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How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max

This article will give instructions in a simple way to create a bullet with casing in almost any 3D application. However this is only a modelling tutorial. We'll not be applying any material and rendering the bullet. Use a reference image....
Part 1 of 4:

Set up your Work

  1. Use a reference image. This is required for modelling. Go to the web and download an image showing the schematic of a bullet with its case.
  2. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 1How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 1
    Check the dimensions of your reference image. Right click on the reference image. Then, click properties and go to the details tab.
  3. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 2How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 2
    Start 3DS Max.
  4. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 3How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 3
    Change your view to Perspective for easy editing. Click on the bottom right window, then press Alt + W on keyboard to maximize your perspective view..
  5. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 4How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 4
    Change the unit setup in 3DS Max.
    1. Go to Customize > Units Setup.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 5How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 5
    2. Change the Display Unit Scale to Metric and choose "millimeters" from drop down.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 6How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 6
  6. Create a plane. Go to the "Create" tab, then click on "plane" in standard primitives.
    How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 7How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 7
    1. Click and drag in the viewport, then center it in x, y & z axis.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 8How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 8
    2. Right click on the up-down arrows in the x, y & z field to position the plane at zero.
  7. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 9How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 9
    Modify the length and width of your plane from the modify panel.
    1. Divide your reference image length and width pixel count by 10 (eg: 506 pixels will be 50.6mm) and change the length and width parameters of plane in mm. This will allow you to use the image without altering the aspect ratio of the picture.
  8. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 10How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 10
    Open the compact material panel.
    1. Click rendering in toolbar.
    2. Click material editor and choose Compact material editor.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 11How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 11
  9. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 12How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 12
    Add your reference image to the plane.
    1. Click on the empty field near diffuse color.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 13How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 13
    2. Click the "+" on General to open options in the Material/Map Browser.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 14How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 14
    3. Double click on bitmap.
    4. Wait for material browser to open.
    5. Navigate to the folder and double click your reference image.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 15How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 15
  10. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 16How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 16
    Apply the image to your plane.
    1. Click on Assign material to selection.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 17How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 17
    2. Click on Show shaded material in viewport.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 18How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 18
    3. Interchange length and width of the plane, if the image gets stretched as shown above.
  11. Align the plane to start modeling.
    1. Select rotate tool (keyboard shortcut R).
    2. Select angle snap to rotate in 5 degree increments for ease (keyboard shortcut A).
    3. Rotate 90 degrees on the z-axis.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 19How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 19
    4. Rotate 90 degrees on y-axis.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 20How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 20
    5. Select move tool (keyboard shortcut W), then move the plane back on its x-axis.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 21How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 21
Part 2 of 4:

