3ds Max Speed Modeling For 3D Artists
This book is aimed at artists who already know the essentials of modeling and are considering modeling specialization. A big part of specialization involves seeking ways to streamline your workflow. Possibly you're a diploma student and want to level up your 3ds Max skills after a short course, or possibly you're self taught and want to measure the skills you've obtained. If you are starting from scratch, however, this chapter should help you get up to speed. It covers the essential starting points for those making their first launch into 3ds Max.
3ds Max Speed Modeling for 3D Artists
To continue editing, right-click on the object to expose the Quad menu and go to Convert To: Convert to Editable Poly. Editable Poly is a good type for modeling.
Don't choose Editable Mesh, which is a TriMesh object format type mostly maintained for legacy and compatibility reasons (and sometimes to speed up display of objects). There are more editing tools available for an Editable Poly than there are for Editable Mesh, and they work faster. Editable Poly is a Winged Edge polygon data structure. For the technically inclined, there is an exhaustively detailed discussion of what this entails on the CGSociety forums ( =146797), but the main thing is the tools we'll be using for this book's lessons are exclusively for Editable Poly models.
You may have noticed that when you right-click, a menu appears under the cursor with shortcuts to many tools distributed elsewhere in the 3ds Max UI. For instance, you can press the Select icon or press Q or you can right-click and choose Select from the Quad menu. This menu can be changed to suit your need, though part of its utility comes from memorizing its layout for speedy access, so making changes often may defeat the purpose. Still, there are a few tools that you'll regularly use that could benefit from being in the Quad menu.
Also, you will notice there are hotkeys to filter the Quad menu. For example, the Modeling Quad (Ctrl + RMB) only shows modeling tools. The Snaps Quad (Shift + RMB) lets you set the current snap type. This is quicker than moving the cursor up to the Snap icon to right-click and access the Grid and Snap Settings menu. The hotkey for entering Snap mode is S and it uses whatever settings you most recently set. Snaps are used for precision modeling, and snapping functionality is discussed further in Chapter 5, The Language of Machines: Designing and Building Model Components.
It definitely speeds up your work flow if you turn off Use Animated Transitions options when Switching Views. The transition is snappy, and you won't waste time waiting for the camera to animate through its turn.
The reliable way to activate the Steering Wheel is to go to the Views menu and choose Steering Wheels Toggle Steering Wheel or choose one of the different modes it offers there. It is also possible to assign Toggle Steering Wheel as an entry in the Quads menu for speedy access. Look under Group Steering Wheels in the Quad tab of the Customize User Interface menu to find it.
In the Files tab, if you are doing modeling work, it is handy to set Increment on Save checked, so that every time you press Ctrl + S to save, you won't write over the same file but add a new one like this: file001.max, file002.max. It requires some housekeeping occasionally but is a safe option, since if you save over your work or something else goes wrong (computers!), then you won't lose anything; alternatively, you may want to develop a habit to increment the number of file saves using Ctrl + A instead of Ctrl + S.
Besides navigation, we also considered ways to begin to customize the look of 3ds Max and make tools accessible based on your own preferences. It takes time to decide which tools are best to use and where to place them. Do you use the Quad menu, keyboard shortcuts, a toolbar, or mouse click to the default locations? Each user will develop a different preference. I've provided a complete UI preset that I like, which has most of the day-to-day modeling tools set in the Quad menu. At first it took a while for me to get used to this streamlined layout, since I was more used to the regular tool layout, but it didn't take long before I was enjoying a faster working speed. The UI preset can be found in Packt3dsMax\UI Settings\PacktUI.ui and can be loaded via the Customize menu Load Custom UI. There is a version for 2012 and 2013. In later chapters, this UI will be referenced often, but the commands are also described in terms of their default layout in case you prefer to work with a "fresh install" style UI. One benefit of only using 3ds Max in its default state is that whenever you set it up, you're always going to be in a familiar place. However, the Packt3dsMax\UI Settings\PacktUI.ui can be set up with one command, and you can always revert back to the defaults the same way.
