3D Studio MAX supports many different options for creating models (i.e. simulations). Among them is mesh modeling, which is modeling at the level of subobjects: vertices, edges, faces and polygons. Sub-objects can be extruded, scaled, rotated, deformed, deleted, merged, added; you can apply many other operations to them, thus changing the original object beyond recognition. The result of such manipulations can be completely different three-dimensional bodies - from abstract objects to completely real models. This modeling technique can be applied to different 3D Studio MAX objects, but so far we are only familiar with primitives, so we will master the mesh modeling techniques on them. We note right away that the possibilities of grid modeling are much wider than we can consider in this lesson. We will return to this topic several times in the future, but at a higher level.
Theoretical aspects
Any parametric 3D object created from a primitive can be converted to an object of type Editable mesh(Editable grid) or Editable Poly(Editable mesh). Such an object ceases to be parametric and will be further modified as a mesh, that is, at the level of vertices, edges, faces, and polygons.
To objects of type Editable mesh include geometric models of three-dimensional bodies represented by shells in the form of grids with triangular cells. Objects of type Editable Poly differ from editable meshes in that their shells do not consist of triangular faces, but of polygons. Polygons are polygons that have at least four vertices and replace the collection of two or more adjacent triangular faces that lie in the same plane. Therefore, a mesh composed of polygons, in contrast to a mesh composed of triangular faces, is called a polygonal mesh, or a mesh.
Many editing options for objects Editable Poly And Editable mesh similar, but there are differences. Editing Type Objects Editable mesh possible at the level of vertices, edges, faces, polygons and elements, and the type Editable Poly allows you to work with vertices, edges, polygons, elements and boundaries. Many operations at first glance are completely similar for both types of objects, for example, operations extrude And bevel, but require different settings and often lead to different results. In addition, polygon meshes, in comparison with conventional meshes Editable mesh, have a number of additional properties, in particular, they allow smoothing without the use of such special modifiers as MeshSmooth(Smooth mesh). Recall that modifiers are intended for modifying objects and become available after the panel is activated. Modify(Change).
Types of subobjects and the principle of their editing
As already mentioned, a significant part of 3D Studio MAX objects can be represented as grids consisting of elements of the same type or sub-objects, which include vertices, edges, faces and polygons (Fig. 1). The tools designed to work with them are grouped by levels: Vertex, Edge, Face, Polygon, Element and Border(Fig. 2 and 3).
Rice. 2. Editable Mesh Levels
Vertices are points where any number of edges converge and connect to each other. The level is designed to work with vertices. Vertex(Vertex).
Edges are the boundary lines of a face. Edges can be visible if adjacent faces do not lie in the same plane (then they are displayed as solid lines), or invisible; at the request of the user, invisible edges can be displayed as a dotted line. The level is responsible for controlling the visibility and position of the edges. edge(Edge).
Facets are triangular-shaped sections of the plane, which are elementary cells of the grid. In the same plane of the object, there can be many faces that are outwardly completely indistinguishable. A level is designed to work with edges. face(Fringe).
Adjacent faces lying in the same plane can be combined into polygons. In the case of converting an object to a type Editable Poly the process of forming polygons from faces is carried out automatically. In a regular mesh, a polygon is just a sub-object that allows you to select all adjacent faces that lie in the same plane at once. A polygon mesh has no such sub-objects as faces, and it consists entirely of polygons, and some polygons can be triangular. The level is responsible for working with polygons. Polygon(Polygon).
In addition, mesh objects can be edited at the level element(Element), which is used to work with face groups combined into a wireframe element, and objects of type Editable Poly- and at the level Border(Border), which is useful, for example, when indenting borders.
