Model a High-Poly RPG Rocket Launcher in 3ds Max – Day 1

on Apr 11th 2012 with 73 comments
Tutorial Details

Final Product What You'll Be Creating

This entry is part 10 of 12 in the Best of 3D Studio Max – Part 1 Session
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This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Model a High-Poly RPG Rocket Launcher

Because of the time constraints inherit to realtime video tutorials, it is usually almost impossible to find tutorials that deal with modeling large or very complex objects, as they would just take too much time to complete. Well not any more. In this mammoth, 3 day, nearly 10 hour long video tutorial series, Chris Tate will give us an in-depth look at modeling a faithfully constructed, photorealistically precise high-poly RPG launcher and rocket using 3d Studio Max.

Republished Tutorial

Every few weeks, we revisit some of our reader's favorite posts from throughout the history of the site. This tutorial was first published in December of 2009.

Throughout the creation of the model, we will utilize a wide range of modeling tools and techniques, including many of 3ds Max’s edit poly and spline modeling tools. We will also work with subdivision quite heavily , while going over the workflow for many different objects and discussing the use of support edges, and when and where it’s necessary to use them. Lastly, we will talk about the final mesh clean up, fixing problem areas, and the use of proper topology when cutting holes into subdivided surfaces while maintaining a quad based mesh.

Additional Files/ Plugins:

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      • Video 1

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      Note: click the ‘Monitor’ icon to view tutorial in full-screen HD.

      Video 2

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      Video 3

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      Video 4

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      Video 5

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      Video 6

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A long time Cgtuts+ author, Chris has recently moved into the role of co-editor at Cgtuts+. Chris has nearly a decade of experience working with 3D studio Max and has authored many in depth tutorials for Cgtuts+ as well as other websites. A generalist by definition, Chris spends most of his time modeling, but has many years of experience in the area's of UVMapping, Texturing, Lighting and Rendering. On rare occasions when he's not wasting away in front of his computer, Chris enjoys playing hockey, skateboarding, watching movies and playing games. You can find more of his work over at christateonline.com.  

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  • Erhan

    Hello chris,

    Thank you.

    Your tutorials is excellent.

    I am rookie. Your tutorial is very helpful for me. I learned a lot. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

  • RiCky11

    Hy. I can’t cut that hole at the first hole. (3Ds Max 2010) Please Help. The lines go out the object and i did not know what is going on!!!

    • RiCky11

      Newermind this, and thanx a lot for this tutorial man :) (Im a weapon modeller in GTA SA)

  • Iani

    Just lovely ,thanks for sharing :)

  • Reza

    Amazing Tutorial . Thanks a million , Chris .

  • Ken Meichel

    Almost 2 years later I am watching this tutorial for the first time.
    And again I thank you.
    I was wondering if instead of inseting the end polygon and extruding and beveling it back to meet
    the other end…. and then deleting and welding……?
    Would it be the same to delete both ends and add a shell modifier at the same inner amount as the inset and then convert back to poly?……
    seems like it would save a lot of fuss if it was so…..
    Thanks for your enthusiasm and dedication.

  • Elie

    One of the best detailed tutorials.
    Thank you for taking the time to create it.

    Keep up the great work

  • Jonathan

    Can you make It viewable on iPads please. But otherwise really good tutorial

  • Stephen Cordes

    This may sound crazy and I don’t want to open up the whole Maya/Max thing, but how easy is it to translate this tutorial over to Maya? Things like loop, connect, inset don’t appear in Maya and I’ve been using it for a year of so now (I’m still inclined to switch to Max if the truth be told). Any tips out there for me?

    • MaxToMaya

      As someone who has used both, I feel much more comfortable with Max for modeling. Although I have only been using Maya for a few months, I have learned a few of its counterparts from Max. The key is to be creative — sometimes you have to improvise a tool to get your desired effect.

      Loop – in Maya, double click an edge to loop. To Loop a face, click one face, then doubleclick the next adjacent face in the desired Loop (face Looping sometimes goes in the wrong direction).

      Connect – For edges, use the Insert Edge Loop tool. This one can be tricky. As far as I know, the only use of this Max tool that can be translated into Maya is the creation of segments (edges that encompass an entire object), such as adding more edges around a joint. Otherwise, you can try the Interactive Split Tool. For vertices, you can use Connect Components to create an edge between two verts.

      Inset – this is really easy, and it’s where you have to be creative. If you think about it, an Inset is just an Extrusion that is not raised, and scaled down. To Inset in Maya, you just Extrude without changing the Thickness and lowering the Offset.

      The ability to translate between programs really depends on your skill as a modeler. Most programs have tools that serve similar purposes, you just need to tweak them to get a desired effect. Good luck!

  • Sahil

    awesome tutorial but i have a question. you leave lots of vertexes in a polygon but the rule is 4 vertex in a polygon then why you do that?

    • http://www.christateonline.com Chris Tate
      Author

      Hey Sahil,

      Are you referring to the objects created using splines? Those can be left as n-gons (more then 4 verts per poly) if you’re not going to subdivide the mesh later. The quad polygon rule, although ideal is really only a must when working with subdivision (Turbosmooth or Meshsmooth.) But even in that situation, it’s OK to have the occasional n-gon or triangle if they reside on a planar or flat surface.

      If you’re working on a curved surface however, it’s always best to aim for a completely quad mesh if you can. Which will help avoid artifacts or smoothing errors at render time.

      Hope this helps!
      Cheers,
      Chris

  • Jonathan

    Love the tutorial. Lovin this site!

  • Sahil

    hey!! the tutorial is not full??????

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