Creating the Sand Build-Up

Creating a Realistic Hourglass

Adding Default Lights to the Scene

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials >  Modeling Tutorials > Creating a Realistic Hourglass > 

Adding a Camera

So far you have defined everything in the Perspective viewport without considering lighting or cameras. As you prepare to produce output from your 3D scene, you will want to add cameras and lights to achieve a more realistic effect. Lights can cast shadows or add shiny highlights. Cameras can be animated so that they change your perspective and add emphasis and motion.

1. Continue from the last lesson, or load the sands_of_time_finished.max file from the \tutorials\hourglass directory.
2. Right-click to activate the Top viewport.
3. Choose Create > Cameras > Target Camera.
4. In the Top viewport, move your cursor to the lower-right quadrant of the viewport. Click and drag toward the center where the hourglass is situated. Release the mouse button when it is over the hourglass.

   

   Target camera from Top viewport

5. Press C on the keyboard, to change the viewport to display the view from the Camera.

   If necessary, right-click the Camera01 viewport label and turn on Smooth + Highlights.

   

   Target camera created on the ground plane

6. In the view navigation tools, use the Truck Camera to move the camera so the hourglass is no longer cut off in the viewport.

   

   Truck and Dolly the camera to bring the hourglass into view.

7. Turn on Orbit Camera from the view navigation tools. Click and drag downward in the viewport to orbit the camera so you have a better view of the top of the sand.

   

   Orbiting the camera

8. Turn on Dolly Camera. Click and drag in the viewport to zoom back so the hourglass is a bit smaller.
9. Right-click the Camera viewport label and choose Show Safe Frame. You use the Show Safe Frame tool to verify that objects you want to render will not get cut off. Show Safe Frame will display the edges of your output resolution as yellow, cyan, and orange lines in the viewport.

   

   Show Safe Frame helps you frame your shot.

10. To improve the authenticity of the hourglass, open the Modify panel and select either Chamfer Cylinders that make up the top or bottom caps. Increase the number of Sides to 33.

    Because one cap is an instance of the other, changing the number of sides on one cap automatically affects the other.

11. Save your scene as MyHourglass8.max.