In this tutorial by Stefan Surmabojov, you'll learn how to model a detailed high poly rifle in 3D Studio Max. Stefan will walk you through the creation of each part using various poly modeling and hard surface techniques. You'll learn how to add edge loops in strategic areas to gain greater control over each element when subdivision is later added.
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Step 1
Create a Tube (Create > Geometry > Tube) with 25 Sides and 1 Height Segment. After that Convert it to Editable Poly (Right-click > Convert To > Convert To Editable Poly.)
Step 2
Select the front loop of polygons and scale them up a bit. After that apply an Extrude 3 times until you get something similar to the image below.
Step 3
Scale each edge loop until you get this result. After that apply another Extrude to the front polygons.
Step 4
Select the end ring of polygons on the side and Extrude them again to get this result. Then using Ring and Connect, add supporting edge loops close to the corner edges to support the geometry once when we apply Turbosmooth.
Step 5
Add more loops on the back side as well. Finally apply a Turbosmooth modifier with 2 Iterations.
Step 6
Create a new Cylinder (Create > Geometry > Cylinder) and Convert it to Editable Poly. Delete the back polygon and on the front one apply an Inset, after that Extrude with a high negative Height Value and then Inset the polygon two times. The first Inset should be done with low amount in order to get a loop close to the original edge for support.
Step 7
Add a few more edge loops close to the edges as shown. Apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 1.
Step 8
Using the Line tool (Create > Shapes > Line) create a shape that looks like so. You can use this image as a reference to make the shape easier.
Step 9
From the Modifier list, apply an Extrude modifier and then Convert it to Editable Poly.
Step 10
Connect the vertices on the front side of the element by selecting each matching pair of vertices and pressing the Connect button. Then Delete the back and bottom polygons. Select the front two edge loops and apply a Chamfer with a low amount and the Edge Segments set to 2, in order to create supporting edges.
Step 11
Apply a Turbosmooth modifier with 2 Iterations, and place the elements as shown.
Step 12
Create the same shape again using the Line tool and apply an Extrude, but this time with a higher Height amount.
Step 13
Again connect the vertices and then apply an Extrude to the bottom two polygons to get a shape like this.
Step 14
Apply an Extrude to the front eight polygons, and the back two polygons to get something like this.
Step 15
On the front part move the bottom vertices upwards using the Move tool. Then on the back move the top vertices back and then a bit to the bottom, in order to get shape like this. Finally add supporting edges close to the main edges as shown.
Step 16
Select all the polygons on the inside and delete them, since they won't be visible.
Step 17
Connect the edges across the center using the Bridge tool, and create two new edge loops and move them a bit forward as shown.
Step 18
Add one loop on the back and two in the middle.
Step 19
After that using the Cut tool, connect the two ends of the two loops we just created.
Step 20
On the back two slanted polygons, apply an Inset and then Extrude them outwards to get something like this.
Step 21
Using the Move tool, adjust the vertices until you get this shape. Then add edge loops horizontally and vertically as shown.
Step 22
Add more supporting loops as shown using Ring and Connect.
Step 23
Create a Circle (Create > Shapes > Circle) and from the Interpolation menu, set the Steps to 1.
Step 24
Using the Cut tool, cut following the shape of the "circle" we just created. Once you're done Delete it.
Step 25
Connect the vertices as shown and using ctr + backspace we delete the selected edges. We use this shortcut, because if we use just remove we are going to remove the edges, but not the vertices and this will make us to go and delete the vertices manually.
Step 26
Select the polygon and apply an Inset with a low amount and then Extrude it in with low amount and a negative height value. Then once again extrude with a higher height and negative amount again until you get something like this. Finally Delete the polygon.
Step 27
Select the two polygons shown on the side and apply an Inset with low amount and then Extrude, and again Inset with low amount. The result should look like so.
Step 28
Add supporting edge loops as shown and add a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 29
Create again such a shape using the Line tool. Then add an Extrude modifier and Convert it to Editable Poly. Finally Extrude the bottom two polygons as shown.
Step 30
Extrude the front four polygons outwards, and add 5 new loops (two close to the edges and three in the middle.)
Step 31
Switch the view to see the element from the side. Move the vertices to get something like this. On the back two polygons, we apply an Extrude two times.
Step 32
Move the back vertices using the Move tool and add edge loops as shown. Then apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2. The result should look like this.
Step 33
Create a new Cylinder with 18 sides. On the back polygon apply an Inset, Extrude and Inset again in order to get something like this. Then add 4 edge loops on each side like so.
Step 34
On the front polygon we apply an Inset then Extrude and Bevel 3 times, until the result looks like this.
