[[Shizo]]

Ok peoples, this time i ask not for a bottle of vodka (as usual) but rather an advice from you, 3d modeling peoples!

Here what i have struggled to make in 3dmax:



Ya the tank isn't too good yet, but i'll add more detail, textures, and scenery later! Here are some questions that i have so far:

1. For animation, is MAX reading every move i do with an object and records it, or only final position at first and last keyframes count? Say i clicked on a shape and moved it around, would it record every movement i do with my mouse?

2. Rotation is weird.. How can i change the center rotation point of objects? Like i have this turret and barrel selected, when i rotate it, the center point is in the center between the barrel's tip and back of the cabin. How can i move center point wherever i want, as i can do in Photoshop - free Transform?

3. Can you peoples give me a MAX file of any cool looking scene you did with materials and shapes.. Because i asked Coconutmonkey and he wouldn't giv eit to me :)
All i need is to see how you put textures on and how to create different materials and effects.

4. Anything else that i should know about 3d modeling and animating?

thank you dawgs..

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Nothing really matters to me

[[Shizo]]

Couple more things before i forget.
Is it possible to carve out (Boolean) using more than one "Operand B"? Because i did this cool radiator cover thing for tank.. But i had to carve out every piece by hand!!! Not many people would have patience but i did :) (took me 30 minutes lol). I tried grouping a few "operands" but it still carved with only one shape :(

But.. i deleted it after all because the model took 5 minutes to load/animate with that carved object... Once i deleted it, loading time got back to normal.

Thats it for now hehe, i hope i get answers to a few questions.. i want to learn 3dmax and start kicking synj's dirty ASS!!!!

Then i steal his girl and send her to Russia.

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Nothing really matters to me

[TheMilkMan]

Look up effect pivot point in the help index that is how you center the objects rotation point . as far as texturing you need to lay out the UVW's and then use textporter to bring them into photoshop...it's all painting or cut and paste from there...good luck you might have better luck with your 3d questions at www.polycount.com

One thing that you need to learn is that you can fake a lot of things with texture maps..like do not make that berral inside..fake it with a texture also what is going on with those tank treads ....you need to cut those polys out and fake that also in the texture map....try to make the poly count as low as possible while maintaing a sleek sharp look....hard but that is how you make at as a pro...the tank look good so far...could kick ass with the right textures!

[This message has been edited by TheMilkMan (edited December 13, 2000).]

[Flinthawk]

Ok, lemme see if this helps.

1. The animation is keyframe to keyframe. It does NOT record what you do with your mouse. It takes the position at keyframe 1 and the position at keyframe 2, figures out a line between those two, and then moves the object along that path. Same goes for rotation and scaling but in a slightly different way of course. You can adjust this 'line' in the Track View to make it a curve or most anything you want. Of course, the Track View is a little hard to explain if you don't know it already.

2. Ok, you know about the Modify panel? Well, right next to that is the Heirarchy panel. Click on the 'Affect Pivot Only' button and you'll be able to do exactly what you're asking to do.

3. Don't have any on me that I'm free to release just yet =)

4. Nothing else comes to mind right now.

Hope this helps =)

-Flinthawk

[[Shizo]]

TheMilkMan: What! No detailed tank treads?! Ok but then how can i move the texture along in loop so i get the effect when the tank is moving? I got the rotation point thing thanx, and i'll need to learn alot - UVW, textporter (whatever those things are hehe)

Flinthawk: ye it helps! I got pretty frustrated with animation, because objects moved totally in wrong manner than what i wanted them to! But Track View.. probably gonna need some time to learn that hehe, didn't look into that yet.
Hmm.. something is missing in my learning but i dunno what =]

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Nothing really matters to me

[waylon]

To add onto what TheMilkMan said about faking things with textures... this is a GOOD idea whenever you can, for a few reasons. First, as is obvious, the object will load and render faster. But additionally, there are a lot of things a 3D renderer can't do yet (like radiosity), which are much easier to imitate with textures.

As far as your treads... If this were MY scene, I'd probably make each metal... block (whatever you call it) a separate piece like you did, but then create all the detail using textures. Once you have the mapping coordinates set up, they'll follow along with the object wherever you move it.

Oh yeah. I posted some mapping tips for Rinaldo here: http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/Forum2/HTML/004736.html

[[Shizo]]

sweetness!
So much info my way, gotta learn it all!
Thanks TheMilkMan, Flinthawk, waylon.. you my dawgs!

[cybergod]

ok.... but i think my tank is better


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Born To Burn
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[cybergod]

hehehe