Introducing 3ds Max 9 3D for beginners apr 2007 - part 5 ppt

11. Exit the Polygon sub-object level and use the Cut tool to add a horizontal edge divid￾ing the rear polygon. Right-click to discontinue creating edges and then click the Cut

button to turn it off.

12. Switch to the Vertex sub-object level. In the Front viewport, use a selection region to

select each group of vertices at the rear of the turret and move them into place.

13. Switch to the Left viewport and then select the vertex at the leading point of the turret.

The current sub-object level, or the top level, of an editable poly can quickly be accessed

from the tools 1 quadrant of the Quad menu or by using the number keys along the top row

of the keyboard as shortcut keys (not the keys in the numeric keypad). The shortcuts are 1 =

Vertex, 2 = Edge, 3 = Border, 4 = Polygon, 5 = Element, and 6 = Top Level.

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14. In the Edit Vertices rollout, click the Chamfer button.

15. Click and drag in the Left viewport to chamfer the selected vertex and create an

additional polygon.

16. Use the Move tool to relocate the new vertices appropriately.

17. Exit the Vertex sub-object level.

Creating the Access Hatch

The tank’s crew needs to enter the tank from an access hatch on the top surface. This is

also where the vehicle commander will sit to examine the battlefield. To create this feature,

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the ShapeMerge compound object is used to project the edges of a two-dimensional shape

onto a three-dimensional surface, creating new edges and polygons on the 3D surface.

1. In the Top viewport, drag out a donut shape. Set the Radius 1 value to 10 and the

radius 2 value to 15.

2. Move the donut in the Z-axis above the turret, so that the shape’s edges will be pro￾jected onto the top of the turret.

3. Select the tank turret object, and then select Create ➔ Geometry ➔ Compound Objects ➔

ShapeMerge.

4. In the Pick Operand rollout, click the Pick Shape button and select the donut in the

viewport.

5. New edges appear on the top surface of the turret in the shape of the donut. Click the

Pick Shape button to turn it off and then convert the turret back into an editable poly.

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6. Select the donut shape and then delete it.

7. Select the outer ring of polygons and extrude them 1.5 units. Select the inner circle of

polygons and extrude them 0.75 units. Exit the sub-object level when you are done.

Save your work.

The main form of the low-poly tank model is now complete. The body has a sloped top

and exhaust vent, and the turret has the crew’s access hatch. In the next exercise, the Loft

compound object is used to model the tank’s barrel.

Lofting the Barrel

You can make a simple three-dimensional object by extruding a single two-dimensional

shape perpendicular to the shape’s orientation using the Extrude modifier. You can quickly

complete building boxes, tubes, and even simple 3D text can quickly using the Extrude

modifier. In contrast, the Loft compound object also builds 3D models by extruding one

2D spline along a second 2D spline. The first spline, called the shape object, becomes the

cross section of the new 3D as it follows the second, path object. Tunnels, roller coaster

tracks, fancy 3D text, and any object that needs to maintain a shape along a path are

excellent opportunities to use the Loft compound object.

The Loft compound object has many features and only a few restrictions. The shape

object can be complex, consisting of several noncontiguous splines and even nested splines.

A new shape object can be selected at any point along the path, and the cross section auto￾matically transitions from one shape to the next. Any 2D shape can be used as the shape

object, but only shapes consisting of a single spline can be used as the path object.

Creating the Barrel Shapes and Path

To begin this exercise, several shapes are made to represent the different cross sections

found along the length of the barrel.

1. Continue with the previous exercise or open the Tank6.max file from the companion CD.

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2. Hide all of the objects in the scene.

3. In the Top viewport, create three circles, each with a radius of 2.75. Create three more

circles, one with a radius of 3.75, one with 4.0, and one with 4.5.

4. From smallest to largest, rename the last three circles created to Barrel, Barrel Aim,

and Barrel Evacuator.

5. Align each of the smaller circles with one of the larger circles using the Align com￾mand. The X, Y, and Z Position check boxes should be checked, as well as the Center

option for both the current and target objects.

6. Select one of the larger circles, right-click and convert it to an editable spline from the

Quad menu.

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