[3dsmax] - Help modelling gun grip using probooleans

obloquy

Hey, I'm having some trouble modelling the handle of a gun using only probooleans.  Its fairly simple that could be achieved by box modelling, but I cant seem to get the shapes right with the booleans, especially at the finger grips.  I've just used a bend modifier over a cylinder and just let it pass through the grip but I'm left with very very shape edges that dont exactly flow nicely around the curvature of the grip itself....  I'm using booleans with the intent of using Ben Bolton's proboolean/dynamesh workflow btw

Any advice would be most appreciated, or a better method? Haha. 

zachagreg

If that is something that can easily be achieved using box modeling then you should just model it that way to be honest. The workflow that you're talking about from Ben is great in instances where you need to do heavy boolean operations in order to more easily get the machined geometry. A lot of the images from that thread show off very good best use cases. Limiting yourself to just one approach for an entire model just isn't going to do you any favors IMO.

Box modeling would probably my number one approach to that second would be to throw the booleans into zbrush and then work more organically to form the grip if you wanted to do that. 

obloquy

Yeah you right Zachagreg! might as well just box the shape and zbrush it

Noren

Just to clear up any possible confusion: For myself and probably others, box modeling is the same as SubD modeling.

sacboi

Correct, also I may be just a tad biased but a free form subd cage technique will achieve an equally quality result for the grip shape as well. 

kanga

Im not sure what workflow you are following, but the hard edges on the pistol grip can be smoothed easily in zBrush by using the polish sliders under the deform tab in the tools menu.  You can also smooth by polygroups so you can determine where your sharp edges occur, like between the grip and the pistol body, even if they are one mesh.