I'm considering installing the latest Max Trial but haven't the foggiest what to do with it once I do...is the typical workflow done with parameters or is it more point and drag these days? Last time I used a Trial it was version 5, and I didn't get much out of that...

Are there any tips or links you guys could supply?

Your efforts are appreciated,
THE MASTER ELITE

point and drag I guess,-
not so much parametric stuff (but you can if you want)

you ask what one does with 3dsmax but what do you want to do with it?,- is it characters, animation, architecture, industrial design or even something else? because all that is possible with it.
Have a look at some beginner tutorials on the net,- there are so many just for 3dsmax alone (way more than Maya or XSI I guess).

Start with the tutorials that ship with it, and keep going. It's going to take more then 30 days before it stops feeling like someone stole your thumbs, as with most 3D apps.

If you're interested in great modeling tools with a low learning curve, I'd suggest checking out Silo. Don't expect it to much more then model and unwrap but it excels at modeling, is cheap and after the trial runs out it's still pretty functional for learning. You can also get a taste for what sculpting is like, which would be a great segue into Mudbox.

Also if you find yourself wanting to diddle around with 3dsmax more, check out GMax, its basically the same version you where using without the render capability. Not a lot has changed since then with regard to the main interface and what you'll be learning for the first few months. It also comes with some great tutorials very much detailed to learning 3dsmax and the core interface. You might want to dig up just the tutorials and apply those to 3dsmax during your 30days.

Good luck! =)

I'm familiar with sculpting...the day I opened up zBrush and set the Atrocitosaurus from the 3DWorld tutorial in front of me and watched the first half of the recorded work of the author, I went on a sculpting frenzy...

...I am familiar with gmax, never really made anything worthwhile in there but am considering retrying it since Max is the [Cough] Industry Standard [Cough]...that and I've seen some cool things made with it...

I am not familiar with Silo however...might take a look at it...

I am mainly looking at Character and [possibly] architectural modeling...not so much design, as I'm aiming more at the position of 3D artist...

then get your hands on some poly modeling tutorials and have a look at polyboost a 3dsmax plugin that bossts poly modeling alot. Max is already great at poly modeling (better as maya imo.) but with polyboost you get everything and even beyond of what you´d expect.

Agreed with silo,- perfect modeler and very cheap - try it out and have a look at some of the videos. It is very easy to learn because you can intuitive map all the shortcuts the way you want it.

I heard of Polyboost but never could find it...their site itself is only a reference for it...

the site is:
http://www.polyboost.com/

here is a list of the features:
http://www.polyboost.com/features.htm

a download (trial) can be found here:
http://www.polyboost.com/downloads.htm

This might help.

http://lounge.ego-farms.com/

Lots of video tutorials there for Max, just don't take them as the only way to do things.

Alex