3DS Max PART 00: INTRODUCTION

Hi there!

So, today we’ll make a realistic chair in 3ds max, and then (In next tutorials), make a realistic render by Mental Ray/IRay.

 What we need:

• Average knowledge of 3DS max, at least – the creation of simple and extended primitives, edit poly, modifiers.
• Chair photo by http://cmexota.ru/uploads/2010/05/25/brunetka_na_stule09.jpg (there also some other views here: http://cmexota.ru/index.php?newsid=6185). Its simple object, but it’s very good to understand the basics of proper modeling.

In our company, working with 3D graphics, we always adhere to our 3D standard (named “3D_STD”, or simply “Standard”).

Using this standard, we can develop projects faster by using work of various specialists, and not wasting time on compatibility. For non-team users, the standard is good because it can prevent errors and trouble spots in work. I recommend using this standard for everyone.

Unfortunately, this standard is not available in English, but I will translate it and publish on the Internet, as soon, as I can. However, this work will fully comply with it, which I will report on progress.

Because we do not have drawings of this chair, we will use the approximate dimensions of our chair. Overall height is 950 mm, (chair is quite high). The upper point of the seat height is 500 mm. The width of the chair will be equal to 560 mm and length 540 mm chairs will be equal.

PART 01: PREPARE

So, let’s start. Open Autodesk 3ds Max 2012, and check the units, they must be set as mm.

					
Standard, paragraph 1: Units - only millimeters. Always. Everywhere.

Millimeters to put in two places: In the Units Setup [Main Menu -> Customize -> Units Setup] and in the System Units Setup [Main Menu -> Customize -> Units Setup -> System Units Setup].

In Units Setup we must choose an option “Metric” and choose an item “Millimeters”, like that:

In System Unit Setup we must choose an item “Millimeters”, like that:

Okay, now let’s set the User Path of 3ds max. Open Configure User Paths [Main Menu -> Customize -> Configure User Paths].

By default, max set the Project Folder at

“C:\Users\UserName\Documents\3dsMaxDesign”.

But in the first versions of 3ds max, this option was a folder, where 3ds max been installed. I do not understand why the Project Folder torn from the folder with the program, but we’ll change it. Push browse button near text block, and set right folder, like that:

“C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max Design 2012@”

Okay, now you can see that:

Well, now we can start to modeling.

PART 02: MODELING

First, create a bounding box, the size of our chair. Create the container so, that his default pivot point was at 0,0,0.

Box size is 950 mm height, 560 mm width and 540 mm length.

Now, increase the size of the grid. To do this, open the menu Grid and Snap settings [Right-clicking on a magnet with the number three (Snaps Toggle)], and select Home Grid tab. Set 50 mm in Grid Spacing, 10 in Major Lines and 20 in Perspective View Grid Extend:

Okay, close that, and convert our Box to edit poly:

Now we have Edit Poly object which we can change at will. For our task, let’s add additional edges, at 500 mm on Z, which will denote the boundary chair seat.

Select the vertical edges, in Control Panel, scroll to the Edit Edges, and click on the small button to the right of the button Connect (This button allows you to configure the Connect function).

Connect – one of the most popular features in the Edit Poly. It allows you to connect the two edges. In the Connect Settings panel, set value of a Segment = 1, Pinch = 0 and Slide = 0.

After that, our box to be divided into two parts:

Press OK button (Green check).

Now, our edges are at a height of 475 mm, it is necessary to move a little higher, at 500 mm. To do this, press the button W (hotkey to move), and write in the coordinate panel, where been Z label, the height of 500 mm:

So this is our overall container for the chair.

Now make a chair. For a start make the front foot, for this, calculated its estimated diameter, based on the pictures.

Our diameter is 34 mm. Nice.

Someone may say that the easiest way to make foot from an object Capsule, Extended Primitives. But we’ll do it from the spline and turbo smooth.

Using this method, though more complicated, but gives an idea of ​​the right object modeling.

Well, let’s create circle, with radius = 17. Also, set Steps parameter = 1.

Let’s convert this to edit poly. After that, select border in edit poly (Hotkey 3), and select our circle.

Now look at the stunning feature extraction of edge and border. Press and hold shift and move the blue arrow up on the axis Z. As a result, we get a cylinder:

So, move top border to 500 (At the top of chair). Now (Upper boarder must be select), use the command Cap, scroll Edit Borders. Thus we are closing the upper hole.

And now, apply TurboSmooth modifier, with 3 iterations:

Now we have a good preparation for a leg. Remove turbosmooth visible lamp, and apply Connect to the vertical edges. Set the number of segments = 4.

Now, we can turn the lamp in turbosmooth, and observe how the change affected the final segments of the model.

To finish the leg, we must to place our section in the right places. At the bottom of the legs have to be more flat, so the first section is placed at a height of 2 mm, and the second at a height of 10 mm. Second sections we need to “fix” turbosmooth. The fourth section we set at a height of 473 mm, and the fourth at a height of 475 mm.

Okay, result is:

Now, some work with standard:

					
Standard, paragraph 3: The grid object is always black. The grid light is always yellow by default. The grid cameras are always blue by default.

					
Standard, paragraph 6: There is a strict classification by categories of belonging and logic. There can be 6 categories: Construction [C], Furniture [F], Decor [D], Light [L], Technology [T], System [S]. Each object must be named in accordance with the following layout: