Blue Print Set Up Tutorial for Beginners

This tutorial is prepared to learn how to setup a blue print while modeling Toyota Avensis car, the same procedure can be used while modeling any type of model when a blue print is used as an reference; it is ideally suited for beginners as it has a detailed illustration explaining each step with an image. I hope you will enjoy this tutorial and will learn few new things in Autodesk 3ds Max. Let us start now. First we have to select a nice reference image of a car which has enough details to work with. You can find loads of blue prints in www.The-BluePrints.com. First let us select a blue print which has enough details and later on we can find a reference image for the same in Google images. I have selected the blue print of Toyota Avensis car, you can as see the image below.

Blue Print.  Click here to view larger image.

I found an reference image in Google as shown below.

Reference Image.  Click here to view larger image.

Step One

Now let us separate the views from the blue print by using any image editing application, I have used Adobe Photoshop for the same. Open the image in Photoshop and by using “Rectangular Marquee” tool select the side view from the blue print as shown in figure 3 and press CTRL C in the key board to copy the selection that we made.

Figure 1.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Two

Now open a new document by pressing CTRL C in the keyboard or you do it by going to “File >> New” menu. When the “New” dialog box pops up enter the value of 720 pixels for width and 240 pixels for height as shown in figure 4. It all depends upon the size of the blue print, as you may have to change the dimensions for other blue prints. Make sure that it fits almost perfectly in the new document.

Figure 2.

Step Three

Now just press CTRL V to paste the side into the new document and save it as an image file in your hard disk.

Figure 2.  Click here to view larger image.

Step Four In the same way do for front view and save it into your hard disk.   Figure 4.   Step Five In the same way cut the image of rear view and save it into your hard disk. Below the image for your reference.   Figure 5.   Step Six Do the same thing for top view and save the it as an image files. You can see the image below for your reference. You may be thinking from where the heck did the pink lines come, I created it just for reference, as it would be of immense help while modeling as the lines would indicate where the bonnet start and so on. {The dimensions for front and rear should be 320X240 pixels and for top view should be 720X320 pixels}   Figure 6.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seven Now open 3ds Max. Select “Top” plane and click on “Plane” button in the create panel as shown below.   Figure 7.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eight Create a plane and enter the values for height, width and the segments as shown below.   Figure 8.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Nine Now click on “Material Editor” button as shown below and map an image on the plane.   Figure 9.   Step Ten When the “Material Editor” dialog box appears click on an open slot and select “Blinn” shader and click on the button next to “Diffuse” channel as shown below.   Figure 10.   Step Eleven When “Material/Map Browser” dialog box appears double click on “Bitmap” from the list of file type as shown below.   Figure 11.   Step Twelve Now browse through and select top view image file from the location where you have saved it as shown below and click on open button.   Figure 12.   Step Thirteen Now just drag and drop the slot we just now mapped with an image to the top viewport and you have to click on “Show Standard Map in Viewport” button before closing the box.   Figure 13.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Fourteen Now RMB on top viewport and select “Smooth + Highlights” option as shown below.   Figure 14.   Step Fifteen Great we have finally been able to map the top view image on the plane created in top viewport as shown below.   Figure 15.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Sixteen Now I feel that you might have got some idea on mapping an image on the object. In the same way let us map remaining views. Now let us start mapping side view in left view port by creating a plane with the dimensions and segments values as shown below.   Figure 16.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Seventeen Now add side view to the newly created plane as shown below.   Figure 17.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Eighteen Now RMB on all the viewports and click on “Configure” as shown below.   Figure 18.   Step Nineteen Under “Rendering Method” tab select both “Force 2-Sided” and “2 Lights” options as shown below.   Figure 19.   Step Twenty Now add front view by creating a new plane with value of parameters for length, width and segments as shown below.   Figure 20.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty One Now let us map an image to the object as explained from step five to nine, and the resultant image would be as shown below.   Figure 21.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Two We have completed creating front, side and top view and now let us create rear view. You can create rear view with out creating a new plane object by using mirror tool. Select the front view and click on “Mirror” tool button as shown below.   Figure 22.   Step Twenty Three When the mirror dialog box appears select “X” for mirror axis and click on “Copy” radio button as shown below.   Figure 23.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Four Now drag the copy using “X” axis and there you are with new object created as shown below.   Figure 24.   Step Twenty Five Now let us add an rear view image map to the mirrored plane object as explained from step five to nine the let us plane each views as shown below.   Figure 25.  Click here to view larger image.   Step Twenty Six Once you feel that all the views are properly positioned, then you have to lock all the views along “Z” axis so that you would be able to move the views only along “Z” axis. Click on “Hierarchy” button and select all the axis except “Z” as shown below. You have to do the same for all the views.   Figure 26.  Click here to view larger image.