Rendering Images From 3DS Max

Just before the new year we learnt how to use 3DS Max to create and manipulate shapes using tools such as mesh editing and extruding surfaces. Today we used those skills again to create three different shapes.

Three different, yet iterative shapes, created in 3DS Max

The three shapes, pictured above, all stem from a single simple cube. The left shape has had each face of the cube extruded to give the impression of an extra cube being stuck on each face. Then in the middle shape, I selected the four vertices on the end of each cube, and scaled them down until they nearly met, then combined them into one perfect point using the weld tool. It is important to use the weld tool to achieve a perfect vertex, as the program will now treat each of those points as a singular vertex, making it easier to further manipulate. Finally, for the last shape on the right, I used the TurboSmooth modifier to remove all edges and create a smooth object. It is possible to crank up the number of iterations on this smoothing tool, which will result in even smoother surfaces, however this will greatly increase the workload on the PC, which will result in slow performance if this is an object to be used in a game.

3DS Max allows you to render out your scene as a still image, which is how I have created the images included in this blog post. By using Render Setup, I changed the dimensions of the image that would be outputted in the render, and then by clicking render, you get a 2D image of your scene, from the angle that you have your camera set at in the viewport. Once you have the render settings all set up, it is easy to change the angle of the camera to get render's of your shapes from different angles, or you can set up multiple cameras and change the View To Render in the setup panel.