Fine-Tuning the Housings

Load the starting file:

• Choose File > Open and browse to the \tutorials\new_modeling folder. Open the file tut_powercharger_base2.max.

Chamfer the edge:

1. Select the Line - Base Extrusion object.

2. Turn on the Edge selection level. Select all the edges illustrated; these make up the upper edge of the base of the charger. You might need to use Arc Rotate to move around the object to get all the edges. After selecting the first edge, hold down the Ctrl key to add to the selection of edges.

   

   Select all these red edges.

3. When all the edges are selected, turn on Chamfer Settings on the Edit Edges rollout to display the Chamfer Edges dialog, and set the Chamfer Amount to 5 units. Click OK to close the dialog and set the chamfer.

   

   Chamfered edges

Change the color:

To make it easier to see the selected edges while working, you will lighten up the Gray Block material color.

1. Open the Material Editor. Click Pick, and click the base in any viewport.

   This selects the material assigned to the selected object.

2. In the Blinn Basic Parameters rollout, click the Ambient or Diffuse color swatch and change the Red, Green, and Blue Values to lighten the Gray Block color. Make it a lighter gray by setting all three values to 150.

3. Close the Material Editor.

Chamfer more edges:

Next, you will chamfer more edges to continue rounding the generator housing.

1. Select the edges shown in the illustration below. These make up the profile of the upper front of the power charger.

   

   Selected edges

2. Turn on Chamfer, then position your cursor over a selected edge, and drag the mouse to chamfer. Watch the edges chamfer on the instanced half.

   

   Chamfer the edges.

Create an inset:

1. Turn on the Polygon level, and then select the two polygons shown in the following illustration.

   

   Select these red polygons.

2. Click Extrude Settings and set the Extrusion Height to -10 units. Click OK.

   

   Negative extrusion creates inset.

3. Select the polygons illustrated below, left behind from the extrusion on the inner side of the base, and delete them. In the Delete Isolated Vertices dialog, answer Yes.

   

4. Choose File > Save As and save the scene as my_charger4.max.

Round the base:

1. Turn on Edge mode.

2. Select and chamfer the edges shown in red in the following illustration, along the outer top edge of the charger.

   

   Select these edges.

3. Drag the mouse to create a chamfer that is close to matching the following illustration.

   

   Chamfer to round the base.

4. Use Arc Rotate in the viewport so you can see the other side of the base.

5. Select the edges at the rear of the charger. Select the edges shown red in the following illustration; these make up the rear corner of the charger.

   

   Select these edges.

6. Chamfer these edges to round the back of the generator housing.

   

   Chamfer more edges.

   Next you'll cut some new edges in preparation to make a cleaner model.

Cut new edges:

1. In the Edit Geometry rollout, click Cut. Cut two new edges as shown in red in the illustration.

   

   Cut two new edges, as shown in red.

2. Select the red edges between the new cuts.

   

   Select these three edges.

3. Press the Delete key to remove the edges.

   This leaves a hole in the object that you will have to fill.

   

   Deleting the edges leaves a hole in the mesh.

4. Turn on the Polygon sub-object level. On the Edit Geometry rollout, click Create. Move your cursor over one of the corners of the opening created by deleting the edges and click. Move the cursor to the next corner and click. Continue clicking each corner and be sure to click the first corner again to complete polygon. In total, you will click five times.

   

   The polygon is selected when the polygon is completed.

5. Turn on the Edge sub-object level again. On the Edit Geometry rollout, turn off Create, and click Cut. Make four cuts across the rear polygon, as pictured below. Turn off Cut when you're finished.

   

   Add four cuts to these edges.

6. In the Selection rollout, change to the Vertex sub-object selection level.

7. Start by selecting the top, center vertex of the first new edge, and then on the toolbar, change the Reference Coordinate to Local.

   Notice the change in the transform gizmo.

   

8. Move the top vertex along the Local X axis so it moves up along the plane of the back of the base.

   

9. Keep selecting and moving the vertices on the new edges, one at a time, to resemble the illustration below.

   Tip: Use Arc-Rotate to look at the vertices from the side to make sure they haven't moved off the plane of the back of the base. Press Shift+Z to undo the viewport rotation.

