[Tutorial] How to make vehicle models for ARMA2 using 3DS Max

[abs 2]

Good tip, jagheterjan! I know I ran in to that problem more than a few times when I was starting out.

Abs

[mugaben 10]

Good one jagheterjan. Nice to know :)

@PuFu and rest.

Gaah so many walls to climb.

Only problem is, to advance further in 3ds I have to try tutorials. This is one of them. Main issue is that I need to know how to bend edges, like the shape of this hood:

http://img.blog.yahoo.co.kr/ybi/1/24/56/shinecommerce/folder/8/img_8_20863_4?1226239440.jpg ..

When thats learned, I think I can complete the model.

But I have no idea where to even look on youtube etc for that. "3ds edge shape" "3ds edge bend" and what not doesnt seem to give anything useful. I feel like I have to research and use the program for 100 different things, months on months before I manage to find that one or few things I practically only need.

You guys dont know of any nifty nice step by step tutorials out there for newbies, do ya? :)

Ill continue searching on and stop spamming this thread with step by step questions, and hope I dont hit a reinforced concrete wall! :)

[abs 2]

Using the techniques I've outlined in the 5 videos already, you should be able to create that vehicle. I realize that the addon isn't complete yet, and as such may leave you with some question, so I'm going to refer you to the videos that I used when I was learning:

http://bit.ly/rrh3Fy

I tried learning on my own at first, and my first model was crap. Then I found this series. I didn't watch all the videos, but I didn't need to as my second model was waaaaaaaaay better than the first, and is still at a comparable quality to my models today.

Good luck, bro.

Abs

[mugaben 10]

Thank you for your helpfulness mate.

If you ever need some help for map making let me know.

//Mug

[jagheterjan 10]

@ MugAben: One way to get there is to do a box with the correct dimensions first, then add edge loops around the length of the hood as needed and move the top vertices down to meet the general shape of the hood. Should give you a real lo-poly model of the hood that's already pretty close to the real thing and a good base to start sub-dividing the mesh to model the details, going from coarse to fine.

If you want to see what's involved in modelling & texturing a decent low-poly vehicle for a game, I can recommend this multi-video tutorial by Laurens Corijn to you: http://www.laurenscorijn.com/portfolio/hotrod. Be advised though that it's rather advanced in terms of technical prerequisites and narrative speed ;)

[abs 2]

Thank you for your helpfulness mate.

If you ever need some help for map making let me know.

//Mug

Actually, funny you should say that...I do!

I'll send you a PM later today. Thanks Mug. :)

Abs

[mugaben 10]

Actually, funny you should say that...I do!

I'll send you a PM later today. Thanks Mug. :)

Abs

Dammit! :p

A little update..

Spotting anything I should be careful with, let me know.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1576479/Work/3Ds/Tigr2.jpg

[abs 2]

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/913/tigr2.jpg

- You need to remember that each face can only be 4-sided. (Top Right shows what I mean...this needs to be kept in mind for the whole model.)

- Your model has an error on the hood, where the two points converge, and don't run parallel. (Top Left)

:) Other than that, good shape. Seems like you've got it.

Abs

[jagheterjan 10]

Two things spring to mind: Working with quads only (and tris where absolutely unavoidable) - the way of the Jedi it is, young padawan. Oxygen will not import a mesh consisting of polies with five or more sides and even in max you will stumble into all sorts of issues if you allow n-gons (Polygons with more than four sides) into your mesh.

Also, only use the least amount of polygons to build your low-poly mesh - about eight edge loops along the Y-axis should really suffice to recreate the shape of the hood with sufficient fidelity. It's advisable to start really rough and coarse and only add geometry where it is absolutely needed - a lot of detail such like tire threads, all the bolts and bits on the rims, the recesses where armor plates meet, the bolts that secure the armor plates to the vehicle and other rather small details like that can (and should) be left to the Normals map (And as such to either the high-poly mesh used for baking the map or Photoshop/GIMP for drawing the map - either way that'll happen at a much later stage) and do not need to be modelled into the low-poly mesh.

Edit: Ninja'd again...

[droogs 1]

Cheers Abs and to one and all for all the help and tips on this thread. My learning curve is starting to go exponential rather than being flatlined. muchos kudos to all

[mugaben 10]

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/913/tigr2.jpg

- You need to remember that each face can only be 4-sided. (Top Right shows what I mean...this needs to be kept in mind for the whole model.)

- Your model has an error on the hood, where the two points converge, and don't run parallel. (Top Left)

:) Other than that, good shape. Seems like you've got it.

Abs

Thanks.

I dont see the error on the hood, I really dont know where to look.

And I though I was being carefull not to make to many sides. :S I dont see any other solution to make it follow the curve on the blueprint.

