Whenever
one thinks of 3D effects, explosions often come to
mind. With this tutorial you will learn how to create
one of the simplist explosion effects there is, that
of a 3D box.
 Creating
a box is a simple process that can be accomplished
in many ways. The following makes extensive use of
the Command Panel.
Select the Create tab  ,
then Geometry 
 Click
the "Box" button and drag out an area you
would like the box to take up and then drag up, creating
the height of the object.
 Once
the box is created move to the Modify tab [ ]
and scroll down to the Parameters rollout.
The Parameters rollout can be used to modify the length,
width, and height of an object. Segmentations can
also be made in order to help in the modification
of the object's mesh at a later time.
 By
switching back to the Create tab [],
select the Spacewarps [ ].
 Select
the  and
click the Bomb Button. Place the bomb next to the box
in your scene.
 At
this point it is necessary to bind the bomb to your
box. In order to accomplish this important task you
will need to become familiar with your Main Toolbar
and the Bind To Spacewarp button.
 While
this button is depressed the pointer icon will change
while over a target object, such as the box and/or
spacewarp, such as the bomb. While the Bind to Spacewarp
button is depressed, click and hold your mouse down
on the bomb and while holding the click - drag your
mouse onto the box.
 When
you have the cursor over the box, relase the click
and the box will flash white for a moment, indicating
that the bomb is now affecting the box.
 In
order to see the explosion you will need to use the
Timeslider. This usefull device will allow you to sweep
back and forth through frames to see the effect of
the bomb on the box. Move the timeslider past frame
5, the default frame that the bomb should start exploding
the box.
 You
will see a very uniform box exploding. It will be a
bit dull and quite static. In order to change this
you will need to change the parameters of the bomb
and possibly the box.
 If
you would like to increase the debris from the box,
then you need to increase the number of segments associated
with the box. Changing the spin, chaos, and min/max
fragment size will help create a more interesting and
dynamic explosion.
 Remember
that you can always move the bomb and the box will
always explode away from the bomb.
 In
order to heighten the explosion's visual impact, Combustion/Fire
Effect can be added to create a burst of flames. To
add Combustion/Fire Effect, click on the Helpers Button
[] on the Command Panel and choose Atmosphere Apparatus
from the pull-down list.
 Select
Sphere Gizmo and in your scene drag your cursor from
the center of the box to where you want the fire to
extend. A spherical shape will be created. The spherical
object is simply a placeholder and it needs to be filled
with something.
 Before
continuing, you may want to go into the Modifify options
and click on the hemisphere option. If you use the
full sphere the fire looks like an explosion happening
in space, while the hemisphere looks as though the
explosion is emanating from the ground.
 While
the Sphere Gizmo is selected, open the modify panel,
and Add Atmosphere and select Combustion (For 3DSMax
3.x) or Fire Effect (For 3DSMax 4.x) from the options.
 Highlight
the Combustion/Fire Effect you just added by clicking
on the selection and hit Setup. The defaults for all
options should be fine except for the very last few.
These have to be changed. Click on the explosion and
setup the timings.
 Move
the Timeslider back and forth to get a sense of the
height of your explosion. If you feel that the explosion
peaks at frame 20, for example, then set the Combustion/Fire
Effect to explode between 0 and 40 frames. This will
ensure that the fire also peaks at 20 and then fades
to smoke.
 Finally,
render out your scene into a movie and view your creation.
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