preparing the Map for 3ds Max	p. 117
Applying Textures in 3ds Max	p. 117
Baking Textures in 3ds Max	p. 118
Summary	p. 121
Chapter 7 Rigging a Character with Biped in 3ds Max	p. 123
How 3ds Max Works with Characters	p. 124
Adding and Attaching a Biped	p. 125
Weighting the Model	p. 137
Smooth Versus Rigid Binding	p. 144
Creating a Root Pose	p. 146
Summary	p. 146
Chapter 8 Character Animation in 3ds Max	p. 149
Animating with Keyframes	p. 149
Creating Walk and Run Cycles with Biped	p. 154
Creating Facial Expressions with Morph Targets	p. 158
Adding and Manipulating Dummy Nodes	p. 162
Linking the Nodes	p. 166
LODs	p. 166
Exporting and Viewing the Hicks Model in Torque	p. 168
Last Note on Other Game Engines	p. 168
Summary	p. 169
Appendix A 3ds Max 8 and Photoshop CS2 Keyboard Shortcuts	p. 171
3ds Max 8 Keyboard Shortcuts	p. 171
Remapping Commonly Used Max Shortcuts	p. 171
Photoshop CS2 Keyboard Shortcuts	p. 173
Appendix B Related Web Sites and Links	p. 175
Index	p. 181

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