F.. it, ill stop here.. This drives me and you guys nuts.. :)

I failed! But at least I learned a little bit. Cant be used in arma though :(

Thanks for all the help, now its someone elses turn.

Last foto!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1576479/Work/3Ds/TigrTutorial2.jpg

Edited November 30, 2011 by MugAben

[abs 2]

Dropbox the whole directory for me, will ya? (3ds file and blueprints)

Please export to an older version of max though as I use 8.

Abs

[PuFu 4600]

Dropbox the whole directory for me, will ya? (3ds file and blueprints)

Please export to an older version of max though as I use 8.

Abs

There is no older version to save for your max

What he really means is to export to FBX version 2006 (binary)

The shape looks more than decent for a first time. what you would need to do is to use the same amount (lower) of geometry throughout your entire mesh for starters. Anyways, good luck with it :)

[mugaben 10]

The shape looks more than decent for a first time. what you would need to do is to use the same amount (lower) of geometry throughout your entire mesh for starters. Anyways, good luck with it :)

Thanks

It would be nice to know why I need to use less? :)

@Abs

Ill send it to you tomorrow

[abs 2]

Thanks

It would be nice to know why I need to use less? :)

@Abs

Ill send it to you tomorrow

Arma2 has a limit for the number of faces it can have per model. You could make a 12,000 poly cube, or you can make one with 6 polies and it will have the same effect. The key is to do more with less. You can, for example, get the exact same shape of your hood with less polies, which will allow you to add more detail to other places.

Abs

[PuFu 4600]

Because as a general rule, the overall geometry should be spread throught the mesh pretty much equally, minus the place where there are more details to model, which is hardly the case for you here.

[mugaben 10]

Well, i think its pretty choppy allready. Removing more would in my eyes make it very ugly and squared. :S I really cant see how removing anything could make it just as round.. I like things when they are perfect. If I dont like them, ill dump them in the bin.

Got it working in O2. Look how choppy the headlamp mounts is. Adding a border to the windows somehow makes a visible edge right down the windows also. I cant explain this because all the points have the correct heights and axis to line up straight. (not visible on this photo) Stupid 3D moddeling rules. :/

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1576479/Work/3Ds/TigrTutorial3.jpg

Edited December 1, 2011 by MugAben

[PuFu 4600]

Well, i think its pretty choppy allready. Removing more would in my eyes make it very ugly and squared. :S I really cant see how removing anything could make it just as round.. I like things when they are perfect. If I dont like them, ill dump them in the bin.

Stupid 3D moddeling rules. :/

:confused:

Well, you definitely think i am taking out of my ass here even though, opposed to you, i have over 8 years of experience with various 3d software, max included...i guess i have nothing else to add here. GL

oh, and btw, if you would have actually bothered reading my post, i never said remove, i said optimize...

Edited December 1, 2011 by PuFu

[mugaben 10]

Well arent you a happy fellow..

I spoke with a mate yesterday, who also had 7-8 years experience with 3d modelling for the OFP, arma series. And he says its fine having so many of them.

I just assumed optimize/delete was the same in this case. As you clearly have noticed I am new to this and didnt see any other posibility.

Oh, and btw. Thank you. Guys like you make this forum so much more professional and awesome, it really invites newbies like me to ask questions in threads like this.

For newbies...

Seeking help..

Now go help someone else more qualified than me.

[abs 2]

Folks, let's calm down, please, and keep it civil.

Mug, it looks 'choppy' like that because you haven't applied smoothing groups. I'm late for work or else I would have explained it right now, so maybe you can Google it and play around with it.

Also, still send me everything you have today, and I'll show you how you can do exactly the same thing with less.

Abs

[mugaben 10]

No problem for me to google it. Just need to know what to google :D Ill look into the smoothing groups. Ive send you a link with the stuff.

Again, thanks! Hope someone else can use all these posts themselves hehe!

EDIT:

Played with smoothing groups today after some quick tutorials.

Before: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1576479/Work/3Ds/TigrTutorial3.jpg

After: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1576479/Work/3Ds/TigrTutorial4.jpg

Edited December 1, 2011 by MugAben

[soul_assassin 1750]

wish O2 had similar Smoothing group technology :(

BTW. was poking around my YT channel and forgot Ive made this video a while ago. I think it belongs in this thread:

4SWVcuJN-r4

[abs 2]

Thank you, Soul! I learned quite a bit from this. :)

Abs

[raptor 6 actual 13]

Yes, thank you both very, very much for posting these. It is a great help to have it broken down. I hope to be contributing to the addon community very shortly, lol.

No matter how fast you were going Abs, the great thing about YT, is that you can pause and rewind :P

Cheers,

[astast 12]

These tutorials are so great :D

Now i feel like starting making addons, thanks abs and all other who have shared these guides.

Regards astast