Gmax and 3DS Max question.....

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 5:08 am

Recently, I have been playing around with Gmax so that I can get used to 3DS Max controls if I ever get it. I was just wondering if there is any way to create an object by placing individual vertices and basically playing connect the dots. Basically, simular to how you would create a room in D3Edit or how a good chunk of 3D modeling is done with Milkshape 3D. I with the help of another figured out a backdoor method of doing this by creating an object, adding an edit mesh modifier and then selecting polygon, and then using edit geometry in order to create vertices and attatch them together but I can't seem to figure out how to do this the proper way? I know that with such a powerfull tool, there has to be a better way to do this? I use about 50/50 with building objects out of individual faces and using primitives. I just prefer it this way and it depends on the particular model I'm working on. Anyway, would anyone else here know if this is possible at least in the full version of 3DS Max?

Darktalyn1 · Post by **Darktalyn1** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 8:26 am

Doesn't sound like a good idea for modeling to me but ask and ye shall recieve...

Create a 1-polygon plane. Convert to Edit Mesh or Edit Poly (doesnt matter). Delete 3/4 vertices. Now you have a floating vertex. Select and shift+drag this vertex to place new vertices wherever you want. Clone to element, not object.

Once you have the vertices placed you can use the Create Polygon tool to "connect the dots"

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 6:43 pm

Hmmm.... that's actually, basically, what I was trying to say. I figured there had to be an official way to do this.

Actually, where I use this most is on drawings or diagrams. Now, say, someone makes a diagram of a model and they want to have me build it, I can simply figure out what dimension I want too build, and then place the vertices where I want them along the diagram to match the picture and use this as a basic building block in order to create the base model. Take the Pyro-GL for example, it has a very complex body structure and I wanted to make it as low-poly as possible. It has three sections and many different curves in the body, so I took screenshots in OOFEdit and made a diagram of it, then placed vertices where I wanted them, added more to make it a lot curvier, then I extruded it a number of times, and scaled the sections until I had the shape that I wanted and cut out the faces on the top layer, and then made a canopy, then connected the canopy section to the main body to make it appear round.

I never like to have an unused face in any low-poly model.

Darktalyn1 · Post by **Darktalyn1** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:49 am

Just shift+drag edges and save yourself the trouble.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:59 pm

Ok, I seem to be getting the hang of Gmax. It's very different from what I'm used too so It will take a tiny bit of re-training but it doesn't look too hard.

The only question I have now is this,

(I hope you guys can understand this.)

Now, when you build a model and you use drawings as reference, you set up the backgrounds and press G to get rid of the grid. I know that you:

1. Turn Lock Zoom Pan on in order to pan around the image and set the background in the position you like it.

2. Then you toggle Lock Zoom Pan off in order to set the geometry up so that it matches the background.

3. Turn on Lock Zoom Pan so that you can zoom in and pan around the model after it's set in order to view different parts.

However, here is the problem....

The Min/Max toggle. It's used to minimize or maximize a view port. Now, if I do this, it works fine. But when I minimize it to use another viewport, the geometry in all the other viewports are all messed up!

The only way I can fix it so far is to toggle Lock Zoom Pan back off in order to re-set the geometry and then turn it back off after the geometry is set.

In short, my question is this:

How do I set it up so that I minimize/maximize a viewport without the geometry getting messed up?

BUBBALOU · Post by **BUBBALOU** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:59 am

you create planes for each 3 veiwports and map the reference picture to each of the planes. You do not embed the picture into the viewport, that is all wrong

here is a good reference from one of my favorite blueprint reference sites. This guy does great auto work

Defender · Post by **Defender** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:58 am

You don't have to "reverse engineer" a polygon like that.
Make a polygon with the vertices tool, then extrude that.
Then you just edit the 3d object.

That's actually a very popular way to model... At least it was a couple years ago when I actually looked around for modeling.

I haven't had max installed for a year or 2, so I can't point it out, but it can be done.

TCO-Orion · Post by **TCO-Orion** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 3:33 am

Oi... Apparently, DBB isn't a great wealth of Modelling Information. Okay, so, there are 2 ways to use schematics to model something. The fist and simplest is to use the viewport back grounds but that can get annoying, as you mentioned with the panning and zooming and such. The other (that I know of anyways) is to creat 3 planes, flat, and then texture them with the views of the ship to be modelled, thus creating a half-box or a 3 planed-cross, if you will. This is probably the most efficient method, as the 3 planes are PART of your scene, instead of superimposed in the background. You can rotate it to your hearts content and it will always stay in proportion.. unless you go crazy with the Scale tool

Messenger, why don't you hit me up on MSN or something and we can talk bout this stuff, eh?
orion_the_hunted@sbcglobal.net

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:44 am

This is actually a very old topic. Yes the viewport bug really does grind on your nerves after a while but I'm getting the hang of it now. I'll probably just use the 3 plane idea. Makes sense too.

BTW, Defender, do you mean the vertex tool that you use after you create an object LOL? Where else would this vertex tool be located?

Thus far from what I can tell, MS3D still has the very best interface for vertex modeling. From what I understand, Milkshape 2.0 should have most of the Gmax features or the equivelant of. They plan to sell it retail apparently. If that happenes, that may become the low poly program of choice outside of rendering and animating.

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 12:42 am

Well, it's intuitive that Milkshape excels at vertex editing because it's purpose is low-polygon game characters. That requires a lot of hand-tweaking of polygons and great texture work to make something appear far more detailed than it actually is. Consequently, that's also why D3Edit emphasizes it.

I think when you get to programs that model a more diverse range of things (read: anything) like Maya or 3DSMax, the foundation changes. Starting with a base shape or primitive and extruding from there is a very common method. Heck, it's exactly how you should model in D3Edit. The extrusion button is your best friend.

When I'm downsizing level geometry in Maya for collision overlay purposes, I'm essentially starting with something very organic, taking a basic cross-section of it (like a hexagon) and start extruding a hexagonal corridor. Ironic how much it can resemble an old Descent level sometimes.

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:07 am

Yes, I know what the extrude button does.

Milkshape 3D does have one among many other things. It just doesn't have the fancy booleans, dynamic geometry and spline technology (nurbs) that Max has. Those among many things anyway.