Book Image

3ds Max Speed Modeling for 3D Artists

By : Thomas Mooney
Book Image

3ds Max Speed Modeling for 3D Artists

By: Thomas Mooney

Overview of this book

Production of 3D art is an exciting medium, but the task of modeling requires intense attention to detail, so speed and efficiency are vital. This book breaks down speed modeling workflow in 3ds Max into stages you can easily achieve, with a focus on hard surface modeling and methods you can apply to your own designs."3ds Max Speed Modeling for 3D Artists" will help level up your 3D modeling skills. It focuses on hard surface modeling, and shows the range of tools and techniques in 3ds Max 2013.This book shows content creation methods aimed at 3ds Max modelers preparing to show their skill to the industry. The key feature of modeling that artists must exhibit is speediness while preserving technical accuracy. The author helps you follow set project guidelines while pushing creativity and outlines the entire workflow from concept development to exporting a game-ready model.The book begins with introductions for new users to the interface and modeling tools, and progresses to topics aimed at users already familiar with 3ds Max, who want to improve their content creation process. You'll also see ways 3ds Max content is used with other applications, like sculpting software and game editors, and learn features of speed modeling, efficient workflow, re-use of content, and tips on getting more done, more quickly.By the end of this book you will have learned key topics in modeling, ready to face professional level work with elan.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
3ds Max Speed Modeling for 3D Artists
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Chapter 10. Pushing the Envelope – Model Preparation for Animation and Games

In this chapter, we will complete our modeling round by readying a model for game production through level of detail (LOD) creation, rigging, and skinning.

This chapter is not about modeling; instead, it aims to take you one step further towards animation. Many people learn modeling with the aim of doing animation, but the intermediate steps can prove a daunting obstacle. The first step we'll take involves model simplification (as it is easier to skin a low-resolution mesh than a highly sculpted one). After that we rig the creature using CAT, skinning the mesh to the rig, which is also known as binding or weighting, and examine some animation used to test the result.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

  • ProOptimizer

  • Rigging the creature with CAT

  • Rig naming and selection

  • Rig display and access via layers

  • Skinning the creature

  • Skin advanced parameters

  • Adjusting envelopes

  • Painting blend weights

  • Weighting per vertex...