Category Archives: 3DS Max

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Detailed Intro to Working with Forest Pack Pro

  By Denis Keman • May 11, 2016 ,

Today’s post is a bit of a hybrid post, and what i mean by this is that when i was actually thinking about making a post about Forest Pack Pro i thought it would cover the basic options in a 20-30 min video and be done with it, instead we ended up with what you see here today. In the videos below you will be able to learn what is Forest Pack Pro and how it works. Now i am one of those people who thinks that when you are learning something it’s always good to have a certain model, or a project that you are trying to achieve and learn that way. Well today we will cover most of the options that Forest Pack Pro has in it’s arsenal, and at the same time we will do a couple of different end results. One of the things that specially makes me happy about these videos is the fact that i will cover a topic that has been asked from me multiple times, and that is the topic of creating grass and grass fields. So lets get down and start breaking down the four videos that you will be able to see here.

The first video in the string is more or less a very easy to follow basics of Forest Pack Pro. You will learn how to add a new Forest Pack node, then you will see how to change the display properties followed by how to add custom geometry. After this you will see how to control the density and spread of geometry on your surface. All in all this is the bare basics you need to understand before you start working with Forest Pack Pro. So go ahead and check out the first video.

In the second video we will see how we can use Forest pack Pro to create a modernistic Nail Art picture. To get this right we will kick it up a notch and go in a bit deeper into controlling the transforms of the geometry with the help of a bitmap. This is also where you will learn how to constrain the effect to certain plains and axies. All in all it should be an interesting video and even though it is a second part to the video series it won’t feel like it as it is a stand alone video. So again go and check it out.

When we get to the third part this is basically where we go in deeper with explaining even more features and at the same time we tackle the grass topic. Now for this video when i started it didn’t go as planned as i started modeling grass manually which was a huge time hog, so i scrapped the initial idea and went with a much faster and procedural way of making grass by using a free script called Debris Maker 2 so feel free to click the link and get it for yourselves. So if you have this plugin then you should have no problems with following along with the video, and creating a grass field of your own with ease. So go check it out and come back for the last video.

And in the last video for this post we will cover a topic very similar to the grass creating tutorial but with a twist, we will be using built in presets. Forest Pack Pro comes with a number of different presets that should be helpful to pretty much anyone working in the Visualization business. Other then that you will also learn how to constrain the effects of the scattering through the use of splines, and then at the same time use those same lines as base for scattering new geometry which will leave you with a very flexible end result. But enough with the explanation go ahead and check it out for yourself.

So with that done we come to a conclusion of our post for today. These were one of the more intense videos to record for me as i did get a number of crashes and the rendering times were a drag, but in the end i am actually happy with what it ended up looking like. So the only thing that i can hope for now is that you guys enjoy watching these videos you have some fun while watching them and most importantly of all you learn something new that can help you in your projects. So like always if you enjoyed the videos then hit the like button and subscribe if you haven’t already and i will see you all in the next post.

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First Glance at 3ds Max 2017 and Auto Peel UVW unwrap

  By Denis Keman • April 22, 2016 ,

When i make a new post i kinda tend to make it so that the videos are educational and are pretty much in the form of a tutorial. Well today’s video is more of a informational character then educational. Namely a few days ago Autodesk decided to release their newest version of the 3ds Max software the 2017 version of it, so i decided to make a quick video about the very first thing you can see when you try it out. I made it so that it is divided into two short videos in which you will see what you can expect with the new version of Max, as well as few issues and bugs. (This is an understatement)

So in the first video i go and show you how the UI has been changed, and i kinda compare it to Maya and as you will see for yourself it appears as Autodesk are trying to make Max look like Maya for some reason. Also you will see that in the rendering department we have some novelty in the form of a new render engine ART. But check it out for yourself in the video below.

