Cameras

Cameras similar to lighting,  namely Target and Free cameras

To see view of camera:  perspective viewport >cameras >camera01

Lighting

Standard Lighting

Lighting is split into two types where photometric is the default. Standard lighting which is not the most realistic light has to have active shade enabled.

Target spots aim directly at the target object and are useful for moodlighting.

There are other types of lights including free spots, target direct, free direct, omni (directional), skylight, mental ray area omni and mental ray area spot.

Photometric Lighting

Photometric lighting uses three types of lights Target light, Free light and mental ray sky portal.

Photometric lighting has the option to use raytracing which allows light to bounce off elements in a scene and reflects colour onto the bitmap. Raytraced shadows are more precise than the active shade system used in the standard lighting configuration.

Making a Leaf

The image of a leaf (leafLARGE.jpg) was first opened in Photoshop and using the magic wand tool set to a tolerance of 60, the outside area of the leaf is then selected. A new layer is created and filled with a black colour.

A new layer is created and filled with white and the layer is placed below the black layer. The leaf image now has a black surround.

A plane is created in 3d max using the standard primitives, increasing the number of length and width segments to 30, enables sufficient vertex points to be created when the editable poly is applied.

The material editor is then selected and an empty material slot clicked on. A small grey square next to the diffuse colour is clicked on and the leafLARGE.jpg bitmap is opened. The image of the leaf now appears mapped in the material slot but a problem exists in that the leaf is mapped on to a white background. The black and white bitmap image of the leaf is now used as a layer mask by selecting the image in the opacity map box. In order to go back to the base level of the material, the go to parent button must be clicked in the material editor, allowing access to the maps tab. The opacity map box is clicked on and the bitmap image of the leaf appears in the material slot with the white background blocked out and filled with black.

To enable the leaf image to be more realistic with an increased texture, a bump map is used. In the maps tab of the parent material, increase the bump amount to 130 and click the none box next to bump. The bitmap is clicked on and the original leaf image is selected.

The material is then applied to the plane by clicking and dragging to the plane from the material preview slot. The map becomes visible in the viewport after clicking the show standard map in viewport chequered box.

The leaf is then shaped by applying an editable poly and soft selection to form the shape of a leaf.

Producing a High Shine metallic material

Click on the create panel and select extended primitives. Click and drag a torus knot into the perspective viewport. Open the material editor and pick an Anastropic shader as this creates an image that represents metal materials. The diffuse button is then clicked on and the colour changed to dark blue. The Specular level is also changed to 60 and the Anastrophy to 80.

Under the maps rollout click on reflection > none and select material library. An image of the Manhattan skyline that had been previously saved as a bitmap in photoshop to the dimensions of 3cm*3cm was selected. The image was now added to the reflective map channel.

Drag the material from the slot to the torus knot.

Making a linear array

Initially selecting create and a standard primitive box, displays the box primitive parameters where the parameters for the box shape may be entered. The number of length, width and height segments may also be selected .

segments on the box shape.

The editable poly is applied and the vertices are then dragged on both sides at the top section of the box shape to form chamfered edges.

Click on the create icon to deselect the editable poly setting and select tools > array. The array dialogue box opens where the preview button must be highlighted. In the array dimensions box,

click on the 2d button and in the count select the number of copies required. Click on the x spinner and advance to 4.

Click on the 3d button and in the count select the number of copies required. Click on the y spinner and advance to 4.

Loft

A coat hanger was modelled by selecting the line tool and drawing the shape of the coat hanger.

In the front viewport drag a small circle. Click on the shape and then in loft properties, click on get shape and then click on the circle. The coat hanger image then appears.

Bolinger 69

The photoshop image of a Bolinger champagne bottle was saved as a BMP file and mapped onto a reference plane that was created in 3d max. The line tool was then selected and the parameters changed from Bezier vertex type to smooth. A profile of half the bottle shape is drawn out and the spline is closed. Hierarchy is selected and the adjust pivot point only icon is clicked on. The pivot point is then moved to the base of the shape to ensure that the lathe modifier rotates around the base of the bottle.

The lathe modifier is then selected from the modifier list and the bottle image appears revolved around the y axis.

A Bolinger text logo was also applied to the bottle image by using the text tool and gold was used for the text colour.

Boolean and Pro - Boolean

Create large flat box.

Create letter from shape text.

Turn the spline into an editable poly.

Extrude the letter so that it is deeper than the box.

Place the letter in the middle of the box so that it intersects it.
Select the box.
Go to create > compound objects > pro - boolean.
Under pick boolean Click start picking Click on letter.

