3DS MAX Creating a Snow House in 3DS Max Tutorial (part 1)

Step One

We will make a snow house here with some cartoonish trees around. Start with a Plane object for ground.

Figure 1.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Two

Set the parameters as shown.

Figure 2.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Three

Add a Noise modifier and set the parameters as shown.

Figure 2.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Four For the base of our small house, draw a Box object as shown.   Figure 4.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Five Now, for the walls, draw a Rectangle shape object as shown. It should be aligned with the box object (Box01) and slightly smaller than the box.   Figure 5.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Six Add an Edit Spline modifier and go to its Spline sub-object level. Then scroll down in the modify panel and enable Outline button. Drag from the existing spline inward a little to get the depth of a wall.   Figure 6.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seven Exit the sub-object level and in the Front viewport, move the Rectangle01 up a little so that is aligned with the top surface of Box01.   Figure 7.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eight Add an Extrude modifier to it and set the Amount = 120.   Figure 8.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Nine Draw another box slightly larger the perimeter of the wall as shown.   Figure 9.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ten In the Front viewport, move it up to the top of the wall.   Figure 10.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eleven Convert it to Editable Poly.   Figure 11.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twelve Go to the Polygon sub-object level and select the top polygon.   Figure 12.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirteen With Extrude option choose the Extrusion Height = 60.   Figure 13.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fourteen Scale down the Polygon as shown and leave the sub-object level.   Figure 14.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifteen Add another box object for the roof with the Width Segs = 2 and move the Box up as shown.   Figure 15.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixteen Add a Bend modifier to the box. Set the Bend Angle = 145 and Bend Axis = X.   Figure 16.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventeen Convert it to Editable Poly.   Figure 17.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighteen If needed for better viewing, press F3 in your keyboard to change the view to wireframe mode. Go to the Edge sub-object level. Select any of the top-middle edges and hit Loop button to select all the 4 edges of this area.   Figure 18.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Nineteen In the Edit Edges roll-out, enable the Chamfer button and drag the mouse-pointer from the selected edges in the viewport to have their offset edges. This is just for eliminating the sharp shape of the top of the roof.   Figure 19.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Do another Chamfer operation for more smoothing.   Figure 20.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty One Select the 4 corner edges as shown by CTRL+Click method.   Figure 21.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Two Chamfer these edges two times as well.   Figure 22.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Three Select the perimeter edges as shown. You may use Ignore Backfacing option while using CTRL+Click method for selecting these edges.   Figure 23.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Four Chamfer these edges as well, but for once.   Figure 24.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Five Go to Polygon level and press CTRL+A to select all the polygons. Then under the Polygon Properties, hit Auto Smooth. This eliminates the sharpness of the polygons where they meet with each other.   Figure 25.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Six If you see any unexpected deformation in the mid/top area go to edge level and chamfer more 1-2 times those edges.   Figure 26.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Seven Let’s start making the Windows. For making the windows hole we will use Boolean with the wall. First add a Box as shown which will act as an Operand for Boolean operation. Its depth needs to be greater than that of the wall for making the proper hole.   Figure 27.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Eight Select the wall we made earlier. Then choose the Compound Object category from Create > Geometry > Category Drop-down list.   Figure 28.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Nine Enable the Boolean option. Make sure the wall is still selected.   Figure 29.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Than under Pick Boolean roll-out, click Pick Operand B and click the new box in the viewport to pick it as the boolean operand.   Figure 30.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty One A hole has been created. We can take more boxes and do more Boolean operations to make more holes for more windows. BUT, in this tutorial, we will rather use the single Boolean to make several holes (2 holes per each side’s wall). For that, go to modify panel while the wall is still selected. Go to Operands sub-object level of Boolean. Then highlight “B:Box05” (i.e. Operand B) from the Operands list under Parameters roll-out.   Figure 31.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Two Operand B was a Box. Wasn’t it? So, you will see “Box” below in the modifier stack. Select “Box”. It will be highlighted with grey color.   Figure 32.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Three Make sure Box is selected in the modifier stack. Then add an Edit Mesh modifier.   Figure 33.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Four Go to Element sub-object level and click on the hole-edge in viewport to select the Element of the Box’s mesh. There is only one element, so you will have no problem to select it. You may also press CTRL+A to select the element if you do not like to select by clicking. The element will not be visible because its base object (Box) was used to make the whole in the wall.   