Step 35
After that apply an Inset again, Extrude and bevel 3 times in order to get this on the top side of the element we just created in the previous step.
Step 36
Scale the center vertices apart on the X-Axis (in my case) and then Connect them to get edges across the center.
Step 37
On the front three center polygons we apply a Bevel to get this result. Then we need to select the polygons as shown.
Step 38
Now apply an Inset and then Extrude with a negative height value, and then Inset again. The result should look like so.
Step 39
Select the polygons as shown and apply an Extrude with a negative height value.
Step 40
Now select each second polygon as shown and apply a Bevel.
Step 41
Select the edge loops and apply a Chamfer to create supporting edges as shown.
Step 42
Add more supporting edges with Chamfer on the front side as well.
Step 43
Finally add edge loops as shown, and apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 44
Create a new Sphere (Create > Geometry > Sphere) and Convert it to Editable Poly. Then make three copies so together with the first one, we have Four. Place them as shown and Repeat the same process on the other side as well.
Step 45
Create a new Box (Create > Geometry > Box) and Convert it to Editable Poly. After that move the vertices around using the Move tool, until you get this shape.
Step 46
On the four corners, apply a Chamfer and then add more edge loops as shown.
Step 47
On the bottom polygons apply an Extrude two times, and move the vertices until you get something like this.
Step 48
Continue to repeat the previous steps until you get this result.
Step 49
At the end we need to Rotate the element using the Rotate tool, and apply an Inset on the polygons at the end. Finally apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 50
For the rifle handle we'll start with a Box. We need to Convert it to Editable Poly and move the vertices around until we get this as a result.
Step 51
We continue by applying an Extrude and using the Move tool to move the vertices in order to model something like this.
Step 52
At the end the shape should look like so. As you can see it is not so hard to do.
Step 53
Add a edge loop in the middle on the top and bottom, and one in the middle on each of the two sides as well. Move the vertices on the loop so it follows the shape. FInally Delete the polygons at both ends of the shape.
Step 54
For the trigger, create a new Box with the following settings: Length Segs: 6 and Width Segs: 2, and Convert it to Editable Poly.
Step 55
Move the vertices around in order to get this shape. On the vertices on the back apply a Weld with a Threshold value of around 2.5, in order to get them closer on the thick side of the element and not on the height of it.
Step 56
On the front polygon apply an Extrude three times and shape it like so by moving the vertices. After that add edge loops as shown to support the geometry. And finally apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 57
Create a new Tube and Convert it to Editable Poly. Then go to the connect options, and enter the following values shown in the picture (Segments: 3, Pinch 80).
Step 58
On the sides add loops as shown. Apply a Chamfer to the middle loop in order to get two new loops on both sides of the thick side of the element. Then Delete the polygons in the middle as shown, and use Cap to fill the holes. Finally use the Cut tool to connect the vertices.
Step 59
Apply an Extrude on the top polygons and Connect again, but this time with a lower pinch value.
Step 60
On the polygons we just created, apply an Inset two times as shown. Then go to the loops menu (Graphite Ribbon: Graphite Modeling Tools > Loops > Loop Tools) , click on Loop Tools and click Circle, to get a circle between the two loops we created with the Insets..
Step 61
Delete the polygons in the middle as shown, and apply a Bridge on the holes. Finally add edge loops as shown and add a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 62
Finally position the element as shown and then make a copy (Tools > Clone) and Scale it up. Position it and add two new loops as shown.
Step 63
On the middle two polygons of the new cloned element. We apply a Bevel two times and add two new loops as shown, and Delete the top polygons. Finally apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 64
Create a Torus (Create > Geometry > Torus) with the following settings: Segments: 24 and Sides: 12, and Convert it to Editable Poly.
Step 65
Apply an Extrude to the selected polygons as shown.
Step 66
Apply a Chamfer on the loops as shown, in order to create supporting edges. Then add a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 67
Create another Torus with 4 Segments and Convert it to Editable Poly. Add two new loops close to each corner and finally apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 68
Create four new thin Cylinders with 18 Sides, and place them like so, in order to connect the two elements together.
Step 69
Create another Cylinder with 30 Sides and convert it to Editable Poly. Bevel the front polygon five times until you get something like this.
Step 70
Move the vertices on the front side in order to create a straight line as shown. You can use the Connect or Cut functions to do that.
Step 71
On the front five vertical polygons, apply an negative Extrude and then select the outer and inner loops, as well as the edges in the four corners and Chamfer them.
Step 72
On the back polygon apply an Inset and then Extrude three times, and then Inset again.
