ROPE BALL TUTORIAL - ENG VERSION

by Francesco Legrenzi @ copyright 2009
www.francescolegrenzi.com

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For the Italian version, please click here.
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INTRODUCTION

The idea

Some users asked me writing down a tutorial concerning candelabrum body rope knots, a detail from a recent scene.


Fig. 01 - Tutorial idea takes shape from this model.


This project born fortuity when i had to model some objects for interiors. An odd but interesting design candelabrum was in the number.


Fig. 02 - Real object reference.


A detailed modeling is not necessary since candelabrum takes a small area in render window.


Fig. 03 - Candelabrum will be positioned over the library. there is no need of high level of detail.

TUTORIAL


Joint knots are the most complex part of model. First modeling step includes a way to make it easier, creating a semplified geometry.


Fig. 04 - Model base objects.

Structure's componed by pipes, simple cylinder primes (Tube_01, Tube_02, Tube_03). Assign a steel shader, in order to fill any winding hole and avoid empty zones. Three knots (Node_01, Node_02, Node_03) are:
- an editpoly with turbosmooth modifier on;
- two spheres modified by "FFD4x4x4".

We will use those geometries as spline-rope modeling base, with an useful scipt : "Avanced Painter v1.6.0".

We just need to drop his file in viewport to install the script. After go in CUSTOMIZE->CUSTOMIZE USER INTERFACE -> and look in Advanced Painter class, to add a toolbar or a shurtcut.


Fig. 05 - Installing and creating an "Advanced Painter" toolbar.


Thanks to the script we can paint several objects on geometries, such as grass, hair, stones, or using external objects to create random distribution, useful to paint forests. We're going to use "Spaghetti" tool, able to draw simple Splines on meshes, keeping his radius as distance from surface.


Fig. 06 - Spaghetti's Advanced Painter tool we'll use to create rope..


Select object, Node_02 for example. Now select spaghetti tool, define "Radius" and click "Paint" to get all the Splines we need.


Fig. 07 - Generating Splines on given surface.

Shaping stops when we rotate viewport to paint Spline on knot opposite side.
Remind: Spline thickness on viewport depends on "Enable in Viewport" and "Enable in Rendering" automatic checking.


Fig. 08 - Option enabling Splines thickness.


Just band together with "Attach".


Fig. 09 - Splines union.


In order to reduce Spline vertex over numbering due to "Spaghetti" tool, add "Normalize Spline". Use "Vertex Thicks" to show vertices.


Fig. 10 - Vertices reducing.


Collapse Splines or add "Edit Spline" to weld final vertices.


Fig. 11 - Vertices welding.

Replicate many times to complete knot covering.


Fig. 12 - Splines wrapped sphere.


A boring part of this job: manually moving Splines vertices to reduce intersections. Collapse all in the end.


Fig. 13 - Spline completed.


Use "Sweep" modifier with a custom shape to increase rope detail.


Fig. 14 - Final knot.

"Sweep" modifier automatically creates UVmapping saving any unwrapping.
Proceed with displacement texture.


Fig. 15 - We can check UV mapping added by "Sweep" adding a Checker texture.


In displacement slot add a texture similar to that one:


Fig. 16 - Displacement Map


Follows our rendering with a bumpmap:


Fig. 17 - Our final rendering.


Hope you all enjoy this tutorial.
See u soon...

Cheers.

Francesco Legrenzi (cecofuli)
www.francescolegrenzi.com

Please help. I used max design 2011 but not install maxscript.
Thanks

LINK

Installation

1. Extract advPainter_1.5.1.mzp
2. Start Max. MaxScript>Run Script ... and choose the extraced file. A dialog box will inform you that installation is successful.
3. Install Advanced Painter action item (found under 'Painter' category) to your toolbar, main menu bar, or quadmenu. You set up a shortcut key or menu item for Advanced Painter the same way you would configure a regular 3ds interface item. Go to Customize / Customize User Interface, change the category to 'Painter' and assign a shortcut. Click ok. Voila. If you are having difficulty installing Advanced Painter or any other script, try checking out the script installation page, especially the videos demonstrating the process.

NOTE: Advanced Painter 1.5 requires 3ds max 5.1.

Uninstalling Advanced Painter: During setup, the the following files are copied. If you wish to uninstall Advanced Painter just delete them yourself.

[maxroot]\stdplugs\stdscripts\Functions_AdvPainter.ms
[maxroot]\UI\macroscripts\Macro_AdvPainter.mcr
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Grass.ms
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Hair.ms
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Randomizer.ms
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Scatterer.ms
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Spaghetti.ms
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Stone.ms
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Toothpaste.ms
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Example.txt
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\Ink_Template.txt
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\scatterer_i.bmp
[maxroot]\scripts\AdvPainter\scatterer_a.bmp