Modeling a Low-Poly Character

This tutorial demonstrates how to model a character similar to those found in today’s video games. You will explore a variety of modeling techniques, starting with what is commonly called “box modeling.” This means constructing your model from a simple polygon box. You can model just about anything using this method.

You will also make extensive use of the editable poly object and Edit Poly modifier. You will also use the Symmetry modifier to help reduce modeling time and effort.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Time to complete: 6–8 hours

Features Covered in This Tutorial

• Creating various complex, organic forms from simple objects such as primitives and extruded shapes.
• Using the Symmetry modifier to create a mirror duplicate of half of the model.
• Transforming editable poly sub-objects to fine-tune the model shape.
• Inserting vertices to add resolution where needed.

Tutorial Files

All the files necessary for this tutorial are provided on the program disc in the \tutorials\low_polygon_modeling directory. Before starting the tutorials, copy the \tutorials folder from the disc to your local program installation.

In This Tutorial

• Setting Up the Scene
• Creating the Boots
• Creating the Pants
• Creating the Torso
• Creating the Arms

Setting Up the Scene

Before you begin creating a 3D model, whether a character or any other object, you first need to research the object you wish to create. In this tutorial, you will be modeling a helicopter pilot for a war game.

To research this subject, you can consult books and use Internet search engines. You might also take snapshots of a figurine from a toy store.

Even better, if you can draw, you can create custom illustrations for use as reference when building the character.

Creating a Virtual Studio

Before you begin, note the resolution (in pixels) of the reference images you've created. If you are using the reference files that have been provided for this tutorial, their resolutions are as follows:

Top reference image: 385 (width) x 200 (height).

Front reference image: 385 (w) x 440 (h).

Side reference image: 200 (w) x 440 (h).

Create a reference plane:

1. Start 3ds Max. Activate the Top viewport by right-clicking it.
2. From the Create menu, choose Standard Primitives > Plane.
3. In the Top viewport, click and drag an area of any size.
4. Go to the Modify panel. On the Parameters rollout, set Length to 200 and Width to 385.
5. Set both Length Segs and Width Segs to 1.
6. On the main toolbar, click the Move button.
7. On the status bar, set the position values in X, Y, and Z to 0.0.
   This places the plane’s pivot point at the world origin.
   Tip: One easy way to set a numeric field to 0.0 or its lowest possible value is to right-click its spinner.

Map a reference image:

1. Press M to open the Material Editor.
2. On the Blinn Basic Parameters rollout, set the Self-Illumination value to 100.
   This lets you see the map without any help from scene lights.
3. Click the map button next to the Diffuse color swatch.
4. On the Material/Map Browser that appears, double-click Bitmap to choose this type of map.
   This opens the Select Bitmap Image File dialog.
5. Browse to the \Tutorials\low_polygon_modeling folder and choose soldier-top.jpg. Click Open to dismiss the dialog.
6. Click the Show Map In Viewport button to toggle it on.
7. With the plane object still selected, click the Assign Material To Selection icon to apply the newly created material to the plane.
   You can now see the material on the plane in the Perspective viewport.

Create additional reference planes:

Now that you have created the top-view plane, you'll repeat the procedure to create an additional plane based on the front view, and another one based on the left view. The sizes of these planes should reflect the sizes of the reference images to be assigned to them. Therefore, the plane you build in the Front viewport should be 440 units long by 385 units wide, and the plane you build in the Left viewport should be 440 units long by 200 units wide. Remember to center each plane and to use a new sample slot in the Material Editor for each new material. When you are done, the Perspective viewport should look like this:

Adjust the virtual studio:

Before you can start modeling the character, you need to adjust the positions of the three reference planes.

1. Activate each viewport in succession and press G to turn the grid off.
   Currently, only the Perspective viewport is shaded.
2. Make sure every viewport is shaded by first activating it and then pressing the F3 keyboard shortcut.
3. Select the top reference plane in the Perspective viewport. Using the Move tool, move the plane downward on the Z axis (blue axis) until it is at the bottom of the other two planes.
4. Select the side reference plane in the Perspective viewport.
   Notice that the height of the helmet in this reference plane differs from its height in the front reference plane.
5. Move the side plane upward on the Z axis so that the helmets’ heights match. You can keep an eye on the pilot’s belt as well.
6. Move the side reference plane on the X axis (red axis) to the right edge of the virtual studio.
7. Finally, select the front reference plane and move it on the Y axis to the back edge of the virtual studio.