Mesh objects can be edited both at the level of the object as a whole and at the level of subobjects: faces, edges or vertices. To make an object editable at the sub-object level and turn into an editable mesh, you need to select it and select the command from the context menu Convert to=>Convert to Editable Mesh(Convert=>Convert to mesh edit mode); You can also apply the Edit Mesh modifier to an object. To convert an object to a type Editable Poly command is selected from the context menu Convert to=>Convert to Editable Poly(Convert=>Convert to mesh edit mode). In both cases, this will cause the panel to show Modify a whole series of scrolls:
- Selection(Selection) - is responsible for enabling the required sub-object level and managing sub-object selection modes;
- Soft Selection(Soft selection) - designed to expand the possibilities of selecting sub-objects and determines the law of propagation of transformations over the volume of the edited frame;
- Edit Geometry(Edit geometry) - contains the main tools for changing the geometry of subobjects. Some tools are the same for all levels and for both types of grids, while others are specific to each level (and/or grid). The list of common tools includes, in particular, the following:
- Attach(Append) - allows you to add new wireframe objects to the model being edited, while all faces of the attached object are combined into a new element,
- Detach(Detach) - is responsible for separating the selected sub-object into a separate element or a new object,
- Remove Isolated Vertices(Delete isolated vertices) - allows you to delete separately located object vertices,
- View Align and Grid Align(Orient to Current View/Orient to Grid) - performs a corresponding change in the orientation of the selected subobjects,
- Make Planar(Reduce to Plane) - sets the planar orientation for the selected sub-objects,
- collapse(Minimize to a point) – performs a collapse (compression) and merges all vertices of the selected subobjects into one, placing it in the geometric center of the selected area;
- Surface Properties(Surface properties) - combines such tools for setting surface properties that are intended for each level.
The choice of the required level of subobjects is carried out either by highlighting the level in the lists of subobjects Editable mesh or Editable Poly, or by clicking on the corresponding button in the rollout Selection panels Modify. To select the subobjects themselves, the usual selection tools are used: select object(Select object), Select and Move(select and move) Select and Scale(Highlight and scale), Select and Rotate(Select and Rotate) and Selection Region(Selection area shape). To sequentially select several objects, hold down the key while selecting ctrl.
In order to return from editing an object at the level of subobjects to normal editing, you need to highlight the level in the list of subobjects Editable mesh or Editable Poly.
Modeling with Vertices
Vertices are the main element of mesh editing - a few manipulations with vertices are enough to turn a standard primitive into a completely different object.
For example, create a primitive box(Box) by setting its length ( Length) and width ( Width) equal to 30, and the height ( Height) equal to 40 (Fig. 4), and save the object in a file. Without removing the selection, set the mode in which editing of the vertex is possible by selecting the command from the context menu Convert to=>Convert to Editable Mesh(Convert=>Convert to Mesh Edit Mode). To enable vertex manipulation, click in the rollout Selection on the button Vertex(Fig. 5).
Activate the tool Select and Move(Select and Move) and sequentially drag the vertices of its base so that the box turns into a truncated pyramid. Note that it's best to start moving the vertices in the Perspective viewport, because in all other views the bottom base vertices of the box are hidden under the top vertices. And then go to the Top viewport, which will provide a more accurate position of the vertices (Fig. 6). Do not forget that for more accurate movement of vertices, as well as objects, you can directly specify the coordinates of their new position in the lower part of the program window. If desired, you can move several vertices at once at once - in this case, after selecting the vertices, they are often blocked by clicking on the button Selection Lock Toggle(Highlight Lock Switch), which will immediately turn yellow. Locking saves the selected area during any manipulations in the program, and unlocking occurs as a result of clicking the same button again.
Vertices can not only be moved, but also rotated by the tool Select and Rotate(Fig. 7) or scale with a tool Select and Uniform Scale(Fig. 8). And you can reduce the selected vertices to one point by clicking on the button collapse(Minimize) on the panel Modify in a scroll Edit Geometry(Fig. 9).
Edge Modeling
To experiment, use the previously created and saved box and set its edge editing mode to − edge by clicking on the appropriate button in the Selection rollout. Like vertices, edges can be moved, rotated, and scaled in much the same way, although there are some differences.
You can use the tool to rotate the edges Select and Rotate(Select and rotate), or you can activate the features of the scroll Edit Geometry(Edit Geometry) panels Modify, where the button is intended for rotation turn(Expand). Activate this button and click on any edge of the box - this will rotate the corresponding edge, as shown in Fig. 10 and 11.
Modeling with polygons
Polygon(polygon) in scroll Selection. Polygons can be moved, rotated and scaled in the usual way if desired. In addition, there are many other interesting transformations available from the rollout. Edit Geometry panels Modify.
Consider the operation extrude(Extrusion), with which you can create convex elements of the object. Click on the Extrude button, then click on any polygon of the edited object (the polygon will be selected and the appearance of the mouse pointer will change) and move it - depending on the direction of movement of the selected faces, a convex (Fig. 12) or concave fragment will be created on their basis object.