Then under parameters sub - object operations click extract selected.

The final image of the extracted shape.

Drax Globe Modelling

Create the reference plane and add the bitmap.

Select sphere and under sphere parameters advance the hemisphere spinner to 0.5 to model half of the sphere.

Hold down shift and drag to clone the half sphere.

Select a cylinder shape and decrease the sides spinner to 6 to create a hexagon.

Orientate the objects to form the Drax globe shape.

Convert each part to an editable poly.

Use the attach tool to join the objects together to create a single object.

Select element and scroll down to polygon properties and assign Id's to the parts of the object.

Open the material editor and click on standard to open the map menu.

Choose multi / sub – object material.

The material editor is then used to create two slots, one that contains a glass material, created by selecting a slot, clicking on background and setting the diffuse colour as black.

In the maps rollout, click on refraction and choose raytrace. Click and drag the slot to the maps refraction box.

The second slot is then used to create a colour for the central section of the Drax globe, by clicking on diffuse and choosing from the colour selection.

Drag the slot to the maps diffuse box.

Click and drag the sample slots to the object parts.

How is your work progressing, are you hitting any problems?

Space Station

The space station was constructed using spheres and cylinders which were fairly easy to assemble. However, orientation of the parts especially the pods at the ends of the arms of the space station require careful alignment.

A problem that has come to be realised is that when the space station is animated all the parts need to be connected together. The parts may be connected together using the attach tool.

Select the object

Convert to an editable poly

Click on the attach tool (remains active until de-selected)

Click on the object to be attached.

When using the attach tool all the parts 'attached' together assume the same colour as the original part being attached. Where parts of the model or object are required to display different colours or materials, the parts of the object are given individual identification numbers which then relate to the specifically identified materials / colours.

Material Editor

Select material / slot.

Click / select multi / sub – object

Set number Id's that require different material colours to be applied.

Drag the material slots on to the multi / sub – object parameters box.

Select element ( modifier stack)

Select part / element on model ( turns red ) and drag the material onto the object /model.

Object is then assigned the material/ colour that relates to the objects ID.

Drax Globe

The Drax globe is presenting problems as unable to make the spheres transluscent.

Comment posted on Alex Chapmans blog.

I think that you have made some fantastic models, my favorite is the car.

Space Station Modelling

The space station was created using standard primitives where spheres were used for the two central globes and cylinders for the protruding arms. Initially, one of the cylinders was created and then scaled to size. The other cylinders were then cloned as instances of the original cylinder.

To create pods at the end of the space station arms a cylinder was selected and drawn up into a thin shape. The cylinder was converted to an editable poly where the vertex tool was then selected. A horizontal box was drawn around the top half of the cylinder shape's vertex points which were then dragged inwards from one edge. The procedure was then duplicated from the other edge and this resulted in creating the finished chamfered shape.

Using the material editor a speckled material was dragged onto the arms of the space station. 

The render of the space station which requires the addition of a two more pods and a central spindle. 

Reflection on lecture 3 / Response to colleagues work

Lecture 3

Making your own materials

Downloaded 4 material images from the internet and saved as a 3cm*3cm bitmap.

Investigation into the various types of shaders.

Opened the material editor and clicked on one of the slots. Clicked on the small box next to the slot to reveal the material editor. At the top of the menu list is bitmap and when clicked on reveals a dialogue box. The dialogue box enables the bitmap images previously made in Photoshop to be found and when clicked on, subsequently appear in the material slot. Click and drag the slot image to the object in the perspective viewport.

Producing a Multi Sub-Object material

This section worked

Clicked and dragged the teapot into the perspective view.

Converted the teapot into an editable poly.

In the modify panel, check element.

Scroll down to polygon properties to material ID.

Click on the teapot spout and allocate ID 1.

Click on the lid and allocate ID 2.

Click on the belly of the teapot and allocate ID 3.

Click on the handle and allocate ID 4.

This is where it went wrong

Come out of editable poly.

Open the material editor.

Click on standard to pull up the procedural map menu> choose Multi/sub object> ok.

10 material slots appear. Select first four slots.

Click on material#standard – either add a map or make own material.

*** You then see these materials in the sample slot***!

Click and drag the sample slot to the teapot where the different materials are assigned to the different elements of the teapot.

Producing a High Shine metallic material

Need to try this

Making a leaf

Downloaded the tutorial and the map of the leaf.

Have yet to try this.

