The objective of this tutorial is to introduce the major techniques used to create models using 3D Studio MAX.

Before we start creating the objects, let's make sure the Units are correct! Select Customize - Units Setup. Hit the System Unit Setup button at the top of the dialog box; and set 1 unit = 1 "meters" (and hit OK). Then set the Display Unit Scale to Metric (Meters).

The first technique used to create models is simply to use 3D objcets (like boxes)...

Create a 5x10m Box. Do this by first drawing a box in the Top view, then change the Length to 10m and the Width to 5m. Make the Height -0.2m.

Click on Zoom Extents All.

Click Select and Move, then right-click on Select and Move! The Move Transform Type-In Dialog will be displayed. In the Absolute World X, type 2.5 and in Y type 5 (and press Enter); close the dialog box. This will position the centre of the box at that location. Sometimes it is useful to be able to accurately position objects!

Select Edit - Clone, make sure "Copy" is selected and hit OK. Click and then right-click on Select and Move again, then type -2.5m in the (absolute) X, and 1m in the (absolute) Z (and press Enter); close the dialog box.

The left box should be selected. Click on its name in the Name and Color area of the Command Panel. Change the name to "Dining Floor". Click on the box on the right and change its name to "LivingRm Floor".

We now have 2 boxes that will be used as the floor of the split-level space we will create. Click on Zoom Extents All.

The second technique used to create models is simply to create 2D shapes then convert them into 3D objcets...

Right-Click in the Front view (to make it the "current" view) and then click on "Maximize Viewport Toggle", which will change the display to only show the Front view. Use Pan to drag the view down a bit - so that the two floors are near the bottom of the view.

You will now draw the space's wall (in elevation)! Click on Shapes and Line, then place a point at the top-right of the Living Floor (this is point "1" in the figure above), then up about 2.5m, then about 2.5 above the top-right of the Dining Floor, then 1m above that point, then 2.5 above the top-left of the Dining Floor, then click on the top-left of the Dining Floor, click on the top-right of the Dining Floor, click on the top-left of the Living Room Floor, and finally click on the top-right of the Living Room Floor again and close the Spline.

Next, click OFF the tick beside Start New Shape (above the Line button) - this tells MAX that the shapes we are about to create are part of the previous shape!

We will now put 2 windows in the wall.

Click on either the Rectangle, Circle, Ellipse or Star and create 2 "holes" inside the wall shape you have just drawn!

If necessary, use Edit-Spline (which was explained in the previous tutorial) to "tidy" up the Wall. Both the openings need to be wholly inside the wall shape...

Once you have edited the shape to your satisfaction, click on Modify (in the Command Panel) and select Extrude from the Modifier List. Set the extrusion amount to 0.25m.

Click on Maximize Viewport Toggle to return to the 4 view display. Rotate the Perspective (using Orbit which is next to Min/Max Toggle) view so that you can see the wall and the 2 floor objects. In the Top View, click on the wall and select Edit - Clone , this time use Instance. Then click (and then right-click) on Select and Move. Enter 10.25m in the Absolute Y and press Enter; close the dialog box.

Click on the wall at the "bottom" of the Top View and rename it South Wall, then rename the other North Wall.

You now have the basic "shell" of the space we are going to create.

The columns are another example of the second technique used to create models (2D shapes converted to 3D objcets).

Right-click on the Front view and then click on "Maximize Viewport Toggle" to change to a one viewport display.

Select Shapes and the click on " Line". Click the first point at about 0,0 then place a point about 0.150m to the right. Working upwards, place a number of points about 0.150-0.250m to the right of the axis, up to the height of the top of the wall. Enter a point at the top of the wall (about 0,4.5), and finally click back on 0,0 to close the spline.

(Click on the thumbnail to see an example column line)

Click on Modify in the Command Pannel, then click on vertex to edit the points (also, click on Select and Move if it is not already selected). You can move vertices around (you can delete vertices by selecting them and pressing the Delete key). To make a point a Bezier, right-click on the vertex and select Bezier from the popup menu. Also, make some of the points Bezier-corner. When you make a vertex Bezier or Bezier corner, drag the small green rectangles around...

If you have problems moving the bezier's green rectangles, select Customize - Show UI - Show Floating Toolbars. Look for the tool bar with "X, Y & Z" etc, if "XY" is not selected, select it!

When you are finished editing the shape, click on Create in the Command Panel then click on Modify again - this makes sure you aren't still editing the shape's vertices. Now we can revolve it (which will change it from a 2D shape into a 3D object)! Select Lathe from the Modifier List (in the Object-Space Modifiers section). Make sure that you set the Align to Min (see image), this makes sure that the "minimum" edge is the one that the shape is revolved around.

The end result of this should be a spectacularly deformed looking column! Once you are happy with the column, hit the "Maximize Viewport Toggle" to return to the 4 viewport display. You should see your column buried in the south wall. Right-click on Select and Move and change the Absolute Y to 3.333m - this will move it one third of the way into the space - then close the dialog box. Finally, change the name of the object to Column01.

Select Edit - Clone (instance ) to copy the column, and then right-click on Select and Move and change the Absolute Y to 6.666m, then if necessary, change the name of the object to Column02. We should now have 2 columns in the space.

