Of all of the high-end 3D apps on the market, 3D Studio Max is by far one of the most powerful. It is however, also one of the most complex and daunting programs to learn. In this two part tutorial series, professional video game artist Kaleb Aylsworth, will give you a detailed introduction to 3D Studio Max, as it pertains to polygonal modeling and the video game industry.

Creating effective weapons for next-generation games, requires detailed knowledge of a variety of very specific skills and tools. In this series, you'll build a high-poly knife model using 3ds Max. And then learn how to cleverly reverse engineer it to create a second low poly version, that you'll later use for UVMapping, Baking and Texture Creation. The final result will be a robust, ready to use, next-gen asset.

3ds Max 2010 introduces a vast array of new tools and features, not the least of which, are the new Graphite Modeling Tools. In this two part video tutorial series, professional game environment artist, Kaleb Aylsworth, will walk you through all of these new tools, and show you how to use them effectively in a practical, every day workflow.

In this series you'll go through the process of modeling and rendering a photo-realistic USB cable in Autodesk Maya. You will also learn to use Mental Ray, along with the new architectural materials, render layers, and Photoshop, to create a fast, accurate, photo-realistic depth of field.

In this two hour, multi-part video tutorial, you'll follow professional Game artist and teacher, Dan Cox, as he provides insight into his thought process and workflow when unwrapping and texturing a human face. The techniques and theories that Dan teaches here can be used in either video game, or film work.

It is always great to learn new animation tools and techniques that can help you to bring your creations to life. In this two part series you'll learn how to use Maya's powerful animation, dynamics, and camera tools to create an explosive crash effect between two vehicles.