Key details

3ds Max training course for beginners teaching core skills for creating 3D models, rendered images, animations and games.

Autodesk 3ds Max is used in a wide range of industries. Architects, interior designers and engineers use 3ds Max to produce comprehensive 3D models and visualisations. The gaming, film and television industries use the application to produce stunning 3D animations.

Our 3ds Max Essentials course teaches the key functionality, features and principles behind 3ds Max, and the key theory and techniques that you need to use the application effectively. You’ll learn how to:

• Configure and render scenes.
• Create and edit 3D geometry.
• Understand and apply lighting and materials for realism.
• Create desktop animations.

The course includes a session looking at the most popular renderers used with 3ds Max, including ART, Arnold, V-Ray and mental ray, to help you ascertain the one that best meets your needs.

In-class or online

Our centres are open for in-class training, with full safety measures and comprehensive sanitisation implemented.

We continue to offer all courses in our popular live online format.

Upcoming course dates

Who should attend?

This course is ideal for new users of 3ds Max from all industries, including:

• Architects, interior designers and engineers.
• Game developers.
• Artists and animators who produce film and video content.

Where possible, delegates carry out exercises relevant to their industry.

Accredited 3ds Max training

Armada is an Autodesk authorised Training Centre (ATC), and our 3ds Max training courses are accredited by Autodesk.

3ds Max courses are hosted by Autodesk Certified Instructors who are experts in 3D design, CGI and the production of visualisations and rendered images. For details, see Expert trainers.

How will I learn?

3ds Max training is hands-on and practical.

Our trainers teach the necessary theory then demonstrate techniques step-by-step. You then practice the techniques taught on a computer running 3ds Max.

There is plenty of time to ask questions, and you can take away all the files you create.

3ds Max training guide and certificate

Course delegates receive:

• A comprehensive training guide for 3ds Max, to refer to throughout the course, and to use as a refresher afterwards.
• An e-certificate confirming successful completion of an accredited 3ds Max training course. This is emailed to delegates directly from Autodesk. Click here to see an example of the certificate you receive.

3ds Max certification exams

When you attend 3ds Max training, you’re not assessed and there is no exam to sit. We teach you practical skills you can use in the real world, not prepare you to sit a test.

If you want to gain an industry-recognised credential in 3ds Max, we offer Autodesk certification exams that you can sit on a future date.

Exams can be sat at our Bromsgrove centre, on online. For further details, see Certification exams.

After course support

Following 3ds Max training, delegates are entitled to 30 days’ email support from their 3ds Max trainer to help with any post-course issues. For further details, see Support.

Prerequisites

No prior 3ds Max knowledge is necessary.

3ds Max version

Training is based primarily on 3ds Max 2023. It is relevant to users of 3ds Max 2018 and later.

Our guarantees to you

We offer:

• A price guarantee that you’re getting the best value for money.
• A training guarantee that you’ll learn the concepts and skills you need.

On-request 3ds Max training available

3ds Max Essentials training is also available on-request, i.e. one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group, hosted at one of our centres, your venue or online.

On-request 3ds Max training can be tailored to take into account any existing knowledge you have, and the work you’re going to be doing. Please contact us for a quote.

General information

Course times

9.30am–4.30pm.

Payment

Payment for 3ds Max training can be made by:

• Bank transfer. Please call 01527 834783 for our bank details.
• Card. All major credit and debit cards accepted. Payment can be made securely online or over the phone. Card payments are processed by Stripe. Armada doesn’t record or store your card details.

If you’re self-funding your training, you can pay in staged payments, interest-free, over 12 months. For further details, see Staged payments.

Purchase orders

We accept purchase orders from UK-registered companies or public sector organisations.

Cancellations and transfers

You can cancel a booking on a scheduled training course, or transfer to a later course, without penalty providing you give us 10 working days’ notice. Any fees already paid will be refunded.

If you cancel a booking on a scheduled 3ds Max Essentials course giving less than 10 working days’ notice, or request a transfer to a later course, a cancellation/transfer fee is payable. The fee charged depends on the notice period given. For details, see cancellation terms.