The second chapter called Model Shakedown covers necessary model handling skills before starting some serious projects. Once again, we analize a bunch of vital 3ds Max features like freezing and displaying objects, adjusting their properties and gathering in groups. I do not consider this part of the book to be that important as it focuses on rather well known features. Tweaking 3ds Max user interface may be often neglected but when it comes to gizmos, coordinating systems or duplicating objects - these are basics that every cg artist should know about. Therefore, the chapter stands slightly in opposite to the foreword that states the book is aimed at artists who already know essentials of modeling. Was spending almost forty pages on such repetition really necessary? The only few paragraphs that really attracted my attention were the ones about NVIDIA iray ActiveShade rendering. The rest was a kind of repetition that I could easily skip.
The last chapter "pushes the envelope". It helps us to prepare our model for animation and games, which involves rigging, skinning and (although just in theory) animation. Most of the tasks are based on CAT animation system, but we are also described ProOptimizer and Skin modifiers. Thomas Mooney explains how to display our rig efficiently and answers why enabling gPoly results in performance improvement when bones' deformation occurs. As an animator I was pleased to read some hints that may improve the speed of final and preview render of our scenes. I should also mention a few paragraphs about matching a CAT rig to an FBX in Motion Builder and the work with kinect motion capture. Sadly the chapter slightly lacks in pictures and complex exercises, but let's face it - 3ds Max Speed Modeling for 3D Artists is supposed to investigate completly different CG topics.
In this 3ds Max tutorial, we'll go through the complete process of starting an architectural design project from the brief stage. You'll learn easy-to-apply speed modeling techniques so that your ideas can be modeled and communicated with the least amount of effort and time possible. Software required: 3ds Max 2012, V-Ray 2.0, AutoCAD 2014, Photoshop CS33ds Max 2012, V-Ray 2.0, AutoCAD 2014, Photoshop CS3.
In this 3ds Max tutorial, we'll go through the complete process of starting an architectural design project from the brief stage. You'll learn easy-to-apply speed modeling techniques so that your ideas can be modeled and communicated with the least amount of effort and time possible. You'll be able to take any complex structure or architectural form and visualize it in minutes thanks to a different approach to modeling. In addition to greater speed, you'll also learn how to create sun simulations, 3D sections for your projects and final render that resembles a scaled architectural model. By the end of this 3ds Max training you'll have learned many techniques to boost your ability and speed in 3ds Max and let you hit those short deadlines with ease. Software required: 3ds Max 2012, V-Ray 2.0, AutoCAD 2014, Photoshop CS33ds Max 2012, V-Ray 2.0, AutoCAD 2014, Photoshop CS3.
3ds Max is often used for character modeling and animation as well as for rendering photorealistic images of buildings and other objects. When it comes to modeling 3ds Max is unmatched in speed and simplicity.
3ds Max fits into the animation pipeline at nearly every stage. From modeling and rigging to lighting and rendering, this program makes it easy to create professional quality animations easier and simpler.
3ds Max uses polygon modeling which is a common technique in game design. With polygonal modeling artists have a high degree of control over individual polygons which gives them a greater range of detail and precision in their work.
Skilled CG artists will be able to create photorealistic images using techniques designed to mimic nature. 3ds Max is also capable of toon shading and other stylized techniques popular in video games.
Game studios like Ubisoft use it for creating many game assets. And colleges like the Savannah College of Art and Design(SCAD) use it in their classrooms. They rely on 3ds Max for teaching animation to the next generation of artists.
Josh is an artist and game developer who specializes in sci-fi, fantasy, and abstract art. His work employs vibrant colors and combines elements of glitch art, outrun, retro-gamming, neo-geo, and conceptual art. He trained as an oil painter before picking up 3D modeling, animation, and programming. He now runs Brain Jar, a small game development studio that focuses on experimental, narrative-driven content. You can learn more on the website or on Twitter @brainjargames. 041b061a72