I Need The Help Of My Fellow 3D Modelers

[agbates]

I don't know if this is in the right topic but seeing as how it relates to modeling armor for pepakura I think I put it in the right place. As most of you know, I have been modeling in 3d for quite some time but I have been using a primitive program to do so. Anim8or lacks so many things...I can't even begin to explain. Modeling in anim8or takes so long because I have to model everything point by point. I realize I need to move on to another program so I decided 3ds Max. The problem is I am completely lost as to how to use it. Now I know the first thing everyone will say is to look for tutorials but there is no tutorial that I have seen that shows me everything I want to know.



What I was wondering if anyone familiar with 3ds Max could take just like an hour or so and show me some stuff. Is there someway to chat and show something on somebody's computer on mine? If anyone can help or if anyone knows how I could communicate with whoever is going to help me easier, I would be extremely helpful.

 

[Dancin Fool]

I can give a couple tips on how I use Max, I'm a programmer though not an artist so I'm sure I don't use it to the best of it's capabilities.



I usually start with a plane primitive object, usually with dimensions 1x1 from the primitives panel. I then convert it to an editable poly which allows you to edit all aspects of it from the edit panel. With the editable poly you can work on just the verts, the edges, or the faces. Usually I tend to work with edges for my initial work, just extruding edges and welding vertices until I get the general shape. From there I start manipulating the verts into the right positions. I still don't know all the tools in the editable poly but you'll find most of what you need in there for modelling the kind of stuff that's usable for pepakura.

 

[agbates]

I can give a couple tips on how I use Max, I'm a programmer though not an artist so I'm sure I don't use it to the best of it's capabilities.



I usually start with a plane primitive object, usually with dimensions 1x1 from the primitives panel. I then convert it to an editable poly which allows you to edit all aspects of it from the edit panel. With the editable poly you can work on just the verts, the edges, or the faces. Usually I tend to work with edges for my initial work, just extruding edges and welding vertices until I get the general shape. From there I start manipulating the verts into the right positions. I still don't know all the tools in the editable poly but you'll find most of what you need in there for modelling the kind of stuff that's usable for pepakura.

You wouldn't happen to know how to use splines by chance would you? I've never actually used them but they sound really useful.



Oh yeah how do you set up reference images in max?

 

[Spartan 051]

cant help yeah never touched 3d max only blender

 

[rundown]

http://www.cgcookie.com/articles/3d-studio-max

 

[agbates]

http://www.cgcookie.com/articles/3d-studio-max

Sorry I didn't really see anything that looked overly helpful there for what all I am wanting to do. Thanks though.

 

[CoRRupt3d]

Im pretty good in 3ds max but im more of an animator not modellor but if you want help with the basics and how to find stuff and basic modelling things like that i could make tutorials for you or i can do screen sharing through skype where you can tell me wht u want and ill show you how to do it...

i hope i can be of help coz ur models are awesome

 

[ForgedReclaimer]

one of the best places for tuts i just found was This. some are a bit of a moderate to advanced. also This has some good stuff if you are willing to dig a bit.





im not really a pro in max (or any 3d program) but in max i think the better of the editing modifiers would be Editable-poly more than Editable-mesh. maybe its more of a preference but i think the Editable-poly has more to offer and is a bit easier.

 

[cgspartan]

http://3dtotal.com/



Lots of beginner tutorials there for multiple programs.



Unfortunately no one is going to be able to really help you on here because no one knows what you want aside from "i want to learn 3dmax"



No tutorial will cover everything you want to know. EVER. In the last 10 years I have probably gone through thousands of tutorials for most major 3d apps out there to get to the point I am at now. It takes time.



Practice, try making things. When you screw up, don't just get frustrated and stop, google an answer to your problem, ask someone who knows what they are doing for advice.



That's the best advice I can give you. But as far as the broad category of "learning 3dmax", you're not going to find much help in that.



If you have any specific questions you need answered or specific problems. I'd be more than happy to help. I've been using the program since R3 so if you want to pick my brain anytime, feel free.

 

[RadioactiveMicrobe]

Sorry, I only know Inventor stuff.

 

[agbates]

http://3dtotal.com/



Lots of beginner tutorials there for multiple programs.



Unfortunately no one is going to be able to really help you on here because no one knows what you want aside from "i want to learn 3dmax"



No tutorial will cover everything you want to know. EVER. In the last 10 years I have probably gone through thousands of tutorials for most major 3d apps out there to get to the point I am at now. It takes time.



Practice, try making things. When you screw up, don't just get frustrated and stop, google an answer to your problem, ask someone who knows what they are doing for advice.



That's the best advice I can give you. But as far as the broad category of "learning 3dmax", you're not going to find much help in that.



If you have any specific questions you need answered or specific problems. I'd be more than happy to help. I've been using the program since R3 so if you want to pick my brain anytime, feel free.

Its not that I haven't looked through tutorials because I have. I have been going to 3dtot for a while and have looked at the tutorials and none of them really show you how to use the program. They usually just show how to generally model something. I recently found a good tutorial on cgtutorial though that showed me all the basic commands that I need.



One problem I am having is that when I set up my reference images on a plane they are really low res compared to the image I used. Is it something wrong with my graphics card or is it a setting I can change in the program?

 

[cgspartan]

Its not that I haven't looked through tutorials because I have. I have been going to 3dtot for a while and have looked at the tutorials and none of them really show you how to use the program. They usually just show how to generally model something. I recently found a good tutorial on cgtutorial though that showed me all the basic commands that I need.



One problem I am having is that when I set up my reference images on a plane they are really low res compared to the image I used. Is it something wrong with my graphics card or is it a setting I can change in the program?

Go to the Customize menu, then Preferences. Inside that open up the Viewports tab. At the bottom of that is a button that says "Configure driver", click on that button, which brings up your menu with settings for that. Be careful setting them to "match bitmap as closely as possible" because if you've got really huge images, it can make vieport navigation sluggish.

 

[agbates]

Go to the Customize menu, then Preferences. Inside that open up the Viewports tab. At the bottom of that is a button that says "Configure driver", click on that button, which brings up your menu with settings for that. Be careful setting them to "match bitmap as closely as possible" because if you've got really huge images, it can make vieport navigation sluggish.

Thanks that helped alot. I have another question as well though...lol. Normally when I move things there is a little thing that has arrows on it in different colors that I can select to move the object in each of the different axis. Somehow this disappeared and I can't get it back. Does anyone know how to get it back?



I know how much I probably sound like a noob right now to 3d modeling but I'm really not. I am just having a hard time transferring over to max.



***EDIT***



Never mind I figured it out. All I had to do was press 'x' on the keyboard and it brought it back up.

 

[cgspartan]

Thanks that helped alot. I have another question as well though...lol. Normally when I move things there is a little thing that has arrows on it in different colors that I can select to move the object in each of the different axis. Somehow this disappeared and I can't get it back. Does anyone know how to get it back?



I know how much I probably sound like a noob right now to 3d modeling but I'm really not. I am just having a hard time transferring over to max.



***EDIT***



Never mind I figured it out. All I had to do was press 'x' on the keyboard and it brought it back up.

don't feel too bad about the x shortcut mess up. That's one that hits EVERYONE at some point or another. When I was in college it was sort of an initiation thing into 3dmax, and everybody got a good laugh out of whenever a new person would find that out.