Easy 3d Max editing ( Lesson # 7 )

Lesson # 7 - Editing a polygonal mesh in 3d MAX

In past lessons we have learned simple techniques to 3d modeling. With their help, you can create many objects, but not all. For example, such a complex object to model how the human body by using these simple techniques to create simply impossible. So now we move on to study more advanced techniques. Let's start with my favorite 3d modeling method - editing a polygonal mesh. If it is good to master this way of modeling, you can create almost any object with very few exceptions. Working in this way reminds me sometimes of clay sculpting or work of the sculptor, as you have the ability to edit each vertex of each polygon and the original object.

So, we go directly to the lesson. Consider the polygonal mesh editing, we will create a fire on the example. Run 3d max and create a regular box:

Now click the right mouse button in the list that appears, select Convert To → Convert to Editable Mesh:

Right to Modify tab appeared a set of different tools, and above this a little list:

Let us examine the order of items in this list

At the top, at the root of the list to be the inscription Editable Mesh. If it is selected, you can change the position of the object. Also, unless you go to this list item you can not select more than one other object scene, and accordingly can not edit other objects in the scene. Pay special attention to this, as many are beginning to cause difficulties and confusion - why not select an object on which I click.

Vertex - clicking on the item list, you will have the opportunity to change the position of the vertices of the object. For example, you can go to the item list, the top of our box will turn blue and you can drag them as you wish. Selected vertices are colored in red:

Edge - edit edges of the object. Similarly, the selected edges are colored red:

Pay attention to the edge of the picture below the dotted line. This so-called latent edge. Since all objects are composed of triangles, but it is easier to edit the quads, the 3d max merge pairs of adjacent triangles in a polygon, and the common edge of these triangles makes hidden. Any edge can be made visible or hidden, for it has two buttons, respectively, visible and invisible in the roll surface properties:

Face - allows you to edit individual triangles of the object:

Polygon - designed for editing of polygons, ie, groups of triangles that have a common hidden edges. Our original boxing is all part of its square:

Element - designed for editing of polygons of groups of unrelated edges. It is difficult to explain on the example of one of boxing action of this element. But if it were two boxes, which would constitute a single object, but it does not have binding edges, then they would have formed the two elements of the object, and they could be allocated entirely by going to the item list:

All of these list items are duplicated in the book icons Selection:

At the bottom of the scroll shows the number of selected items, such as in this picture is written "4 Vertices Selected», ie allocated to four peaks. Sometimes it is useful to know the number of selected items. If you select an item that will be written his number, for example «Vertex 6 Selected».

Now, select all the vertices box and move it so that one of the peaks was approximately in the center of origin:

It is necessary to control the size of the object

Now select the top 4 top box (or the upper range) and move them to a height of 10 units. Then, select the top four sides (or side ground) and make sure that the width of the box was equal to 5 units:

For these manipulations is convenient to use fields for entering the coordinates in the bottom of the 3d max:

Now select the polygon so that:

And drag the box in the length of 130 units:

Now you do not deselect this test site, locate the Edit Geometry rollout, click Extrude, click on it and type in the box next to it the value 5:

As a result, the end of the box "squeeze" on 5 units and formed another group of polygons:

Now, select this one test site:

And just "squeeze" it into 50 units:

The result was "bordyurchik" which will be located at the bottom of the fireplace. Now go to the top list, point to Editable Mesh and create a box size of 15x15x10 and position it as shown below:

Similarly, convert it to a polygonal mesh. Drag and "squeezing" it's such a polygon until you get the result:

Now, select all polygons and extrude the top 25 of their units up:

Highlight's of the two polygons and extrude them to 2.5 units:

Similarly, squeeze the two polygons on the other side.

In place of the formed joint select here these two sites:

And press the Delete key on your keyboard to give them.

Now go to edit the ribs, and scroll to the picture 3 ribs.

Let me remind you to select multiple objects to be allocated with Ctrl key on your keyboard.

Now hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and begin to move the selected edge The result is a new group of polygons:

Look on the main toolbar Snaps Toggle button

Click on it right mouse button. In the next window you can configure the binding sites, it will help them more accurately positioned. Remove all installed jackdaws and leave only one of about Vertex:

Close the window and again click the Snaps Toggle only this time the left mouse button. Point your mouse at the end of one of the selected edges, so that seemed to cross the blue:

And move these edges, they automatically have to "dock" to the nearest landfill:

Now select one of three ribs and holding the Shift button then close the rest of the "hole":

Go to the level of vertex editing and drag to select a frame so these vertices:

Notice must immediately stand six peaks, three peaks at the top and the bottom three have the same coordinates, this should not be allowed, so they need to combine. To do this, locate the Edit Geometry rollout, click Selected and click on it. If done correctly, then selected to be two peaks:

Select the two edges of the picture:

Find in the Edit Geometry rollout, click Chamfer, and in a field next to it, I enter some small number like 3, was formed as a result of this is a facet:

Lift the bottom two ribs at the same height, and the other two edges of slide by about 12 units from the edge.Before you remove something to move the anchor to the top, pressing the Snaps Toggle, in this case, it will only interfere with:

Scroll to the top polygons and extrude them into 15 points up, like so:

The result was a half of the bottom of the fireplace

Now create a box with rounding the edges of a height of 5 units, not much protruding beyond the bottom of the fireplace:

Similarly, convert it to editable mesh and select the polygons are here:

And delete them by pressing Delete. The resulting "hole" repaired, as well as closed up to this juncture in the bottom of the fireplace, for ease of use you can keep all the edges in two peaks:

As you can see a small herd was formed with the lighting. This is due to incorrect smoothing groups assigned.

