In this detailed, two part tutorial we are going to take a look at creating a high poly, realistic AK-47 in 3D Studio Max. We are going to use various polymodeling techniques and tools to create this very cool and detailed model.
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Step 1
Start by creating a Cylinder (Create > Geometry > Cylinder) with 18 Sides and 1 Height Segment. Convert it to Editable Poly (Right Click > Convert To: > Convert To Editable Poly.) Select the back polygon and apply an Inset, Extrude and another Inset.
Step 2
Apply an Extrude once again and add two new edge loops as shown using Ring & Connect.
Step 3
On the bottom 5 polygons apply an Extrude and then click: Make Planar - Y.
Step 4
Add a new edge loop and Scale the polygon in the middle on the X-axis. Then apply an Extrude on the polygons on the two sides, and move the vertices back so the result looks like so.
Step 5
Apply an Extrude two more time on the polygons we just extruded. The second Extrude needs to be done with larger Height Amount. Then Move the vertices to the back using the Move tool, so it looks like so.
Step 6
Add some more loops and Delete the selected polygons.
Step 7
After that, use Shift+Drag to Extrude the selected edges forward.
Step 8
Weld the corner verticies to the side using the Weld button, then switch to Border mode and select the open hole, fill the hole by hitting the Cap button. Finally connect the four vertices in the middle using Connect.
Step 9
On the top polygons apply an Extrude and then click Make Planar - Y. After that move the vertices backwards to get this shape.
Step 10
Add one more vertical loop and then two horizontal loops. Select the polygons on the sides as shown and click Bridge to create a hole.
Step 11
Using Ring & Connect, add loops as shown.
Step 12
Add more loops like so.
Step 13
Add a few more edge loops close to the edges as shown.
Step 14
Now add more edge loops around the bottom part as shown.
Step 15
On the front polygon apply an Extrude two times. The first extrude needs to be with a low Height value in order to create a loop close to the edge. Finally Delete the selected edges.
Step 16
On the end polygon, apply a Bevel with a zero Height and a positive amount. After that apply an Extrude, Bevel and another Extrude.
Step 17
On the top five polygons, apply an Extrude and then add a loop close to each edge, as shown.
Step 18
Add a new edge loop close to the edge, and then remove the selected edge using Ctrl+Remove.
Step 19
Connect the selected vertices using Connect, and also add two horizontal loops.
Step 20
On the front polygon apply an Inset and Extrude, and again Inset and Extrude. But this time the Extrude needs to be with a negative Height amount. After that Delete the polygon.
Step 21
Add new edge loops close to the edges as shown.
Step 22
Create a new Cylinder with 18 Sides, convert it to Editable poly and add loops in the same places, as they are on the element below the cylinder. Also apply an Inset on the front and back polygons.
Step 23
Connect the two objects together using Attach, and then apply a Bridge on the selected front and back polygons.
Step 24
Delete the polygons on the bottom of cylinder (that face the other element,) then click Make Planar - Y. After that move the shape to the bottom in order to get something like this. Also Delete the top polygons from the bottom element as well.
Step 25
Scale the top element hole on the X-axis until it's the same size as the bottom one. Add two loops close to the edges and four edges as shown. Two on the front side and two on the back side.
Step 26
On the selected edges, press Ctrl+Remove.
Step 27
On the holes of the two elements, apply a Bridge and on the inside part of the cylinder. Add an edge loop around the inside close to the outer edges.
Step 28
Select the bottom loop and go to the Edit Geometry > Constraints, and check Edge. Then move the edge loop upwards on the Z -axis.
Step 29
Delete the top seven sides of the cylinder and from the constraints menu, check None. Then select the two holes using Border and click Make Planar - Y.
Step 30
Apply a Cap to both holes. On the inside of the cylinder we need to add loops in the same places as they are on the outside, and then connect them using Connect. Finally add an edge loop on the two sides close to the top edge.
Step 31
Create a new Cylinder with 10 Sides, Scale it on the Z-axis and place it under the barrel. After that select the front polygon and apply an Inset and Extrude.
Step 32
Apply an Inset two more times. The first Inset needs to be done with low amount in order to create a loop close to the edge. After that add loops close to each outer edge.
Step 33
Create a new Box and Convert it to Editable poly, add 6 vertical loops and one horizontal.
Step 34
Move the vertices around until you get this shape.
Step 35
Apply a Chamfer with 4 Segments on the two bottom edges.
Step 36
Scale the top two polygons on the Y-axis (Scale the front one more than the back one.) Finally select the side polygons as shown and Delete them.
