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3D Illustration Techniques

Studio Liddell takes us through the


processes involved in creating an
illustration using a variety of
drawing,
painting
and
3D
packages.
The company produced this PlayStation
image using Illustrator, formZ, 3D
Studio MAX and Photoshop - it was
designed for a series of children's
books.
The tools and techniques involved in
completing this kind of project will be
of interest to any digital artist, and
essential to those who are less
experienced...

Part 1: Reference material


Commencing any project can
be a daunting task, but as
Studio
Liddell
shows
us,
preparation is the key. Here
we take a look at the early
stages...

Part 2: Modelling in formZ


After the preparation was
finished, modelling could begin
in formZ. But first the
completed line work had to be
imported from Illustrator...

Part
3:
Exporting
and
importing
Studio
Liddell
guides
us
through
the
techniques
involved in exporting your
model...

Part 4: Working in 3D
StudioMAX
After everything was modelled
and exported, Studio Liddell
worked in 3D Studio MAX to
both smooth misshaped edges
and add materials...

Part 5: Retouching the


renders
After everything was rendered,
the two separate images had
to be combined. Studio Liddell
utilised
Photoshop's
Layer
Masks to achieve the required
transparent effect...

Part 1: Reference material


When starting any project, the first stage is always preparation:
gathering all the reference material that you'll need to produce the
illustration.

To help in the production of the 3D model, a set of elevations were


needed. The PlayStation was photographed and traced over in
Illustrator.

After the traced line work is complete, Studio Liddell completely


removed the background image that was no longer required. This
also prevented any problems occurring when the line work was
imported into formZ.

Part 2: Modelling in formZ


Now, the line work needs to be imported from Illustrator. You can
do this by selecting the top view, then going to Import and
selecting Illustrator. This will bring up the Import Option box - in the
number of points field enter a figure between 12-14.

Creating objects with rounded corners can be done within formZ.


You start by extruding the original spline A. Then the required
vertical segments are carefully rounded using the Round and Segment
tools. A box slightly larger than the extruded shape is created next (B).
With line intersection, Studio Liddell clicked the two shapes and deleted
one of the splines (C).

Spline (A) was then extruded to a distance slightly larger than


required (B). Next, you double-click on the Round tool and check
Plain Rounding. Select the face, Option-click on the Round tool and
select the top face (C). Now type in the amount of rounding required.

The imported line work can be used as a guide to position elements.


The small circuit board was created this way, producing different
files for the components, which were pasted into the scene and then
moved into position.

The main parts of the model are created using a mixture of


extrusions, evolving from the imported Illustrator line work.

There are times when more complex shapes are required - with the
PlayStation it was the cables. To create these, the Spline Cubic
Bzier was used, working in top, side and front view to create the
middle and ends of the cable.

The spline is in three pieces that now need joining together. Using
the Point Snap, move one end of a spline to another spline. The
Point Snap matches the two points together.

When creating a model that's going to be exported into another


program, it is a good idea to do a test render. This will show any
problems which may cause the mesh to export incorrectly.

Getting the various parts of your model organised is important if


you are exporting into another 3D program. In this example, Studio
Liddell placed individual or similar objects on its own layer - when
exported into 3D Studio MAX 3.1 a layer in formZ will become an
object in 3D Studio MAX.

Part 3: Exporting and importing


With the model now complete it is ready to be exported as a DXF.
The DXF file format works well, produces good results, and is
supported by the majority of 3D modelling programs.

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When exporting files that contain a large amount of detail, large


DXF files are generated. These files take a long time to import.
Here, Polytrans were used to convert the DXF file into 3DS format.

With the DXF converted to 3DS, importing into 3D Studio MAX is


quicker. When importing, choose 'Merge Objects With Current
Scene', as this leaves other elements in the scene untouched.

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Part 4: Working in 3D Studio MAX


With the model now imported into 3D Studio MAX, there are some
occasions where edges or faces can become a bit misshaped. To
remove these minor problems with the mesh, you just apply a smooth
modifier with Auto-Smooth checked.

Creating a material in 3D Studio MAX is very straightforward, with


various options available for controlling the colour, glossiness,
highlight strength and other parameters.

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With imported meshes there are sometimes faces in the mesh that
have inverted normals - this creates holes in the mesh. One way to
solve this is to turn on the two-sided option in the material's rollout.
This doesn't change the inverted normals, but gives the impression that
the object is solid.

With imported meshes there are sometimes faces in the mesh that
have inverted normals - this creates holes in the mesh. One way to
solve this is to turn on the two-sided option in the material's rollout.
This doesn't change the inverted normals, but gives the impression that
the object is solid.

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To create a texture using an image map, you just click on the


square next to the diffuse and select bitmap from the material/map
browser. Next, locate the image you intend to use.

After applying the new texture map to your object, a UVW map
modifier needs to be applied to object. The UVW modifier enables
you to scale, position or rotate the texture.

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3D Studio MAX has five different types of lights. When starting a


new scene a target spotlight is an excellent starting point, using the
RGB/HSW to set the colour and Multiplier to alter the brightness of the
light.

With complex scenes containing many lights, adjusting the


parameters of different lights can become a time-consuming
process. The Light Lister shows all the lights in the scene - using this,
they can all be easily adjusted.

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Rendering a sample of the scene when textures and lights are set
up enables you to see how it is progressing. This also means that
you can refine the scene until you are totally happy with it.

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Part 5: Retouching the renders


Now the scene is complete and the final renders produced, it all
needs placing together. The internal render shows all of the
intricate detail. The CD is subsequently ghosted away to maximise
the amount of detail shown.

The external render was simply retouched adding highlights,


enhancing the image to bring more realism into the scene.

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With the internal and external images brought together in


Photoshop, we can now use layer masks to remove parts from the
external image. The advantage of using these is that none of the
image is erased and it can be undone if required.

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