Topic awaiting preservation: Mayor problem =>3D Max PLZ help

Im trying to make a spectacle case in 3Dmax, but my further work seems to be bounded by my lack of experience with Max

Well I've tried to construct the casing by using a campherbox shape and break it up in two halfs. The idea was that I then would export it to PS (in a readable format of course) and mount the "casing graphics" (text, pictures and stuff). But the mayor problem is that when I break the shape up (using meshedit=>detach thnx to Skaarj) it turns out that the campherbox only consists of a thin shell!
I tried to copy the original shape, scale it and place it in the center of the larger box and then do the detach thing, but when I move the two halfs from each other the shell is still visible...dammit what do I do?
To make myself more intelligible: Im looking for a way to produce a solid/filled campherbox.

sincerely

Cheers!
/Punishers Inc. - Nephalim

Make your box.
Make a smaller box, and place it inside the big one.
Switch the dropdown on the right from 'extended primitives' to 'compound objects'.
With the big box selected, click on Boolean.
Click on the 'Pick operand B' button.
Pick the smaller box.

This gives you a shell of a box, with a thickness based on how much smaller the small box was.

I would then make a normal (not chamfer) box, and boolean subtract it from the shell, to cut the shell in half.

Thanks for your reply...but:

quote:

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I would then make a normal (not chamfer) box, and boolean subtract it from the shell, to cut the shell in half

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Im sorry but how can you cut the box in half by using the boolean substract command? Can I make you deepen the method a bit and explain why you wouldn't use a camferbox to cut the larger boolean camferbox into half?

By the way is it really true that you cant create a "filled"/solid object in Max without any of the boolean commands??

Rasmus

Cheers!
/Punishers Inc. - Nephalim

[This message has been edited by PunisherOlsen (edited 11-12-2001).]

[This message has been edited by PunisherOlsen (edited 11-12-2001).]

Ok I just found out how to use your method Das. Thanks.



But as you can see, well the shape is too angular (that is if its supposed to simulate a spectacle case). I read some tuts on how to create sophisticated shapes from boxes, but if I convert the shape to editable mesh Im able to pull the mesh into the desired shape (well almost), but I cant figure out how to smooth the sharp edges and eliminate the "squareish" look after this boxtransform. I tried to apply the meshsmooth command but the following smooth is insufficient (still "squareish").

Any ideas...anyone?

Cheers!
/Punishers Inc. - Nephalim

Not sure I'm understanding what you're wanting. If the chamferbox is the wrong shape, you could make a normal box, apply meshsmooth (3 iterations) and have something sort of ovaloid. Changing the number of segments in each direction (on the original box) changes the smoothed shape to be more squared-off.

You can make just about any sort of shape by modifying the underlying frame of a meshsmooth.

OK I think I'll give the boxmodelling a try.
After applying meshsmooth is it then possible to edit the original box dimensions (H, W and segments)?

Thanx for the help Das

Yes, just select the box in the modifier stack (on the right), modify the dimensions or segments, then switch the modifier stack back to the meshsmooth.

Something else you can try, although it's a bit more advanced:
Make a box.
Edit

Hehe, 3DMax here I come

Das I appreciate your advice and indeed helpfull help

Your guy - POlsen

Cheers!
/Punishers Inc. - Nephalim

just below the dropdown box for the modifier stack, there is a button with what looks like a little test tube in it...click this when you have your editmesh modifier active, and the original mesh will appear as what is called a control mesh (your mesh turns orange) and the shape you are looking at turns into what your mesh looks like with meshsmooth applied (you have to have already applied meshsmooth, and it must still be in the stack). You can then grab the vertices or polygons on the control mesh and interactvley see what your mesh looks like smoothed. This button is called 'Show final result"...fun stuff.




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