Different terms apply for the cancellation or postponement of an on-request course (one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group). For details, see course cancellations.

Terms and conditions

Training course bookings are subject to our terms and conditions.

Expert trainers

3ds Max Essentials training courses are hosted by:

• Rod Cleasby
• Stewart Cobb
• Andy Roe
• Michael Sean Nugent
• Nebille Al-Wahid
• Wolf Winter

Rod Cleasby

Rod has over 25 years’ experience working as a designer, visualisation expert and artist. His specialist areas include architecture, interior design and the production of photorealistic 3d virtual environments. 

AutoCAD, 3ds Max and SketchUp have been the mainstay of Rod’s professional work for 20 years. He is also an expert in various related tools and technologies, including Photoshop, and he has expert knowledge of a wide range of renderers, including V-Ray, ART, Arnold and LightUp.

Rod has extensive experience training experience. He has worked as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster on their Computer Visualisation course, and he is a long-established Autodesk Certified Instructor.

Away from his professional work, Rod is an accomplished artist and musician, and a prolific writer of novels, novella, poetry and prose.

Stewart Cobb

Stewart began his working life as a junior draughtsman, and progressed through to Design Director leading a studio of designers working on both 2D and 3D projects.

He then worked for himself for over 25 years, completing around 100 design projects per year for a myriad of clients, including household names such as Vauxhall and McDonalds.

More recently, Stewart’s focus has been on training. He has been an Autodesk Certified Instructor since 2010, hosting courses in AutoCAD, Revit, 3ds Max, AutoCAD Plant 3D, Civil 3D and SketchUp.

In between courses, Stewart uses these applications professionally when carrying out project work for clients. Using the applications regularly helps him to keep up-to-date with the latest technologies and practices. He also specialises in the production of photorealistic rendered images and visualisations using renderers including V-Ray.

Outside of work, Stewart enjoys music (he runs the sound desk for a number of local bands), reading and playing with any new piece of technology he can lay his hands on!

Andy Roe

Andy has worked in CAD for over 30 years in roles including Draughtsman, CAD System Manager, Project Manager and Design Engineer.

In recent years, Andy has focused on developing and delivering training courses. He is a long-established Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI), and he focuses primarily on Autodesk applications including AutoCAD, Inventor, Fusion 360, 3ds Max and Sketchbook, as well as Dassault Systemes SolidWorks.

Andy continues to undertake project work to keep up-to-date with the latest technologies and practices. He specialises in modelling complex 3D designs from prototype to production, including the development of visuals and animations for a range of engineering projects.

Industries in which Andy has significant experience include aerospace, defence and automotive.

Michael Sean Nugent

Michael is a multi-disciplined CAD designer, draughtsman and instructor with over 15 years’ experience.

He is an Autodesk Certified Instructor with specialist knowledge of a variety of popular Autodesk applications including AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Inventor and Revit. He’s also an expert user of Trimble SketchUp and PTC Creo (Pro Engineer).

When not hosting courses, Michael carries out CAD design work in a wide variety of industries including manufacturing, architecture, construction and engineering.

Away from training and designing, Michael enjoys spending time with his dog, keeping fit, catching up on the latest TV series and socialising with friends and family.

Nebille Al-Wahid

Nebille studied architecture at University, achieving a high-grade BSc and an MSc distinction.

Over the last 20 years, he has worked for architectural practices, local authorities and numerous blue-chip clients in the construction and related industries.

Roles Nebille has carried out include Architectural Technician, Visualiser/Animator, Revit/BIM Coordinator, Software Developer and Consultant. He specialises in project setup, family creation and team structures/collaboration.

Alongside his hands-on work, Nebille hosts regular courses in 3ds Max, AutoCAD, Revit and NavisWorks. He has been an Autodesk Certified Trainer since 2006.

Wolf Winter

For over 30 years, Wolf has worked as a professional Visual Effects Artist, specialising in Motion Graphics, 2D and 3D animations and compositing, mainly in the film and broadcast television industries.

Wolf has worked as a professional trainer and university lecturer for over 15 years, equipping hundreds of people with skills to bring their ideas to life.