Step 37
Now Delete the polygons as shown, and add additional edge loops as shown below.
Step 38
On the back side, Connect the three pairs of two vertices and between them we add two edges.
Step 39
Now we Connect the vertices to the top ones using Connect.
Step 40
Add additional edges as shown.
Step 41
Now connect the edges with the vertices on the bottom.
Step 42
Apply a Turbosmooth modifier with 2 Iterations. Now using the same techniques, create the top element shown below.
Step 43
Create a new Box a bit bigger than the front side of the top element with corresponding loops. Add two more loops as shown.
Step 44
On the front polygon of the box, apply an Inset and by using Weld. We bridge the selected six vertices.
Step 45
Select the edges as shown and press Ctrl+Remove.
Step 46
Delete the front polygon of the box, and create a new Cylinder with 21 Sides. After that add a loop at the back end of the cylinder, and select every two polygons on the sides, skipping two polygons between and three polygons at the bottom .
Step 47
Apply a Bevel and then Delete the selected polygons.
Step 48
On the hole we click Make Planar - Z, and then add edge loops as shown.
Step 49
Using Attach we combine the two elements together, and Delete the back polygon of the Cylinder. Finally add two more loops as shown.
Step 50
We connect the geometry of the two elements using Bridge. On the front hole of the cylinder we use Shift+Scale to decrease the size of the hole a bit, then we Shift+Drag twice. The first time just a tiny bit to create a loop close to the edge, and the second time we drag a lot more inwards. Finally add a loop at the back side of the element.
Step 51
Apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2. On the bottom element we use the same techniques to connect it to the main element. Again add a Turbosmooth with 2 Iterations.
Step 52
Using the techniques from steps 46-49, we create a new element which is a bit longer. And on the front polygon we apply an Inset.
Step 53
Apply an Extrude and move the vertices forward, then connect the verticies using Connect.
Step 54
Now apply an Extrude seven times. The first and last one need to be done with low Height, in order to get a loop close to the outer edge.
Step 55
Create a new Cylinder with 18 Sides and add six loops. The first and the last loops need to be close to the outer edges. After that combine the elements using Attach.
Step 56
Select the three rows of polygons on the top of the cylinder we just created. As well as the same number of polygons on the top element, and connect them using Bridge.
Step 57
Select the front and back polygons of the cylinder and apply an Inset and then a Bridge.
Step 58
Apply a Chamfer on the inner loops, and add two more loops close to the top and bottom cylinders across the bridged section.
Step 59
Select the bottom five polygons and apply an Extrude three times. The first and the last one need to be done with low Height in order to get a loop close to the outer edge.
Step 60
Apply a Turbosmooth modifier with 2 Iterations.
Step 61
On the back side we create a similar element to the one on the front side and apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 62
On the bottom part, create a similar element like we did for the front side and then apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 63
Next, create a Box and add edge loops as shown.
Step 64
On the back two edges we apply a Chamfer, and then we Target Weld the vertices which form the triangle and are super close to each other (zoom in to the selected vertex to make welding them easier.)
Step 65
On the front two polygons apply an Extrude three times and Scale them on the Y-Axis after each extrude, in order to get a rounded shape.
Step 66
Add loops as shown.
Step 67
We then connect the two unfinished loops to the front vertex using Connect. And after that we add more loops close to the edges, as shown.
Step 68
Add more loops as shown and then apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 69
Create a Cylinder and Convert it into Editable Poly. On the end polygons, apply a Bevel twice in order to get a rounded shape on each end. Finally add loops close to the edges.
Step 70
Create a Box, Convert it into Editable Poly. Add seven vertical loops and move the vertices until you get a similar shape to what's shown below. After that make a copy of the element and move it to the other side.
Step 71
On the back two polygons we apply Bridge to connect them, and then add loops as shown.
Step 72
Next, create a Tube and place it as shown. Convert it into editable poly and then apply a Chamfer on the four corner loops as shown. Finally apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 1.
Step 73
Create another Box with a width that will fit between the objects, and add loops as shown.
Step 74
Hit S on the keyboard to open the Snap Toggle options and click the Vertex option On. After that Delete the selected polygons.
Step 75
Click Alt+Q to go into Isolation Mode in order to see only the selected element. Use Shift + Drag and Move the selected edge forward on the Y-Axis until it reaches the vertex with the green plus sign. This way everything will fit perfectly.
Step 76
Quit from the Snap Toggle menu and apply a Bridge on the selected edges.
Step 77
On the two holes we apply a Cap and then connect the selected vertices using Connect.
Step 78
Add two loops and connect the end vertices with Connect.
