Hammered to the Max E-Book coming soon

[shawnolson]

I'm writing an E-Book that covers the entire scope of the 3ds Max > Wall Worm > Source pipeline. It's name is Hammered to the Max .

 

The book is for new and expert Max users with a focus on helping Hammer users transition to 3ds Max for level design for Source. The Hammer community is pretty hard-core with love of Hammer... this book is intended to drop some seeds of lust and thoughts of 3D app infidelity.

 

The book covers the philosophy of Wall Worm, basic Max UI, Max and Wall Worm conventions, and the specific tools and work flows in Wall Worm to make a project flow efficiently--even with multiple artists in multiple geographic locations.

 

In it, you'll learn how to export various kinds of assets (models, materials, textures, levels, RES files, etc) and how to use various release tools (auto-PAKing and auto-zipping) and more.

 

Etc, etc.

 

I expect to be done with the first draft in the next week or two. I'm sharing news now to generate a little buzz, but also to ask for screen shots from WW users to include in the book. Please send any screen shots to my email (always included in the WW download readme) with a description of the asset(s) and permission to use them in the publication. Please only send me screen shots of assets you have permission to share, and only those that were aided in some fashion with WW. Shots of assets in-game with nice lighting are preferable. Feel free to send any captions or quotes to use as well.

 

I'm also looking for someone to do the cover art. Email me with any cover submissions. I'm not offering any pay for the cover, just credit and a link.

 

The book is going to be released freely to the community as an educational resource.

Edited May 17, 2014 by shawnolson

[FMPONE]

This is a book I'll be reading. Can't wait.

[TermInator525]

what kind of screenshots? A opened WWT window in 3dsmax or finished work. For instance I used WWT to convert this structure:

 

 

[shawnolson]

Thank you Michael. Both kinds of shots are ones that I'd like to add. Can you send me an email directly (my email is in the WW download readme) with these images and a note with your permission to use them. I'd love to add several of this kind of art into the book.

[ESToomere]

Could motivate me to finally pick up modelling. Good luck.

[shawnolson]

Could motivate me to finally pick up modelling. Good luck.

Well let's hope. I've often found that I spend a lot of time making some tool, making a video and/or docs on how to use it... and then a year later there is a surge of interest in that technique but it turns out that by then I've already advanced (and changed) how it works.... Hopefully this turns out to be be useful in a timely manner.

[TopHATTwaffle]

I be waiting for this to come out...

[shawnolson]

Well I'm probably around 60% done with the first draft in terms of the topics I personally feel are important to cover based on my own experience and from my discussions with many people over the last few years.

 

I am curious: What specifically are the things you would like to see covered?

 

Based on experience, it seems that Hammer users generally feel helpless with UVW in Max. What are some of the other obstacles you might face?

[FMPONE]

Unwrapping stuff would be nice to learn, for sure.

[shawnolson]

Unwrapping stuff would be nice to learn, for sure.

I am going to cover Unwrapping at an introductory level... but Unwrapping itself if such a key aspect of 3ds Max, I doubt I can do the topic any more justice than already served in the existing documentation and tutorials on the Autodesk Youtube channel : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnKw1txyYzRlVrCjLUCrJOvdxj5h2YZJB (I strongly encourage anyone new to Max to watch those videos, among others).

 

The main thing I want to demonstrate about UVW in Max is the different kinds of modifiers and tools available to solve specific tasks. Knowing when to Unwrap vs apply a simple Planar Map, etc, is a concept alien to the Hammer-only workflow--as is the concept of instancing UVW modifiers across objects to keep controls consolidated. I'll share insight on some less-known tools like PolygonMap which adds planar UVW controls with UV flow tools, etc. I'll also be discussing the CorVex plugin I've written specifically for creating world geometry in a parametric fashion and its built-in UV-flow controls. (By UV flow, I mean that the UVs tile seamlessly from one Polygon to the next.)

[kinggambit]

3ds max newbies REJOICE!

[Pampers]

I think the title could use more puns

[shawnolson]

I think the title could use more puns

You nailed it!

[shawnolson]

So this book is not yet done done, but I do have a good percentage of it done. It's not polished, and there are probably several chapters I will insert and/or modify as I get time. But I wanted to share it with you now to get feedback on those specific topics that anyone would like to see added. I'd planned on finishing it already, but I've been spending too much time at the corner panhandling as well as stomping on bugs / adding features to the new versions of WW.

 

Expect it to grow and revise in the coming weeks/months. Please send me typos, errors and confusing sections as you find them.

 

Hammered to the Max: A Hammer User's Guide to 3ds Max

[shawnolson]

I updated the book in the last few days to include some of the Max objects that automatically export as entities in Max. For example, an Omni light exports as a light entity, a Target Spot as a light_spot with an info_target, etc.

 

I also want to point out there was a critical bug in a version of WW posted last week. If you happen to use WW and Max crashes when you open the WW menu after last week's update, here is the fix. Don't ask me what ju-ju is the culprit... all I know is how to fix it.

 

Also, I've added a new commercial plugin: Carver + Make Hollow