You can add a straight chamfer to the selected faces, which is done by inserting planes instead of the common edges of the selected faces and is absolutely necessary when smoothing the shape of the model. To add a chamfer, click the button bevel(Chamfer), select the polygon and move the mouse to select the appropriate chamfer option (Fig. 13).
These operations can also be used on more complex primitives, for example, on a geosphere previously converted into an object of type Editable Poly(Fig. 14) using the command Convert to=>Convert to Editable Poly(Convert=>Convert to Mesh Editing Mode) and set to Polygon Editing Mode. The result of overlaying on one selected polygon of the geosphere of the operation extrude with parameter value Extrusion High(Extrusion height) equal to 50 is shown in fig. 15. Various transformations, in particular Extrude, can be applied both to one polygon and to a group of polygons by selecting them while holding down the key ctrl(Fig. 16), or immediately to all polygons simultaneously (Fig. 17 and 18).
Particularly worth mentioning is the smoothing of sub-objects. As already noted, objects represented as polygonal meshes can be smoothed without applying the modifier MeshSmooth(Mesh smoothing) - quite often it can be successfully replaced by the operation MSmooth(Smoothing) from a scroll Edit Geometry(Edit geometry). Try to apply it, for example, to the previously modified geosphere by setting the smoothing factor to 10 (Fig. 19).
Mesh modeling on specific examples
ball egg
Create an arbitrary ball (Fig. 20). Convert object to type Editable mesh by selecting the command from the context menu Convert to=>Convert to Editable mesh(Convert=>Convert to Mesh Edit Mode), and switch to Vertex Edit Mode by clicking on the button Vertex. To ensure smoother deformation of the ball, turn on the mode Soft Selection(Soft selection) with approximately the same parameters as in Fig. 21, and select with the tool select object all vertices located in the central part and in the upper third of the ball. It is more convenient to select vertices not one at a time with the key pressed ctrl, and enclose all selected vertices in a rectangular container. Move the selected vertices slightly up with the tool Select and Move(Select and Move) and then slightly narrow the selection with the tool Select and Squash(Select and compress). Reselect the top vertices of the ball, but reduce the number of sections by one from the bottom, and then perform the same operations on them. Perform exactly the same operations successively several more times, each time reducing the size of the selected area by one section and trying to give the object the shape of an egg (Fig. 22). To smooth the model, apply a modifier to the object MeshSmooth(Smooth mesh) by selecting it from the list Modifier List(Fig. 23) and setting its parameters approximately as in fig. 24, and as a result you will get an egg (Fig. 25).
Cylinder dumbbell
Create an arbitrary cylinder with 24 sides and 9 height segments (Figure 26). Convert object to type Editable mesh and switch to vertex editing mode by clicking on the button Vertex. With a tool Lasso Selection Region(Lasso selection) you need to select the vertices of the four middle cross sections of the cylinder (Fig. 27) and scale them with the tool Select and Uniform Scale(Select and scale evenly) down so as to form the narrowest area of the dumbbell (Fig. 28). Since the vertices are too close for the selection to be successful, you should zoom in and switch to single window mode by clicking on the button Min/Max Togge(Switch min/max). In addition, at a certain position of the object, you will not be able to select every section perfectly (some of the vertices on the back side of the object may not be selected), so it is possible that the object will have to be repeatedly rotated and switched from projection to projection.
Simultaneously select two extreme sections of the cylinder (don't forget to hold down the ctrl) and scale the vertices so that the distances between the sections increase (Fig. 29). Select the second section from the left edge and scale it so that the distance between this section and the section to the left of it becomes approximately equal to the distance between this section and the section to the right of it. Perform a similar operation for the second from the right edge of the section.
Switch to polygon editing mode by clicking on the button Polygon, and create chamfers for the end sections. To do this, select the tool select object the leftmost polygon, click the button bevel and define the chamfer parameters with the mouse or enter the desired values manually (Fig. 30). The second option is much more reliable, especially considering that you will have to create exactly the same chamfer on the right side. Create a similar chamfer on the right side. The resulting dumbbell is shown in Fig. 31.
