Need help with a weapon handle

ShockQuartz

Okay,

I'm currently working on a fantasy sword and everything was going well until I got to the handle. I want to wrap the handle with leather or cloth but can't seem to get anything to work. I'm using 3ds Max 2010. I have tried just to model it out and it looked bad, tried to use a helix and then convert it to spline, made the strap separate, and used the path deform. It also looked bad. So how would you guys go about this? I don't have a sculpt program so that is a no go. I have been at this stupid handle for a week now and I'm going nuts! :poly127: Please help me guys..

cptSwing

maybe add a noise modifer or two to the geometry you have already?

ShockQuartz

I don't think that would get the effect I want. The issue I'm having is how to wrap the leather around the handle of the sword. The method I mean. Here is a pic of what I am trying to do The bottom one is what I am talking about.

Pola

Does it need to be accurate? Are people really going to be looking up at it close and be able to rotate the view around the handle? Maybe you could just model the handle shape and then add ribs(or whatever the word is) to it to bring out that layered effect. If you can get it looking like that side view you posted is that not good enough?

Ghostscape

I often don't model a "proper" wrap and instead use a stack of rings - it looks the same from either side and allows me to mirror the wrap, which is 90% of the time covered with a hand anyways so it's unimportant.

The easy way to do that is to take your base handle and use the connect tool to make two new edgeloops around it, then detach as clone the new polystrip you've made. Adjust the verts a bit, shift-drag to copy it upwards, and repeat. When you've covered the handle, add a shell modifier, tweak, turbosmooth, voila.

If you're trying to actually model accurate wrapping there isn't much of an easier way that just running a spline all the way around it and lofting, but I really question the benefit of that for most applications.

ShockQuartz

Hmm thanks for the help so far guys. The model is the high poly for a sword I'm doing for Skyrim. In the game they have a model viewer that allows you to zoom in and rotate a model. So that is the reasoning for wanting the wrap to look pretty accurate. Ghostscape I think I get what you are saying but I'm still a little lost. If you have the time could you show me like a 3 picture series of what you mean on just a basic cylinder? I'm more of a visual learner and it would help a lot. I have never had any issues like this before so I'm glad you guys are helping me out.

Psyk0

Duplicate section that needs wrap, add enough ring loops to match number of wraps, chamfer each ring loop (except at ends), scale rings where wrap overlaps, hard edge in between, add an edge in the middle of each section and scale down slighty (to simulate the wrap going over itself). Add some randomness and you're done.

Download OBJ here

cryrid

Here's a quick test just duplicating a strap around a handle with shrinkwrap. I imagine if you were to start with a better handle shape, spend more time positioning them, and throw in some rotations here and there, it might do the job.

ShockQuartz

Oh wow! Thanks guys, this really helped me out. I looked every where for a solution. I'm sure this will help someone out another day. I also tried another method last night after posting this. Anyone that may want a similar look but more of a spiral twist. Start with a helix, match the radius of the object with both radius 1 and 2 of the helix, set the height to your liking. Convert it to spline and then throw an extrude modifier on it. Extrude it out until you get the length you want. Throw a shell modifier on it and tweak it the way you want. It will have a high poly count so take out as many edges as desired. After that its just do some tweaking and done.

ShockQuartz

cryrid wrote: »

Here's a quick test just duplicating a strap around a handle with shrinkwrap. I imagine if you were to start with a better handle shape, spend more time positioning them, and throw in some rotations here and there, it might do the job.

I looked every where within max and online for "shrinkwrap" but I didn't find anything in max. I found a script but it hasn't been updated in years. Is that what you meant or am I missing something? The look you have there is what I am after.

cryrid

Sorry, yeah, that's Softimage's term for the deform. I would think Max should have something similar though?