Setting Up the Scene

Modeling a Low-Poly Body

Creating the Pants

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials >  Modeling Tutorials > Modeling a Low-Poly Character > Modeling a Low-Poly Body > 

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.
    TipTo 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.