Learning 3D modeling and rendering techniques from scratch is a quite challenging journey to take. With all the tools out there and dozens of features, novice 3D artists, engineers, and architects can easily lose their way. We are here to help you understand that this doesn’t necessarily have to be that hard.

Popular 3D rendering tools have amassed great and active communities. Thanks to these communities, you, novice learners, can get your hands on essential tutorials to kick start your career in the 3D industry. Without further ado, we give you the 4 essential tutorials for noobs.

3DS MAX 1-Minute Essentials Series

Autodesk 3DS Max is one of the most popularly used tools in the 3D industry. While it packs some serious power, all the features and options you need to set up make it a bit scary to use. Thanks to Melissa Lax and her 3DS MAX 1-minute Essentials Series, you will be able to learn a lot and, as you can conclude by looking at the title of the tutorial, in a very short time.

This tutorial features 11 lessons:

● Get started with 3DS Max – this lesson covers the key concepts and makes you ready to start in 3DS MAX.

● Navigating the view with a mouse – in this lesson, you will learn the shortcuts to speed up your workflow and easily navigate in 3DS MAX.

● Link and reference content – while it covers only the basics, this part of the tutorial will help you learn the essentials of referencing and linking content

● Start modifying geometry – in this lesson, you will learn how to use tools to modify 3D objects.

● Locating and managing objects – this lesson covers the Scene Explore, one of the most important features of 3DS MAX, and you will learn how to manage and locate objects.

● Working with scale – in this section, you will learn how to master the scaling of objects in your scene.

● Apply and edit materials – this lesson covers the essentials of applying and editing materials to the objects.

● Starts working with motion – this part covers the basic concepts of editing object motion.

● Editing geometry – editing an object’s geometry is quintessential and in this course, you will learn how to do it.

● Move and select objects – here you will learn which tools to use to change the size, rotation, and position of objects.

● Start rendering – the series ends with a course designed to help you overcome the basic challenges of rendering in this tool.

This tutorial can get you from zero to hero and, more importantly, help you understand the essentials of a complex tool like 3DS MAX.

Unreal Engine 4 Rendering

Unreal Engine 4 comes with some of the most advanced rendering options. In fact, it’s so powerful and user-friendly that it broke out of the gaming world and is used by dozens of 3D professionals in almost all niches. More importantly, the system has support for the most modern 3D rendering techniques. The educational content is out there to help you master the UE4.

You will be surprised to find that most of the documentation and videos come from Epic Games, the company that stands behind this widely used 3D rendering tool. We suggest that you go through the documentation found on their official site to get properly introduced to this tool.  

We have found a great tutorial for you to go through. The series of tutorials is named Unreal Engine 4 Rendering, and we have Matt Hoffman to thank it for. This tutorial covers different parts of UE4 rendering system and explains how they are connected. Matt will help you understand the technical background of shaders. But there is also a practical side to it:

● Shader Iteration Tips – in this tutorial, you will learn how to optimize your workflow and you‘ll find out how to efficiently compile shaders.

● Adding a New Shading Model – here you will learn how to add materials that respect PBR properties.

Learn KeyShot

KeyShot is a very popular 3D renderer able to create stunning visuals. Mastering it will take time. But to do it properly, you have to build a healthy knowledge foundation. There is a great tutorial, conveniently named Learning KeyShot that can help you do this.

The creator of this course will help you learn the basics of using KeyShot. You will also learn how to optimize your workflow and make it even more efficient. The course covers the following topics:

● Find your way around the KeyShot interface

● Learn how to deal with performance settings

● Learn how to manage the objects in a scene

● KeyShot assets and how to import them

● How to assign materials and modify them

● How to set up the render

● How to create materials from scratch

● Learn how to work with refractions and transparency

● How to use objects as lights

● How to animate parts of an object

● Learn how to create a turntable animation

The course creator is very efficient without sacrificing any of the course quality. You’ll be able to go through all the lessons in less than 2 hours.

Cinema 4D Fundamentals

Cinema 4D is powerful and very popular 3D rendered used by professional artists, designers, and freelancers. If you are new to the 3D world, mastering this tool will help you kick-start your career. It’s fairly simple to use, even though it comes with numerous features and preferences.

The number of YouTube tutorial videos, covering almost every aspect of designing and rendering in Cinema 4D stands as rock solid proof of its popularity. We have found a perfect playlist on YouTube to help you learn as much as you can about 3D rendering in Cinema 4D as possible.

The videos in this playlist will take you on an interesting journey, starting with the Cinema 4D user interface basics and spline modeling, all the way to subdivision surface modeling and advanced rendering.

These 4 essential 3D rendering tutorials will help learn the basic 3D rendering concepts. Since they are very short, you’ll be able to go through 4 very popular 3D rendering tools very quickly. This will help you make your pick while your impressions are fresh. Continue learning and growing as a professional in the 3D industry, there are a lot of free online resources standing at your disposal.

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