3DS MAX Spline Cage Tutorial - Model a 3D Skull in 3ds Max Tutorial

Spline Cage a 3D Skull in 3ds m

This tutorial will teach you the basics of Spline modeling using bac
pictures in 3ds Max.

Draw a Spline using the Line tool. Make rough front and side outlin
building the Spline Cageusing the Refine Connect tool.
Then apply a Surface modifier to add skin to the skull.

After the half mesh is complete, convert the object to an Editable P

refining. Make a Clone Copy of the half mesh and Weld the two h
to make one object.

Add a Shell modifier to give inner thickness to the object.

Finally, Extrude the teeth poly's out a bit, and add a TurboSmooth

Put the background pictures on

two plane objects
Download the Skull pictures.

Create a Plane object in the front and side

viewports. Load the bitmaps into the Diffuse color
slots.

The skullfront bitmap is 176x239 pixels. Resize

the front Plane object so it has the right dimensions.

The skullside bitmap is 224x238 pixels. Resize

the side Plane object so it has the right dimensions.

This is what things should look like.

Create the Skull Lines

Go to the Line tool so we can make the rough

outlines of the skull. Make a rough outline of the front
of the skull. Then use Move to move the selection of
points to the center of the skull in the Front viewport.

Stay on the front viewport and start a new line by

clicking Create Line. Make a rough outline.
Then group select the new outline in the side
viewport, and Move on the X axis to the middle of the
skull.

Go to Vertex mode. Fuse the two joining points at

the top of the skull in the Orthographic viewport.

Go to the Front viewport and Create Line. Make a

rough outline of the eye.
Then group select the new outline, and Move on the
X axis to the middle of the eye socket in the side
viewport.

Checkmark the Area Selection at 0.1. This will allow

you to move fused points without having to group
select the points.

Start shaping the eye in both side and front

viewports. Use the Move tool for each
point. Fuse any joining points.

Use Refine and Connect

We will start using Refine with
the Connect checked to create lines between points
as we build the Spline Cage.

Use Refine to add points on a line.

Each time you create new points, they might default
to Smooth or Bezier, with adjustable handles to
create smooth curves.
We just want a rough outline. So if any new points
are curving the segments, then highlight all the new
points and right click and choose Corner.

Start adding and shaping geometry to the eye area

by using Refine Connect.

Add a Surface Modifer

You can now add a Surface modifier to see how the
skin looks like on the mesh. Make the Steps = 0.
Sometimes you have to adjust the parameters of the
Surface Modifier. If the skin is inside out, then Flip
Normals.

The Threshold may give you problems. Start at

zero, and increment very slowly until all
the Quad/Tri mesh has a skin.

Only Quad(four), or Tri(three) point connections will

show up when applying the Surface modifier.

In Vertex mode toggle the Show End Result button

with the Surface modifier on, so you can edit the
mesh and continue adding more geometry.

Connect the point circled in blue, and Fuse it to the

point circled in red. Then in
the Front and Side viewports, move the points to
make a curve.

Start to work your way downward on the side view.

In the front and side views, start moving vertices to
fill out the lower half of the face. Notice that the lines
get tight at the edge of the face.

Delete the points shown below. We will then stretch

the mesh to match the side background.
The front background picture is curved to much at
the lower jaw bone, so we will use the side
backgroundpicture as the reference.
Delete some odd segments and Refine Connect to
fix the mesh.

Right click and go to Object Properties. Check SeeThrough. Add more geometry make a rough
segment outline in the space of the jaw. Also add
more geometry for the teeth.

Spline Cage the back of the Skull

Lets finish the back of the skull. Draw a rough outline
in the side viewport with Create Line. Move it to the
middle of the skull.
Then Fuse the top points. Right click
and Hide the Front viewport, so we can work on the
back of the skull.

Start connecting points and adding new ones to

shape the back of the skull, using
the Side, Top, Back andOrthographic views as
your reference.

Check the back and side and top viewports, and

adjust the points so the segments curve.

Connect the two points below so we can start on the

bottom of the skull.

Start shaping the lower skull.

Delete the left over points below. On the side

viewport, pull down the points to match the
background.

Check all views and adjust the points.

Notice the lines are more curved and closer together
as the points radiate out to the edges of the skull.

Edit the Brow, Cheek bone, and

Teeth
Pull the brow and cheek bone out one point at a time.
Check the Side, Top and Orthographic views to
make the points curve.

Move all the teeth segments inward.

Right click the Surface modifier and Collapse All.

Then Convert the Editable patch, then to Editable
Poly.

Right click the skull and go to Object Properties.

Check See-Through. This will make the side
background picture show through.

In Polygon Mode Delete the polys for the space in

the jaw.

Clone and Weld the two halves

Right click the object and Isolate.
Now to use the Mirror button
to create a
copy of the other half of the model.

Click Attach, and then click the other half. Now it is

one object.

Go to Vertex mode. Group select all the middle

vertices. Make sure Ignore Backfacing is
unchecked.
Go to Weld. This will weld the vertices from the two
halves, so there is one vertex instead of two for each
point.

Add a Shell Modifier

Go to Polygon mode and select all the jaw polys.
Click the Detach button under Edit Geometry.
ThenDetach To Element.
Click the Move button on the toolbar, and pull the jaw
down to separate it just a bit from the skull.

Go back to Editable Poly. Add a Shell modifier.

Change the Inner Amount to 0.1m. This will add
inner thickness to the model.

Extrude Teeth and add a

TurboSmooth modifier
Add an Edit Poly modifier to the stack. Go
to Polygon mode. Group select only the front and
rear teeth polys.

Go to the Extrude button and extrude By

Polygon 0.02m.

Add a TurboSmooth modifier to the stack

with 3 Iterations.

Final Render
Go to the Material Editor and apply an empty
material slot to the model. Change
the Diffuse to white.

Go to Rendering/Render on the menu. Go to

The Exposure controls button. Then to Automatic
Exposure Control.
Background Color is white.
This will give you some decent renderings. Click a
viewport then Render.