Sea urchin from geosphere
Create a Primitive GeoSphere with the parameters shown in fig. 32 and convert the object to type Editable Poly. Switch to polygon editing mode, select all polygons of the geosphere and apply the operation to them bevel by setting the bevel height ( Height) equal to 0 and a stroke ( Outline Amount) equal to –1 (Fig. 33). Without removing the selection, repeat this transformation three more times, each time changing the parameters in accordance with Fig. 34, 35 and 36 - the result is shown in fig. 37. To smooth an object, apply a modifier to it MeshSmooth(Smooth Mesh) by selecting it from the Modifier List. Set the modifier parameters: in the section Subdivision Method choose an option NURMS, and in the section Subdivision Amount set value Iterations(Iterations) to 0, and smoothness(Smoothness of alignment) - equal to 1. The resulting model resembles a sea urchin (Fig. 38).
Rubik's cube from a cube
Let's try to create a Rubik's cube not from a set of individual cubes, but based on one cube. Create a Primitive box(Box) with parameters as in fig. 39. Pay attention to the number of segments in depth, height and width, which exactly corresponds to the planned number of cubes on each side: three segments are selected, which means there will be three cubes. Convert object to type Editable Poly and set polygon editing mode. Select all polygons and apply the operation to them bevel(Chamfer) with parameters: Bevel Type - By Poligon, Height- 5, Outline Amount- 0. And then repeat this operation for polygons, but with the parameters Height- 0 and Outline Amount- 2. As a result, the cube will be broken into separate cubic fragments and will be very similar to a real Rubik's cube (Fig. 40).
If desired, the cube can be made multi-colored, but for this it will have to be first broken into separate elements. Select the polygons located on one side of the cube (Fig. 41) and click in the rollout Edit Geometry on the button Detach(Disconnect, Fig. 42) - subobjects will be separated. To select a separated object, click on the button Select By Name (Select by name) and select the name of the object (Fig. 43), and then repaint it in a different color in the usual way (Fig. 44). Go back to the cube, activate polygon editing mode and similarly select the polygons on the other side of the cube, turn them into a separate object with the command Detach(Detach), select the created object by name and recolor it too. And so it is for all other parties. To smooth the entire model, select all the objects included in it by clicking on the button Select By Name(Select by name) and specifying an option All(All), and apply a modifier to them MeshSmooth(Smooth mesh) with parameters as in fig. 45. The resulting multi-colored Rubik's cube is shown in fig. 46.
Faceted crystals from the geosphere
Create a Primitive GeoSphere(Fig. 47), convert it to type Editable mesh and switch to vertex editing mode. Select all the vertices above the central section (Fig. 48) and flatten them into one plane by clicking in the scroll Edit Geometry on the button Make Planar(Bring to a plane, Fig. 49). Select all the vertices that lie below the central section (Fig. 50) and reduce them to one point by clicking on the button collapse(To reduce to a point, Fig. 51). When finished, get rid of sharp corners - to do this, switch to edge editing mode edge, select all edges and apply the operation Chamfer(Straight chamfer) by setting the bevel amount to 0.5 units. As a result, the crystal shown in Fig. 52 (of course, to make the created object really look like a crystal, some serious texture tweaking is required, but that's another topic).
If desired, the shape of the created crystal can be changed by scaling and moving individual vertices. However, it is first necessary to combine the vertices brought together into one point. The fact is that when reducing the vertices to a plane or to a point, they are saved separately, so then when modeling at the vertex level, problems will arise. For example, if some of the vertices lying at one point are selected, and the other is not, then, accordingly, when moving, some will remain in place, while others will move with all the ensuing consequences. To merge the selected vertices into one, a scroll is intended Weld(Combine, Fig. 53). When the button is activated Selected(Selected) operation is performed on all selected vertices that fall into Weld Threshold(Union Threshold). Button target(Target) allows you to merge vertices by moving the selected vertex to the desired one.
For example, let's change the shape of the crystal to make it flatter and wider. Tool Lasso Selection Region(Lasso selection) first select all the vertices of the plane (the crystal must first be rotated so that only the necessary vertices can be selected, Fig. 54). Set threshold value Weld Threshold(Merge Threshold) to 1 and click the Selected(Selected) - Plane vertices will be merged. In a similar way, select and merge the base vertices that have been flattened into one point. Then sequentially scale and move the desired vertices (Fig. 55).
