[Question] Some 3ds Max questions

spacemanc · 04-18-2008, 05:17 PM

Hey guys - Im just getting to grips with 3ds max and theres on or two questions google cant help me with!

1 How to I constrain Micromesh or HSDS for cuts in the main object ( eg, when I cut out a window on my heli, it messes up the mesh modifiers even if I chamfer the edges.

2. If you attach say a tail cylinder to a heli body, does it have to be attached on all edge faces or can you cheat, and say attach it with one vertice and have the polys just passing through each other

3. I cant fill in this hole in the nose with polys as I get and "illegal face" error. All the edges and vertices are there - can someone explain why it wont work. ( Do I bridge edges? )

4. Is there a quick way of smoothing areas eg it was a nightmare when I added the tail to my heli body as when I adjusted one area, it affected another.

5. I read somewhere that if you use the mirror tool, it messes up the model when its exported to bf2. Do i just clone the one side and flip it, or do I have to swap the values or anything like that? Is there any other quirks I have to watch for between 3d max and bf2?

6. How do I hide or freeze part of the object so that I dont move it by accident when I working on another part of it ( hide or freeze slection doesnt seem to work as It only seems to work with other objects )

I have many many more questions, but they are the most important ones at the moment. Any help with these would be greatly appriciated!

[R-CON]ice_killer · 04-19-2008, 03:22 AM

1 i never used that modifyr
2 you can atacht them the make a cilinder and cut in in half like you model has now then atacht it and brigde the hole
3 yes you can brigde them turn of youre modifyr and then brigde them whit the edge tool
4 yes you to polygon mode *hotkey 5 in edit poly* select the faces you whant t osmooth scroll down until you see smooth groups and select autosmooth
5 as far as i know that wont happen i normaly use symmertry modifyr
6 right click on the part that you whant to hide or freeze now you can select hide selection or under object properties freeze

GL

spacemanc · 04-19-2008, 05:46 AM

Thanks ice - thats a massive help. One question on the object freeze - I know how to freeze or hide a whole object, but how do I freeze just part of an object. eg. The fuselage is one whole object, but if I working on the top view I dont wont to accidently select vertices on the bottom of the fuselage if you see what I mean. I want to selectivly freeze vertices on the same object.

Also you say you dont use Micromesh or HSDS. What do you use to smoothing? And why not use these modifers? ( I know Micromesh adds loads of polys but HSDS only seems to double the number, so Ive been using that )

[R-CON]ice_killer · 04-19-2008, 01:31 PM

to hide a part of youre model go to polygon *key 5* select the faces you whant to hide then scrole down you will see there hide selection under edit geometry

for smoothing i use the standart modifyr of edit poly press hotkey 5 select the part that you what to smooth then scroll down untill you see polygon propeties you will see there a squar whit 30 numbers or 31 i forgot the exact number, under that there is a button cald auto smooth press it and youre selected mesh has been smooth *thanks R-dev Stigger for this tip

and why im not using tose modifyer it will make the poly / traingle count to high for the Bf engine

spacemanc · 04-19-2008, 02:52 PM

Thanks again ice - thats a great help. I keep scrapping fuselages as I learn more about how the mesh works, but I think Ive got it now. Im not really going for low polys just now, but Ive learn so much about the shape of the heli, I sure I could do a low poly version. Heres a couple of renders of the latest one. It took me SO long to get the rear correct - where the tail enters the body and the body tapers off. Hopefully this one will be a keeper though!

Zimmer · 04-19-2008, 03:15 PM

Is it a bell?

sorry for off topic, but had to ask.

spacemanc · 04-19-2008, 03:58 PM

Yeah its a bell 407.

PS that crease in the tail is there in r/l - it nearly made me cry

spacemanc · 04-20-2008, 11:08 AM

OK Ive nearly finished the fuselage now, but Ive got a couple more questions.

How do I put glass in the windows and add a helicopter like texture and paint job ( is there a place to dl textures etc or are they in max?

When I put the shell modifer on it doubles the polys. Do you need this modifer applied for bf2 or is it just to help model it?

[R-DEV]CodeRedFox · 04-21-2008, 03:38 AM

spacemanc · 04-21-2008, 04:12 AM

Cheers for the kiss fox! It would be great if some one could answer the questions for when I get home from work. Im sure Ice isnt the only guy who can help here! Any way a couple more questions while Im posting.

Is there a shortcut key to made an object seethru?

I dont really understand what material IDs are, but should I keep objects separate if theyre going to have a differnt texture

How do I assisgn different levels of smoothing to diffent parts ( I presume this is what the 1-30 boxes are under smooth modifer )

Heres another pic - Ive been working on the main rotor mechinism, which is almost ready to be added and then I just need to paint it! Im thinking of painting it up like a UN helicopter.

