Presenting A Brand using 3Ds Max – Day 1

When designing an identity and brand materials for a client, good presentation is crucial! In the first part of this 2-day tutorial, Hussain Almossawi takes us through how to model the different items usually involved in the branding process, whilst in Day 2 he’ll cover Lighting, Applying Materials, Studio Settings, Rendering and Exporting, and finally the Post Production. So let’s get started!

Step 1

First visualize how your scene will look, based on the different stationary items that it will have within it. It’s always best that your scene-setting have somewhat of a circular arrangement rather then being stacked in a straight line, as it gives it more depth and as such is likely to be more appealing to your client. This is what I have in mind:

Step 2

We will start by creating each stationary item and positioning them one by one. Lets start with the folder. Create a plane with the following settings, 21.6cm x 28cm

Step 3

Rotate it 90 degrees so it’s standing.

Step 4

Hold shift and clone the Plane.

Step 5

Rotate it at some angle to show the folder is open.

Step 6

Hold down alt+A and click the other plane, and use the following settings to align the two edges together.

Step 7

Group all of the pieces and name the group “Folder”.

Step 8

Next we will do the business cards. Create a New Box with the following settings- Length: 5.2 cm, Width: 8.2 cm, Height: .03 cm

Step 9

Rotate the card so that its somehow lying or leaning back on the folder.

Step 10

Duplicate the card.

Step 11

Rotate it more and place it in front of the first card, making sure it doesn’t block anything yet look natural by leaning on the first card or the folder.

Step 12

Group those 2 and call them “Cards”

Step 13

Next we will create the letterheads, Create a new plane, I’m using US Letter sized paper for my measurements which will be 8.5″ x 11″ (21.6cm x 28cm).

Step 14

Duplicate the Plane by holding Shift and dragging up just a bit, we want to place the new plane over the first plane

Step 15

Rotate the new Plane sideways 5 degrees, to make it look like the papers have been placed naturally.

Step 16

Group those sheets together and call it “Letterheads”.

Step 17

Now the calendar. Select the line tool.

Step 18

Draw an isosceles triangular shape.

Step 19

Right Click your line, select Refine, and place a dot in the middle of your triangle base.

Step 20

Raise the dot just a bit from the surface.

Step 21

Select your 3 Corners.

Step 22

Use the Fillet tool to round the corners, use it manually by clicking and dragging the dots.

Step 23

Go into the Spline Mode and select your line.

Step 24

Use the Outline tool, click and drag towards the inside, or apply a value of .25cm.

Step 25

Use the Extrude Tool from the Modifier List, with a value of 10.2cm.

Step 26

Now we will make the pages/cover for the front and back of the Calendar. Create a new Plane, Length: 14.5cm Width: 10cm, with the following segments, Length: 3 Width: 25

Step 27

Right click and convert to Editable Poly.

Step 28

Select the inner segments of the first row.

Step 29

Press ‘Loop’.

Step 30

Click the Chamfer Tool, and use a value of .08cm.

Step 31

Select the first inner horizontal segment.

Step 32

Move it to the top to give it some margin.

Step 33

Repeat the same Step for the second horizontal segment, Placing it right under the first, allowing it to create somewhat of a square shape where the binder ring will go through.

Step 34

Select the new created square spaces (polygons) across the top of the boxes.

Step 35

Press the delete key on your keyboard.

Step 36

Select all your polygons.

Step 37

Select the Extrude tool and apply a value of .2cm.

Step 38

Rotate the box, and place it appropriately on top of the stand we created earlier.

Step 39

Select your box and use the Mirror Tool.

Step 40

Position it appropriately to the back side of the stand.

Step 41

Now we will create the Spiral Rings across the top that will hold all the pages together. Create a Torus Shape, with these values, Radius1: 2.4cm, Radius 2: 0.25cm.

Step 42

Place it on top of the stand, making it go nicely through both holes in the front and back.

Step 43

Hold shift and drag the Torus to the next hole.

Step 44

Set the number of copies to 23, unless you have more holes in your version.

Step 45

Group all those and call it “Calendar”

Step 46

Moving on to the Notebook which is done exact same way as the calendar. Create a new Plane Length: 14.4cm Width: 8.5cm, with the following segments, Length: 25 Width 3.

Step 47

Right Click the Plane and convert to Editable Poly.

Step 48

Select the first inner vertical segment and move it to the side giving it some margin.

Step 49

Repeat the same step for the second vertical segment, placing it right next to the first, allowing it to create somewhat of a square shape where the binder ring will go through

Step 50

Select all of the inner horizontal segments.

Step 51

Click the Chamfer Tool, and use a value of .08cm.

Step 52

Select the newly created square spaces you just created.

Step 53

Get rid of them by pressing the Delete key.

Step 54

Select All polygons.

Step 55

Extrude the Polygons with a value of .04cm.

Step 56

Hold shift and drag the plane on top of the original one to clone it.

Step 57

Go back to Polygon mode. Your polygons should already be selected but if not, select the polygons on the top side.

Step 58

Extrude with a value of .22cm.

Step 59

Now select both planes you just created, and select the Mirror tool with these settings.

Step 60

Move the new clone of the two boxes on top just a bit, so that they’re not perfectly aligned with the ones underneath them.

Step 61

Now create the side rings just as we did in STEP 41.

Step 62

Group all of these objects and call it “Notebook”.

Step 63

Final step, creating the CD, Start by making a Tube with these values, Radius 1: 5.2cm, Radius 2: .7cm, Height .03cm, Sides 36.

Step 64

Right Click, convert to Editable Poly.

Step 65

Select one of the Edges and Press Ring to select all of the inner segments.

Step 66

Select the Connect Tool from the side toolbar and make the Slide value -65.

Step 67

Select the Chamfer Tool, and give it an amount of .02cm.

Step 68

Hold down Shift and select the Polygons icon to select those polygons.

Step 69

Use the Extrude Tool and give it an amount of .-.025cm, Call it CD.

Step 70

Now we have all our stationary materials ready, lets put everything in place! Once done, we should be left with something like this. That’s it for the first part. In the second part to this tutorial we’ll cover the Materials, Lighting, Rendering and Post-Production. The actual file will also be included for you to work with and check out. Cya then!


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