NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational Basis Splines) are a type of spline which is particularly useful for modeling smooth 3d surfaces. The lines themselves, called NURBS curves, are used to create NURBS surfaces or objects. An overview of NURBS, with links and examples, is available here. In this tutorial, we will use NURBS to create highly curved […]
A spline is a curved line, defined by three or more vertices. It can be 2-dimensional, with all its vertices on a single plane, or 3-d. Splines allow the user to create smoothly-curved lines with high precision. A spline’s shape can be controlled by changing the position, and other properties, of its vertices. In this […]
This tutorial details the process of creating a digital ‘diorama’ using 3ds Max 2011. The basic idea is to map images onto 2-dimensional planes, and arrange the planes in 3-dimensional space to form the illusion of 3d objects in space. It is sometimes also necessary to make certain parts of the mapped images transparent, […]
First you will need to get a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of a specific location. In this case we are using a DEM of the NW Laurel Hill (Louisiana) USGS quadrant. You will need to convert the DEM file into an image file (such as jpg) using GIS. Black represents low areas, white represent high areas. Check […]
First you will need the contour data for a given site; this can usually be obtained from GIS and converted to AutoCAD. In this example we are using contours from Laurel Hill Louisiana. 1. Open up 3ds Max and select file, import and navigate to your AutoCAD contour file and select open. 2. The following […]
The 3ds Max software, released by Autodesk, allows users to model, animate, and render objects and systems with a large degree of freedom and accuracy. The Particle Flow program is a simulation system built into 3ds Max. It allows for non-linear events to drive the parameters of the system. Complex phenomena such as water, air, […]