In the second video that i decided to make it separate i go over something that i am personally stoked for, and that is the UVW Unwrap Auto peel mode. It’s been ages since Autodesk have done diddly squat when it comes to unwrapping in Max, and it has been a total drag having it do it in it. Well in this last version they finally decided to give the unwrapping portion some love and get it so it starts being useful. In the 2017 with the addition of the Auto Peel mode, and the addition of the tension map it is really starting to get back on track, so now the only thing that needs to be fixed is for Max to stop crashing every 5 min. In any case check it out for yourself in this short intro to Auto Peel Unwrapping in Max 2017.

After having some time to play around with Max 2017 i can only say that it’s probably going to be a good version of Max, but as of now i would stay away from using it, especially if you want to use it for your work projects as it is really buggy and unstable and it appears that crashing is it’s favorite past time.
And that would be it for this post, i hope it was informative and if you liked what you saw then click the like button, share and comment below.

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Modeling Complex Carvings And Shapes on Uneven Surfaces in 3ds Max

  By Denis Keman • March 24, 2016 , , , ,

In today’s post we will cover a bit of a complex topic and that is how to model complex shapes like carvings and such on uneven surfaces, or rounded ones. Generally from what i’ve seen many 3D artists do when they have to model some complex shape on an uneven surface, they go ahead and manually start building the model and move the vertecies one by one to get the carving to conform to the surface. Well that approach is not wrong, hell in some cases it’s the only option there is to take, BUT and this is a big but there is a way to work around issues like this and kinda cheat to save on time and nerves. This cheat that i am talking about is what this post is all about, but in order to be able to follow along you will need to download a script which you can get from the link below.

Download SlideKnit Script

OK so if you have already downloaded the script then you are all set. Now in case you don’t know how to install the script don’t worry as in the video below you will see me explain it step by step on how to install and how to make a custom menu inside 3ds Max and dock the plugin there. So after we go over how to install the script i’ll show you the model that i have in the scene that will help me showcase different types of scenarios for the SlideKnit script. You will see how you can wrap different types of geometry on different types of surfaces. Another important thing to note is that i will go and explain how you can unwrap rounded surfaces so they end up with planar UVW layout, which is actually quite important in our case. But enough with the intro, if what you saw here is something that might sound interesting to you go ahead and watch the video below.

So after watching the video i have to note one thing about myself personally, and that is that i was sick and coughing when i was making the video so if i didn’t edit out some place and maybe a cough slipped by i apologize. That aside i’m really hoping you guys had fun watching the video, and more importantly managed to learn something new. As you were able to see, SlideKnit is a small but yet very powerful script that can give you amazing results. Also i want to note it here one more time that I AM NOT THE MAKER of this script, so if you know who is leave a comment and i will leave a backlink to the creator as he really does deserve the kudos for making it.

And that would be it for this post, you know the drill by now, if you liked the video then like, comment and share it around so it can reach more people. So until next time …

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Adding Dust and Aging Effect with V-Ray

  By Denis Keman • March 16, 2016 , , ,

Today we have a new post, and the videos that will be part of the post will be a part of a new “category” of posts that i want to do. Namely i want to have videos that will be a sort of a quick tip type posts. The idea behind these kinds of posts will be to take a certain theme, or a question that i’ve been asked and dive straight to it without any additional explanation. The idea for this came from a few readers that asked for more direct approach to the issue which would result with shorter videos and more directed videos. Now i am well aware that these types of videos can’t be made for all the topics that i choose to cover, but for certain things it might actually work quite well.

For the very first crack at the quick tip video i chose to make a video and answer a simple question, How to add aging or fading effect to your V-Ray materials? This is a very basic thing that you might want to know as it’s always a plus knowing how to add some variance to your model, and in the approach that i will show you in the video you will see how you can get that result by using a procedural mask and VrayDirt material. So if you want to see how you can do this type of thing procedural opposed to unwrapping it and manually making a distressed texture then check out the video below.

The second video covers a topic that’s a bit similar to the first video, but instead of adding procedural damage or fading we will see how we can add some dust to our model. After that we will see how we can setup a second texture ID channel and use it to help us with giving the dust a more natural “disturbed” look. So again if this is something that you would like to know and you aren’t really sure how to go about doing it, then check out the second video.