Freeze the reference planes:

Now that the reference planes are in place, you'll freeze them to prevent accidentally moving them.

1. Select all three of the reference planes and go to the Display panel.
2. On the Display Properties rollout, turn off Show Frozen in Gray.
   Note: Leaving this option on would turn the planes dark gray after freezing them, preventing you from seeing the reference images. In the case of a virtual studio, you want to disable this option.
3. Expand the Freeze rollout and click Freeze Selected.
4. Save your file, naming it My_Virtual_Studio.max.

Next

• Creating the Boots

Creating the Boots

In this lesson, you create the boots of the helicopter pilot by using a simple box primitive. You then convert the box to editable poly format and start sculpting the boot using sub-objects such as vertex, edge and polygon.

Create a box primitive:

1. Continue working on your file from the previous exercise, or load the file virtual_studio.max, found in \tutorials\low_polygon_modeling.
2. Zoom in on the pilot’s foot in the Left viewport.
3. From the Create menu, choose Standard Primitives > Box.
4. Create a box to use as a heel. Set Length to 6.0 and both Width and Height to 18.0.
5. In the Top viewport, move the box so that it is aligned with the pilot’s right foot, on the right side of the viewport. If necessary, adjust the Height value of the box to correspond to the width of the foot in the reference image.
6. Right-click the box and choose Convert to > Convert to Editable Poly from the quad menu.
7. On the Modify panel, click the Polygon button.
8. In the Top viewport, click the side of the box facing you.
   The top polygon on the box highlights in red.
9. Press the Spacebar to lock your selection.
   Note: Alternatively, you can lock the selection by clicking the Lock Selection toggle on the status bar.
10. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click the Extrude button.
11. In the Left viewport, click and drag to extrude the selected polygon until it is just below the ankle.
    Tip: To better visualize the geometry structure, press F4 to turn on Edged Faces display. Do this in all viewports.
12. Press the Spacebar again to unlock the selection so you can select a different polygon.
13. In the Front viewport, click the upper polygon representing the foot.
14. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click the Extrude button again, and then click and drag the selected polygon to extrude it until it reaches the ball of the foot. Keep an eye on the Left viewport for reference.
15. In the Left viewport, scale the selected polygon slightly on the vertical (Y) axis.
16. Move the selected polygon downward to place its bottom edge level on the ground.
17. In the Front viewport, scale the selected polygon up horizontally.
18. Perform one additional extrusion to create the toes. Use Move and Scale on the various axes to adjust the selected polygon so it resembles the following illustration.
19. In the Top viewport, select the polygon at the rear of the foot.
20. Extrude the selected polygon to the ankle level.
21. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click Bevel. Drag the selected polygon upward to perform a regular extrusion, and then release the mouse button move the mouse upward slightly to make the polygon bigger. Keep an eye on the reference image in the viewport.

The bulk of the work is done, but you still need to refine the boot to make it look better.

Refine the boot:

1. Continue working on your file.
2. On the Selection rollout, click Edge.
3. In the Perspective viewport, select one of the vertical edges near the ball of the foot or the toes.
4. On the Selection rollout, click the Ring button.
   All edges around the foot are selected.
5. On the Edit Edges rollout, click the Connect button.
   This creates an extra division running horizontally through the previously selected edges.
6. Scale the selected edges uniformly larger by a small amount (about 108 %) to tone down the boxy look of the foot.
7. In the Perspective viewport, use Arc Rotate SubObject to view the back of the boot.
8. Select the top edge at the rear of the boot.
9. Press and hold the Ctrl key and then click the down spinner of the Ring tool. With each click, an additional edge is selected around that ring. Keep clicking until all the horizontal edges running down the back side of the boot are selected.
10. On the Edit Edges rollout, click Connect.
    A new vertical division goes through the previously selected edges.
11. In the Top viewport, move the selected edges upward on the vertical axis (Y) so that the back of the boot is slightly more rounded.
12. If you have time, continue refining the boot. However, do not overdo it, as you do not want to have too many polygons in the model.

