How do you model non-animated buildings?

[FDFederation]

How do you model non-animated buildings? Could someone show me a good tutorial that shows all the steps, starting from step zero and concluding with a simple and fully skinned doodad-type building. I have access to 3D Studio Max 9. I would like to reconstruct the buildings from Age of Empires 1 and 2 and SimCity 2000.

For example, could someone guide me through making and skinning the Babylonian ziggurat shown here:

. A basic step pyramid would be enough to show me how to make it. Any skin would be fine, just so I can learn the process of apply the skin.

Many thanks!

 

[Tauer]

There's not really much to do, other than to try it out. Learning by doing, I believe is the best way to learn 3D.
Otherwise, Google is your friend. Just search some tutorials on how to make buildings in Max and try it.
I doubt you'll find anyone here who'll guide you through the whole process of making those buildings there.

 

[FDFederation]

Most of the buildings can be made from several standard primitives, so do I just draw the required primitives and move them into the correct locations to make the building? Also, do non-animated buildings need bones? Which tools do I need to convert .max files to .mdl? What is the standard number of faces below which low poly models should have? How large should the models be in the modeling program?

 

[Mulgrim]

non animated buildings would be doodads.

it's easy to make those. but i don't use 3ds max, so i can't help you

 

[FDFederation]

When a model is complete, there should not be any polygons hidden inside?

 

[Mulgrim]

nope, everything you see is only what's needed, if there's anything inside, it's just a waste of space (unless the model is meant to have it)

 

[skrab]

Most of the buildings can be made from several standard primitives, so do I just draw the required primitives and move them into the correct locations to make the building? Also, do non-animated buildings need bones? Which tools do I need to convert .max files to .mdl? What is the standard number of faces below which low poly models should have? How large should the models be in the modeling program?

I don't understand your first question.
Some non-animated (doodads) buildings have bones. Some of them have animations like Stand (moving flag or something). But if you're making something static you don't need bones.
You can export from 3Ds max to mdl with Neodex exporter made by BlinkBoy
http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/...neodex-78b-mdl-kit-3dsmax-6-2010-gmax-115767/

The Polygon count (faces) hmm it depends on what are you making. Units go up to 1000 max or more for heroes. Buildings go up to 2000 or more. Doodads can go up to 500. Its all mater of taste...

You can import one Wc3 model into your 3Ds max and take a look.

When a model is complete, there should not be any polygons hidden inside?

All mesh should be visible if you want your model to be visible ingame. The bones, helpers and stuff like that will be hidden. (you don't need to hide them they will be hidden by Wc3 engine)

 

[FDFederation]

I don't understand your first question.

If I were to model a step pyramid, do I simply just stack different sized boxes on top of one another? For other simple buildings, do I overlap the primitive shapes?

 

[XDogg]

I box model... Start with a box and cut it in half then use a symetry modifier to make it mirror the other half... changes to one side effect the other side..

I like polymodeling so I convert the box to edit poly... after i finish back to edit mesh..


Best way to make something is throw down some primatives and follow through the "Warcraft 3 art tools" See if you can get it working before you began to attempt to model..

Then once you learn you can, then go about searching for box modeling tutorials or what not.

You have max 9 however so you may not have the easy route of following the art tools, but there are other means of doing so told about on this site.

 

[skrab]

If I were to model a step pyramid, do I simply just stack different sized boxes on top of one another? For other simple buildings, do I overlap the primitive shapes?

Wrong. You can't just stack boxes on top of one another...
I made a small tutorial.

Watch this http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/pastebin.php?id=vim1hj

 

[FDFederation]

Excellent tutorial! Exactly what I needed. Thanks!

Here is my version:

It is taller than the original and the obelisks are shorter and fatter. It has 83 vertices and 65 faces. The base size is 100x100, which I hope is okay.

688 vertices and 651 faces

613 vertices, 544 faces

 

[Tauer]

Pretty nice!
Now you just need to unwrap :/
And texture of course.

 

[FDFederation]

Could you point me to the right tutorial for 3DS Max?

 

[Tauer]

Did a quick google search, you can try this one out:
http://www.moddb.com/tutorials/unwrapping-in-3ds-max-for-beginners
It's a video tut.
And another one:
http://www.rensheeren.com/mirrors/senor/tutorial1.htm

Not sure if they're helpful, this is just what I found on google.

 

[FDFederation]

When you unwrap, does it matter where you place the unwrapped parts?

Nevermind. I have unwrapped everything.

How do I apply textures?

Nevermind, I just figured out.

Update on the pyramid.

I was too lazy to make the textures, so I copied and pasted the textures from Warcraft 3 and made it look bad. I tried to get the dimension ratios to match this time.

 

[FDFederation]

What is the best way to make textures? I am using Photoshop.

 

[Tauer]

Photoshop is the best program for texturing.