Modeling a Character in 3Ds Max

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ISBN: 9781556220883 | 155622088X
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 1/24/2005

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This is the definitive start-to-finish guide to creating incredible low-polygon real-time video game characters using 3D Studio Max 5 and 6. The highly anticipated update to the best-selling character modelling book by Paul Steed (id, WildTangent, Microsoft Xbox group), this book is geared towards the beginning modeller. It establishes a flexible professional-level skill set for readers by guiding them through the creation of not one but three imaginative characters.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: Design

Design Fundamentals

(22)

Limitations

(6)

Make It Cool

(3)

Drawing Skills

(2)

Proportions

(4)

Reference Material

(2)

Influences

(2)

Work Environment

(2)

Callisto Designed

(20)

Background

(2)

Makeover

(1)

A Pose to Build By

(4)

Getting Her into the Computer

(12)

Step 1: Scan the Sketch

(1)

Step 2: Save It

(1)

Step 3: Resize the Images in Photoshop

(3)

Step 4: Darken It

(1)

Step 5: Save It Again

(7)

Part II: Modeling

The Guide Objects

(22)

Step 1: Bring the Image into max

(3)

Step 2: Create the Guideline Objects

(3)

Step 3: Attach the Lines

(2)

Step 4: Create the Rest of the Guidelines

(2)

Step 5: Scale the Guideline

(5)

Step 6: Make and Adjust the Head Reference Object

(6)

The Head and Face

(52)

Step 1: Create a Geosphere

(2)

Step 2: Scale the Geosphere to Fit the Guide

(1)

Step 3: Delete Half the Geosphere

(3)

Step 4: Tweak the Shape of the Geosphere

(8)

Step 5: Add Vertices by Dividing Edges

(5)

Step 6: Tweak the Shape Some More

(5)

Step 7: Switch Viewports and Tweak Some More

(7)

Step 8: Mirror the Head Half as a Reference Object

100

(2)

Step 9: Shape the Mouth

102

(7)

Step 10: Build the Eye Area

109

(10)

The Hair

119

(34)

Step 1: Extrude Faces from the Head

123

(2)

Step 2: Move the Vertices to Match the Guide

125

(5)

Step 3: Add Vertices Using Edge Cut

130

(6)

Step 4: Weld Excess Vertices

136

(2)

Step 5: Just Match the Guide

138

(1)

Step 6: Weld the Two Halves Together

139

(4)

Step 7: Make Final Face Tweaks

143

(2)

Step 8: Shift-Drag Edges to Add the Bangs

145

(1)

Step 9: Flip ``Wrong'' Facing Normals

146

(2)

Step 10: Connect the Bangs to the Head

148

(5)

The Torso

153

(38)

Step 1: Create the Spline Cage Object

154

(5)

Step 2: Apply Surface Tools

159

(2)

Step 3: Move and Adjust the Vertices of the Spline

161

(3)

Step 4: Delete Any Unnecessary Geometry

164

(4)

Step 5: Create the Breast Shape

168

(3)

Step 6: Boolean the Breast onto the Torso

171

(1)

Step 7: Cap the Faces of the Torso

171

(1)

Step 8: Perform the Boolean

172

(2)

Step 9: Clean Up the Boolean Result

174

(6)

Step 10: Add Some Clothing

180

(7)

Step 11: Use Soft Selection to Reduce the Chest Size

187

(4)

The Legs

191

(50)

Step 1: Make a Cylinder

192

(1)

Step 2: Shape the Cylinder to Match the Guide

193

(9)

Step 3: Boolean the Leg to the Torso

202

(4)

Step 4: Clean Up the Vertices of the Boolean Seam

206

(6)

Step 5: Shape the Hip Area

212

(8)

Step 6: Shape and Position the Rear for Attachment

220

(10)

Step 7: Attach the Rear and Complete the Shape

230

(5)

Step 8: Copy and Mirror the Lower Torso and Leg

235

(6)

The Back, Neck, and Shoulders

241

(54)

Step 1: Shape the Back

243

(8)

Step 2: Create the Neck Mass Using Face Extrude

251

(5)

Step 3: Refine and Optimize the Neck Mass

256

(6)

Step 4: Prepare the Torso for the Shoulder

262

(3)

Step 5: Extrude and Shape the Shoulder

265

(7)

Step 6: Copy, Mirror, and Attach the Shoulder

272

(5)

Step 7: Make More Refinements

277

(3)

Step 8: Build the Neck/Shoulder Strap

280

(6)

Step 9: Prep the Neck Surface and Attach the Strap

286

(9)

The Arms

295

(46)

Step 1: Merge an Arm from Another max File

296

(3)

Step 2: Shape and Attach the Arm

299

(15)

Step 3: Mirror-Copy the Arm to the Other Side

314

(7)

Step 4: Add Detail to the Left Arm

321

(5)

Step 5: Loft the Tubing for the Left Arm

326

(5)

Step 6: Build the Left Shoulder Pad

331

(10)

The Boots

341

(24)

Step 1: Merge a High-Res Boot

343

(1)

Step 2: Identify Key Vertices of the Boot

344

(2)

Step 3: Hide More Non-Essential Vertices of the Boot

346

(7)

