3D MAX is a PC-based software widely used for 3D animation rendering and production. It allows you to create detailed components for 3D effects. Below is a brief guide on How to Quickly Create Lanterns Using 3D MAX.
1. Start by opening the software and creating a plane under the Create panel, as illustrated in the image.
2. Once the plane is created, select it and adjust its parameters in the Modify panel to match the exact length and width of your material image. This step helps prevent deformation of the model, as shown below.
3. After setting the plane’s properties, drag and drop the desired material image directly onto the plane. To make further drawing easier, reset the coordinate center to zero, as demonstrated in the figure.
4. Freeze the plane to avoid accidental movement during modeling. Select the plane, right-click, choose Object Properties, then uncheck the option to display frozen objects in gray. Make sure the Freeze option is enabled to prevent the image from being obscured by gray shading, as shown.
5. With the preparation complete, begin drawing lines to roughly outline the shape of the lantern, as depicted.
6. Select the line segment you just created. In the Modify panel’s point hierarchy, adjust each point to smooth the line. Box-select all points, right-click, and convert them to Bezier corner points. This conversion allows you to control and refine each point smoothly, as shown.
7. Once the line segment is smoothly adjusted, use the trimming command in the Modify panel. This function, similar to rotating the layout, helps generate the lantern’s outline, as seen in the image.
8. At this stage, you may notice that the plane segmentation does not match the desired diamond shape. Convert the outlined contour into an editable polygon to create the correct topological shape, as illustrated.
9. Cut the generated polygon by framing it, right-clicking, and selecting “Cut Corner.” Cut at a specific distance, then press CTRL+I to select the opposite face and delete it. This process shapes the polygon into a rattan lantern form, as shown.
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