Geosphere soccer ball
Create a geosphere with the parameters shown in fig. 56. Pay special attention to the parameters, since it is quite difficult to find such options when the polygons can be accurately combined into hexagons, which are elements of the ball. Convert object to type Editable Poly and switch to polygon editing mode. Start sequentially selecting geosphere polygons while pressing the key ctrl, forming hexagons from them. Ultimately, all polygons must be processed, but adjacent hexagons cannot be selected simultaneously, since the operations applied to them then must be applied separately to each group of hexagons. However, to speed up the process, it is possible to select several hexagons that do not border each other in one go - for example, as shown in Fig. 57. After finishing selecting a batch of hexagons, apply the operation to them extrude by setting in the field Extrusion Type option group and assigning the parameter Extrusion High value 0.2. Then do this for the next batch of hexagons, and so on. The final result is shown in Fig. 58.
After that, for each hexagon, apply the operation bevel with parameters such as in Fig. 59, which will lead to another change in the geosphere (Fig. 60). Apply a modifier to an object to smooth it. MeshSmooth(Smooth mesh) by setting its parameters in accordance with Fig. 61. The resulting soccer ball is shown in fig. 62.
Chess pawn from a cylinder
Create a cylinder with the parameters shown in fig. 63. Since there are quite a lot of sections in the object, for convenience, depending on the situation, we will number them in the direction from bottom to top or in the opposite direction. Convert object to type Editable mesh and switch to vertex editing mode. By setting the selection option for rectangular areas ( Restangular Selection Region), select the vertices of the lowest section and drag them down a little along the Y axis (Fig. 64). Simultaneously select all the vertices of the four bottom sections and move them down the same distance. Then select the vertices of the 2nd and 3rd sections from the bottom and scale them as shown in fig. 65.
Switch to polygon editing mode by clicking on the Polygon button. Select the polygon uniting the 2nd and 3rd sections from below, and apply the operation to it extrude by setting the mode for it local normal and manually entering a stamp value of -5. Then select the 2nd section from the bottom and scale the polygon so that the diameters of the 1st and 2nd sections are the same. Perform a similar operation for the 3rd section (Fig. 66).
Switch to edge editing mode by clicking on the button edge, select the 5th, 6th and 7th edges from the bottom and scale them approximately as shown in fig. 67. Switch to the vertex editing mode, select all the vertices located above and move them up so that the distance between the 7th and 8th sections increases significantly (Fig. 68).
Return to the polygon editing mode again, select the polygon between the 6th and 7th sections and apply the operation to it extrude(Extrusion) by setting its mode local normal and manually entering the stamp value equal to -3.5 (Fig. 69). Switch to vertex editing mode, select the vertices of the 8th section and use the Select and Squash(Select and shrink) reduce the diameter of this section approximately as shown in fig. 70. Select the vertices of the 9th and all above sections and scale them proportionally with the tool Select and Uniform Scale(Select and scale uniformly, Figure 71).
Switch to edge editing mode, select the 6th and 7th edges from the top and reduce their sizes proportionally (Fig. 72). Select the topmost edge and reduce it by creating a chamfer (Fig. 73). Select the 3rd and 4th edges from the top and enlarge them approximately as shown in fig. 74. Select the 10th edge from the top and move it up (Fig. 75). Adjust the distances between the 1st and 2nd and between the 3rd and 4th sections. Ultimately, the chess piece shown in Fig. 76.
You learned how and why you need to convert the model to an editable polygon and understood how to select each sub-object. In this lesson, you will learn more about the tools that allow you to work with vertices, edges, and polygons. You'll learn how to create new edges and polygons and take a detailed look at all the Editable Poly tools. Well, let's get started!
For example, create a primitiveBox of any size. Optionslength,Width andHeight set to 3:
Now it remains to convert the model to an editable polygon. (Right-click on the object and in the list that opens, selectConvertTo :-Editablepoly). This completes the preparatory part and you can proceed to the study of tools.
Working with Vertices
First things first about the Selection tab click on the Vertex button (hotkey 1) to start working with model vertices:
After that, you will see blue dots on the model, these are nothing but vertices.
Try to select any of the vertices and move it with the Move tool:
Notice how the faces have moved along with the vertex. Remember that faces that intersect each other are connected by vertices, and the movement of one vertex affects the movement of all adjacent faces.
To select multiple vertices, hold down the Ctrl key:
You have learned how to select and move vertices, now let's analyze the tools for editing vertices. All tools for working with vertices are conveniently divided into tabs, which we will now analyze. The Soft Selection tab is described in detail in the Editable Poly lesson, so we will immediately go to the Edit Vertices tab.
Edit Vertices tab
Remove - remove the selected vertex:
Pay attention to the fact that along with the vertex, the edges crossing it have also been removed. This is an important point that you should keep in mind when modeling.
