Week 6

This week I modelled and textured the final 2 models that I needed for the assignment.

For the x wing I modelled, as I knew it was going to be a more complex model than the tie fighter I decided to do it in different parts. The hull, engine and guns were modelled from a cylinder, with the wings being a long thin box. As this model is made up of different parts, I also labelled them all so I know what part is what just from the name.

Once I had finished the model I then textured it the same way I textured the tie fighter.

 

Final model

Different parts of the model

Body UVW template

Body UVW texture

The other model I made was one of the asteroids. To model this I started out with a sphere and then used the paint deformation tool to make the surface uneven so it looks more like an asteroid. I then made the UVW template and started to draw the texture.

Unlike with the textures for the ships, I was unable to use pictures because the seams would show so I had to draw the texture myself, making sure to keep the edges of the polys the same colour so that the seams don't show. I did this by covering all of the polys with a single colour and then added a bit of detail.

Finished asteroid

Asteroid UVW template

Asteroid UVW texture

Week 5

This week I learnt how to apply textures to the models I have made using the unwrap UVW feature. When using this I used the different mapping options to help group the sections into separate parts that I will be able to texture.

As I am not good at drawing, I found pictures of a tie fighter online then cut and cropped them to fit the different parts of the tie fighter. I then applied it as a texture to the model in 3DS max

The UVW template

The UVW template after I add the detail

The final tie fighter model

Week 3

At the start of this week I started to work on a village. For the house I wanted it to look like actual logs even when close up so I used a lot of cylinders to make the walls. To cut out the roof shape from these I used a large rectangular box and shaped the bottom to match the shape of the roof I wanted, used the Boolean tool to cut the logs and then shaped the top half of the roof.

For the floor and river, I used a plane and then the paint deformation to drag out the river. I then used the tube to make the bridge and Boolean to cut out the part of the bridge that isn't seen as its below the ground.

I then decided to practise using the 3 view modelling using a tie plane. The way I was shown during the lectures was to model half of it and then copy that half and flip it around using the mirror tool to get the whole model. I had a look at the mirror option though and saw that it had a copy feature included in it, with one of the copy options being an instance.

Because of this, I decided to create a mirror instance copy of the model as soon as I started (when it was just a semi-sphere) so that as I model one half, the other half gets modelled in real time letting me see how the whole model will look and not just half of it.

The large "wings" on the side of the tie plane I modelled by extruding the side of the semi-sphere out and then using outline to make them large, extruded them again to get the width, finally I extruded them once more and used outline to make the last surface a lot smaller again to create the bevelled look you can see in the front view of the wing below.

I have kept the poly count low (around 200) on purpose for a few reasons. The first reason is that with a low poly count the final animation will render a lot faster and also if the model was to be used in a game then a high poly count could cause the game to require to have a very low fps or not even be playable as high poly models require high processing power. The other reason is that when it comes to texturing the models I am going to be using pictures as my drawing skills are not that good and with a high poly model getting the pictures to line up properly could be very hard.

Week 2

This week I continued to practise using the tools I had used last week, as well as learned how to use 2 new ones, the boolean cutter and allign. The turrets started out as a tube. I then used the boolean tool to cut the viewing holes into the side of them about half way down. I then converted them to polys so I could pull out the top and bottom to get there shape how I wanted it, then pulled down parts of the top to create supports.


For the roof, I used a cone and converted it to a poly so I could make the sides more curved, then the allign tool to line it up properly with the turret.

What the outside of the turrets and walls look like

What the inside of the turrets look like