Step 4: Build the Low-Res Boot

353

(6)

Step 5: Optimize the Low-Res Boot

359

(4)

Step 6: Mirror the Boot to the Other Side

363

(2)

Optimizing the Mesh

365

(76)

Optimization Explained

366

(7)

Consolidation

367

(2)

Hidden Geometry

369

(2)

Sacrifice

371

(1)

Relative Face Distribution

372

(1)

The Head

373

(10)

Step 1: Optimize the Hair

373

(4)

Step 2: Optimize the Forehead and Eyes

377

(2)

Step 3: Optimize the Mouth and Chin

379

(1)

Step 4: Optimize the Nose

380

(3)

The Body

383

(58)

Step 1: Detach the Arms

383

(1)

Step 2: Use Polygon Counter

384

(2)

Step 3: Optimize the Throat and Upper Shoulders

386

(2)

Step 4: Detach the Asymmetrical Chest Geometry

388

(4)

Step 5: Delete Half the Body

392

(1)

Step 6: Optimize the Back, Sides, and Midsection

392

(8)

Step 7: Optimize the Chest

400

(5)

Step 8: Optimize the Rear

405

(3)

Step 9: Optimize the Legs

408

(3)

Step 10: Give the Body One Last Look

411

(5)

Step 11: Copy, Mirror, and Join the Optimized Body Half

416

(2)

Step 12: Tweak and Attach ``Frontal''

418

(5)

Step 13: Optimize the Arms

423

(10)

Step 14: Optimize the Hand by Turning It into a Fist

433

(8)

Part III: Texturing

Mapping the Head

441

(64)

Texturing Explained

442

(3)

UVW and XYZ

442

(2)

Applying Coordinates

444

(1)

``Skinning'' Your Character

445

(7)

Method One

446

(1)

Method Two

447

(1)

Steed Method

448

(4)

The Head

452

(53)

Step 1: Apply an Edit Mesh Modifier

452

(1)

Step 2: Arrange the Elements

452

(6)

Step 3: Adjust the Vertices for a Planar Projection

458

(12)

Step 4: Apply a UVW Map Modifier

470

(1)

Step 5: Use Texporter to Create a Bitmap Template

471

(3)

Step 6: Create and Apply the Material

474

(3)

Step 7: Apply Unwrap UVW and Turn Off Edit Mesh

477

(4)

Step 8: Tweak UV Problem Areas

481

(3)

Step 9: Use Texporter, Make a New Bitmap, and Reload It

484

(2)

Step 10: Refine the Bitmap in Photoshop

486

(3)

Step 11: Load the New Bitmap and Tweak the UVs

489

(9)

Step 12: Assign Mapping Coordinates to the Bangs

498

(2)

Step 13: Create and Apply the Material to the Bangs

500

(5)

Mapping the Rest of Callisto

505

(34)

Minor Adjustments

506

(4)

Creating a Quick and Easy Leg Texture

510

(12)

Step 1: Apply an Edit Mesh Modifier

510

(1)

Step 2: Position and Adjust the Elements

511

(2)

Step 3: Apply a UVW Map Modifier

513

(1)

Step 4: Make the Bitmap Template with Texporter

513

(1)

Step 5: Align the Mapping Gizmo to the View

514

(3)

Step 6: Merge Lights into the Scene

517

(1)

Step 7: Apply a Material

517

(1)

Step 8: Set the Background Color to Gray

518

(1)

Step 9: Render the Scene

518

(2)

Step 10: Create and Apply a New Material

520

(1)

Step 11: Apply Unwrap UVW and Turn Edit Mesh Off

520

(2)

Arranging the Body Pieces

522

(17)

Step 1: Arrange the Torso Elements

523

(2)

Step 2: Arrange the Leg Elements

525

(1)

Step 3: Arrange the Right Arm Elements

526

(1)

Step 4: Arrange the Left Arm Elements

527

(1)

Step 5: Arrange the Boot Elements

528

(1)

Step 6: Arrange the Elements and Assign the UVW Map

529

(2)

Step 7: Attach Head to Body and Reorganize the UVs

531

(3)

Step 8: Make a New Bitmap Template with Texporter

534

(1)

Step 9: Create and Apply the Template Material

535

(1)

Step 10: Create the Final Texture/Material

535

(1)

Step 11: Copy, Mirror, and Attach the Missing Geometry

536

(3)

Final Thoughts

539

(8)

Design

541

(1)

Modeling

541

(3)

Texturing

544

(3)

Appendix Building Cover Callisto

547

(32)

Using the Push Modifier

548

(3)

Using Slice Plane

551

(6)

Lofting Callisto's Hair

557

(13)

Create the Loft Paths

558

(2)

Create the Loft Shape

560

(1)

Loft the Shape

561

(2)

Adjust the Loft Parameters

563

(2)

Deform the Loft Object

565

(2)

Add Edit Mesh and Delete Backfaces

567

(1)

Adjust the Loft Sub-Objects

568

(2)

Creating the Other Hair Strand Layers

570

(2)

Texturing the Hair Strands --- Tweak the UVWs First

572

(3)

Get Good Hair Textures

575

(4)

Index

579

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Modeling a Character in 3Ds Max

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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Modeling a Character in 3Ds Max

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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