Figure 34.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Five With the move tool, move the element (invisible) to the right (as shown below) while pressing SHIFT key in the keyboard. In the Clone Part of Mesh dialogue box, make sure “Clone To Element” option is chosen and then click OK. A new whole will be made.   Figure 35.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Six For making the holes in the adjacent wall select the earlier element (hole). Enable the Rotate tool and Angle Snap button in the main toolbar. Then rotate the selected invisible element 90 degree in Z-axis while pressing the SHIFT key in the keyboard.   Figure 36.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Seven Choose “Clone To Element” option and click OK.   Figure 37.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Eight Move the newly created invisible element to the appropriate place of the side-wall to get the new hole there.   Figure 38.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Thirty Nine Using this technique, make other windows holes as well into all the walls.   Figure 39.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty The size of the holes looks bigger than it should be. We can scale down that while staying still in the Element mode. Just follow the steps as shown in the below image.   Figure 40.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty One For making the hole for the door, again clone the element as shown.   Figure 41.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty Two And scale-up the hole element for the door as shown. Exit the Element sub-object level.   Figure 42.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty Three To make the cut (or hole or whatever I should say) in the floor for the lower portion of the door, draw another Box and move it to the appropriate place for another Boolean operation. Select the base of the house and do another typical Boolean operation as shown.   Figure 43.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty Four We have made the holes for winows and the doors and NOT the main parts (shutters). We will now make them. Again make a box aligning it with the first hole in the Front viewport with the segments parameters as shown.   Figure 44.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty Five Go to the Top viewport and move (in Y view axis) the box exactly where it should be i.e. on the hole.   Figure 45.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty Six Convert it to Editable Poly.   Figure 46.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty Seven Now, in the Modify panel, go to the Vertex sub-object level and select two middle columns vertices and scale them horizontally as shown.   Figure 47.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty Eight Now select the two middle rows vertices and scale them vertically as shown.   Figure 48.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Forty Nine Go to Polygon level and select two big polygons of the middle by region-dragging while the Select tool (and NOT any of the transformation tools i.e. Move/Rotate/Scale) is enabled in the main toolbar.   Figure 49.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Extrude with a little negative value as shown to make the contour. We will now assign a semi transparent material (like glass window) to these two polygons.   Figure 50.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty One Make sure Polygon sub-object level is still enabled and the two big middle polygons are still selected. Then open the Material Editor. Select the 1st empty slot and adjust the Diffuse Color and Opacity value as shown.   Figure 51.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Two Assign the material to the selection.   Figure 52.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Three Now, choose the 2nd empty material slot and adjust the Diffuse Color as shown.   Figure 53.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Four Choose Edit menu > Select Inverse.   Figure 54.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Five Rest of the polygons should be selected. Assign the 2nd material to the selection.   Figure 55.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Six Actually, we want to make two parts window. So, go to Vertex level and region-select the right two columns vertices. Then move them to the left as shown.   Figure 56.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Seven Before, doing further adjustment we need to adjust the Pivot point of the window. So, leave the sub-object mode, go to Front viewport. and go to Hierarchy panel. Then enable “Affect Pivot Only” mode and move the Pivot point as shown. Exit “Affect Pivot Only” mode.   Figure 57.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Eight While the window part is still selected, click Mirror button in the main toolbar. Choose the options as shown. We should select “Instance” option which will facilitate the vertices adjustment process.   Figure 58.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fifty Nine Now, go to modify panel and enter the Vertex sub-object level of the new window-part’s Editable Poly. Then select and move the vertices as shown. Look, the shape of the other window-part is also being fixed. This is because we chose “Instance” for cloning method in the previous step.   Figure 59.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Now select the two parts and choose Group menu > Group.   Figure 60.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty One Name the group “Window01” and click OK. Then clone and place this group several time to get the shutters for other windows as well.   Figure 61.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Two Apply same simple Polygon modeling technique for the Door.   Figure 62.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Three Open the Material Editor and choose the 3rd empty material slot. Assign Bitmap to the Diffuse slot.   Figure 63.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Four Use any suitable texture of your choice for the door.   Figure 64.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Five Assign the Material to the door. Enable Show Map in Viewport button when assigning the material. Bitmap is not correctly seen on the door. We need an appropriate UVW coordinates for the door.   