The third technique used to create models is generally called Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG), in 3D Studio MAX though, it is called "Boolean". Basically, it involves combining, subtracting or intersecting existing objects to create new objects.

Select Box (from the Create (Geometry) Command Panel) and draw a box in-between the 2 columns. The box should be 1.5 x 1.0 x 1.5 (X,Y,Z). Create the box and then use Modify to correct the box's dimensions. This box will be used to cut the hole for the stairs.

Position the box so that it will cut a hole about 1.4m into the floor!!

Once the box is positioned to you satisfaction, select the Dining Floor. Change the drop-down list near the top of the Create Command Panel from Standard Primitives to Compound Objects, then select " Boolean". Make sure that the Operation selected is " Subtraction (A-B)", then click on the "Pick Operand B " button and pick the box you've just created.

If that worked OK, then you should now see that there is a hole in the floor!!!

Create a box (in the Top view) - Length 1.5, Width 0.3, Height 0.25, and then move it to -1.3,5.0,0.583. This will position the box as the top step.

Having located the first step, you will now use "Array" to place (instance) copies of each of the other steps. Make the Front view the current viewport and hit the Maximize Viewport Toggle (and maybe zoom-in on the steps). With the top step selected (this is the box you've just created), select Tools - Array... this can be an intimidating Dialog at first, but it's actually quite simple! Firstly note that the Array Transformation uses the "Screen Coordinates". This means that, in the Front view, X is the "normal" (absolute) X axis, but Y is the "normal" (absolute) Z axis. Our steps will be 0.250 wide and 0.167 high, so enter 0.250 in the (top) X and -0.167 in the Y - this ensures that each new step moves that distance. Finally, set the "1D count" to 5, and hit OK.

Select the 5 steps and then choose Group - Group, name the Group "Steps". You might also like to change the colour of the steps.

Select the LivingRm Floor and move its centre from (2.5, 5.0, 0) to (2.4,5.0, 0), and increase the object's width from 5.0 to 5.2. This should fill the little gap between the last step and the floor. Hit the Maximize Viewport Toggle to return to the 4 viewport display.

The next gap we want to fill is the big hole between the two floor objects.

Select the two columns and then change the Command Panel to Display (this is the icon that looks like a monitor). Hit the "Hide Selected" button to hide these objects. This is a very useful technique, firstly to speed up drawing and secondly to temporarily remove things that are in the way.

In the Top View, create a Box about (L)4.6, (W)2.0, (H)0.8 and position it to cover the gap on the "north" side of the stairs. You should be able to do this "by eye" - simply zoom-in - make sure you do this in the Top View.

Copy the box you've just placed (use Edit - Clone (copy)), and change the Height to 2.0, then position it to cover the gap on the other side of the stairs, but this time position the box so it protrudes a small amount into the living room (to the right) and an equally small amount over the steps!

With the second box (the one on the 'south' side) selected (in the Top view); do a Edit - Clone (copy); then right-click on Select and Move, under the Offset Screen put (X) -0.1 and (Y) -0.1. This should result in the copy being offset (in the Top view) "down" and to the "left."

In the Create command panel, change Standard Primitives to Compound Objects and choose Boolean. This time change the Operation to Subtraction (B-A) , hit Pick Operand B and choose the 'original' south-side-gap-filler box (the one that you didn't offset).

Before creating the Kitchen, we will create two large boxes to be the back walls of our space.

Firstly, we will create the "back" wall - use the Top View! Create a box to the left of the "southern" portion of the upper floor. The box I created was (L)4.2, (W)4.0, (H)4.5, centred at (absolute) -7.0, 2.1, 0.0. Call the box Bedroom01.

Once you have created the first bedroom box, use Tools - Mirror to create an Instance (copy) of the box. Set the Mirror Axis to "Y", Offset to "5.8", and Clone Selection to "Instance". This box should be named Bedroom02.

The Kitchen is to be located on the upper level on the "south" side. We won't model it in great detail, but it should be enough give someone the idea!

Create a box to the right of the Bedroom01 box - this will be the full height cupboards along that wall. I made my box 3.5 x 0.8 x 3.0. once you have created the box, rename it Cupboards and move it up 1.0 (because the kitchen is on the "upper" level).

Use the Line shape to draw the Kitchen's benches (refer to the figure above). The benches don't have to be exactly as shown! Once you've created the (closed) Line, extrude it 0.050, and then move it up 1.8 (so it is 0.8 above the kitchen floor).

Create boxes under the bench (for cupboards) and doors for the cupboards...

Oh, and I suppose we should unhide those columns! Select Display from the Control Panel and then Unhide All.

Finally, to recap what you've learned in this tutorial. You've used the following "techniques" to make objects:

Standard Primitives
      boxes used to create the floor and the cupboards.

2D Shapes
      to create outlines (like the walls and the columns) which were then converted to 3D (we
      used Extrude and Lathe)...

Boolean
      using (simple) objects to "cut" other objects to create more complex shapes (the hole for
      the stairs and the kitchen wall).

Clone / Array / Mirror
      'editing' commands were also used to duplicate objects.

The tutorial also introduced a number of other editing techniques such as absolute positionng (right-clicking on Select and Move).