Smoothing groups are the usual numbers from 1 to 32, which are assigned to each polygon. Each polygon can be assigned to several of these numbers. If two adjacent polygons are in the same group of anti-aliasing, the junction between the polygons is smooth and sharp angles will not be visible. So in our case at the top and sides of polygons so that a group of anti-aliasing between them do not have a sharp transition. To fix this, select one of the polygons sides:

Find the Surface Properties rollout of anti-aliasing:

As you can see my assigned group of smooth polygons 1, for example, will change it to 9, to do this, click on the figure 1, to remove the landfill from this group, and then the digit 9 to assign the new group. Similar actions repeat with the other party, only this time give them the 10th smoothing group if everything was done correctly, it should look like this:

Now move the sides, so they drew level with the parties to the bottom of the fireplace:

Go to front view and create some, such as in Figure spline, do not forget to close at the end of the spline:

Since the This spline is symmetric, we can create one first mate, make a copy, to reflect and connect it with the first half.

Apply for this spline modifier Extrude, in the Amount field, enter the value 10. Place this shape like this:

Create the back of the fireplace to the rear of select ranges:

And slide them on 15 points ahead, then squeeze with the Extrude tool to its original place. After that, select the polygons formed:

And squeeze them until the middle of the fireplace:

Now delete the selected polygons, Go to the top list, point to Element, select the object, hold down the Shift key and move the object a bit to create a copy of it. In the window that appears, select the Clone To Object.The following is a copy and highlight created by the tool Mirror

reflect it. Now select the initial object, look in the Edit Geometry rollout, click Attach:

Click on it, and then click on the mirrored copy. Thus, you bind the two halves of the fireplace in one object.Go back to the list, point to Element, select the mirrored half, activate the bind button Snaps Toggle, move the cursor to one of the peaks in the intended place of "joint" and drag the reflected half of the vertex to the top, from which it will have to unite. Binding will accommodate half with greater accuracy almost immediately:

Now select all vertices in the seam, and then click Selected to, merge the selected vertices:

Remove the snap by pressing the button on the Snaps Toggle. Edit the position of the vertices are not many second half, if you turned that arc included in this half, for example, as shown:

Make a copy of bordyurchika and upper lid, flip it and place it on your site:

Now you need to create an average of the upper lid, for this, create a box with rounded edges in height 2.5, position it as shown in the figure, convert it to editable mesh and remove polygons marked in the figure:

Singling out and seal the edges formed by copying the "holes", like so:

Do not forget to use anchor and "weld" the top, in the end, change the smoothing groups. Push both sides of the lid to fully close the hole from the top:

Now create a box and put 15h15h60 dimensions as shown

Convert the box to an editable mesh and create polygons are squeezing the right top of the fireplace:

Now create a box that's 10 high note is not a lot is not a normal segmentation of the box:

Convert the box to an editable mesh and a little slide top box:

Now select the angular ranges

And squeeze them by 3.3 units:

Now deselect the lower ranges, and two top squeeze even by 3.3 units:

Finally squeeze only the upper ranges, and by 3.3 units. Thus, there is formed a ladder:

Next, you need to fix the top like so:

On the other side of the ladder do the same. Remove the middle of the lid and squeeze the remaining polygons, so got this item:

Remove the polygons in the seam, make a copy of this part, flip and merge in the center (as well as the bottom of the fireplace):

Now create a box height of 5 in the top of the chimney, and translate it into an editable mesh and the extruding polygons, create just such a chimney cap:

In order not to delay the already long lesson I will not paint a pipe. I think its design and so clear, its final form looks like this:

I think that's it. The lesson was very large, so the door of the fireplace, texturing, and other decorative items will be on the next lessons. In the meantime, summing up this lesson, you should say that we looked at changes in the basic techniques of editing grid.

Here are the basic rules of editing grid:

• modeling should not forget the "glue" adjacent vertices;
• should try to do instead of triangular polygons are rectangular, but if this is impossible, to hide the triangular polygons in plohoprosmatrivaemye place;
• never do polygons with more than four corners of any polygon can be represented as a combination of quads and a maximum of one triangle (the reason why it can not explain later, but for now just do not do so).
• the use of binding to the great heights can save time;
• If you create an object is symmetric then we can create one of his first mate, make a copy of it, reflect it and connect the two halves;
• do not leave unnecessary polygons in the model, for example when two symmetrical halves must be removed at the landfill site "seam" in both halves;
• edit smoothing groups, ensuring correct display of the joints of polygons;
• model should be complete, it should not be "holes" (even though they are very small).

The lesson is quite complicated, so if it is not clear why write comments, be pleased to answer.

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