I need a help in modelling 3d units!

[HenryLet]

I have 3D Max 6.0 and I was wondering if some of you can help me to use this program. I would like to modify my unit in order to personalize them!
There are so many options in the program and I don't know how to start! :dizzy2:

[Bwian]

I have seen this question pop up in many forums, in many places...so you are not alone in having trouble with this.

Nowadays, a lot of games need the sort of advanced skeletal animation that only a high-end professional modelling tool can provide. The modders, in order to keep up, have to tread the same path.

Usually, this results in people with absolutely no 3d modelling experience trying to learn 3DS Max from scratch. Suffice it to say, this is a daunting task. It took me a few months to get used to Max's menu's and terminology, and that is with 5 years of 3D modelling experience. After all, you wouldn't expect to fly a Boeing 747 with a 5 minute tutorial and a readme to guide you ~D

Anyway...assuming you are not completely put off lets dive in :charge:

Step 1: Google .... You will need to get an understanding of the basic terminology. What is a vertex, a face, a polygon. What does UV mapping mean. You will need to understand the language of 3D modelling before any of teh tutorials, the manual etc. make sense. They will assume a basic understanding of the concpets.

Step 2: I found the manual to be very useful for specific issues. Use it!

Step 3: For general learning, I bought a book. The 3DS Max 6 Bible I bought cost me around £30 on e-bay, but came with a sample disc full of examples, and a VERY comprehensive step by step guide for every aspect of Max. I didn't need 95% of it for RTW, but it helped to get used to the interface, the 'stack','modifiers' and Max's rather complex material handling.

Step 4: Actually make some meshes ( thats 3D models...but you will understand the term better when you have followed step1!! ). At this stage, you will need to become familiar with UV mapping, and learn how to make the texture maps in a paint program. Pretty much ANY paint program will do to start with! When you can make things in 3D, and apply textures and UV maps, you will be ready to learn the psecific requirements for RTW.

Step 5: Learn low polygon modelling! This means forgetting about mesh-smoothing, forgetting about spheres and cylinders with 30 sides.... you will need to make a mesh that looks like a person with around 700 polygons. Only practice will teach you how!

Step 6: By the time you get to here, I should have finished making my Tutorial page which will expalin all the rest ;)

Now...this sounds like a lot of work...and it is! No-one said this was going to be easy.

You will need persistance.....

[Myrddraal]

Wrong Forum. Post in the general forum. This thread will be deleted (or maybe moved as it has a reply).

From: 'Read this before posting'

From now on if you post a new thread in this subforum that is not a tutorial, guide or about a tool then the thread will be deleted.
Duke John