Hi,

I made a really nice helicopter model, but when i start cutting for the details, everything gets messed up. Is there a rule of thumb how to cut? Im trying to get only quads, but when I start cuting and chamfering ( for the windows for example ), I get vertecies all over the place :).

MAX 2010

here is a image of the model with two different cut methodes. looks really bad! there is supposed to be several windows here, so if i make the cuts through the entire model, it would be packed with edges.

MAX 2010

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Please be aware that this is a professional forum - language like that, however obfuscated, is not appropriate here. Your post has been edited accordingly.

The Cut tool should not “create vertices all over the place” - I would normally turn on 3D snaps (vertex and either edge/segment or midpoint) - hiding parts of the object also helps accidental cutting of the wrong polys. Pay close attention to the cursor - make sure it is actually on the required vertex or edge before clicking. If the model will be smoothed (Meshsmooth, Turbosmooth) try to avoid creating triangular polys on curved areas - they don’t smooth well. Similarly, avoid “T” junctions with your edges - edges shouldn’t just stop dead at another edge, better to continue on to a vertex.

Chamfering can make a mess if you use too large a value for the Chamfer Amount - make sure the new edges do not overlap existing ones.

And please tell us which version of Max you’re using (put this, and your brief system specs in your sig).

[edit] Have a look at this thread - while not directly related to your problem, it does illustrate some ways of avoiding the “odd” smoothing issues you’re seeing. [/edit]

Max 4.2 through 2013.
XP-64 (SP2)
NVidia 9800GTX-512 (Driver 266.58).
Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz, 8Gb Ram, DX9.0c.

Sorry for the bad language, just got a bit frustrated.
I’ll just google som more. Cutting out details is pain.

MAX 2010

Would you guys recomend turbosmooth or some other smothing modifier when modeling a car, or like me a helicopter? I always thought turbosmooth was the way to go, but maybe I’m wrong.

MAX 2010

basecoat 26 February 2009 06:02 PM

Would you guys recomend turbosmooth or some other smothing modifier when modeling a car, or like me a helicopter? I always thought turbosmooth was the way to go, but maybe I’m wrong.

Turbosmooth is fine. It’s pretty much a simplified version of Meshsmooth modifier, so it supposed to be lighter to work with.

Your model doesn’t have enough resolution and is not ready for mesh subdivision. You need to make more cuts for those windows and the body to smooth properly, but the cuts you create should also create quad or 4-sided polys. Your model currently has many areas where the polys are not in quads, some are triangles and others have 5-6 sides to a poly. As Steve already mentioned, I see a lot of unresolved edges.

Poly modeling will take some practice. If I were you, I would play around with a simpler model before tackling a helicopter. Try modeling a simpler object with one window or a rectangular hole. You may learn in the process how a mesh should be prepared for a clean subdivision.

E. K. Anna Hennequet [FA]

Hi basecoat,
I suspect you’re also going to run into smoothing problems while you are working on cleaning up your model.  You may find this recent post helpful…

http://area.autodesk.com/forum/Autodesk-3ds-Max/modeling/smoothing-problem/

3ds Max 2013, Maya 2013
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit
Core i7, 12GB RAM
Nvidia Quadro FX 3700 (Driver 267.17)

basecoat 26 February 2009 11:20 AM

Cutting out details is pain.

Hi basecoat,

You will experience less pain if you plan ahead and know how your tools work. I would say that planning ahead will save you half the headaches or more. This can involve setting up references or guides from blueprints and sketching out a rough idea of how your edges will flow. You will undoubtedly make changes as you’re modeling because you will run into puzzles along the way, but if you plan ahead you will spend less time wrecking your brains on how to proceed with the next edge cuts. This also means you should know your tools before proceeding.

I’ve seen modelers use various approach to starting a model. Some use box as a starting point and proceed with extruding polys and dividing edges. Then there are others who piece them together by modeling in sections - this is often done by extruding edges and shaping the form. Some do all of the above.

Here is one example I came across some years ago from Loocas Duber who has posted his (Nokia) modeling videos which I think you may find useful. http://www.sharecg.com/pf/loocas No, this is not a tutorial on how to model a helicopter, but the idea should be the same no matter what the object. Don’t follow these tutorials step-by-step. Watch them and get a sense of how one goes about a modeling project. I’m not a proponent of step-by-step learning unless you’re at the stage of learning to use the program. You may find some methods useful, but you will develop your own approaches and methods as you get more comfortable with modeling.  Often times, many tutorials I’ve seen use third-party scripts or plugins, but tools become out of date or obsolete within some years after tutorials are created.

E. K. Anna Hennequet [FA]

great, thanks for all your replies! Cant live without this forum :)

MAX 2010