Response to the work on Richard Jones Blog ( Posted on his blogsite)

I think that Richard has organised the modelling of a complex structure,such as this aircraft, in a very clever way. He has broken the aircraft into component parts which has made the modelling process more manageable, rather than trying to model a complete aircraft structure. Modelling a structure in this way probably ultimately cuts down on the overall time required, as each component part is modelled on an individual basis and then brought together to realise the final 3d model.

Shuttle Modelling

The Bitmap three dimensional orthographic projection of the space shuttle was loaded into one of the slots in the material editor. The bitmap was then dragged onto a reference plate that had been previously constructed in the perspective viewport. When constructing the reference plate it is important to ensure that the planes are at ninety degrees relative to each other.

A box shape was then selected and dragged into the top front view of the reference plate,while still in the perspective viewport. The box shape was then converted to an editable poly and vertex tool selected. The vertices were then dragged, pushed and pulled to form the outline profile shape of the space shuttle.

Use of Splines and Lathe Modelling

The first stage in creating a bowl shape is to select the line tool. The parameters are changed from Bezier vertex type to smooth. A profile of half a bowl shape is drawn out and the spline is closed.

Hierarchy is selected and the adjust pivot only icon is clicked on. The pivot point is then moved to the base of the shape to ensure that the lathe modifier rotates around the base of the bowl.

The lathe modifier is then selected from the modifier list and the bowl image then appears revolved around the y axis.

The material editor is then used to apply a wood material to the bowl.

Primatives and Low Poly Modelling

Production of an apple using Low Poly Modelling.

Select a standard primitive sphere.

Convert to an editable poly.

Select vertex.

Open soft selection rollout (Part of the editable rollout).

Tick soft selection.

Shape of sphere now altered by pulling / pushing the vertices to create a representation of an apple.

The top vertex of the sphere is selected and dragged down to produce the indentation for the stalk.

The stalk is produced using an elongated cone shape. A bend modifier is applied to introduce a realistic curvature to the stalk.

A light green colour was applied for the apple and a dark brown colour for the stalk.

Production of a Banana using Low Poly Modelling.

Select a standard primitive box.

Convert to either an editable mesh or apply an edit mesh modifier to the box.

Select polygon

Tick soft selection
.

In the Edit Geometry rollout click Extrude.

The polygon is now altered by pulling/dragging into a gradually tapering shape in the form of a banana.

Snowman created using standard primitives

Snowman created using standard primitives

Sphere tool used to create two spheres.

Spheres aligned in the front, top and side viewports.

Small spheres were used for the eyes and black colour applied.

Cone was selected for the nose and scaling tool used to set the size.

Nose aligned in the front, top and side viewports.

Torus shape used for the scarf and scale tool to set the size.

The plane tool used to create a base for the snowman and white colour applied.

How did you get on with the new modelling techniques.

The new techniques of lathing/lofting/boolean/array/reference plate were presented at a fairly quick pace. I would follow and construct the first part of the procedure but I would miss the next steps.

I feel that the reason for missing the next steps is in part due to the position of the computer and having to turn around to view the interactive whiteboard, so in effect I was unable to follow each step as it was presented.

Lathing – completed the beginning stages of selecting a spline, applying a lathe modifier but the shape was not correct. I needed to adjust the axis of rotation.

Lofting – Realised after the lecture that I needed to click on the 'get shape' button rather than drag a standard primitive shape onto the spline path. I have since tried this procedure and it still does not work. Re-learning required.

Boolean – successfully subtracted the 'teapot' from the cube.

Array – I need to re-learn.

Reference plate – completed the beginning stages of selecting the 'Tank' image and resizing to fit on the reference plane. Selected a box shape and converted to an editable poly but having difficulty in removing sections of the shape.

Using Standard Primitives

The design of the Castle was constructed using the create standard primitives command where 3D geometric objects such as cone, box and cylinder were selected.

A cylinder was selected first and placed at one corner of the grid.

The clone tool was then used to duplicate the cylinder onto three further positions on the grid.

Alignment of the cylinders was carried out by viewing and adjusting the alignment in the top, front and side views. (Do not try to align in perspective view).

A box was then selected and in the perspective viewport dragged diagonally to form the base of the box to set the required length and width to fit between the cylinders. The box was dragged upwards to set the height.

The two walls at the front of the Castle were again created using a box but a combination of the rotate tool and the move tool were used to align the position of the box in the top viewport

A cone was selected and placed onto the top of the cylinder. Scaling was then used to adjust the base size of the cone to the diameter of the cylinder which was carried out in the top viewport.

Finally, a plane was selected to form the base of the Castle and the material editor was used to assign a material/colour by dragging the active sample slot to the castle.