Hi! I have this terrain that’s way too complex and I want to replace it with a parametic surface. I have seen some examples with “shrink to mesh”. They take a plane and let it shrink to the mesh. It’s like cloth. Is this possible in max?

Regards / Jimmy

Look up Conform Wrap.

Jimmy 26 November 2009 04:37 AM

It’s like cloth.

You may have answered your own question :) Here is the approach that I would take with using cloth:

1. Create a plane above the objects that make up your terrain.  Give the plane enough segments to give it more fidelity.
2. Place the Cloth modifier on the plane.  Under the ‘Object’ rollout click “Object Properties” and select the plane as your cloth object.  There are many settings to experiment with.
3. Click “Add Objects...” to add the other objects that make up the terrain as collision objects.
4. click ‘Simulate’ to see your plane fall on your terrain like cloth.
5. Then additional tweaking can be done with and Edit Poly modifier on top of the cloth modifier.

If the terrain has many concave surfaces that’s troublesome for the cloth approach, another approach would be to use polyboost/Graphite to draw polygons on the terrain object using the PloyDraw tools.  Hope that helps, cheers.

3DS Max 7, 8, 2010
Windows Vista 32 bit.
Intel Quad Core

Thanks for the input on both methods. Finaly I did go the Conform Wrap way. It worked like a charm!!! I had those crazy, total ugly landscape meshes that turned in to very smooth, beautiful polygons. You saved my day, thanks!