Using Splines to Quickly Create Highly Complex Geometry in 3ds Max
In this video tutorial by professional 3ds Max artist Laurens Corijn, you will learn the ins and outs of using splines to easily create extremely complex geometry in 3ds Max. Over 5 different methods are explored, with examples on how you can apply these techniques to your own projects too. Even if you’re an experienced user, you won’t want to miss out on this, as some of these methods are not very well known!
Final Effect Preview

Video 1
Download
Note: click the ‘Monitor’ icon to view tutorial in full-screen HD.
Video 2
Download
Note: click the ‘Monitor’ icon to view tutorial in full-screen HD.
Don’t miss more exciting tutorials and articles published daily! Subscribe to Cgtuts+ by RSS.
You never stop to impress héhé. When I have the time I will look the whole tutorial. But you know, school comes first :D
very important modeling tut , thank you very much i give you 9/10. you are cool man !!!
That was a good beginner tutorial. Very well explained. Hope to see some advanced Nurbs Modelling from you. Keep on the good stuff!
thanks for the rad tutorial – never knew about the sweep feature, man thats awesome!
*psst* and for future reference you pronounce lathe as if it were spelled like “laythe” ;)
cheerios
Finally I know how to pronounce it! Very difficult word, none of my coworkersknew how to say it as well, result is all our students don’t know either :p Thanks dude, and thanks to the rest for the nice comments!
In case you’re interested (and didn’t know already), it’s called ‘lathe’ after a a similar tool used in workshops whereby a stock material is rotated and cut while rotating. It’s used to make chair legs and banister rails among other things.
Thanks v much, awesome tutorial, well explained as always, look forward to more
excellent tutorial, very helpful; keep it up
What an amazing tut, is quite useful the bevel along path thing, thank u
believe me, you are awesome!
Thanks for that. Impressed at the bevel profile stuff.. always good watching these for inspiration for a modeller just starting out and trying to learn skills
Does the mesh always have to be that dense?
No, for everything splines allow you a lot of control over the density. You can use one Spline object to generate both a high and lowpoly version even.
As for the frag grenade at the end: it’s not really an example of the cleanest or best mesh, but is intended to serve more as an illustration of the power of splines.. It’s probably the fastest way to create it, but not the cleanest and it needs a lot of polygons to look good.
I extremely love your tutorial!! Thank You Laurens!! very helpful.
LINE POWER!!!
tks for this great tutorial !
Great work,Thanks
I never knew the power of splines!
When you showed it in class I was amased,
but after seeing this video I’m simply stunned!
Another great video again! Loved watching it!
Dude you are amazing, an the tutorials to.
Thanks for share
Really interesting. It’s kinda back to basics ;)
Reminds me of an old tutorial when I modeled my first shapes. I should have kept it in mind!
Nice tut, I’m no noob but I still learned a few things. Another way to use splines is with surfaces, that’s cool too.
VERY COOL, IT HELPED ME A LOT. THANX LAURENS
Realy nice tutorial on splines ;)
Very nice that thing with multiple shapes on a loft.
Thanks man, this was very interesting. I’m currently working on a scene featuring a roller coaster and I was having issues with the rotation on my lofts, so the bit on the tail end of your tutorial about that was especially helpful.
Thanks a lot Laurens!
I learned definitely some new thing here ;)
Thank you for explaining splines, which were very helpful and cleared a few of my doubts about using splines. Excellent tutorial!
Hi, nice tut buddy, i was using some of techniques you showed but some others I havent seen before are really impressive. Thanks for it.
Really good stuff some impressive ideas
hi just watched the tut impressive.. i used splines in other programs but never thougth of how to use thm in 3ds.. anyway quick question.. how woudl u use splines to create somthign like a bike fule tank?
it is very nice wed site to learn about 3d max and Maya.
hi Laurens i am used to work with 3ds max , im not a beginner but i never thaught we could do all those things with loft tool , i learned from u many things in loft tool , and i blame my self for having underestimted it hhhh ;)
i am recently turned into rhino i think its a powerful shape modeling soft , i wonder if nurbs modeling in 3ds is as much powerful as rhino , waiting for ur answer and thnx in addvance
Superb tutorial…Can u plzz do one on NURBS modelling…
Hi Laurens, I’ve been looking for a easy way to engrave text in high poly models. (without using boolean)
How did you do it in your VZ61?? I went thru Ben Bolton’s tutorial like you said but i’m looking for a cleaner way so I can have everything in the same object… I was wondering if you did it differently in your model.
btw, thanks for the Excellent tutorial!
I pretty sure he made Normal Maps for the text on his model. Pretty easy to do …..Just unwrap the first mesh…..copy it…..attach floating engraving to the copy……use the copy when burning the engraving into a normal map for the original…tell max to add the normal map to the Bump slot….render. Also a good way to add checkering, Tooled leather to a holster, and little details that would be hard to model as one piece.Lots of good tuts on how to do it right here.
Super late reply, but that text was just done afterwards in photoshop. It’s always cleaner and sharper that way IMO.
Thanks for a very useful tutorial Laurens , im sure ill be using these techniques often.
Excellent tutorials, a real big help. Thank you :)
Well Done!
This is simply the best tutorial on splines ever made ! I’ve seen many of them and none is half as good as this one. Despite of knowing most of the stuff you explain here, I enjoyed viewing it again since you show a lot of useful tricks and techniques nobody else cover in one place. Also your voice is a charm.
Wow, i am very impressed about your tutorial(s). Great and well done. I like your clear voice and the right speed to follow the tutorial. Hope to see more
Thank you for that great tutorial.