Finalize the boot:

1. Continue working on your file.
2. On the Modify panel, exit the sub-object level.
3. From the Modifier List, choose the Bend modifier.
4. Set Bend Axis to Y and Direction to 90.0.
5. Adjust the Bend Angle so that the boot is oriented with the reference image. An Angle value of -15 to -16 degrees should be adequate. You might want to rotate the boot slightly in the Top viewport as well.
6. Rename the object Boot-Right.

Mirror the boot:

1. Continue working on your file.
2. Right-click the Front viewport to activate it.
3. On the main toolbar, activate the Mirror tool.
4. Leave the Mirror Axis set to X and set Clone Selection to Instance.
5. Click OK to create the instanced, mirrored clone and dismiss the dialog.
6. Use the Move tool to position the new boot based on the reference image.
7. Rename the clone Boot-Left.
8. Save your file as My_Soldier_Boots.max.

Next

• Creating the Pants

Creating the Pants

In this lesson, you create the pants for the helicopter pilot. As with the boots, you'll base the pants on a primitive; this time a cylinder. You'll create one leg first and then use the Symmetry modifier to create the other leg.

Creating a leg:

1. Continue working on your file from the previous exercise, or load the file soldier01.max from \tutorials\low_polygon_modeling.
2. In the top viewport, zoom in on the pilot’s right foot.
3. From the Create menu, choose Standard Primitives > Cylinder.
4. In the Top viewport, create a cylinder centered on the right boot.
5. Go to the Modify panel. Set the cylinder Parameters as follows:
   Radius: 20
   Height: 20
   Height Segments: 1
   Sides: 8
   Smooth: Off
6. In the Left viewport, move the cylinder downward until it intersects slightly with the boot.
7. In the Front viewport, rotate the cylinder so that it is aligned with the pants leg in the reference image.
8. On the main toolbar, click Scale and then set the Reference Coordinate System to Local.
9. In the front viewport, scale the cylinder on its local x axis so that it better fits the reference image.
10. Right-click the cylinder in any viewport and choose Convert to > Convert to Editable Poly.
11. On the Modify panel, click the Polygon sub-object level button.
12. In the Top viewport, click the cylinder’s top polygon.
13. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click the Extrude button.
14. In the Top viewport, drag the selected polygon to extrude it by about half the original height.
15. Use Move and Local Scale to fit the selected polygon to the reference image in the various viewports.
16. Perform another extrusion to right below the knee. Again, use the transform tools such as Move and Scale to match the polygon to the reference image. You might also want to use Rotate.
    Joints such as knees and elbows require additional detail so they deform properly when animated.
17. Add two more extrusions to complete the knee, adjusting each as you go.
18. Add one extrusion to create the thigh, and another all the way to the hip joint.
    You can add more detail later if you miss a spot.
19. Add two more extrusions to provide the necessary mesh resolution for the hip joint.
20. Add another extrusion to reach the lower part of the belt. Use the transform tools to align the polygon with the belt line. Don't worry about the right side; applying the Symmetry modifier will take care of that.
21. Add one final extrusion for the belt.
    Before you apply a Symmetry modifier to create the opposite leg, you need to adjust the buttocks area, which is too flat at the moment.
22. On the Selection rollout, click the Edge button.
23. In the Left viewport, select any of the vertical edges below the belt.
24. On the Selection rollout, click the Ring button to select all edges parallel to the selected one.
25. On the Edit Edges rollout, click Connect. This adds a series of edges connecting the selected ones.
26. On the Selection rollout, click Vertex.
27. In the Left viewport, drag a region selection of vertices around the buttocks and then adjust their positions.
28. Exit the sub-object level when done.

Use the reset XForm utility:

Before you apply a Symmetry modifier to create the other leg, you'll use the Reset XForm utility to reset all rotation and scale transforms on the existing object. Failing to do so would result in faulty symmetry planes.

