You'll start by adjusting the extrusion amount, and then converting the object to an Editable Poly object. The latter step gives you access to polygon-modeling techniques.
The Cut tool lets you cut new edges between vertices and edges. This is a fundamental technique for adding extra surfaces for sculpting.
-
In the modify panel, click the Vertex button, and then in the Edit Geometry rollout, click Cut.
-
On the top of the polygon cut from one vertex to another as shown in the first illustration below. Click one vertex, then move the cursor and click the next vertex to create the cut. Right-click to stop cutting temporarily. Make a second cut across the top as shown in the second illustration. At the end of the second cut, right-click twice to exit Cut.
Left: The first cut. Right: Both cuts
-
Change the selection level to Edge, and again turn on Cut.
The new edges are now red. When you use Cut Edge, you can cut anywhere on an edge.
-
Make two cuts between the two new edges to create a new polygon on the top of the base.
Next you'll select the new polygon you've cut in the top of the base and bevel and extrude it.
-
In the Selection rollout, click the Polygon button.
-
Press F2 on the keyboard to shade selected faces.
This makes it easier to see a polygon when you select it.
-
Select the new polygon you just created.
-
Right click the polygon and, from the quad menu > Tools 2 quadrant, choose Bevel Polygon.
Beveling interactively is a two-step operation. First you drag upward on the selection to extrude. Then you release the mouse button, and move the mouse to bevel; you're actually scaling the extruded polygon. Click to finish.
-
Extrude the polygon up about 20 units (watch the Modify panel > Extrusion field as you drag). Bevel in about -2, just a small amount. Watch the Outline field as you move the cursor.
-
Extrude the polygon a second time, about 50 units. Bevel again, about -2 units.
-
Right-click the polygon and choose Rotate from the quad menu.
-
Using the following illustration as a guide, rotate the top polygon in the Perspective viewport. Use the Transform gizmo to rotate the polygon about the X axis. Move your cursor over the X, and when it turns yellow, drag to rotate the polygon.
-
Right-click and choose Move from the quad menu.
-
Move the top polygon back and up to form a slope, again trying to match the following illustration (don't worry about being too precise). Use the Transform gizmo corner (opposite the intersection of the Y and Z axes) to move in the YZ plane.
-
Use Arc Rotate to rotate the viewport all around to see the object from different angles.
Tip:You can use the keyboard shortcut ALT+R or press the button in the viewport navigation controls.
-
Select the two topmost vertices, and scale them together slightly to taper the shape.
-
Select the next set of vertices down, as shown in the following illustration. Move those vertices outward, along the Y axis using the transform gizmo.
Tip: When the Y turns yellow, you can move the vertices only along the Y axis.
Select and move the red vertices.
Tip: You can achieve the same result by moving the edge between the two vertices, at the Edge sub-object level.
Next you'll slice the object into two parts, deleting one half and replacing it in the viewport with an instance of the other side. That way any further sculpting you do will be repeated automatically in the instance. This cuts down your work and ensures the object will appear symmetrical.
-
In the Selection rollout, click the Polygon button.
-
Drag a selection rectangle around the entire object.
All the polygons are selected in the viewport.
-
In the Edit Geometry rollout of the modify panel, find and turn on Slice Plane.
The slice plane appears in the viewport.
-
Rotate the slice plane 90 degrees about the Y axis, so it is vertical. Watch the coordinate display near the bottom of the screen as you rotate the Slice plane
-
When the Slice Plane is appropriately positioned, click the Slice button.
Notice that the object has new edges following the slice plane.
Rotate the slice plane, and then click Slice.
-
Turn off Slice Plane.
-
Arc Rotate the viewport so you are looking at the base directly from behind. Right-click in the viewport to exit Arc Rotate.
-
Hold down the ALT key and drag a rectangular selection of the polygons on the right side of the cut.
Tip: Start the selection rectangle outside the object.
Also, if you don't succeed in selecting all the polygons, first make sure the Crossing Selection toggle, at the bottom of the interface, is active. That is, the button image depicted here should appear, not the highlighted Window Selection image. If the latter is true, click the button to return to Crossing Selection.
The ALT key subtracts from the selection set.
-
Press DELETE to remove the selected polygons. Click Yes to delete isolated vertices.
Now half the object has disappeared.
-
Use Arc Rotate to rotate the viewport around the object.
You can see through the polygons when looking from the inside of the object. That's because, by default, gmax shades only the "outward" side of polygons. The visible side of a polygon is determined by the direction of its face normal, which you can specify. For detailed information on this topic, see the gmax online reference.
Face normals makes see-through polygons .
-
Rotate the viewport back so you can see the visible half of the base.
-
Using the following illustration as a guide, select the uppermost edge and move it along the Z and Y axes. Don't move it along the X axis or you will disrupt the symmetry of the object.
-
Again, following the illustration, select the next edge down and move it up along the Z axis as well.
Select and move these edges.
-
Go around to the other end and raise the middle edge, as shown in the following illustration.
Select and move the red edge.
If you are continuing from before you can hide the frozen template shape. On the Display panel > Hide rollout, turn on Hide Frozen Objects.
On the Selection rollout, click the Poly button.
On the main toolbar, click the Scale button.
