Create a beautiful 3D rendering of a still life

Intro: Getting Right To It

Boot Up 3ds Max
Boot Up 3ds Max
Learn to Navigate in the 3d Workspace and create Primitive Objects
Learn to Navigate in the 3d Workspace and create Primitive Objects
Set up lights and Vray, and apply a material
Set up lights and Vray, and apply a material
Create our very first rendering!
Create our very first rendering!
First Rendering
We will be creating our first image of basic objects in 3ds Max, and posting them as low resolution jpegs.

Modeling

Learn how to manipulate the sub elements of a primitive object, such as the vertices, the edges, and
Learn how to manipulate the sub elements of a primitive object, such as the vertices, the edges, and the polygons to create custom objects.
Learn how to use various tools within Max to assist in the creation of unique and detailed objects,
Learn how to use various tools within Max to assist in the creation of unique and detailed objects, such as extruding, chamfering, and insetting.
Learn how to create objects starting from a line that we draw, and use the lathe tool to create deta
Learn how to create objects starting from a line that we draw, and use the lathe tool to create detailed radial objects
We will combine polygon modeling from video one and spline modeling from video two to create a beaut
We will combine polygon modeling from video one and spline modeling from video two to create a beautiful, unique, and complex object.
A simple rendering of the objects you have created
Once you have modeled some objects of your own, we will produce a simple rendering, like we did in the first video, to share what we have created.

Scene Preparation

Pick and set up a camera
Pick and set up a camera
Create a couple basic materials so that we can evaluate what should be taken into consideration in s
Create a couple basic materials so that we can evaluate what should be taken into consideration in setting up our scene
Try out a few different lighting techniques and set ups to try and find something that works for our
Try out a few different lighting techniques and set ups to try and find something that works for our scene
Look at a few different types of lights, and the ways they can be used to light our scene
Look at a few different types of lights, and the ways they can be used to light our scene
A lit and lightly textured rendering of our still life
At the end of this unit, students should share images of their project thus far, with basic materials on them, and a lighting set up that they like.

Texturing and Material Creation

We will look at UVW mapping techniques, and the various ways that one can get tetures onto the objec
We will look at UVW mapping techniques, and the various ways that one can get tetures onto the objects in their 3d scene.
We will learn how to use textures to control various surface properties of a material, such as its d
We will learn how to use textures to control various surface properties of a material, such as its diffuse color, its reflection amount, its reflection blurriness, and its bump values.
We will go over some basic settings in Vray for a high quality final rendering.
We will go over some basic settings in Vray for a high quality final rendering.
A lit and textured rendering of our final still life!
At the end of this unit, students should have a final rendering, at a decent resolution, that they will be using as a base for the final unit in photoshop.

Post-Production: Making Your Image Pop

We will get into photoshop and go over the basics of destructive v. non-destructive photo editing
We will get into photoshop and go over the basics of destructive v. non-destructive photo editing
We will look at various techniques for adjusting the levels and the colors within our image
We will look at various techniques for adjusting the levels and the colors within our image
We will look at a couple techniques we can use to bring a little extra life and style into our image
We will look at a couple techniques we can use to bring a little extra life and style into our image
We will produce our first finished rendering of a digital model that we created!
We will produce our first finished rendering of a digital model that we created!
A Beautiful, Finished Still Life
After this unit, students should have a complete and finished image of their still life, rendered out of 3ds Max, and refined in photoshop!

Additional Resources

Common 3ds Max Keyboard Shortcuts

Basic Tools

Selection Tool - Q

Move - W

Rotate - E

Scale - R

Views

Front - F

Top - T

Left - L

Perspective - P

Zoom Selected - Z

Shaded/Wireframe Toggle - F3

Edges Toggle - F4

Selected Face Shading - F2

Fullscreen Viewport Toggle - Alt+W

Miscellaneous

Isolate Selection - Alt+Q

Select By Name - H

Material Editor - M

Render Set Up - F10

Snap Toggle - S

Angle Snap Toggle - A

Gizmo Toggle - X (If you can’t see your transform gizmo, first try pressing X)
Downloads for free 30 day trials:

3ds Max -

http://www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-3ds-max/free-trial

Vray for 3ds Max -

http://www.vray.com/vray_for_3ds_max/demo/
For free hi-res textures - www.cgtextures.com (you will need to create an account, and unles you buy a premium membership, you will have a 15 mb per day quota, so download wisely!)