1. Continue working on your scene from the previous exercise.
2. With the pants-leg object selected, go to the Utilities panel.
3. Click the Reset XForm button to invoke the Reset Transform rollout, and then click Reset Selected.
4. Go back to the Modify panel.
   The modifier stack now contains a new XForm modifier that incorporates all the rotation and scale transforms.
5. Collapse the stack by right-clicking the leg in the viewport and choosing Convert To > Convert To Editable Poly.

Use the Symmetry modifier:

1. Continue working on your file from the previous exercise.
2. Make sure the leg is selected. On the Modify panel, access the Modifier List and choose Symmetry.
3. In the modifier stack, expand the Symmetry modifier and click Mirror
   This sub-object level lets you transform the plane about which the symmetry occurs.
4. In the Parameters rollout, leave Mirror Axis set to X and turn on the Flip option.
5. In the Front viewport, move the Mirror plane on the X axis so that the symmetrical leg is in the right place.
6. Exit the Mirror sub-object level when done.

The pants are almost done. You still need to fine-tune the area around the hips, though; you will use the Edit Poly modifier to correct that.

Use the Edit Poly modifier:

1. Continue working on your scene from the previous exercise.
2. Make sure the leg is selected. On the Modify panel, open the Modifier List and click Edit Poly.
3. In the Perspective viewport, zoom in on the front of the belt.
4. On the Selection rollout, click the Edge button.
5. Select the center edge of the belt.
6. Press and hold Ctrl and then click the Loop upper spinner twice.
   This expands the selection by two adjacent edges.
7. In the Top viewport, move the selected edges on the Y axis so that you get a smooth curve instead of an inverted V.
8. Similarly, adjust the edges on the back side of the pants.
9. Continue fine-tuning the area around the hips. For better control, try alternating between Edge and Vertex sub-object levels.
10. At the Edge sub-object level, choose one vertical edge on the belt line.
11. On the Selection rollout, click Ring to select all vertical edges around the belt.
12. Press and hold Ctrl, and then click the Polygon button to convert the edge selection to a poly selection.
13. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click the Extrude Settings button.
    This opens the Extrude Polygons dialog.
14. Set Extrusion Type to Local Normal and the Extrusion Height to 1.5.
15. Click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog.

Remove unwanted polygons:

1. Continue working on your scene from the previous exercise.
2. Select the two polygons at the top of the pants.
3. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click the Inset Settings button.
   This opens the Inset Settings dialog.
4. Set the Inset Amount value to 5.0, and then click OK to accept the changes and close the dialog.
5. Press Delete to eliminate the selected polygons.
6. Repeat the procedure to inset and then delete the polygons at the bottom of the pants legs.
7. Exit the sub-object level. On the Modify panel, rename the object Pants.
8. Save the file as My_Soldier_Pants.max.

Next

• Creating the Torso

Creating the Torso

In this lesson, you create the torso for the helicopter pilot: mostly the T-shirt he’s wearing. In previous exercises, you started with simple primitives such as a box or a cylinder and you mostly extruded polygons to modify the shape. In this exercise, you'll use a slightly different approach. You'll start with an even simpler primitive, a plane object, but you'll do most of the work using edge sub-selection. This method of modeling is powerful and intuitive.

Create the T-shirt

1. Continue working on your scene from the previous exercise, or load the file soldier02.max from \tutorials\low_polygon_modeling.
2. Zoom in on the pilot’s midsection in the Front viewport.
3. From the Create menu, choose Standard Primitives > Plane.
4. Drag in the Front viewport to create a plane object.
   You'll expand this object into a T-shirt.
5. On the Modify panel, set Length to 20.0, Width to 12.0 and set Length Segments and Width Segments both to 1.
6. Position the plane so that it intersects slightly with the belt and with the symmetry plane.
7. In the Top viewport, move the plane to the front section of the pants.
8. Convert the plane to editable poly format.
9. On the Modify panel > Selection rollout, click the Edge button.
10. In the Front viewport, select the top edge of the plane.
11. In the Left viewport, move the selected edge slightly to the left to conform to the reference image.
    Note: Because the plane appears as a line in the Left viewport, it takes some practice to properly visualize where the selected edge is at any given point. The transform gizmo is always useful for finding a selection.
12. Press and hold the Shift key, and then move the selected edge up and to the right to extrude it once, always conforming to the reference image.
13. Continue using Shift+Move to extrude the selected edge around the profile silhouette of the helicopter pilot.