   

   Reposition these vertices one at a time.

10. Turn on the Polygon sub-object level. Select the two polygons outlined by the vertices you moved in the previous step (they form a rough semicircle), and then extrude them inward about -30.

    Tip: By clicking the Settings button next to Extrude, you can enter a precise Extrusion Height value.

    

    Negative extrusion creates an indentation.

11. Select and delete the polygons that divide the extrusions.

    Now you have a hollow in the base.

    

    Remove the dividing polygons.

12. Save your scene as my_charger5.max.

Create another inset:

1. On the toolbar, change the Reference Coordinate to View.

2. Turn on Edge sub-object level and make the first cut across two edges.

   

   Cut two edges at once.

3. Make a second cut parallel to the first but a little forward.

   

   Add a second parallel cut.

4. Turn off Cut and select the middle edge. Move it upward, as shown in the illustration.

   

   Lift up this red edge.

5. Turn Cut on again, and make another cut between the new edges.

   

   Add a cut parallel to lifted edge.

6. Turn on Vertex sub-object level and move the two new vertices created by the cut to resemble the hexagonal shape shown in the illustration.

   

   Move each vertex outward to form a hexagonal border.

7. Select the two polygons and Bevel them inward. Click Bevel Settings and set the Height to -10 units. Set the Outline Amount to -5. Click OK.

   

   Negative bevel and extrusion

8. Hold down the Ctrl key and add the new interior bevel faces to the selected polygons, then move the inset upward, as shown.

   

   Raise the inset up.

Cut from vertex to edge:

You'll use Cut to add more detail.

1. Turn on Edge sub-object level, and then turn on Cut.

2. Make a cut as shown in this illustration.

   

   Cut to add this red edge.

Weld vertices:

1. Cut another edge along the back of the base, as shown by the red line in this illustration.

   

2. Turn on the Vertex sub-object level, and then drag a selection window to include the ends of the two edges. Be careful to only encompass the two vertices.

   

   The two vertices turn red.

3. Click the Weld Settings button and set the Weld Threshold to 10, then click OK. If the selected vertices are not within the threshold, nothing will happen. If this happens, increase the threshold, and click OK again.

   

   The vertices are welded.

Complete the power base:

As you can tell, it can be a complicated and time-consuming process to build a model using polygon modeling techniques. To create the intended power generator housing, you need to repeat the things you've learned; cutting, beveling and extruding, and then moving vertices and edges, over and over again.

You can repeat these steps and techniques to make your own version of the base. But rather than ask you to go through all of these steps now, we'll just give you a quick overview of the remaining steps. You can try them yourself, or simply go to the next procedure and unhide the finished power base, which is currently hidden from view.

By following the upcoming illustrations, you can add an inset by cutting many extra edges, then select polygons and give them a shallow negative extrusion and a wider outline.

1. Cut extra edges as shown in the following illustration.

   

   Selection set of the newly made polygons

2. Use the Bevel tool to create the indentation shown below.

   

   Bevel an inset

3. You can select polygons around the corner and use a positive extrusion and negative bevel outline.

   

   Select polygons around a corner to create a blister.

4. Clean up the rear center by deleting polygons and moving vertices together.

   

   Cleaned up center-line

5. You can extrude and bevel a plate on the sloped top of the power base.

   

   Create a top plate.

6. Cut new edges in that plate, then reposition the edges and vertices to round the top.

   

   Round the top plate by lifting edges.

Unhide the finished model:

1. In the modifier stack, click the Editable Poly to return to the base level of the object. The Editable Poly listing turns gray.

2. Drag a selection rectangle around the two objects in the viewport to select them.

3. Go to the Display panel. On the Hide rollout, click Hide Selected.

4. Now choose Unhide By Name. Hold down Ctrl and choose Generator Housing Left and Generator Housing Right Instance. Click Unhide.

   

   Completed model of power charger base unit

5. If you like, you can unhide half of your model and half of the completed model as a template to help you shape your own work.

   

   Unhide right half as a template.