From MIlkshape to 3dxmax

[ChaoticHunter]

Hi there, i'm trying to pass from milkshape to 3dsmax, but i don't want to lose all my progress with a model. The reason of this change is that I need a way to increase the geometry of my model, i don't know if it is any tool in 3dsmax for do it, but also i don't want to exceed at poly.

I want also to know if there is anyway to do this on milkshape.

I do prefer milkshape beacuse is more free to do whatever you want, but 3dsmax you need excesive the use of geometric and you can't manage the vertex in the way you want so easily. I need advise at this.

Is There a way to pass my model to 3dsmax and geometrize it?
Is there a way to reduce polycount after geometrize the model, optimizing it?

How do i manage to create vertex and poly aislated without make a cube or a sphere in 3dsmax?

 

[GhostWolf]

3ds Max is superior to Milkshape in about every way, shape, and form. Learning how to use it is a longer process, obviously.

You can create new vertices, edges, and faces, in both.
In Milkshape, it's a very manual process, of you placing specific vertices, and attaching them manually.
In 3ds Max, it depends on your approach, but you'd probably generally go with extruding, which means pushing out geometry out of an existing one (e.g. if you have a plane, and you extrude it, you get a 3D cube).

Yes, you can pass your model to 3ds Max, simply save it in a format 3ds Max knows how to read (such as *.OBJ, *.FBX, or what not).

You can create arbitrary vertices in 3ds Max, but I don't understand why you'd want that. Get free of your "I used user-made Warcraft 3 tools" mindset, and start modeling properly.
Not only do people not create vertices manually for many years now, but box modeling is also getting killed. Get on with the times.

 

[ChaoticHunter]

I find 3dsmax extremely diffficult to understand and also the interfase isn friendly, you can' t even move the camera easily, I know what extrude is, but I found very hard making things with spikes or curves from cubes or spheres

 

[GhostWolf]

Yes, 3ds Max is a professional program with countless of tools in it, it's not going to be a walk in the park and after ten minutes you know how to use everything.

As to figuring how to build your mesh - that's called topology, and it's a huge subject, and it's something you need to learn over time, and by reading and researching.
Topology, or in other words, the way your polygons connect (and also the type of polygons), form vertex loops, etc., changes everything when it comes to animation and texture unwrapping.
How relevant this is to Warcraft 3? probably not too much, since the models are so low poly, and the vertices almost never even use more than one bone.

Either way, like I keep telling people - if modeling is a passion for you, and you are looking at the long term here, definitely get 3ds Max. Otherwise, don't.

 

[ChaoticHunter]

I think i need a guide or something so.. :/ .. i'm postponing this until i know basic 3dsmax at least.. Thnks for the help, By the way, the smoothering can't be used in warcraft models right? what about Starcraft II ? I'm new at that game editor..

 

[Talavaj]

Learn what all the tools do, with 3d modeling it is important to understand what the tools can do since the whole idea is about creating what you have on mind with the most efficient way possible.

Just create a box or whatever, open up the edit poly modifier and try out what everything in the edit polygons tab does.
It should be enough for most basic modeling.
Some other modifiers that are pretty handy and speed up various things are bend, cap holes, lattice, mirror, push, skew, spherify, symmetry, squeeze, stretch, taper and twist.
Then go into the create tab again and play with splines and know that you can turn them into mesh either trough the rendering tab or by converting the line modifier into an editable poly, then think about what you can do with that from there.
et cetera

Also, learn hotkeys.
Turning the camera is easy for example, just hold the ALT key and the mousewheel and move your mouse however you want, z for example zooms you onto whatever model you have selected, etc.

3d modeling is pretty easy when you think about it, it is just a matter of knowing your tools and of how much time you are willing to spend on it.