Edit the T-shirt:

1. Ensure that you're still at the Edge sub-object level.
2. In the Front viewport, select any of the vertical edges on the left side of the viewport.
3. Click the Loop button to select all the edges on the left side of the viewport.
4. Hold down the Shift key and then move the selected edges to the left by about the same amount as the original width.
5. In the Left viewport, scale the selected edges on the horizontal axis to bring them closer together. Keep also an eye on the Top viewport for reference.
6. Repeat the procedure to create an additional edge extrusion, as shown in the following illustration.
7. In the Left viewport, select the inner vertical edges, just above the belt line.
8. On the Edit Edges rollout, click the Bridge button.
   A new polygon connects the two edges.
9. Repeat the procedure for two more levels of edges to bridge.
10. Switch to Vertex sub-object level. Use the Move tool to fine-tune the position of the vertices, based on the reference images.

Create the sleeve:

1. On the Selection rollout, access the Border sub-object level.
2. Select one of the edges around the sleeve opening. The whole perimeter is now selected.
3. In the Front viewport, use Shift+Move to create two extrusions that will make up the sleeve.
4. Adjust the vertices in the various viewports to follow the reference images.

Add detail:

1. Access Edge sub-object level.
2. Select an edge under the armpit.
3. Click the Ring button to expand the selection.
4. Click Connect to add a line of edges connecting the previously selected edges.
5. Adjust the positions of the edges and vertices to get a better sleeve opening.

Create the collar:

1. Make sure you're still at Edge sub-object level.
2. In the Top viewport, select the edges shown in the following illustration:
3. Connect the selected edges.
4. Switch to Vertex sub-object level. Use the Move tool to fine-tune the shape of the collar based on the reference images.
5. Go to Polygon sub-object level.
6. Select the polygons above the collar line.
7. Press Delete to remove the unwanted faces.
8. Exit the sub-object level.

Add a symmetry modifier:

1. Make sure the partially built T-Shirt is selected and that you are not at the object rather than sub-object level.
2. Apply a Symmetry modifier.
3. Leave Mirror Axis set to X and turn on the Flip option.
4. In the modifier stack, expand the Symmetry modifier and click Mirror.
5. In the Front viewport, move the mirror line to the right until you get a properly adjusted T-Shirt.
6. Exit the sub-object level and rename the object: Shirt.
7. Save your file as My_Soldier_Tshirt.max.

Next

• Creating the Arms

Creating the Arms

In this lesson, you create the arms of the helicopter pilot. For the upper arm and forearm, you can use the same modeling techniques that you used to model the pants; that is, using a cylinder and extruding polygons. To create the hand, you can build it based on a Box primitive. Later, you will attach the hand to the arm and connect the gap using the bridge tool.

Create the arm:

1. Continue working on your file from the previous exercise, or load the file soldier03.max from \tutorials\low_polygon_modeling.
2. In the Left viewport, zoom in on the T-Shirt sleeve.
3. Create a Cylinder centered on the sleeve. Set the parameters as follows:
   Radius: 12
   Height: 30
   Height Segments: 1
   Sides: 6
4. Move and rotate the cylinder in the Top viewport so that it's oriented with the sleeve and protrudes slightly from the sleeve.
5. Convert the cylinder to editable poly format.
6. Go to Polygon sub-object level.
7. In the Left viewport, select the hexagon facing you.
8. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click Extrude. Drag the selected polygon to create an extrusion for the biceps.
9. Using Move and Local Scale, adjust the biceps to make them bigger.
10. Create another extrusion to close the biceps near the elbow. Use the Move, Rotate, and Scale tools to adjust the polygon at that level.
11. Create an additional extrusion for the elbow.
    This allows the elbow to deform properly when animating the character.
12. Create two more extrusions to create the forearm. Adjust them to fit the reference images.
13. Right-click the Front viewport to activate it.
14. Press F3 to set the viewport to wireframe display.
    Notice the arm inside the sleeve.
15. On the Selection rollout, go to the Vertex selection level.
16. Adjust the vertices in the viewport to get a better flow between the arm and the sleeve.
17. Press F3 again to return the viewport to shaded display.
18. Exit the sub-object level when done.

