Max modelling tutorials/course (for architecture)

[itsallgonewronghere]

Going to have to start looking for a job soon and have a bit of a dilemma.

I do all my modeling in Autocad but most companies nowadays from what I can make out model in Max. I can texture, light and render in Max (to a high standard, no problems there, so I know my way around Max) but have only ever done basic modeling in Max. It may be that I am just "old school" but I have never considered Max better than Acad for modeling.

But if I want to compete in the job market today I am gonna have to learn!

Can anyone suggest a good tutorial or course for architectural 3d modeling in Max?

I have had a look around and am considering getting the Lynda:3ds Max 9 Modeling dvd http://store.lynda.com/productinfo.aspx?productid=645, but want to see if there is anything better out there before I shell out the $100.

I suppose I am looking for something intermediate or advanced but preferably specifically for the "architectural visualiser" (I really don't care how you model an alien head!)

[Dragonearl]

http://www.escapestudios.co.uk/3ds-max-tutorials/

 

One of the best cg schools and this course is by Mike Merron formerly of uniform i believe

[David Arbogast]

I am a Lynda.com subscriber (it is much more cost-effective to subscribe (25USD/month) than to purchase a DVD. Lynda.com is great for the Adobe Creative Suite training (Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Premier, After Effects, etc.). But, their 3ds Max training is horrible, in my opinion. The training looks to me to be just monkeying around with the software exploring modeling features. It does nothing to promote best practices regarding modeling architecture.

 

My recommendation is for you to look no further than the CGSchool.com On-Demand videos advertised right on this forum. As you can see in the promotional ad, you can buy 2 and get 1 free. Having purchased 3 of these videos (2 covering Vray and 1 on Photoshop), I can tell you that the training offered in these is infinitely superior to anything offered on Lynda.com or at DigitalTutors.com. It will cost you a good deal more, but you'll have architectural specific modelling training that will prove invaluable to you.

 

If you need to see for yourself how poorly the Lynda.com 3ds Max training is, just start a subscription at $25/month, and cancel when you're done...if all you need from them is the 3ds Max training, you'll get all you need within a month, saving yourself $75.

[Dragonearl]

of course CGSCHOOL

 

 

http://www.thecgschool.com/training-courses/3ds-max-for-architectural-visualization-beginner/

 

http://www.thecgschool.com/training-courses/3ds-max-for-architectural-visualization-intermediate/

 

These should be pretty useful

[itsallgonewronghere]

thanks for those folks

gonna check em out

[Peter M. Gruhn]

I used to think so too, but have changed my mind. It seems so easy to just build the bits you need and boolean openings and moldings... and get horrible geometry. I'll still start in ACAD for the 2d work as I still draw better/faster there if a project has enough 2d work. I used to have much more trouble with crashing and bad behaviour. Over time I came to realize that the good geometry and topo that makes the character and game modellers happy made my models more stable and easier to work with. "Why doesn't this fillet/morph/shell correctly?" "Because your geometry is stupid/bad." So I try to learn to poly model like the gamers. Just two weeks ago I had a look at xview again and was all "holy toledo, I should have been using this for years! Why did I skip it before?!"

 

One thing that is annoying is dropping loops in the middle of a wall to make an opening and having them not line up. Look at the make planar buttons (x, y, z). Look to moving with edge constraint then move back with an absolute type in. Look to making your building and openings single thickness and THEN add a shell.

 

http://area.autodesk.com/tutorials/inorganic_modeling_fundamentals_part_1 and 2 and 3. This has good modelling tips and approaches (I like the trace a spline with cut) and is just great for getting a feel of how an experienced poly modeller flows.

 

http://designreform.net/category/tutorials/autodesk-3ds-max/ Has some awesome stuff over on the fancy "parametric" side of the world, but it's the use of the stack for modelling and some eye opening work with shell that really catch my eye.

Edited March 31, 2011 by Peter M. Gruhn

[Dave Buckley]

^^^^^^^^^

 

+1

 

also having recently found out that good clean geometry is pretty important if you want to use displacement on your models.

 

I now tend to make sure my buildings are quad based (unless really not needed or practical). I will still slice away at my building for openings etc, but will always spend a bit of time cleaning the mesh using methods described above (make planar - align to x,y,z, cuts and target welds etc), afterwards to make sure my geometry isn't going to cause me problems down the line.

 

Can't remember the last time I used boolean/proboolean.

 

And just so you know, those Grant Warwick vids, Peter has linked to have been updated and can now be found here

 

 

The videos are great, and although not directly aimed at arch viz, they will still help, even if it's furniture modeling. After I watched them for the first time I still had a few questions and still didn't really get the grasp of how to 'terminate' edges properly, but found the images here helped http://forums.luxology.com/discussion/topic.aspx?id=48701

 

Finally, going off a tangent here but any other questions I had regarding modeling were cleared up with this book (again not directly arch viz related)

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Poly-Modeling-3ds-Max-Thinking-Outside/dp/0240810929

Edited April 1, 2011 by Dave Buckley

[Jeff Mottle]

The CGschool Max modeling class is here: http://www.thecgschool.com/training-courses/complex-model-creation/

[Peter M. Gruhn]

Thanks, Dave!