Break - allows you to break adjacent faces that converge at the selected vertex, while adding one new vertex to each face. For example, select any vertex and press Break . It will seem to you that nothing happened, but it only seems. Select the Move tool and try to move the vertex in any direction:
Note that the vertex no longer moves the faces. Using the Break button, the vertex was broken into several separate vertices, forming a "hole" in the object.
Extrude - extrude a subordinate object. More commonly used for extruding polygons (See in this lesson). As an example, in the corner of the object, select the vertex and click on the icon, which is located to the right of the Extrude button:
Weld - merge vertices. is used to merge several vertices into one. For example, select two vertices and click on the icon to the right of the Weld button. In the field that appears, enter a value at which the vertices of two vertices will merge into one:
Chamfer — allows you to replace a vertex with a polygon, faces with new vertices:
- looks like a team Weld. When using Target Weld, you can select a vertex and drag it to another, thereby linking them into one:
add a new edge between between opposite vertices:
We figured out the tools of the Edit Vertices tab. Now let's take a look at the Edit Geometry tab.
Edit Geometry Tab
Create - adding a new vertex
Collapse - the command is similar to Weld and connects two vertices into one. It differs in that it can connect vertices at any distance without any numerical values.
Attach - this command works the same for all subordinate objects. Allows you to attach any new objects to this editable polygon. Attached objects will automatically turn into an editable polygon:
Slice Plane - cuts an object along a plane. By pressing the Slice Pline button, a yellow container will appear on the object, which indicates the location of the cut. This container can be moved and rotated using the transform tools. To create a cut, you need to click on the Slice button, which is located a little lower:
To reset the default values, click on the Reset Plane button. To exit the cut mode, press the Slice Pline button again.
QuickSlice - cuts an object, thereby adding new vertices, faces and polygons. Rarely used in modeling. For example, click on this button and create a cut:
Cut is a handy tool that allows you to add new edges anywhere:
Working with edges (faces)
Now switch to face editing mode (key 2 on the keyboard).
An edge is a line that connects vertices. As a rule, edges can be either open or closed. To select edges, it is convenient to use the Ring and Loop buttons, which are located in the Select tab:
Try to select any face and click on the Ring button, you will notice how all parallel edges are selected:
The Loop command selects edges lying in the same plane:
Just like vertices, you can select multiple edges. To do this, hold down the Ctrl key. Let's move on to exploring the edge editing tools.
Edit Edges Tab
Insert Vertex - creating new vertices on edges. If an edge is selected and this button is pressed, a vertex will be created in the center:
Remove — remove selected edge:
Split - splits an edge into two parts by a vertex.
Extrude - extrude a face and then add polygons:
Weld - connects two edges.
Chamfer- adding bevels:
Bridge - if you select two edges and click on this button, they will be merged with a new polygon.
Connect - adds new edges. For example, select two parallel edges and click this button:
Edit Geometry Tab
Create - adding a new edge.
Collapse — connect selected edges:
MSmooth - adds new vertices, polygons, and edges to the object, while smoothing it. For example, select all the edges and apply this command:
Tessellate - same as MSmooth adds mesh density, but no smoothing:
Working with polygons
Edit Poligons Tab
Insert Vertex - add a vertex anywhere in the polygon:
extrude - allows you to extrude a polygon:
Bevel - extrudes the selected polygon and applies a bevel to it:
Outline - decrease and increase the selected polygon:
- creates another set of polygons inside the polygon, while connecting them with faces:
Flip — changes the direction of polygon normals.
In this part of the course lessons 3 DM ax for beginners, we will continue to get acquainted with the tools of this editor. In the lessonEditablePoly , you learned how and why you need to convert the model to an editable polygon and understood how to select each subordinate object. In this lesson, you will learn more about the tools that allow you to work with vertices, edges, and polygons. You will learn how to create new edges and polygons, and understand all the tools in detailEditablepoly. Well, let's get started!
For example, create a Box primitive of any size. Set Length, Width and Height to 3:
Now it remains to convert the model to an editable polygon. (Right click on the object and select Convert To:-Editable Poly from the list that opens). This completes the preparatory part and you can proceed to the study of tools.
Working with Vertices
First of all, in the Selection tab, click on the Vertex button (hotkey 1) to start working with model vertices:
After that, you will see blue dots on the model, these are nothing but vertices.