Step 79
Finally add loops close to each edge and apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2. Then Exit Isolation Mode.
Step 80
Create a Box and Rotate it 25 degrees. After that on the back polygon, apply a Bevel and then using Connect add two loops close to each edge.
Step 81
Apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 82
Create a Cylinder with 18 sides and convert it into Editable Poly. After that on the front polygon apply an Inset three times and a Bevel three times, until you get rounded surface.
Step 83
On the polygons we got from the second Inset, we apply an Extrude with a Negative Height.
Step 84
Apply a Chamfer on all then loops.
Step 85
On the cylinders back polygon, we apply an Inset in order to avoid mesh issues once we apply the Turbosmooth.
Step 86
Make a copy of the element and Rotate it 180 degrees, after that combine the elements together using Attach and then apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 87
Create a Cylinder with 18 sides and Convert it into Editable Poly. After that Delete the front and back polygons as well as the nine bottom polygons.
Step 88
Using Shift + Drag, drag the selected edges down (on the Z-Axis) as shown.
Step 89
Select the vertices on the sides and Scale them on the Y-Axis until the element has this shape. On the bottom, connect the vertices using Target Weld.
Step 90
Apply a Cap on the two sides of the element and Connect the vertices in the three places as shown. And then Apply an Extrude on the bottom two polygons.
Step 91
Now Apply an Extrude on the six side polygons, as shown.
Step 92
Apply an Extrude on the front three polygons as well, and add loops close to each edge.
Step 93
Apply an Inset on the selected polygons.
Step 94
Finally, Apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2 and place the element.
Step 95
Create a Box, convert it into Editable Poly and add eight loops as shown. And then select the back two vertices and move them downwards on the Z-Axis.
Step 96
Apply an Extrude on the front three polygons and Scale the selected vertices a bit on the X-Axis, as shown.
Step 97
Add two horizontal loops and apply a Bevel on the selected polygons.
Step 98
Add eight more loops (four on the top, and four on the bottom part of the element.)
Step 99
Add more loops as shown.
Step 100
Next, apply an Extrude on the selected polygons.
Step 101
Move the top polygon down. And then Select and Move the bottom polygon backwards and downwards until you get something like this.
Step 102
Apply an Extrude on the top polygon and add three loops as shown.
Step 103
Select the vertices on the middle loop we just created and Move them backwards in order to get a rounded shape once we apply the Turbosmooth. After that add loops as shown.
Step 104
Add two more loops as shown.
Step 105
Delete the polygons on the front, and add loops close to the edges.
Step 106
Add six more loops as shown.
Step 107
On the selected polygons (on the bottom) apply an Extrude two times. The first extrude needs to be with low Height in order to get an edge close to the main one. Finally Delete the polygons (this will be the trigger hole.)
Step 108
On the bottom of the main body we need to move the vertices until we get shape like this, and then select the polygons.
Step 109
Again apply an Extrude twice the same way we did before and Delete the polygons. And then add loops close to each edge.
Step 110
We also need to add these loops as shown.
Step 111
Using Connect we need to connect the selected vertices.
Step 112
On the vertices in the middle we apply a Chamfer and because the shape we get is not a perfect circle, we select the loop and go to Loop tools and select Circle.
Step 113
After that apply Bridge on the polygons and then apply a Chamfer on the loops. Finally apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 114
Create a new Box and Convert it into Editable Poly. Add a loop in the middle and shape it like so.
Step 115
Add more loops and create this shape.
Step 116
Next, apply a Chamfer on the selected edges.
Step 117
And Scale the front two loops of vertices on the X-Axis.
Step 118
Scale the middle top and bottom polygons on the X-Axis as well.
Step 119
Switch to Isolation Mode and apply a Bevel on the polygons.
Step 120
Delete the front three polygons and move the selected edges forward.
Step 121
Add loops as shown.
Step 122
On the back side of the element, Connect the vertices. And then using Shift + Drag and Move, move them back a little on the Y-Axis to copy them as a separate element.
Step 123
On the polygons we apply an Extrude and then an Inset.
Step 124
Add more loops as shown.
Step 125
Add three more loops. One vertical and two horizontal.
Step 126
Connect the vertices in the middle with the vertices around the outside as before.
Step 127
As we did previously, apply a Chamfer on the vertices in the middle and then select the four loops and go to the Loops menu > Loop Tools, and click Circle. After that, select the four polygons that were created and apply a Bridge. Finally apply a Chamfer on the loops.
Step 128
Apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2 and then create two new Spheres and put them into the holes. Also Scale them on the Y-Axis on order to make them not so rounded.
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