Basics of Forerunner modelling

Tutorials for Halo CE.
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selentic





Posts: 94
Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:06 am

Basics of Forerunner modelling

Post by selentic »

To start this out, let me say, the cut tool is your best friend with forerunner stuff.

This tutorial will hopefully teach you how to add details to your creations.

This is an old trick mass and tweek taught me a while ago, which I passed on to rooster, so why not teach all you people.

To start, load up MS paint. Goto the line tool.

Now this will allow you to distinguish 45 and 90 degree angles from other angles, for cutting in max. Even if youre not sure where Im going with this just try to bear with me.

Drag a line and try to get it on a 45 degree angle. Now if you get it dead on, youll notice that the line will become straighter and straighter as you approach 45 or 90 degrees, and will become less straight as you shy away from that.

Youll see this is a very jagged not 45 degree angle line.

Image

As opposed to this, which is 45 degrees and is perfectly straight.

Image

Now go into max. Hit up the cut tool. Go into a viewport that is staring the polygon you are cutting this detail into dead on. This is the same basis, the line will become straight to show when its on a 45 degree angle. Now extrude away or whatever you wanted to do with this detail.

Other tools

Chamfer : Probably the most useful of all tools when it comes to forerunner. Looks especially good on doorways.

Extrude : This will be a very commonly used tool for the cutting method.

Bevel : This is a tool you should rarely touch. It can create good looking nooks with the cut method, for lights and other accessories.

Inset : Another tool you should rarely touch. This rarely looks good and should be avoided. Or use it and chamfer the edges to create a different shape than the polygon your insetting. You should usually avoid this and instead use cut.

Angle snaps : This is the most accurate method of creating forerunner angles as it is perfectly dead on. Not to say the cut method is innacurate, its not like youre going to be able to tell the difference ingame or in the model.

This video demonstrates the angle snap : http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l42/s ... _thing.flv

This is good for creating the starts of forerunner pillars and such.

Thanks for the video maniac.

The Mirror tool : This is another amazingly useful tool for reflecting forerunner geometry around a circular mirror.

Angles : These are the most important part of forerunner designs. Follow these at all times.

Angles to use 15, 30, 45 and 60 degrees.

15 is very rarely used, other than for circular forerunner works.
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T1xAnton




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Post by T1xAnton »

lawl, stop posting useful things :D

Was helpful when you showed me the other night thanks man.
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selentic





Posts: 94
Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:06 am

Post by selentic »

Its just a repost from modacity and halomaps lawls

Of course, there are a lot of people here who I dont recognize, who I figure this would not have reached, so why not help them out too ;D
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