Try to select any of the vertices and move it with the Move tool:
Notice how the faces have moved along with the vertex. Remember that faces that intersect each other are connected by vertices, and the movement of one vertex affects the movement of all adjacent faces.
To select multiple vertices, hold down the Ctrl key:
You have learned how to select and move vertices, now let's analyze the tools for editing vertices. All tools for working with vertices are conveniently divided into tabs, which we will now analyze. The Soft Selection tab is described in detail in the Editable Poly lesson, so we will immediately go to the Edit Vertices tab.
Edit Vertices tab
Remove– delete the selected vertex:
Pay attention to the fact that along with the vertex, the edges crossing it have also been removed. This is an important point that you should keep in mind when modeling.
Break– allows you to disconnect adjacent faces that converge at the selected vertex, while adding one new vertex to each face. For example, select any vertex and press Break. It will seem to you that nothing happened, but it only seems. Select the Move tool and try to move the vertex in any direction:
Note that the vertex no longer moves the faces. Using the Break button, the vertex was broken into several separate vertices, forming a "hole" in the object.
extrude– extrude a subordinate object. More commonly used for extruding polygons (See in this lesson). As an example, in the corner of the object, select the vertex and click on the icon, which is located to the right of the Extrude button:
Weld- merge vertices. is used to merge several vertices into one. For example, select two vertices and click on the icon to the right of the Weld button. In the field that appears, enter a value at which the vertices of two vertices will merge into one:
Chamfer- allows you to replace a vertex with a polygon, faces with new vertices:
Target Weld- similar to the Weld command. When using Target Weld, you can select a vertex and drag it to another, thereby linking them into one:
add a new edge between between opposite vertices:
We figured out the tools of the Edit Vertices tab. Now let's take a look at the Edit Geometry tab.
Edit Geometry Tab
Create- adding a new top
collapse- the command is similar to Weld and connects two vertices into one. It differs in that it can connect vertices at any distance without any numerical values.
Attach– this command works the same for all subordinate objects. Allows you to attach any new objects to this editable polygon. Attached objects will automatically turn into an editable polygon:
Slice plane– cuts the object along the plane. By pressing the Slice Pline button, a yellow container will appear on the object, which indicates the location of the cut. This container can be moved and rotated using the transform tools. To create a cut, you need to click on the Slice button, which is located a little lower:
To reset the default values, click on the Reset Plane button. To exit the cut mode, press the Slice Pline button again.
QuickSlice- cuts the object, thereby adding new vertices, faces and polygons. Rarely used in modeling. For example, click on this button and create a cut:
Cut- a handy tool that allows you to add new edges anywhere:
Working with edges (faces)
Now switch to face editing mode (key 2 on the keyboard).
An edge is a line that connects vertices. As a rule, edges can be either open or closed. To select edges, it is convenient to use the Ring and Loop buttons, which are located in the Select tab:
Try to select any face and click on the Ring button, you will notice how all parallel edges are selected:
The Loop command selects edges lying in the same plane:
Just like vertices, you can select multiple edges. To do this, hold down the Ctrl key. Let's move on to exploring the edge editing tools.
Edit Edges Tab
Insert Vertex– creation of new vertices on edges. If an edge is selected and this button is pressed, a vertex will be created in the center:
Remove– remove selected edge:
Split– splits an edge into two parts by a vertex.
extrude- extrude a face with the subsequent addition of polygons:
Weld- connects two edges.
Chamfer- adding bevels:
Bridge- if you select two edges and click on this button, they will be merged with a new polygon.
Connect– adds new edges. For example, select two parallel edges and click this button:
Edit Geometry Tab
Create- adding a new edge.
collapse- connect the selected edges.
This 3ds Max polygon modeling tutorial covers the most commonly used 3d operations when using the Edit Poly modifier (or Editable Poly). This method is great for creating almost any object in 3ds Max.
First, let's create a simple Box primitive with the proportions of a real TV. 
fig.1. Created initial 3d primitive - Box
Let's apply a modifier to our box EditPoly
fig.2. Modifier applied EditPoly
By pressing a key F4 on the keyboard in 3ds Max we turn on the display of the edges of our polygonal model.
