‘Quick Tip’ – How to Create Cool Hair and Fur Effects in 3ds Max

on Jul 14th 2009 with 22 comments
Tutorial Details
This entry is part 14 of 14 in the Evan Schaible Session
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In this tutorial we will take look at the Hair and Fur World Space Modifier in 3ds Max. We will learn how to set up the Hair and Fur modifier, how to make it react with the other character geometry, how to tweak it to get the results we want, and how to render out our final effect.

The software you will need is Autodesk 3ds Max. For the purposes of this tutorial, I will be using 3ds Max 2010, but any version that has the Hair and Fur world space modifier will suffice.

Final Effect Preview

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

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Rollover to read this author's bio or click through to see a full list of posts by this author.

Evan Schaible is a fluids/particle artist and technical director from Los Angeles. Being currently unemployed, he is looking for full time staff work, as well as honing his own skills by doing freelance technical direction, visual effects, and occasionally even motion graphics and visualization. He runs a training website that can be found at: www.ParticleFlow.net, and his blog can be found at: www.evanschaible.com.  

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  • acti0n

    Sorry but thats not looking cool …

    Very bad tutorial :(

    • http://www.joestrong.co.uk Joe

      Looks good to me, what don’t you like?

    • cressa

      the model isn’t exactly something out of Monsters Inc and the render is very basic, but its a workflow tutorial, its not a course in design..

      did you even watch the tutorial?

    • http://kaleb-3d.com Kaleb Aylsworth

      This tutorial is a ‘Quick Tip’, and only intended to demo a specific technique. It is not designed to be a ‘step by step’ walk through of how to arrive a beautiful final piece of art. You can use your own artistic ability, and design aesthetic to create whatever you like with the technique after you have learned it, but that part is up to you.

  • http://www.behance.net/Modisana Modisana

    Wow..awesome…

    Just wish there were more Maya tutorials

    Great stuff nonetheless

  • Stefan Frank

    Just an example of ‘quick & dirty’ :)
    Can`t match up with the other tutorials on this site.
    For all who are now realizing that their 4000 Bucks program can do Hair Simulation, please make different hair parts. Add some forces to it, texture it and STYLE the hair. (brush, scissors, etc.)To archive a more precise result, get a texture to show where to grow hair and where not. The polygon thingy isn`t a very professionell way. In almost every real project you have to texture it and unwrap your model. Use those maps to show the modifier where to act. (Use a greyscale map in the desity slot for example)

  • Stefan Frank

    One thing i forgot to say:
    You will render scenes in passes. Especialy in those high detailed scenes like those with hair in it. No need of tweeking in a different file to get the real feeling of your hair in the real project. Just render out the hair pass and you see what you want.
    This method is only good for carpet, grass and towles. Not for living things.

  • http://www.evanschaible.com Evan Schaible

    It was just meant to be a brief introduction to the modifier, for those who have not had the courage to look into it. If I were too go as deep as some would like, it would take too much time and not be worth it on my end. If you are interested in more detailed and deep tutorials on this, than request them.

    But anyhow, I wasnt creating an intricate living creature, or anything film quality, but demoing the modifier to give those who have never looked at it a head start. Sorry if you didnt like it, but maybe that is because you dont need to watch it and are looking for more advanced material.

    - Evan

    • Stefan Frank

      Maybe you are right and i was too offensive. But now the visitor could see the quick way and know there is more to learn in this.
      Anyhow thanks for reply.

      • http://www.evanschaible.com Evan Schaible

        Sure thing. Please keep in mind that tutorials as I understand them to be are not meant to bring you to a final effect that you can just mirror and put in your demo reel. In my opinion a good tutorial gives you technical information that you can use to create something that looks good, and should be 100 percent better than the tutorial. Please keep that in mind for my future tutorials as well. I am a technical director, not an artist.

        - Evan

        PS: I tried to post my blog url change a few times but here it is again: http://www.evanschaible.com

  • Vinnie

    This was very helpful!! Thank you so much for the tutorial and I’m looking forward to the next. Cheers!!

  • jammy

    As a quick tip its acceptable but defiantly not cool as promised in the beginning.

  • dawn

    Sound is too low, I can barely hear the tutorial, even with my headphones up high.

  • midoo-64

    Thanks for this video , i was just looking for how start to work with hair in max becase i didn’t use it befor and only time i use i didn’t understand it , so thanks for it , and for sure there many learned form it and they thankful to you , becase there is many people didn’t work with hair in max and fur and clothing all that

  • Justspeeding

    nice simple tutorial good for starters like me

  • missing link 13

    its a great tutorial for starters like me dont listen to the critisim

    • Conrad

      always remember … no one gets to where they want to be without criticism (especially in our line of work – Creative) …. criticism is good, but only in the context of saying that something can be done in a better (or easier way) or even suggesting a change here or there … all the greats (Maltannon,AK, JD, et al) know this … that’s how they’ve gotten so good at what they do.

      …. [

      @acti0n

      Thinking of criticism in terms of saying a tutorial is bad or not upto standard is WRONG. Period! Whoever posts tutorials does take the time to do so ... and it's their valuable time that thier putting into it.

      ] …

      As the author says himself … he’s a technical director, not an artist; but even he can and should be able to take criticism … I’m sure he does get some in his line of work.

      If one already know the techniques shown … fine, move on to another tutorial by another author; if not use the techniques that he has shown to do do something of your own … and hey, if you have the time, post a tutorial of it, but don’t forget to credit this author for giving you those techniques. It’s only a fair.

      Great work Evan. Much appreciated!

  • Gel

    Tell you what I think of criticism. Reserve if for times when you can do (and teach) better. Otherwise, shut up.

  • Iseeyoursoul

    THANKS ALOT!!! Learned some cool tricks.

  • ingeniero zapatilla

    This is a spectacular tutorial, because it looks advanced and stylistic. Very good!

  • Krystian Galicki

    A quick tip.

    To see through the object instead of applying the transparent texture to the object, you can select your object that you want to see through and press the shortcut Alt + X

  • eu

    crap Hair and fur, crap model, veeeery crap render.