Step 73
Select all the side edges in the middle and add 32 new loops using Connect, then select every second polygon ring.
Step 74
Apply an Extrude to the selected polygons and then apply a Chamfer to the selected loops as shown, finally apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 75
Create a new Tube with 30 Sides, Convert it to Editable Poly and Scale the outer loop so it is smaller on one of the sides.
Step 76
Select two polygons on each side and apply an Extrude two times. Then move the vertices around using the Move tool until you get something similar to this.
Step 77
Add supporting edge loops as shown, and apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 78
Place the element as shown, make a copy of it and Scale it up. And place it on the bigger element as well.
Step 79
Copy the screw and Delete the back side (so we have only the head part.) And place it as shown on both sides as shown.
Step 80
Create a new Box with 8 Width Segments, and Convert it to Editable Poly. Move the vertices around using the Move tool in order to get a rounded shape like this.
Step 81
Scale down the front part a bit and Rotate it 30 degrees.
Step 82
Add edge loops as shown.
Step 83
Make a copy of the element and union them with Attach, then apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2 and position the elements like so.
Step 84
Create a new Cylinder and on the two end polygons apply an Inset, then Extrude and Inset again.
Step 85
Select the loops on the both ends and apply a Chamfer as shown, finally apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 86
Create a new Box with the following settings: Length Segments 2 and Width Segments 3, and then Convert it to Editable Poly and move the vertices using the Move tool, until you get something like this.
Step 87
On the top polygons apply an Extrude three times, but after the first Extrude, Deselect the polygons as shown and move the vertices around to get a shape similar to this.
Step 88
Continue to Extrude the polygons six more times and model a shape like this.
Step 89
Delete the selected polygons, and on the edges apply a Bridge. And then do a Cap on the holes.
Step 90
Create a new edge and Connect the selected vertices. Now we need to Remove the edge that crosses the polygon diagonally.
Step 91
Add two new loops as shown.
Step 92
Connect the selected vertices.
Step 93
Add four more edge loops as shown.
Step 94
On the vertex where the lines cross, apply a Chamfer to create a diamond shape.
Step 95
Using the Cut tool, create three new edges on each side and then create a circle shape.
Step 96
Create a new Cylinder with 16 Sides and Delete the back polygon. Apply an Inset on the front one and add two loops as shown.
Step 97
On the front polygon apply an Extrude with a negative Height value and then apply an Inset with a low amount, and Bevel three times until you get something like this.
Step 98
On the polygons between the two edge loops apply an Extrude with a negative Height amount, and finally connect the holes using the Bridge tool.
Step 99
Apply a Chamfer on the edge loops as shown.
Step 100
We need to move the selected vertices a bit inwards, in order to get a small edge on the top part.
Step 101
Finally Delete the bottom polygons and apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 102
Select the back polygons on the rifle handle and using Shift+Drag, Copy them and choose - "Clone to object".
Step 103
Hide the rest of the model and take the element we just created. From the side view it should look like so. You may need to move the vertices around to make this shape.
Step 104
Add some additional edge loops and shape it into something like this.
Step 105
Use Shift+Drag to shape the front part of the element.
Step 106
Select the back loop and using Shift+Scale, scale it down. We need to get this as a result.
Step 107
Now using the Bridge and Cut tools, fill the hole in to get this result.
Step 108
Select the polygons as shown, and apply a Bevel.
Step 109
Using Border, select the hole on the front side and then using Shift+Scale, try to get something like this.
Step 110
Add edge loops as shown and apply a Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 111
Place the element as shown. Create a new Sphere and make four copies of it. Position them as shown and then union the spheres together into a single object using Attach.
Step 112
For the last element we need to create a shape like this using the Line tool.
Step 113
Extrude the Line and Convert it to Editable Poly. Add a new edge loop, and from the Edit Geometry menu, choose Edge and then Rotate the loop 50 degrees.
Step 114
On the selected polygons apply a Bevel, and on the front side using Shift+Drag and the Scale tool, try to get this as a result.
Step 115
Add new edge loops as shown.
Step 116
Using Shift+Drag we move the front loop inside, and then we use Shift+Scale twice. The first time we Scale it just a bit to get a loop close to the edge. And for the second scale, we use Collapse and move the vertex we get upwards. Finally we add two edge loops as shown and apply Turbosmooth - Iterations: 2.
Step 117
Before we place the element we need to add two new loops on the front, and Delete the two upper rows of polygons. Then using the Scale tool, move the selected vertices to the sides.
Step 118
Finally place the element like so, and the final result should look like this.
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