Tutorial exercise: (Calling all Noobs)

#21

yeah I hit that too … Unless you completely level that top poly first then adjust the verts after of course you have to push the verts around anyway so …:shrug:

#22

This is an extremely great idea…

Maybe if we keep it up we can get it sticky’ed.

I’ll start now and catch up.

#23

I started mine some time ago. Been working on it on-and-off as the mood strikes me.

For this, I really didn’t care for working with the reference pics. So, I decided to go with splines.

I tossed both pics into PS. Copied one over to the other and arranged them to taste. De-Saturate. Invert. Levels. Cut and paste into an Alpha channel. Load the selection. Make Path from Selection. Export to an AI file. Open Max and Import the AI file. Move, rotate, and scale into place. Tada. Nice splines to work with as a reference.

I had some problems getting her torso just right. After a few false starts, I finally got it. I didn’t find her breasts too difficult. Feet could stand some work.

Here she is all mirrored and smoothed. I even made my reference splines renderable (she’s got a third leg). Not sure if/when I’ll put more time into her.

#24

hey fellas, :wavey:
this is just a great idea, and that tut is one of the best i ever did see.
thanks stroker for that little tut on how to convert to path.

So i’m in.
Played with that tut some weeks ago and learned a lot. since i’m new too, i’ll definately watch this thread carefully.
Won’t be part in modelling since i’ve nearly finished( well, could be much better, but it’s just a tut :smiley: ), but when it comes to texturice and rigging dis biatch i’m definately in.

thanks for trying this

this is what i’ve come so far

ps:this thread should be dedicated to michel roger (thx man!)

#25

Ok, for the last 2 days I’ve been trying to start this tutorial, but I keep getting stuck trying to set up the reference pictures. The first thing I need to know is do you set up both pics at the same time in seperate viewports? I tried that and it doesn’t work. If it is suspose to work can someone please tell me how to do it?

(Nevermind, while messing around in max as I write this I figured it out.)

Ok, at the very start of this tut it says, "The return of the basic cube :).
As in the Crash Bandicoot LPM tutorial, the base of modeling is a cube, the simplest primitive in 3d…

Apply “Edit Mesh” and Collapse Stack."

Ok I don’t see anywhere on the objects panel that says “cube”

I think that after I figure out how to make the cube and then apply the “edit mesh” I will be able to take it from there hopefully. I know this is alot to ask, but I’m really new at this but I want to learn so bad and I thought this would be the ideal place to start. So for any who takes the time to help, I want to thank you in advance for being patient with me.

Thanks.

#26

Use the Box Primitive, That’s what they mean when they say Cube.

After that, click on the modifiers and scoll down, well not to far down actualy, to the Edit Mesh. Then have at it.

#27

I played with the tutorial last night before I got caught up in some house work…

This technique of modeling is fast…I got 1 leg done in less than 3 minutes…

I must say this to all my fellow newbies…This is a perfect example of how reference art plays an important process in detail and structure.

I do prefer the method I’m using now…It’s a technique that I’m learning from a Paul Steed publication. I strongly suggest every newbie to pick up his book “Modeling a Character in 3DS Max”.

He makes every step clear and descriptive…he teaches you how to approach modeling rather than give you a small tutorial that leaves out a great deal of information (not that I’m against small tutorials…:slight_smile: ).

When you’re done with the book you will have a clear understanding of how to model a character from begining to end…In more than one way, plus, you will have a broad understanding with Max’s interface and tools…

#28

Thank you both for the much needed help. I will get that book as soon as I find it online. Much appreciated. Thank you.:slight_smile:

#29

Ok, I’m back. Sorry if I’m starting to get on everyone nerves, but I have to ask. Ok, I’ve gotten as far as setting up my reference pics and I was told to use the “box” in the tut it says this, " "For the beginning start in left viewport, extrude one face from the cube, like show on picture on the left. Repeat this process and adjust the vertexes. Ok, so I’m assuming that you draw out the box before you apply the “edit mesh” Whan the box is created and after I’ve applied edit mesh I can’t extrude the edges of the box like shown in the tut. I try to click and drag but nothing happens. What am I doing wrong? I’ll show you the steps I’ve taken so far.

[Ok, I don’t know exactly what I did, but I can start to extrude pieces of the box like in the tut] I’m so excited!

Ok, now I’ve noticed that I only have 8 point to which I can drag. How do I get more points on the box so I can continue to extrude over the rest of the foot and up the leg? This is what I’ve got so far.

Again, thanks for the help and support.

#30

ok here ya go Joka.

  1. select the polygon subobject (keyboard shortcut 4)
  2. select the side of your box that you are going to extrude from.
  3. click extrude (keyboard shortcut ctrl+E)
    and drag out the desired distance.
    :wip:
#31

Ok, kool. Now I see, but I don’t think I’m ever going to get this. I see how the selected section of the box can be extruded, but making the selected areas go where you want them to go is the hard part. I can’t seem to pull the selected parts in a diagnal direction. And exactly how big of a box should I start off with? I swear this tut is going to kill me. But I wont give up. Thanks guys.:smiley:

#32

When it comes to the size of the box I believe it depends on the artist and how he/she works with shapes, scaling and so forth. There simply is no one single way…

You can actually do this several ways…

for example…you don’t even have to make a perfect box. You can make a rectangular box; so it has the length of a foot. Then you can create vertices along the box that would help shape a foot. Then (while in vertex mode) you can relocate the vertexes accordingly so to get the look of a foot.

However, the tutorial does it more simply…It’s also a good way to keep symmetry.

Also keep this in mine…when modeling for games you are working with a “polygon budget”. I use that term loosely because hardware these days allow you to work with at least 5,000 poly’s per model (I believe that’s the budget on the PS2).

But, when modeling for cinema (including in game CG scenes) the count goes up considerably. So, don’t be afraid to be exact in detail…

#33

when you get your ref/pictures in your scenewhat are the spacific X,Y,Z positions of the 2 planes?, and where should the box be placed to start modeling?:hmm:

#34

this tutorial is from a french artist.
but i dont remember his website. can you tell me that?

thx

#35

I was reading through the thread (wish i had this opportunity when i was a noob) and noticed that it looked like you were using planes to put the referance pics on, I find it much much more easy to go into the View menue and tell it to display the ref images as part of the view port background. I hope im not confusing anyone. But don’t take it wrong i wouldn’t change anything now since your already started but just for future referance, cuz the planes add unneeded geometry to the scene. and trouble i think… keep up with it looks like u guys doing great.

#36

KingofPain: I have noticed it doesn’t really matter in the front and left viewports. there isn’t really any DOF distortion in those views. I just usually move them out till just their corners touch .

lek1: here’s the link you wanted the french version

#37

Kingopain:
just put the first rect. with the frontimage at o,o,o, with 100*100.
in the attached pic you can the the coordinates, the first rect. is selected. do this in the front-viewport.
in the left- viewport create the other one and move it to where it will reach the right side of the first one.
now create the first box in the front viewport where the feet is, change to left viewport and move it forward to where it alligns your refpics for the sideview. convert and tada, just start polypushing.

Lek1:
the orig. is here
http://mr2k.3dvf.com/frameset.htm

ha, you’re fast, Stygian :wip:

#38

thanks for the help all… now i need to go to work on this so i can catch up.:):thumbsup:

#39

Apply “Edit Mesh” and Collapse Stack. <----- i’ve looked for over an hour for this option, and i cant find it… can someone help me out please?:hmm:

#40

in the modifierpanel apply an edit mesh mod, than right klick and collapse all

just ask, saves time :beer: