Making of Glasses with 3ds Max

Summer is here, so it's time to model some glasses!!! These are actually regular ones but with some material adaptation you can use the same tutorial to create some sunglasses too.

So...


1. On a top view create a box measured 8-140-50 with 2 Width segments.






2. Right click the object to convert it to Editable Poly. Go to a modifier panel and choose Vertex sub-object and delete a left part of the box.



3. Now if you look at the Perspective view you’ll notice that deleted Vertexes created a hole in our box. To fix it we should choose an open Border and Cap it.




4. Mirror – Instance this box and Move it aside. This way, while working on one part only, we’ll be seeing a progress on both parts. We will connect them later.









5. Connect opposite splines 3 times and other opposites twice.


6. Choose the shown polygon and extrude it outside. It will be the bridge holder (the nose part).


7. Start moving the vertexes on a Front view to give it a basic glasses frame shape. Use reference image or your own sunglasses for that matter. When finished, go to a Modifier panel - Subdivision Surface and check Use NURBs with Iterations 2 and uncheck afterwards.


8. Choose central Polygons and Bevel them inside twice – first for the (0;-4) and second for the lens (-3;3). Do the same with the back side of the glasses. Check and uncheck NURMS sbdv for a quick check. If you wish to make some changes – to make a lens thicker or thinner, or to change the shape of your glasses – just keep moving the Vertexes. Just do it now, while we’re at the beginning.

9. To create nose part choose one half and convert it to Editable poly again.


10. Before creating an Earpiece take another look at it. You’ll notice that it is not totally straight, but a bit curved. Choose an upper side polygon and Extrude it a bit - twice. If it goes up or down – fix it by moving Vertexes.


Now from the back of the second part – One long extrude and two small ones. Move and Rotate it Vertexes to give it a curved shape Connect central Edges, if needed. Check and uncheck NURMS subdvs again.

11. Time to connect the two parts together.
12. Choose both parts and convert them to Editable Poly again (right-click). Choose one part and Attach it another part. Now the two glasses halves are chosen.


13. Remember the nose bridge? Choose both polygons as shown (Choose – Ctrl - choose) and press Bridge.





Now we have one solid pair of glasses. Make adjustments if needed – by connecting Edges and moving Vertexes.

14. Since glasses are usually concaved, move and rotate your vertexes so it fits the shape of the head.
15. Now we'll start adding materials. Since its one single object we'll obviously use a multi/sub-object color.


16. Press M for material editor. Change Standard to Multi/Sub-object and Set the material number to 2. Name them Frame and Lens. For a frame I used Black for Ambient color with a Specular level of 107 and Glossiness of 26 – ID 1.

17. For a lens I used White for Ambient, 96 for Specular level and 32 for Glossiness – ID 2.

18. Choose your object and Assign materials it and make them Visible in Viewports.

19. While glasses are still chosen, press Element in a modifier panel and choose glasses again. You will see that all polygons have been chosen.


20. Scroll down to Polygon Properties and set ID color to 1. That will color our glasses to black.

21. Choose lens polygons – front and back – and set their ID to 2.

22. If you haven’t done it yet, check NURMS Subdvs to make the glasses smooth.


23. Hit 8 to change the background to white and F9 to render.

24. That’s it. The glasses are ready.

25. If you have any questions regarding this tutorial - don’t hesitate to ask me.

Car modeling

Now, it's not really a car modeling tutorial. But it is a reference for lots and lots car tutorials.

Some time ago I've decided to model a car. Nothing in particular, just a regular car. And since this seemed to be a somewhat complicated task, I've decided that this time I should find a good step – by - step tutorial that will allow me to create my car easily.

After a short search I found a Car Body Design , a cool site where you can find different car tutorials for almost any software, whether it is a 2d illustration or a 3d render. There are tuts for beginners, tips on modeling or sketching, tips on setting the blueprints and final rendering.
For my first model I chose a really nice green Mazda RX8 tutorial and I promise to post my final result as soon as it's finished.

So for those of you who learn how to create a car – this site is for you.

Have fun and good luck.

Color bleeding in VRay

When I started working with VRay renderer, I discovered that as of rendering there are many colorfull shadows spread around the object. I realized it was something to do with setting but being new to this engine I also knew that it will take me ages to look for the button responsible for this effect.

Luckily, I found this cool tutorial where the author not only names the symptom, but also gives a solution to the problem.
It is called a Color bleeding and there are several ways to solve it.
Here you'll be able to learn how.

Sure, you will find it helpful.

Making an umbrella with Illustrator.

There are several ways to create realistic umbrella with Illustrator. In this tutorial I will cover one of them.



This is the umbrella we will be creating this time. Make sure your reference image of umbrella is multi-colored divided to sections.





1. Open a new document (Cltr+N) and File-Place your reference image. It is always good to separate things at the beginning so Lock the first layer and open a new one. Set the Fill color to None.


2. Start outlining each section of the umbrella using a Pen Tool. Remember, that in order to create curved lines you should point and drag your mouse and only then release it. Each section should be outlined on a separate layer.



If your shape doesn't look exactly as your reference shape, choose the Direct selection Tool (A) and choose an angle on your shape. Then press Alt on your keyboard so you can work with each handle separately to adjust the lines.


3. After outlining all the umbrella sections add a handle and a top to the umbrella using a Rounder rectangle tool.
4. Hide the layer with the reference image.


5. To color the umbrella use either multiple base colors or create a nice gradient color.


6. That’s it – hope you found it useful.

If you have any questions - don't hesitate to ask. I will be happy to answer it.

Making of a Cowboy Hat with 3ds Max

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a cool brown cowboy hat.

1. Create a simple sphere: Radius-40, Segments - 40. It will represent a head for our Cowboy Hat. Make it White.

2. Then create a circle to match the upper third of the sphere.








3. In modifier menu change the parameters of the circle to: Rendering sides - 20, Interpolation Steps – 20 to make the hat smooth and its Radius - 30. Make it Brown.













4. While Circle still chosen go to Modifier list – Edit Spline. Choose Spline sub-object. Scroll down to Geometry menu and choose Outline to create another, bigger outer circle. To do so, choose outline, go to the Top View and hover over a circle. When the cross appears drag it inside the smaller circle. You should get this result.


5. Now – the most important part: Go to front view. Choose the bigger circle and via Modify panel pick its left and right vertexes and pull them up a little bit.




6. Go to modifier list – choose Extrude and increase its Amount to 1.5.






Well, the difficult part is over.







7. Create a ChamferCyl: Radius 30, height – 50, fillet 4, Height segs 5, Fillet sides 14, Sides – 36, Cap segs 2 and make it Brown.
















8. Convert to Edit Poly and Delete the bottom vertexes (8). Place it above the bottom place of the hat.

Now we'll start deforming the top of this hat.


9. Choose all but last row of vertexes on the front view. Hold the CLTR key and choose Top View.






Keep scaling the vertexes lines until you like what you see. Use cowboy hat pictures to get close to the desired model. Mine looks like this.










10. Now in the Top View choose the upper vertexes and on the front view push it down.














11. Repeat with the Top Central vertex.

12. For the last touch – squeeze everything a little beat and put everything on its place.







13. Don’t forget to color one stripe different color than the hat. To do so choose bottom polygons of the top part of the hat. Extrude :0.5.


14. Now press M on your keyboard, choose an empty slot and change the parameters as shown on the image.
15. Now choose the top of the hat and apply materials to it.


16. If the colors are not applied as you wished, go to polygon properties and change the Material set IDs. (19)





17. Press F8 if you want to change the Background color. For final render press F9.



Well, that’s it. The hat is ready. If you have any additional question regarding this tutorial, don't hesitate to ask.

Making of a Red Glowing Heart

Making of a Heart

1. Create a box in a Top View.
2. Go to Modify panel and change its parameters to:
L 30; W 65; H 80;
L Seg. 2, W Seg.2, H Seg 3.



3. Convert (right click) to Editable Poly.
4. Start moving the Vertexes until you create a Heart-like shape that would look something like this.



5. While the Vertexes are still chosen, go to Subdv. Surface list and check Use NURMS Sbdv: Display - Iterations : 2.
The Heart model will immediately become much smoother than before.

6. For Extra smoothness you can choose a MeshSmooth Modifier and set it to - Iterations : 2.



And now for the Material part.
7. Press M on your keyboard and choose an empty slot.
8. Choose a Translucent Shader. Choose Red (255, 0, 0) for Diffuse and another Red (248, 18, 18) in Translucent clr.
Leave the other parameters as they are.



9. Press 8 to change the Environment background for White.



10. Press F9 to render.

That’s it. Hope you enjoyed it.

3ds Max – a Modifiers war: Loft VS Lathe!!

A couple of days ago I was browsing through Tutorialized and and found this amazing Umbrella tutorial for 3ds Max. Very simple yet very informative, it offers another – and I'd dare say – more creative way of modeling.

I actually did model an umbrella, but on the way I realized that a second part of this tutorial is a perfect way to model many other things.


So I've made this Wooden Candle Stick.

It took me about 15 minutes to make it (sounds like a part of a 5 min cake recipe) – no prior sketches, just playing with dots.
I could, of course, use Spline + Lathe Modifier, but this way was more fun.

To model a Candle itself I highly recommend to used this Candle Video tutorial – but you must register before you download the video.