04-18-2008, 05:17 PM	#1
spacemanc Join Date: Mar 2008 United Kingdom Location: Manchester Posts: 1,002	[Question] Some 3ds Max questions Hey guys - Im just getting to grips with 3ds max and theres on or two questions google cant help me with! 1 How to I constrain Micromesh or HSDS for cuts in the main object ( eg, when I cut out a window on my heli, it messes up the mesh modifiers even if I chamfer the edges. 2. If you attach say a tail cylinder to a heli body, does it have to be attached on all edge faces or can you cheat, and say attach it with one vertice and have the polys just passing through each other 3. I cant fill in this hole in the nose with polys as I get and "illegal face" error. All the edges and vertices are there - can someone explain why it wont work. ( Do I bridge edges? ) 4. Is there a quick way of smoothing areas eg it was a nightmare when I added the tail to my heli body as when I adjusted one area, it affected another. 5. I read somewhere that if you use the mirror tool, it messes up the model when its exported to bf2. Do i just clone the one side and flip it, or do I have to swap the values or anything like that? Is there any other quirks I have to watch for between 3d max and bf2? 6. How do I hide or freeze part of the object so that I dont move it by accident when I working on another part of it ( hide or freeze slection doesnt seem to work as It only seems to work with other objects ) I have many many more questions, but they are the most important ones at the moment. Any help with these would be greatly appriciated!

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04-19-2008, 03:22 AM	#2
[R-CON]ice_killer PR Contributor Join Date: Feb 2007 Netherlands Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,654	1 i never used that modifyr 2 you can atacht them the make a cilinder and cut in in half like you model has now then atacht it and brigde the hole 3 yes you can brigde them turn of youre modifyr and then brigde them whit the edge tool 4 yes you to polygon mode hotkey 5 in edit poly select the faces you whant t osmooth scroll down until you see smooth groups and select autosmooth 5 as far as i know that wont happen i normaly use symmertry modifyr 6 right click on the part that you whant to hide or freeze now you can select hide selection or under object properties freeze GL

04-19-2008, 05:46 AM	#3
spacemanc Join Date: Mar 2008 United Kingdom Location: Manchester Posts: 1,002	Thanks ice - thats a massive help. One question on the object freeze - I know how to freeze or hide a whole object, but how do I freeze just part of an object. eg. The fuselage is one whole object, but if I working on the top view I dont wont to accidently select vertices on the bottom of the fuselage if you see what I mean. I want to selectivly freeze vertices on the same object. Also you say you dont use Micromesh or HSDS. What do you use to smoothing? And why not use these modifers? ( I know Micromesh adds loads of polys but HSDS only seems to double the number, so Ive been using that )

04-19-2008, 01:31 PM	#4
[R-CON]ice_killer PR Contributor Join Date: Feb 2007 Netherlands Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,654	to hide a part of youre model go to polygon key 5 select the faces you whant to hide then scrole down you will see there hide selection under edit geometry for smoothing i use the standart modifyr of edit poly press hotkey 5 select the part that you what to smooth then scroll down untill you see polygon propeties you will see there a squar whit 30 numbers or 31 i forgot the exact number, under that there is a button cald auto smooth press it and youre selected mesh has been smooth *thanks R-dev Stigger for this tip and why im not using tose modifyer it will make the poly / traingle count to high for the Bf engine

04-19-2008, 02:52 PM	#5
spacemanc Join Date: Mar 2008 United Kingdom Location: Manchester Posts: 1,002	Thanks again ice - thats a great help. I keep scrapping fuselages as I learn more about how the mesh works, but I think Ive got it now. Im not really going for low polys just now, but Ive learn so much about the shape of the heli, I sure I could do a low poly version. Heres a couple of renders of the latest one. It took me SO long to get the rear correct - where the tail enters the body and the body tapers off. Hopefully this one will be a keeper though!

04-19-2008, 03:15 PM	#6
Zimmer Join Date: Jan 2008 Norway Location: my house Posts: 467	Is it a bell? sorry for off topic, but had to ask.

04-19-2008, 03:58 PM	#7
spacemanc Join Date: Mar 2008 United Kingdom Location: Manchester Posts: 1,002	Yeah its a bell 407. PS that crease in the tail is there in r/l - it nearly made me cry

04-20-2008, 11:08 AM	#8
spacemanc Join Date: Mar 2008 United Kingdom Location: Manchester Posts: 1,002	OK Ive nearly finished the fuselage now, but Ive got a couple more questions. How do I put glass in the windows and add a helicopter like texture and paint job ( is there a place to dl textures etc or are they in max? When I put the shell modifer on it doubles the polys. Do you need this modifer applied for bf2 or is it just to help model it?

04-21-2008, 03:38 AM	#9
[R-DEV]CodeRedFox PR Mapper Team Join Date: Nov 2005 United States of America Location: Feyzabad, Afghanistan Posts: 2,426	x

04-21-2008, 04:12 AM	#10
spacemanc Join Date: Mar 2008 United Kingdom Location: Manchester Posts: 1,002	Cheers for the kiss fox! It would be great if some one could answer the questions for when I get home from work. Im sure Ice isnt the only guy who can help here! Any way a couple more questions while Im posting. Is there a shortcut key to made an object seethru? I dont really understand what material IDs are, but should I keep objects separate if theyre going to have a differnt texture How do I assisgn different levels of smoothing to diffent parts ( I presume this is what the 1-30 boxes are under smooth modifer ) Heres another pic - Ive been working on the main rotor mechinism, which is almost ready to be added and then I just need to paint it! Im thinking of painting it up like a UN helicopter.

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