mental ray for Maya, 3ds Max, and XSI: A 3D Artist's Guide to Rendering
Boaz Livny
A lot of people have said great things about this book, and for the most part, I agree. After checking out a few other books, this seems to be THE book to get, for learning about mental ray. The author spends a significant time talking about rendering theory, which is helpful for learning any modern engine.
The author gives equal time to theory and each front-end for mental ray (XSI, Maya, Max). This book is quite an achievement, and I am really happy I bought it. This book is aimed at intermediate to advanced users. Those who are willing spend the time with this book will be duly rewarded.
The reason I didn't give this book 5 stars: I thought some of the examples and language could have been clearer, and there could have been more examples, making the book more accessible. It would have been really nice to have the color plates in with the rest of the text where they were referred to. Do not let any of that stop you from buying this book. It's a must have for mental ray users.
