Speed modeling tips in 3dsmax (part 3/3)

Professional 3d artist Dave King demonstrates some of the techniques he uses in 3dsmax to create creatures really quickly.

This video includes strip modeling techniques, how to attach component parts and use the bridge tools to create geo quickly.

Daves work includes Where the Wild Things Are, The Spirit, Unreal Tournament '04, Civilization IV, Dragonage, D&D Online and was responsible for the Comcast Mutant hairless rabbit-panther thingie.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• The Spirit
• Unreal Tournament '04
• Civilization IV
• Dragonage

[ubergo]

What settings(taper, bias, smooth, etc.) you use to make successful bridges in the border? I'm always stuck with countless zig-zag.

[elliotoffscrubs]

You will need to keystroke the settings- then you can flip the order or apply a twist.

Whatever seems to fix it, use this in your macro for your keystroke. I tend to get pretty good results because I match the polycount 1 for 1 and roughly line up the verts.

Another quick solve is to bridge 1 edge, then select the open border and cap this. Messier, but can be just as fast as playing with settings.

[elliotoffscrubs]

To Snowybears - Not sure, the mesh is toast.

This guys built in quads for zbrush, but your low poly model should be made in triangles for optimum use. Sooo, the compromise is make a quad mesh, map it, zbrush it- get the normal map out, then start to collapse edges on your quad mesh to make your final model.

Dont think of your game ready low poly model as your starting mesh!

[Gamezalot]

Dave King is obviously a talented 3D modeler, but the real trick is knowing how to sculpt. I'm sure he's equally talented with a block of clay in the real world. That's where I fail because no matter how many tricks I learn in 3DS Max, I have no clue where to put the polygons to make it look like a real character. It ends up looking like a Play-Doh model made by a 4 year-old. :(

[Erilis666]

Very good and quality tutorial, thank you.

[aezakmei]

you sir, are a master!

[whyyoww]

Wow man that models look verry realistic becuaz the color of the skin and that smoothing. Verry nice im still making stupid bloking "bloks" :p...

[joka232]

this is awesome thanks so much dude how much polys were there?!!!!!!!

[ReeceMixV2]

Awesome!

[coaster89]

this is very cool. im sure this will help me in my upcoming projects. thanks

[TimB1982]

really the series showed some hidden tricks