In the modifier stack, go to the polygon level to start modeling. And select the front polygon where we will start creating the screen. 
fig.3. Moved to the polygon level and selected the front one in the perspective window
Apply the operation to the selected polygon Inset to create a face as shown in the figure. It will serve as the basis for creating the screen. 
fig.4. Applying the operation to the polygon Inset
Press the resulting polygon inward with the command extrude.
fig.5. Pressed the landfill operation extrude
Subdivide the double-embedded polygon with the operation Tesselate(Subdivision), thereby increasing the detail of the front face for the possibility of its further deformation. In general, it is not recommended to abuse this operation in your models. 
fig.6. Increase the detail of the face with the operation Tesselate
Go to the vertex level and select the central vertex of the screen. 
fig.7. Selected the central vertex
Activate soft selection mode Soft Selection(Thanks to him we will be able to deform the object more smoothly). Notice the Falloff and Bubble options. fall off is responsible for the width of the capture zone of neighboring vertices. Bubble- for the form of distribution of weights. Color shading clearly shows the degree of capture.
Now let's move the central vertex forward a bit to make the screen rounder. Be sure to exit the soft selection mode when you're done. 
fig.8. Move the center vertex forward a little with soft selection mode
The screen is ready, now we need to prepare the back wall. Go back to the polygon level and select the back face. 
fig.9. Selected the back of the TV
Apply the operation to the selected polygon bevel(Bevel extrusion).
Height- amount of extrusion
outline- degree of contraction 
fig.10. Selected the back of the TV
Extrude the back face again with the operation extrude.
Height- amount of extrusion 
General information
Polygonal modeling (mesh editing or wireframe editing) is a low-level modeling and is based on manipulating the vertices, edges and faces of objects (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Components of any polygon feature.
Polygonal modeling is one of the main modeling methods. In polygonal modeling, the shape of an object is changed by directly affecting its components. To provide this type of modeling in 3D Studio Max, the following are used:
- type objects Editable mesh. mesh can be translated as a loop, mesh (grid), so the object itself can be translated as "Editable Mesh" or "Editable Frame". An object Editable mesh can be obtained by converting, as well as stack folding.
- modifier Edit mesh(Edit Mesh (Edit Wireframe)).
Selecting subobjects
The face is a triangle, usually two triangular faces lie in the same plane and are merged into a rectangular face. To go to the sub-object editing level, do the following:Step 1. Click the button Sub-Object(Subobject).
Step 2 Select a level from the object's pop-up menu.
Step 3 Use the buttons in the scroll Selection(Choice):
– level of peaks;
- the level of the ribs;
– level of triangular faces;
– level of rectangular faces;
The purpose of the tools for editing the mesh (editing the wireframe) shown in Figure 2 is described in Table 1.
Figure 2. Tools for working with an editable mesh (editable wireframe).
Table 1: Purpose of mesh editing tools (wireframe editing):
|
Name |
Level: V - vertex, Edg - edge, F - triangular face, Poly - face. | Button assignment | |
| Adding elements. | |||
| Removing elements. | |||
| Attaching other (independent) (Attach List) scene objects. Objects of another type are automatically converted to objects of the Mesh type. | |||
| Separation of sub-objects with the creation of an independent object on their basis. A dialog box appears where you need to enter a name, the Detach as Clone checkbox allows you to separate not the subobject itself, but its copy. | |||
|
Divide, Break | The Divide operation divides a subobject into two parts. The Break operation splits the selected vertices so that none of them belong to than one edge. |
||
| Rotate the selected face by 90° with the formation of two triangular faces on its base, where this face is common. |
|||
| Extrusion of subobjects. The amount of extrusion is entered in the adjacent field. | |||
|
Chamfer, Bevel | The Chamfer button allows you to create a chamfer based on the selected subobjects. Bevel lets you pull off or expand the selected population. |
||
|
SlicePlane | Setting the auxiliary plane for the Slice operation. | ||
| New elements are created at the intersection of the plane and the object. | |||
| The tool allows you to manually create new edges and cut a face by adding an edge. When the Split flag is set, two vertices are created at the ends of the cut points of the edges. Checking the Refine Ends checkbox leads to splitting adjacent faces, to prevent unnecessary holes. |
|||
|
Selected | The tool allows you to remove vertices by approximating them into one averaged total (merging); the boundary (the minimum distance between vertices at which the merge begins to act) is set nearby. The operation is applied to the selected set of vertices. |
||
| The action of the button is similar to Selected, but the user chooses the average point himself (the value in the next located field sets the maximum distance between the mouse pointer and the target at which the merge occurs). |
|||