Learning 3D Animation

I'm currently going to Collins College in Phoenix, AZ. My most recently class WAS 3D Animation, and we used Autodesk 3DS Max 8 for our software. For Learning the program we were given the 3D Max 8 bible as well as in-class lessons, so I've learned a lot as a result of the class.

My best advice is to first decide what program you want be using. 3DS Max 8 is a powerful and versatile program, but it is expensive, even with my Education discount. Some programs are Free but they are limited in thier support or functionality, but some of them are still quite effective for animation.

Popular Programs to Consider:
3D Studio Max
Animation:Master
Blender
Cinema 4D
Lightwave
Maya
TrueSpace

Consider what you want to use the program for (Animation has varying uses, and it would be good to research the most widely used applications).
There are some books you can find @ Borders/Barnes & Noble which are also great sources of tutorials and introduction to the programs, but they cost money as well (Much less then a class, but still).

Second after you have decided on the program is to look for tutorials and sample models to work on. Googling the default format of the program and free models will usually bring up relevant results. The tutorials are done similarly: "[Program name] Beginner Tutorials."

Since you'll be working @ your own pace in regards to the tutorials, you can spend as much time as you need

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