how to make wires

[armanguy]

how do you make wires in 3d max can someone show me how or link to a tutorial i searched on google but dident find anything.

 

[craig]

Please explain what you mean because to be honest depending on what you actually want theres lots of different ways 'wires' can be achived (i.e. extrude along a line, etc)..

 

[armanguy]

well im making a comp. and need wire going fom the keynoard and mouse into the comp.

 

[Wraith]

long thin cylinder.

wipe hands on pants.

 

[armanguy]

how do i make them curve?

 

[SidewinderX]

this is one way...

right-click
convert to editable poly
element sub-object
slice plane button
slice it at a bunch of places
vertex sub-object
manipulate the verts till it looks fine.

or, if it's just for a render, make a thick renderable spline.

 

[armanguy]

can you show me with some images

 

[Chode]

Or you could just use the bend modifier on a cylinder with an increased number of height segments, then tweak the vertices.

Here is a screenshot that should give you a bit of a start.

 

[craig]

Or an even easier option.

(once again going from memory).

Model your keyboard, base unit & mouse.
Select the line tool.
Draw a line between the mouse and the base unit.
Draw a line between the keyboard and base unit.
Once you're happy with both select the cylinder shape and create a 1 segment cylinder and place it at the start of the line you drew from the mouse to the base unit.
Select 'extrude along a line' and select the correct line (and now the cylinder should extrude along the line).
Alter the number of segments in the extrude to something you're happy with.
Repeat for the keyboard.

Done

I don't have max installed otherwise I'd prove screenshots, but if you've used lines before and used extrudes I'd say its pretty straight forward.

Just remember: Do the lines in top down view and draw the cylinders in your front view.

 

[Sparta]

Or an even easier option.

(once again going from memory).

Model your keyboard, base unit & mouse.
Select the line tool.
Draw a line between the mouse and the base unit.
Draw a line between the keyboard and base unit.
Once you're happy with both select the cylinder shape and create a 1 segment cylinder and place it at the start of the line you drew from the mouse to the base unit.
Select 'extrude along a line' and select the correct line (and now the cylinder should extrude along the line).
Alter the number of segments in the extrude to something you're happy with.
Repeat for the keyboard.

Done

I don't have max installed otherwise I'd prove screenshots, but if you've used lines before and used extrudes I'd say its pretty straight forward.

Just remember: Do the lines in top down view and draw the cylinders in your front view.

The best suggestion so far, and the simplest and quickest. Its called spline-modelling, its really nifty. The only problem is that it can result in way too many polygons depending on what you're doing

 

[The Dark Elf]

1) make a curve
2) make a cylinder
3) select curve to deform cylinder, edit curve to suit your tastes

Gotta love XSI's simplicity, wish Lightwave could do things like that heh

 

[Sparta]

1) make a curve
2) make a cylinder
3) select curve to deform cylinder, edit curve to suit your tastes

Gotta love XSI's simplicity, wish Lightwave could do things like that heh

But you can do that in lightwave

 

[craig]

The best suggestion so far, and the simplest and quickest. Its called spline-modelling, its really nifty. The only problem is that it can result in way too many polygons depending on what you're doing

Yeah, I forgot to mention that. Although for hi-res wires it's great

 

[craig]

Okay, I finally installed max and this is what you need to do.

1, select 'line' from the splines menu:

2, select the 'top' viewport. 3, draw out your line:

4, select 'cylinder' from the standard primitives menu:

5, in the top viewport draw out a 1 segment cylinder at one end of the line:

6, right-click on the cylinder shape and select 'convert to' - > 'editable poly':

7, select polygon sub object mode. 8, select the front face of the cylinder :

9, select the tab next to 'extrude along a spline' to bring up the menu. 10, select 'pick spline'. 11, select the line you created :

12, increase the segments and any other settings if you wish till you're happy:

 

[babywax]

If it is for an in-game model, make a plane, and the select the edge and extrude it, moving it and rotating it in a fashion to make it look curved.