If you have totally no 3D experience then I do recommend watching a lot of Beginner 3D tutorials on the internet or find somebody that can show you the basics and helps you get started. I remember when I started with 3D studio 3.0 (Dos version) I think it was in 1994, I couldn't understand any of it. But i found someone on a BBS back then that came by my house and showed me how everything works. That was a very big help to me.
If you are not new to 3D but only a beginner at 3ds max then I can highly recommend Arrimus 3D tutorials on Youtube.
It will give you a good knowledge about 3D modeling tools and how to use them.