Figure 65.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Six So apply a UVW Mapping modifier to the door. Choose “Box” as the Mapping option under Parameters.   Figure 66.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Seven For wall material, choose the 4th empty material slot. Click on Standard and choose Composite material type.   Figure 67.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Eight Discard old material when asked.   Figure 68.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixty Nine Choose Standard as Mat.1 of the Composite material.   Figure 69.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Assign Bitmap to this Standard material’s diffuse slot.   Figure 70.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy One Choose a old brick-wall texture which you should get in your 3dsmax > Maps > Bricks folder if you installed the maps as well when installing 3dsmax.   Figure 71.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Two Click Go to Parent button twice to return to the base Composite material interface.   Figure 72.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Three For Mat.2, choose another Standard material.   Figure 73.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Four Adjust of this Standard material’s parameters as shown and choose Gradient map as the Opacity map of this material. Actually, we want to see some snowy effect over the lower portion of the brick wall. So, we will make an Opacity map of the Mat.2 (Standard) material of the composite where lower portion will be opaque and upper portion will be transparent so that bricks cane be seen in the upper area. Obviously we will add some noise to simulate the realism.   Figure 74.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Five Set the Noise Amount value = 0.5 for this Gradient map and click Go to Parent button.   Figure 75.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Six Expand the Maps roll-out and assign Cellular to the Bump map slot.   Figure 76.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Seven Adjust the Size value under Cell Characteristics group in the Cellular map’s parameters area.   Figure 77.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Eight Assign this composite material to the wall we made earlier. Quick Render the scene to see the material effect on the wall.   Figure 78.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventy Nine Now, for the upper wall, assign a standard material with just that brick-wall texture. Apply a UVW Mapping modifier with “Box” mapping method to correct the texture coordinates for this object.   Figure 79.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty For the outer ground and the base & roof of the house we will make a snowy material. Select the 6th empty material slot and then adjust the parameters as shown. Assign this material to the said objects.   Figure 80.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty One If we want to give some uneven shape to the roof geometry we have to get some more edges in the roof. So, select the Roof and go to Modifier panel for editing the roof editable poly. You don’t have to enter any sub-object level. Do some Quick Slice operation as shown.   Figure 81.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty Two You can get further mesh density by using the Tessellate option after going to Polygon subject level and selecting the desired polygons (see below).   Figure 82.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty Three After getting enough polygons/edges go to Vertex level and move some vertices to form the irregular shape. Use Soft Selection and adjust Falloff value before adjusting the vertices.   Figure 83.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty Four For the trees, draw a Cone object as shown.   Figure 84.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty Five Add a Noise modifier with the parameters as shown.   Figure 85.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty Six Assign a green color material to the cone. Assign Noise map to the Bump slot of this material.   Figure 86.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty Seven Adjust the Noise map’s parameters as shown.   Figure 87.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty Eight Increase the Bump amount to 50. Then scale and move the cone in a reasonable height as shown.   Figure 88.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighty Nine Clone the cone twice and position them as shown and group all the 3 cones.   Figure 89.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Clone the group several and position/scale them to get more trees.   Figure 90.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety One If you want you can scale the ground to make the area bigger.   Figure 91.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Two Choose Rendering menu > Environment.   Figure 92.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Three Then assign Bitmap to the Environment Map slot.   Figure 93.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Four Select a sky map of your choice.   Figure 94.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Five To see the sky in the Viewport as well, select Views > Viewport Background.   Figure 95.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Six Check “Use Environment Background” and “Display Background” options. Click OK.   Figure 96.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Seven Under Global Lighting group, set the Ambient color as shown.   Figure 97.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Eight Add two Omni lights as shown. Set the Multiplier = 1.2 for the lower Omni. It will not cast shadow, but it will serve as the main light-source. Actually this is NOT the very accurate and traditional lighting style in 3dsmax. I have set this less time-consuming lighting just for this particular scene. But, please use your own lighting technique to see if that is enough for the scene.   Figure 98.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Ninety Nine The upper Omni light will cast shadow, but will give the least light intensity. Check “Shadow” option for it and set the Multiplier to 0.1.   Figure 99.  Click here to view larger image.