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

Smoothing Groups


When you begin modeling from a primitive such as a Sphere or Cylinder, it has preset smoothing groups that make its surface look good. A smoothing group is easiest understood as a group of polygons that share the same smooth curvature. We'll look at some examples that show models with and without smoothing groups. Where you might notice smoothing groups for the first time is when you extrude from a round object and notice the extruded polygons look, by contrast, sharp and faceted. The other case is when you apply TurboSmooth to an object like a cube and it becomes very round. The TurboSmooth modifier includes an option to conserve any smooth groups demarcated within the editable poly object's Smoothing Groups settings.

This example runs through the process of editing Smoothing Groups manually.

  1. Reset 3ds Max and go to Create | Standard Primitives | Tube. Drag it out in the view, enter Move mode (W), and hold Shift + LMB and drag it to create a clone to one side. In the Clone...