He trains people to a professional level in a range of industry-standard applications, including Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro and Audition, and Maxon Cinema 4D.

Course content

Introduction

• Understanding the 3D environment
• The 3ds Max user interface
• Command panels
• Other UI elements

Getting started

• Setting preferences correctly
• Viewport navigation and configuration
• Object creation and selection
• Scene management

Assembling project files

• Starting a project
• File linking
• Holding/fetching
• Merging files
• Importing/exporting

Basic modelling techniques

• Basic concepts
• Modelling with primitives
• Modifiers and transforms
• Reference coordinate systems and transform centres
• Cloning and grouping
• Polygon modelling tools

Modeling

• Modeling with 3D geometry
• Spline theory
• Working with splines
• Create 3D models from 2D objects
• Using shape modifiers
• Using lofts
• Creating multiple model concepts from one idea
• Polygon theory
• Creating and editing 3D polygon objects
• Using snaps and align tools for precision

Materials and Mapping

• The principles of materials and surfaces
• Introduction to the materials editor
• Different types of material
• Applying materials
• Using 2D maps
• Introduction to UVW mapping
• Editing UVW map coordinates
• Applying materials and maps

Lighting

• Introduction to direct lighting
• Creating 3 point and dome lighting rigs
• Shadows and shadow theory
• How to get the most from using shadows by adjusting their parameters
• Using sky light and light tracer for external scenes
• Colour light theory
• The daylight system

Cameras

• Physical camera
• Target and free camera parameters
• Camera paths

Rendering

• Review of the renderers available in 3ds Max: ART, Arnold, Scanline
• Review of populat third-party renderers: V‑Ray, mental ray.
• Render scene dialog
• Scene states
• Batch render

Live online training

Live online training lets you participate in a real 3ds Max course from your place of work or home.

We do everything possible to make your online training experience as close as possible to actually being in the classroom. You can:

• See and hear our trainer, and see the other delegates participating in the 3ds Max training…
  

• Interact by speaking, using chat, or raising your ‘virtual hand’ if you need assistance.
• Share your screen with our trainer, and allow them to control it to demonstrate something.

We endeavour to provide you with the best online training experience…

• Online 3ds Max Essentials courses are presented by Autodesk Certified Instructors, following the same syllabus as our classroom-based courses.
• You receive comprehensive training materials.
• Your training is hands-on. You carry out assisted exercises using 3ds Max.
• If you don’t have access to 3ds Max software, we’ll send you a link to fully-functional trial software that you can download and install.
• You’re entitled to 30 days’ email support from your trainer.

When you attend live online training, you’re participating in a real course, hosted by a real trainer, in real time.

All you need is an internet-connected computer and a webcam – see Hardware recommendations for live online training. The setup is simple, but if there’s anything you’re not sure about we’re here to help.

For a limited time, we’re offering discounts for bookings on live online courses.

Discounts

To make your 3ds Max training as affordable as possible, we offer:

• A range of training discounts on our scheduled 3ds Max training courses.
• A price guarantee that you won’t get 3ds Max training for less.

Training discounts

Multiple places

If you book multiple places on any courses, we can offer you:

• 10% discount if you book two places.
• 15% discount if you book three or four places.
• 20% discount if you book five or more places.

This can be for several people attending one course, one person attending several courses, or a combination.

These discounts are available for both classroom-based courses and live online training.

Concessions

We offer a 10% discount on scheduled 3ds Max course places to:

• Students, teachers and lecturers.
• People who work for a registered charity.
• ISTC members.

These discounts are available for both classroom-based courses and remote training.

Please call us if you qualify for a discount. Evidence of your status that entitles you to a discount may be requested.

Terms and exclusions

Only one of the above discounts can be applied to any booking.

The above discounts are not available for on-request course bookings (one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group).

Price guarantee

When you book training with Armada, we want you to be certain that you’re not paying over-the-odds. So, if you book a place on any scheduled (public) course and then find the same course at a lower price elsewhere, we will match that price.