Ok so if you’ve watched the videos and are still reading this then i would like to ask you guys to leave your comments either here, or on YouTube and tell me if you liked these shorter quick tip type tutorials. And for now that would be it, like always if you did enjoy them like and share them around and keep coming back for more.

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Studio Lighting in 3ds Max and V-Ray

  By Denis Keman • March 1, 2016 , ,

In today’s post we are going to deal with one of the fundamental things that anyone that wants to work with CG should know, and that is how to light up your models. Now i have to go and say it right from the start, lighting on it’s own is one colossal theme to tackle and if you really want to know how it works, then you will probably need to invest some time into some proper professional photography knowledge. So having clarified that i want to say that this post is going to be more about the technical part of Max and V-Ray and how to get the lights inside 3ds Max to behave like real life lights would do. So enough with the intro and lets jump down on explaining and watching the videos. Initially it was supposed to be one video, but instead of making it one long video i made it into two parts so it’s easier for you guys to follow it. (Yeah i know i’m good that way)

In the first video we will explain very briefly what a studio scene is, and then we will see a few examples. You will see me reference an image of a model lit up in different scenarios, and you can get the link to the reference image here. After the brief intro we will create a simple backdrop. Then we will go about creating light sources, control how the reflection is going to look like, how we can modify it so it ends up looking like a commercial body spray can, and we will even explain a bit about the three point lighting solution. At the end of the first video we will even explain a bit about the importance of the warm and cool lights. So if this sounds like something that you would like to see check out the video.

In the second video we will continue on the same scene as previously but that is where all similarities end. We will start by explaining what a reflector is and how and when would we use one in our scenes. After that we will explain what a diffuser is and how to construct one that we can use in 3ds Max, and right after that we will explain what a light box is and how to construct one as well. With the introduction of the diffuser and Lightbox we will end with with issues in the lighting of our scene that will derive from the GI pass so we will also go over how to deal with those issues and get them to provide us with a clean render. So all in all it should be an interesting video to watch, so if what you read up here sounds like something that might interest you go ahead and watch the second video.

And with this we are coming to an end of our post for today. It was fun making these videos, and depending on the feedback i get on this video i might make a few more about lighting as that is a theme that seems like an endless pit of information that always has something new to offer.

So like always subscribe, like and share and i’ll see you all in the next post.

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Creating Custom Floor Textures in 3ds Max and Photoshop

  By Denis Keman • February 9, 2016 , , , ,

Today’s post comes as a direct result to a request i got about making a real world scale floor texture. It sounds pretty straight forward when you say it like that, i mean you get the project with the texture for the floor but then comes the realization that the image that the client sent you is something more in tune to a thumbnail, then an actual size for a high quality texture. On top of that he or she might want to have a different color in the pattern of the texture. This is where things can get a bit complicated as you are basically left with a task in which you need to deliver an end result but you don’t have the resources delivered to you, but rather you have to make them yourselves. Once you get to this point in the project, you might start thinking that you are in trouble if you don’t know how to make those high quality textures. Well this is where today’s post comes into play and will explain exactly how to go about dealing with this issue, and hopefully resolve it. Now when i had the initial idea about this video in my head it was a fast 20 min video, but as soon i started recording i actually came to a bit of a revelation as the theme was a tad bit bigger then i initially thought, so in the end i decided to split this into three logical parts opposed to having one huge hour and a half video. Since we do have a bit to cover lets get started with it.

In the first part of the video we will setup the image that we will create (you can choose any design that you might need for this part) and then we will start with the outlining process of the whole thing. After that we will see how we can get the outlined object scaled so we have a realistic scale model, and in the end we will render out a template which we will be able to use in the process. So this is where you would be advised to go and see the video for yourself.

