Spline modelers

[Goon]

Raul-Reznek (member.php?u=1200) uses splines in Max. Though i get the impression that very few people do.

For mechanical patch modeling you'll probably wan't the precision of an actual NURBS modeler, like Rhino, or Alias Studio Tools (Maya also has NURBS, and they are quite good, but they aren't as precise as a tool dedicated to Industrial designs).

[Goon]

dbl post (http://member.php?u=1200)

[dragatomic]

Well if you don't already know the trick to modeling with splines is just like how you create a boat in real life. The base splines you create is the cage. you then use a cross section modifier to connect the model together (selecting them in the correct order is important so for a car connect it from front to back or back to front not middle back front or front back middle.) and use a surface modifier over it.

Im pretty sure you know this but just putting it in there if you didnt and for people who wanna know splines. also if you don't know when working with it you have the choices of changing the way you control the vertices. you can use bezier, or bezier corners if you want full control, and smooth, and corner for those sharp edges that machines have.

I'm pretty sure you know this already, all splines must be 4 sided or else your surface will get messed up but it can be fixed. 3 sided polys will get you pinching not recommended since you are modeling a machine. 5 and above just kills the surface.

When adding lines into your spline cage, use connect refine as if you are cutting things like in poly mode.

When welding vertices together you need to fuse the vertices together, then you weld them together.

If a surface is disappearing and you have a four sided poly there, you may need to fuse and weld the vertices around it.

Always select around a vertex. bec unlike poly a spline vertex thats intersected is actually 2 vertices on top of each other.

Use the f5 - f8 buttons to toggle how you move your anchor points. x = f5 y = f6 z= f7
f8 = xy, xz, yz

use x mode (press x, i dont know the real term for it) so you know where your moving the anchor points. This prevents moving it in really long distances, you'll see what i mean if you don't follow this.

If you ever do convert it, convert it to editable poly and not mesh. ( new to max6, in max5 you are fine)

If things are still getting weird with your surface, tweak the threshold of the surface modifier until you get what you want. ( this is the last thing you should do if you ever need to do it)

Anyways i hope this helps you.

[ace4016]

Thanks dragatomic, you added a bit more help to smoothing out the surface. I might as well post some other helpful tips that raul-reznek gave me to help anyone else.

ok, this is what u can do:
1) add a relax modifier to the stack and play with value and interations
2) add both a relax and a mesh smooth play with them
3) lower the level of surface interations and add a mesh smooth
4) add a Edit patch modifier and smooth out the problems once u have the chassis ready.
5) Work out tension spots by changing the type of vertices to beizer corner(the best type imo)
6) if you have a lot of splines in the mesh, that may be the problem, try to simplify the spline cage.

this is all i can think of for now, anyway, cars are verey easy to model in comparison to anatomy, i suggest start modelling anatomy, the real deal :D

cheers and good luck!
raul-reznek's tips really helped. I had to combine differnet methods form different parts like on the worst part of the car(the back) i had to re-spline and organize the vertices and then add a relax modifer.

One thing I found when fixing the spline cage is that you have to plan ahead and you cant be scared to move vertices and change vertice types(biezer corner is the greatest:D ). I was so fixed on using only smooth type veritces and afraid to move/add/remove a few vertices that it looked like someone took a bat to the car. Well thats my one tip to newbie spliners from a newbie spliner. Thanks for all the help guys, I still haven't saved a pic to show how much better it looks now but Ill post it in my WIP thread sooner or later.

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