Best/ most efficient way to learn 3ds Max.

[Anonymous]

Okay so I got no prior experience to 3ds Max or any other 3D Programs, what would be the most efficient way to learn 3ds Max, for example would it be worth it to buy access to lynda.com or pluralsight etc for their tutorials, or watch youtube videos?

I want to learn fast, but I also don't want to learn how to do something the "wrong" way. I want to learn how to make stuff for games and/or animations.

[lightcube · Accepted solution]

My personal opinion is that there is already enough really good free documentation and tutorials. Go to the 3ds Max Learning Channel. After that, the best teacher is experience. There are a lot of concepts that didn't make sense to me early on that only made sense after using the tools and slowly assimilating things. Just like language, I think learning Max is best done while immersed in it. Just dive in, when you hit a wall, pull up Google.

[Anonymous]

I would strongly suggest Pluralsight, as Pluralsight has over 2500 courses focused on 3D Design & Modeling (3DS Max, Maya, Photoshop, Fusion, Inventor, and so many more) courses with more investment in the space above Lynda by at least 10 times.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

There are some great tips here already, I just wanted to add that Max comes with some great tutorials already, you can access them from the Help menu.  

The one thing I have learned is that it's hard to recognize the 'right way' until you've failed doing something the 'wrong way'.  Experience is the best way to decide what is right for you.  Sometimes the fear of doing something wrong will stop me from giving something my all, and it's why I still don't love to do character modeling because I'm constantly overthinking it.  My 2 cents.

Best Regards,