Start modelling the Bullet Case

  1. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 22How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 22
    Add a new cylinder for bullet casing.
    1. Go to the "Create" tab.
    2. Click on cylinder in standard primitives.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 23How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 23
    3. Click and drag in the viewport.
    4. Center it on the x, y & z axis. Do not worry about its dimensions.
  2. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 24How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 24
    Change view to aid your modeling.
    1. Click on the "Perspective" tab at top left of viewport.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 25How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 25
    2. Select Left view in the drop down menu.
  3. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 26How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 26
    Turn the cylinder transparent to allow us to see our image.
    1. Click on Edit in the toolbar.
    2. Click Object Properties and wait for window to open.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 27How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 27
    3. Select the "See through" option in display properties and then click OK.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 28How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 28
  4. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 29How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 29
    Position your cylinder.
    1. Select "Move tool" from toolbar (keyboard shortcut W).
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 30How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 30
    2. Align the bottom of cylinder with the bottom of bullet in reference image.
    3. Align the cylinder center axis with the center axis of bullet in reference image.
  5. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 31How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 31
    Change dimensions of cylinder roughly to size of bullet casing.
    1. Go to Modify panel.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 32How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 32
    2. Match height and radius of the cylinder to the bullet casing of reference image.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 33How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 33
  6. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 34How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 34
    Add Edit poly modifier.
    1. Click modifier list from the modifier panel.
    2. Select "Edit poly" from the drop down menu.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 35How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 35
  7. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 36How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 36
    Extrude the vertices to add more height.
    1. Click on vertex button from edit poly modifier.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 37How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 37
    2. Click and drag to select all the top vertices of the cylinder.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 38How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 38
    3. Click on the small button next to extrude.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 39How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 39
    4. Extrude the vertices using setting box opened. Do twice since the bullet casing has two bends at the top.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 40How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 40
  8. Create bullet case bottom notch.
    1. Select all the bottom vertices.
    2. Align the selected vertices to top part of the notch, on the z axis, as shown below with the reference image.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 41How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 41
    3. Extrude again. Do it twice exactly to match the edges for the notch.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 42How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 42
    4. Click on faces button in modifier panel.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 43How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 43
    5. Then select the ring of faces (one up from bottom) as shown in the picture.
    6. Extrude the faces negatively. In this image below a value of -5mm is used.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 44How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 44
    7. Select bottom most ring of faces.
    8. Scale them on xy axis by clicking on the select & uniform scale in toolbar (keyboard shortcut R).
    9. Hover mouse on xy plane of the pivot as shown in the figure. Then click and drag to scale.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 45How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 45
  9. Extrude Top border to create thickness.
    1. Click the face select tool.
    2. Select, then delete the top face of cylinder.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 46How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 46
    3. Click the border select tool.
    4. Select the topmost border.
    5. Extrude the border about -5mm.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 47How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 47
Part 3 of 4:

Model the Bullet

  1. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 48How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 48
    Add a new cylinder for the bullet. This cylinder will be the actual bullet.
    1. Go to "Create" tab.
    2. Click on cylinder in standard primitives, then click and drag in the viewport.
  2. Adjust the dimensions of the second cylinder. Position it to the bullet in the reference image.
  3. Adjust the radius to be smaller than the first cylinder. Don't let it be too small to leave a visible gap in between the two cylinders.
  4. Add Edit Poly modifier to the cylinder.
    1. Go to Modify panel, then click on the modifier list.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 49How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 49
    2. Select "Edit poly" from the drop down menu.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 50How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 50
    3. Then repeat step 3 in Part 2 for see through.
  5. Model the shape of bullet. Add more loops at the top of the cylinder.
    1. Click on Modeling panel in toolbar.
    2. Click Edit>Swiftloop.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 51How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 51
    3. Add up to 4 cuts at the top half of the cylinder.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 52How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 52
  6. Create a round dome shape.
    1. Click on vertices select tool.
    2. Select all the newly created vertices along with the top vertices.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 53How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 53
    3. Scale the ring of vertices to smaller size on the xy axis.
    4. De-select the bottom most ring.
    5. Scale it down again on the xy axis.
    6. Repeat scaling two more times and de-select one ring of vertices from bottom every time you scale down to give it a crude, dome like shape.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 54How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 54
  7. Model the bullet point.
    1. Click on face select tool.
    2. Select the top face of bullet.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 55How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 55
    3. Delete the top face.
    4. Select all the top vertices.
    5. Do a negative extrude as much as possible with a very small gap.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 56How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 56
    6. Click on the Weld tool in modifiers panel.
    7. Weld all these extruded top vertices.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 57How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 57
    8. Select and pull the new welded vertice to the top using the move tool.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 58How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 58
    9. Click modifier list from the modifier panel.
    10. Select and add "Turbosmooth" from the drop down menu. This will give the bullet a smooth look.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 59How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 59
Part 4 of 4:

Add Finishing Touches

  1. How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 60How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 60
    Remove the see-through option from both the cylinders.
  2. Add Loops to edges of the case.
    1. Click on Modeling panel in toolbar.
    2. Click Edit>Swiftloop.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 61How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 61
    3. Add loop cuts at all the edges of the case notch and at the bottom.
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 62How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 62
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 63How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 63
      How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 64How to Model Bullets in 3DS Max Picture 64
  3. Smooth the case.
    1. Click on the modifier list from the modifier panel. Select and add "Turbosmooth" from the drop down menu.
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