To qualify for the price match:

• The course you find must be comparable. By this we mean it must:
  • Cover the same subject.
  • Be the same duration or longer.
  • Hold the same accreditations as our course, i.e. it must be provided by an Autodesk Authorised Training Centre (ATC).
  • For classroom-based courses, be in the same region, i.e. within 50 miles of our centre.
  • For online training, be a live course, i.e. not pre-prepared e-learning content.

• The lower price must be advertised on the other company’s website.

To claim a price match, just call any time before attending your course and tell us where you saw the price.

Certification exams

3ds Max certification exams, leading to an industry-recognised credential, available to sit online.

Whether you’re a student or a professional, 3ds Max Autodesk Certified User (ACU) status validates your skillset, accelerating career advancement and helping you stand out in a competitive job market.

Successful candidates receive:

• An e-certificate (PDF) from Autodesk confirming your 3ds Max-certified status.
• An official Autodesk-Certified badge that you can use to market your skills, e.g. on your business cards, in your email signature, on your website, etc.

To read more about the benefits of achieving Autodesk-certified status in 3ds Max, read Lyndsay Mann’s blog What benefits does Autodesk certification bring?

3ds Max online exams

3ds Max exams are sat online from your place of work or home.

To protect exam integrity, exam sittings are monitored by a proctor from Armada. Your Photo ID will be verified prior to your exam starting.

To sit an online exam, all you need is a computer (Windows or Mac) with:

• A strong Internet connection (min. 5Mbps).
• Screen resolution at least 1200 x 800.
• Chrome browser.

You don’t need to have 3ds Max installed – you’ll access 3ds Max on a virtual computer during your exam. No webcam is required.

Autodesk Certified User (ACU) exam in 3ds Max

Entry level exam to validate your knowledge of fundamental concepts and procedures in 3ds Max.

• Qualification: Autodesk Certified User in 3ds Max.
• Length of exam: 50 minutes.
• Recommended preparation: Attend 3ds Max Essentials training, and have approximately 50 hours’ experience using 3ds Max.
• Further details: download exam guide.

Practice test

A practice test is available that reflects the questions you’re likely to be asked in your 3ds Max ACU exam. The practice test is taken online, from your place of work or home. The test has two modes:

• Testing mode, which replicates your exam.
• Training mode, which provides step-by-step help on questions.

The practice test can be retaken up to 30 times in a one-year period.

Practice tests are only available for purchase with an exam.

Prices

3ds Max ACU exam: £150 + VAT.
Discounted price available to Armada training delegates: £100 + VAT.

3ds Max ACU exam/practice test bundle: £200 + VAT.
Discounted price available to Armada training delegates: £130 + VAT.

3ds Max ACU exam retake: £75 + VAT.

When can I take my 3ds Max exam?

You can take your exam in one of our regular exam sessions.

2022 exam sessions are scheduled to take place on 21 Jul, 18 Aug, 22 Sep, 20 Oct, 24 Nov, 15 Dec.

Exam sittings usually take place in the morning, at 10am. We confirm your exam time one week before your sitting.

Booking an exam and payment options

To book an exam, please email exams@armada.co.uk providing details of the exam you’d like to sit, or call 01527 834783.

Payment for AutoCAD exams can be made bank transfer or card.

We accept purchase orders from UK-registered companies and public sector organisations.

Q and A

• What is the pass mark for 3ds Max ACU certification exams?
  You will be notified of the pass mark prior to your exam starting.
• When do I find out if I’ve passed?
  Immediately, when you complete your exam. You result is displayed on-screen.
• What happens if I do not pass?
  You will receive a diagnostic score report that indicates areas for improvement. You may then retake the examination as needed. Should you need to retake an exam, simply re-book. Discounted prices are available for retakes.
• Who can I contact if I have more questions?
  Email any questions you have to exams@armada.co.uk.

See also…

• Top 10 reasons to get Autodesk certified
• Autodesk professional certification – the power to be remarkable.
• Autodesk professional certification – give you organisation the power to excel.
• Parsons Brinckerhoff case study.

Exam Ts & Cs

See Exam Terms and conditions.