Create the hand:

1. Continue working on the same scene.
2. Zoom in on the hand sketch in the Top viewport.
3. Create a Box with the following parameters:
4. Use the Move tool to position the box properly in the Top and Front viewports.
5. Convert the box to editable poly format.
6. Go to Vertex sub-object level.
7. Region-select vertices in the Top viewport and move them to follow the shape of the back of the hand.
   Note: It is important to use region selection in the Top viewport to ensure you are selecting the top and the bottom vertices on a vertical edge.
8. Go to Edge sub-object level.
9. In the Left viewport, select the three vertical edges separating the fingers.
10. On the Edit Edges rollout, click the Chamfer Settings button.
    This opens the Chamfer Edges dialog.
11. Set Chamfer Amount to 0.5 to separate the polygons that will be used to create the fingers. Click OK to exit the dialog.
12. On the Selection rollout, click Polygon.
13. In the Left viewport, select the polygon that represents the index finger.
14. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click the Bevel button.
15. Drag the selected polygon until you reach the first knuckle. Move the mouse downward slightly to scale down the selected polygon.
    Note: The Bevel tool acts like a combined extrusion/scale tool. Alternatively, you can use the Extrude command and then manually scale the selected polygon in a uniform or nonuniform way.
16. Create another extrusion/bevel for the knuckle.
    The extra detail provided here ensures that the finger deforms properly when animated.
17. Continue beveling the finger all the way to the tip.
18. Repeat this procedure with the other fingers.
    When you are done, the hand should look like the following illustration.
19. In the Perspective viewport, select the polygon representing the thumb.
20. Use the Bevel tool to create the thumb, as you did earlier. This time, however, you'll need to use the Rotate tool with each extrusion to curve the thumb slightly.
21. Go to Vertex sub-object level.
22. Select all four of the vertices at the tip of the index finger.
23. Expand the Soft Selection rollout and turn on Use Soft Selection.
24. Turn on Edge Distance and set its value to 4.
    This ensures that soft selection does not extend beyond four edges and therefore will not affect the neighboring finger.
25. In the Front viewport, move and rotate the finger to give it a more relaxed look.
26. Adjust the other fingers as well. Use the Move, Rotate, and Scale tools to give the hand reasonable proportions.
27. Adjust the vertices around the wrist to make that side more rounded.
    This will make it easier to connect the hand to the arm later.
    Note: You might want to toggle Soft Selection mode on or off to round off the wrist to your liking.
28. Exit sub-object level when done.

Attach and bridge the objects:

1. Continue working from the previous lesson.
2. Select the Arm object.
3. On the Edit Geometry rollout, click the Attach button and then click the hand in any viewport to attach it to the arm.
4. Right-click to exit the Attach function.
5. Go to Polygon sub-object level.
6. Select the polygons that face each other on the hand and arm.
7. On the Edit Polygons rollout, click the small Settings button next to Bridge. A dialog appears.
8. The default settings should work fine but try out values for Twist and Segments to view the end results. Remember that changes will only be retained after you click OK.
9. If necessary, go to Vertex sub-object level and fine-tune the area around the wrist.
10. Exit sub-object level when done.
11. Rename the object Arm_Right.

Mirror and clone the arm:

1. Continue working on your scene from the previous exercise.
2. In the Front viewport, select the Arm_Right object.
3. On the main toolbar, click the Mirror button
4. Leave Mirror Axis set to X and set Clone Selection to Instance. Click OK to dismiss the dialog.
5. Move the cloned arm in the Front or the Top viewport to reposition it properly.
6. Rename the clone Arm_Left.
7. Save your file as My_Soldier_Arms.max.

Next

• Modeling a Low-Poly Character Head