In the second part ( and i do know this is a bit of a longer video ) we take the template that we made in 3ds Max and we bring it into Photoshop. Now i did my best to keep the video as newbie friendly (n00b fR13ndly) so that everyone can follow along even if you are not too proficient with Photoshop. We will cover a bit of layering management, some masking as well as some hand on paining and effects adding. All in all this ended up being a long but in depth video which will leave us with a fully customizable template that we can later use for any type of floor. Also you will hear me mention a few times that you can use this exact process to get Marble and stone floors which is totally true and applicable. But enough with the explanation, go ahead and check out the video.

In the last video we take what we made in Photoshop and we dive back into 3ds Max and see how we can use all those textures. Now the emphasis in the third video is put on using Real World Scale and to explain to you how you can get your textures to use real world scale referencing rather then the default tiling option. So go ahead and check out the video for yourself.

And with this we are coming to an end of our post for today. We covered quite a bit of different things and even though i didn’t expect the videos to be that long in the end i kinda enjoyed making them and i really hope you guys will enjoy watching them and even learn a few new things from them.

So like always subscribe, like and share and i’ll see you all in the next post.

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Modeling the Jagdkommando knife in 3ds Max

  By Denis Keman • February 5, 2016 ,

In today’s post we have a topic that’s a bit different from the topics that i’ve covered so far, namely today we are going to have a post about modeling a great looking combat knife. The knife that i chose to make is a bit unique as it actually has three edges and a twist. The knife that i am talking about is called the Jadgkommando and as you can see from all the images from the google search i wasn’t wrong when i said it’s unique looking. Well looks aside this knife is a really fun geometrical model to make, so i decided to make the videos below that show you how i managed to model it in a easy to follow tutorial.

In the first video we will go over how to model the complex blade that the knife has. We will work on one side and then take all that we have done and transfer it to the other two remaining sides, then we’ll deal with a bit of edge control and after that use the twist modifier. All in all it should be a fun video to watch and you might even pick up a few tricks.

In the second video we will continue where we stopped in the first one but we will focus on modeling the hilt (handle) of the knife. This shouldn’t be too complex to tackle but i will go ahead and use a few tricks from the modeling ribbon so you might learn something from there as well. It would be pointless to explain further about this video as it is quite self explanatory so go ahead and check it out.

So if you watched these videos you’ve seen me create the knife from the start and i am pretty confident that if you choose to follow along you will be able to recreate my result. With that we are finishing our post and calling it done. I hope you guys enjoyed the video, had fun and most importantly learned something new down the line. So don’t forget to subscribe, like and share and come back for more.

P.S. As an added bonus here is the image that i made and used in the video to help me model the knife
Side_Blueprint

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Creating Welding and modeling with OpenSubDiv in 3ds Max

  By Denis Keman • January 27, 2016 , ,

In today’s post we are still sticking to modeling techniques, but this time around i went ahead and made the post about a certain something instead of a general terminology. Namely i made it about how to model intersecting welded geometry. This is something that you can see in many, many models out there that are made out of pipes of some sort, and even though the welding is an integral part of the model a lot of modelers skip it. Now i will say it right off the start that it’s not rocket science, but if you have never done it then it’s a good thing to see how it’s done.

So in the video below we will see two different types of modeling and welding. In the first case we will see how to take two circular pipes, mash them together and make the welding where they touch. After that is made we are going to continue with the second example in which we will have a rectangular bar come into a circular pipe and meld into it’s shape, and again we will apply the same welding mark as we used in the first case. So if that is something that might interest you then check out the video below.

After the video about the welding, and pretty much the rest of the videos i did in the Modeling Techniques category you could have noticed that i used the Turbosmooth modifier to get the smooth geometry and support edges to control the sharpness of the edges. Well there is another option, or another way that you can model and that is by using the OpenSubDiv modifier. The main difference between Turbosmooth and OpenSubDiv is that by taking the second choice we don’t have to add additional geometry to our model but instead control the edge flow with creasing. The major advantage of this method is that it won’t screw up your UVW unwrap. Now It does sound a bit weird and complicated when you hear about it, but in all honesty it’s a pretty easy and straight forward process that is really not that hard to understand. So check out the second video to see how to use the OpenSubDiv modifier.

