free tutorial 3d: plane part 1

by Didik Wijaya
This tutorial needs you to understand basic use of 3dsmax. You may find previous tutorial useful, like Modeling a Cartoon Pig, Modeling Using Blueprint and Modeling Apache Helicopter

A6M3 WW2 Plane Modeling Part 1 This tutorial covers how to create low poly World War 2 plane model. In the early years of WW II, the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M virtually ruled the skies. There are several varian of A6M, one of them is A6M3. You will create this plane. This tutorial is suitable for newbie in 3dsmax modeling. Different from previous tutorial, Modeling Apache Helicopter, this tutorial is much simpler and easier to follow. In first part of this tutorial, you will create body and wing.

1. Download 3dsmax lesson file here (3dsmax ver 8, zipped). In this file, you can find blueprint to help you in modeling. Bitmap file for blueprint mapping is also available. After opening the file, right click each viewport, then activate Smooth And Highlight (F3) and Edge Faces display option (F4).

Create primitive object, a cylinder, in Front viewport. Use values below. Position cylinder to match body of the plane in blueprint. Open Material Editor, select one of unused material slot. Change Diffuse Color into any color you want, set Transparency=50%. Finally, apply this material to cylinder. Using transparent material will let you see blueprint behind clearly.

2. Right click cylinder and choose Convert to>Convert to Editable Poly. Open Modify tab. Then apply Symmetry modifier to this object, because the plane you are going to create is identical between left and right. In Parameter rollout, use Mirror Axis=X and activate Flip.

In Modifier Stack, click minus (-) sign on the left of Editable Poly. Then, select Vertex. Using Select And Move tool, move vertices to match plane segment. Use image below for reference. Select vertices in each bottom segment, and use Select And Uniform Scale tool to resize.

3. Now, activate Polygon selection. In Left viewport, select 1 polygon at the bottom of plane. In Edit Polygons rollout, click Extrude button. Next, click and drag in viewport to give extrusion. In Edit Geometry rollout, click X button right next to Make Planar. In Front viewport, move polygon to the tip of the wing. And use Select and Non-Uniform Scale along Y axis to make the wing thinner.

4. Change selection to Vertex. In Top viewport, move vertices to shape the wing.

5. Now, activate Edge selection. Select two edges at the top of the wing (look at image below). You can always select several edges altogether by holding Ctrl when selecting. In Edit Edges rollout, click Setting button right next to Connect. In Connect edges window, fill in Segments=2, Pinch=28 and Slide=-9. As result, your wing will be divided by another 2 edges horizontaly.

6. Change to Vertex selection. Select 2 vertices at the middle of wing (at the body). Then, in Edit Geometry rollout, change Constraints fo Face. Now, move vertices up. Notice that you can move those vertices along faces in body of the plane. After your wing has enough depth, change Constraints back to None.

7. Change selection to Edges. Select 2 vertical edges at the tip of wing. In Edit Edges rollout, click Chamfer button. Click and drag in viewport to chamfer those edges a little bit.

8. Now, we are going to create wing tail. Still in Edge selection, in Edit Geometry rollout, click Cut button. Click twice at the edges like image below.

9. Activate Polygon selection. Select polygon like image below and gives extrusion. Use Make Planar X to make this polygon parallel with vertical axis. In Front viewport, move and non-uniform scale this polygon to match blueprint behind. Next step, add chamfering like you did before.

10. Change selection to Polygon. Select 2 polygon at the top of the tail and extrude them. Use Make Planar Y to make them parallel with horizontal axis. Non-uniform scale to match buleprint.

11. Activate Vertex selection. Select two vertices like image below. Non-uniform scale them along X axis. Back to Polygon selection. Add another extrusion. Non-uniform scale to match blueprint behind. And finally, gives chamfering at edges.