Tank modeling tips by Piotr 'Pionier' Kolus

In this tutorial i would like to show you few technics that i use for tank modeling, i will show how you can make zimmerit, camouflage like net with leafs and bushes or destroyed mudguard. For this i used 3ds max 7 and plugin PolyBoost 2.2.

BARREL

Model of barrel I have made from simple objects like cylinder or box that was converted to Editable Poly, so I've been able to make proper shape.

Now we need to put 'plane object' above our barrel. Make segments of it like you want, after that convert it to Editable Poly and add Cloth modify.

Now go to "Objects properties" and set up there some parameters that we need, in this case for our barrel check "Collision objects", and for plane object check "Cloth", and after that select one of material presets. In "Simulation Parameters" set subsample at 5 so intersection of cloth and collision object will be checked 5 times per sample, this will make more accurate simulation.

Now convert our plane object to editable poly and go to vertex subobject edtion, now change selection typ to "paint selection region", and using it select and remove some vertexes form bottom of our net like at image below.

Now one more time select some vertexes from bottom and use "soft selection", add noise modifier so we will get some deformations.

Now its time for Polyboost. Select any edge of our object, and go to "Topology" and click icon "edgedirection".

Select all polygons and choose option "inset". After this delate new polygons, so we will get nice net :).

Leafs I are made in the same way like in previous tutorial about making of simple plant.Simple leaf was deployed on net using ParticleFlow. Leafs variations I get using 'vartiations' in 'shape instance' tab.

TOW LINE

Now create 4 circles like at image below, and after this attach it to one object. At the end using "boolean" get proper shape.

Add 'loft' modify, and all aptions set like at image below. This is effect:

ZIMMERIT

From choosen element of tank detach polygons that you want convert to zimmerit, and using tool 'cut' and 'connect' add some edges. Half of our polygons bevel, and manualy add some crush fracture.

DESTROYED MUDGUARD

Process of making mudguard show us animation below

After selecting appropriate edges i used tool 'CornerLoop' that comes with PolyBoost. CornerLoop - Inserts a loop automatically builds quad corners when the loop turns. And after that i used Tesselate for selected polygons.

Hope that you understad everything. And this tutorial was helpfull.< If you have any quastions and suggestion please contact me via mail. E-Mail

hooooah !

Piotr 'Pionier' Kolus