Modeling help

[orangebr8]

Hi-

I'm pretty new to modeling. I'm capable of putting together an extruded box model with no problems. But it doesn't seem like thats gonna be enough - whenever I take a look at the unskinned renders produced by mod teams I wonder how in the hell I'll ever manage something like that.

If someone could answer a couple of questions for me, I would really appreciate it.

1> Is the best method to start with a cube and extrude/slice planes until youve got the shape you want?
2> Are details achieved ( like pipes, wires, rails on guns ) by using secondary meshes and grafting them to the first?
3> Is boolean modeling a no no? its the only way i've found to create complex shapes - like having a cylinder protrude from a cube. Or do you have to do a manual graft of the cylinder to the cube?

Specifically, I'm thinking of some of the rifle models I've seen where the modeler included ridges, indentations and vents on the surface. How do they do that? All of my models so far are boxy - which is partly my style, partly my inability to add too an existing model. Good relevant tutorials or words of advice are much appreciated!

Thanks-
orange

[TMT-Airborne]

1> Is the best method to start with a cube and extrude/slice planes until youve got the shape you want?

Planar modeling or starting with a primitive shape and then extruding are ways to start, then start moving the vertices around, Modify\EditMesh I think it is, don't have it in front of me to look. Then click on 'Vertices'

2> Are details achieved ( like pipes, wires, rails on guns ) by using secondary meshes and graphing them to the first?

Not real clear on what you're saying but I think yes, you model out the different parts and you can manually 'graph' them to the model

3> Is boolean modeling a no no? its the only way i've found to create complex shapes - like having a cylinder protrude from a cube. Or do you have to do a manual graft of the cylinder to the cube?

You can use boolean modeling, just it sometimes doen't do what you wanted. Manually doing it can also achieve the same effect.

All of my models so far are boxy - which is partly my style, partly my inability to add too an existing model.

Mostly it's editing vertices and moving them to shape your blueprint. There's another key part of modelling, having good blueprints to shape your model to. Going from just photographs is hard to do because your perspective is going to cause the scaling to be off. Also, the models you see mod teams released unskinned, have still been rendered, which is another reason they look so good. Just search google for 3DStudio Max tutorials and there's tons. Happy modelling

[orangebr8]

heh thanks for the response - that was supposed to say "graft" to the model. my bad.

[Kaltagesta]

The edge-chamfer tool is you're friend!