With that we are putting a cap on our post and calling it done. I hope you guys enjoyed the video, had fun and most importantly learned something new down the line. So don’t forget to subscribe, like and share and come back for more.

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3ds Max Basic Modeling Techniques

  By Denis Keman • January 18, 2016 , ,

Following last week’s post 3ds Max Basic Modeling and the very positive feedback i got about that video, naturally i got plenty of messages asking me to make more videos like it. Today’s post is all about that request, but right at the start i have to say that i was not really expecting the video (in this case it ended up being two videos) to be so on the long side. My initial idea was that i can make a general modeling tutorial, squish a bunch of information in another 20-30 min video and call it a day … boy was i wrong.

As soon as i started recording the video i actually came to the realization that trying to put all sorts of modeling tricks and tips in a single video would be impossible, unless that video is hours and hours long. Well since i highly doubt that anyone would like to sit and watch a video that long, i decided to split it into two videos and cover a certain area of modeling.

I will not stop making videos like these though, on the contrary. In the future i will continue making more geometry modeling tutorials, but i will pair them with another video in which i will show you an example of where you would use those techniques, as a sort of a filler explanation video. But enough with the intro chit chat and lets jump down to the actual videos.

In the first video i decided to take the road less traveled, and actually give a bit of an explanation on how to work with Boolean Operations. Now i am well aware that most of the 3d modelers out there will tell you that you should avoid working with Boolean Operations as they are like a plague and they can leave you with a nasty looking model. Generally that is what happens if you don’t know how the Boolean operations work, but if you do then you actually end up with a rather powerful tool at your disposal. So check out this first video and see how the Boolean Operations work.

In the second video we go over some of the more common issues you will encounter when modeling, and that is controlling edge flows, inserting new geometry on elevated (non-flat) surface, transitioning edge sharpness and intersecting geometry. All in all in this video you will see quite a bit on how to deal with these issues, and i have to add that it was actually fun making this video. As an added bonus at the end of the video i decided to go ahead and import the model that we ended up with in the first video, and use the things that we showed in this video and get to a state where it will have clean flowing geometry. If what you read here is something that you might want to see, then go ahead and check out the video.

So that would be it for now, I really hope you guys liked the videos and you managed to learn something new from it. If you enjoyed it then subscribe, like and share.

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3ds Max Basic Modeling

  By Denis Keman • January 12, 2016 , ,

Today’s post is a tad bit different from the posts that i have done previously, and it’s different in the manner that instead of covering how to make a certain something, in this post i focused on explaining the fundamentals of modeling in Max. And this is where we come to one of my secrets and mainly why i chose to do what i do, and that is simply that i love modeling. Once you know how the basics of geometry flow works, from there on it’s always a game trying to get the geometry as clean as possible and it always feels like a mini game that you want to win so it ends up being mainly fun (in some cases can be frustrating).

So in the video below i started from the most basic thing, and that is explaining how interpolation or subdivision works for splines. From there we will see the difference between NURMS smoothing and Turbosmooth. Then we will go over using Turbosmooth to smooth out the model by using smoothing groups, after which we will also cover the geometry support edges way. After that we will see how adding Turbosmooth can affect the volume of our model, and how we can adjust the model to compensate for the loss. So if this is something that might interest you, go ahead and check out the video below.

Now the original idea for this is that it will end up as the first post in a series of posts that i will do where i will try to cover different scenarios, and try and explain how you would go about and deal with an issue that might arise from that situation. I didn’t want to gather multiple videos and release them all in one post due to the fact that i was a bit busy this week so didn’t have the free time to record as much, and the second reason being that posts with multiple posts end up being posts that people skip as they see them as something that is too long.

So that would be it for this first part. I really hope you guys liked the video and you managed to learn something from it. If you enjoyed it then subscribe, like and share and if there is interest about these kinds of videos i will make more.

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