Follow this tutorial step-by-step to create a low poly sword model that you can use in video games, graphic design and illustration projects whilst learning 3D Studio Max quickly.
Some of the skills you'll learn in this tutorial include creating basic 3D shapes, modelling techniques and preparing topology for texturing.
In the first part of the two-part tutorial, I showed you how to:
- Model the Handle of the Sword
- Model the Hand Guard of the Sword
- Model the Blade of the Sword
In this, the second part of the the tutorial series, I'll show you how to:
- Unwrap the UVs
- Create a UV Map
- Create a Texture Map in Photoshop
05. UVW Remove
Step 1
In this section of the tutorial I'll go through how to prepare the model so that I can unwrap it. Both UVW Remove and Reset Xform must be performed before attempting to unwrap any of the sword parts.
Ensure you have selected the sword part that you want to unwrap (blade, handle, hand guard etc.). The object must now be converted into an editable mesh. To do this Right Click on the object and select Convert to Editable Mesh.
Step 2
Then go to the Utilities Tab and click on the More button. Scroll down the menu and select UVW Remove.
Step 3
Click on the UVW button that appears under Parameters to apply this to the selected object.
Step 4
Once UVW Remove has been applied, Right Click on the object and select Convert to Editable Poly.
06. Reset XForm
Step 1
Ensure that you've selected the sword part that you want to unwrap (blade, handle, hand guard etc.). Go to the Utilities Tab and click on the Reset XForm button and then click on the Reset Selected button.
Step 2
Click on the Modify Tab and right click on XForm > Collapse All to apply this to your object.
07. Unwrapping the Blade
Step 1
To begin unwrapping the blade, ensure you've selected it and ensure you've followed both sections five and six of this tutorial—UVW Remove and Reset XForm.
To make the next step easier ensure that you're viewing the blade from the side view.
Step 2
Delete one half of the blade using the Vertex Selection tool.
Step 3
Make sure that the blade is an editable poly by right clicking on it and then selecting Convert to Editable Poly.
Step 4
Go to the Modifier List drop down menu and select Unwrap UVW.
Step 5
In the Modify Tab under the Edit UVs section select Open UV Editor.
Step 6
The Edit UVSs window appears. Use the Move Tool and the Scale Tool located in the top right of the window to move the object within the square. Once the object is within the square, click on the Reset Peel button.
Step 7
After clicking on the Reset Peel button, use the Move Tool to move the blade inside the border of the square.
Step 8
Use the tools on the top left of the Edit UVWs window (Move, Rotate, Scale) and place it on the right side of the square within the border.
Step 9
Close the Edit UVWs window. Ensure the blade is selected and go to the Modify tab. Right Click on the Unwrap Modifier and select Collapse All.
If it becomes an Editable Mesh, convert it into an Editable Poly. Secondary Click > Convert to Editable Poly.
08. Duplicate the Blade UVs
Step 1
Use the Edge Selection Tool and select one of the outer most edges of the blade.
Step 2
In the Modifier List, scroll down and select Symmetry.
Step 3
Under the Parameters section, select the following:
- Mirror Axis: Y
- Flip
Step 4
Once the parameters have been selected, your blade should be whole again.
Step 5
Convert the blade back into an Editable Poly by selecting the blade with Secondary Click > Convert to Editable Poly.
Step 6
To check that the UVWs have been duplicated correctly, apply the Unwrap UVW modifier on the blade again by selecting it from the Modifier List.
Step 7
Move the UVWs in the Edit UVWs window to ensure that the blade shapes sit on top of each other nicely.
09. Unwrapping the Hand Guard
Step 1
Select the hand guard. The aim of this section is to remove half of each shape, so that they can be mirrored and so that they take up less space on the UVW Map.
Step 2
Select the middle tube shape and using the Vertex Selection tool, select and delete half of the shape.
Step 3
Select the middle shape and using the Vertex Selection tool, select and delete half of the shape.
Step 4
Repeat the same process for the horns. However I'll only need one half as this will be duplicate four times because we only need one half for the texture map.
Step 5
Select all the hand guard shapes and select Unwrap UVW from the Modifier List.
Step 6
Using the same process as what was done for the blade, Reset Peel and arrange the shapes within the square. Ensure all the objects are attached to one another.
Step 7
Convert the shapes back into an Editable Poly by selecting the blade and going Right Click > Convert to Editable Poly. Using the same process as what was done with the blade, use the Symmetry modifier to make the hand guard whole again.
Step 8
Ensure that the symmetry modifier gives you the correct results by choosing the right parameters. You can also apply Unwrap UVW modifier again to check the UVWs are placed on top of each other like the blade.
10. Unwrapping the Handle
Step 1
Select the middle section of the handle.
Step 2
Using the Vertex Selection tool, delete half of the handle.
Step 3
Repeat the same steps as above to remove half of the handle for all the objects.
Step 4
Ensure all the objects are attached to each other and apply the Unwrap UVW modifier.
Step 5
Using the same process as what was done for the blade and the hand guard, Reset Peel and arrange the shapes within the square.
Step 6
Convert the shapes back into an Editable Poly by selecting the blade and going Secondary Click > Convert to Editable Poly.
Using the same process as what was done with the blade and hand guard, use the Symmetry modifier to make the handle whole again.
Step 7
Ensure the symmetry modifier gives you the correct results by choosing the right parameters. You can also apply Unwrap UVW modifier again to check the UVWs are placed on top of each other like the blade.
11. Render UVW Map
Step 1
Attach all the objects together with Secondary Click > Attach, then apply the Unwrap UVW modifier.
Step 2
Open the UV Editor and ensure all the shapes are arranged within the square and are not overlapping each other. You can still edit them at this stage using the Move, Scale or Rotate tool.
Step 3
Once you are happy with the arrangement of the UVs go to Tools > Render UVW Template.
Step 4
Select the dimensions you would like to render the UV Map to and then click the Render UV Template button.
Step 5
Once the map has been generated, save it to a location using the save button on the top left hand corner of the window.
12. Create Texture Map
Step 1
Import the UV map into Photoshop and create a new background layer below the UVs.
Step 2
You can make the UVs easier to see by changing the colour of the lines. To do this, right click on the UV layer and select Blending Options.
Step 3
Select Colour Overlay and choose a white colour.
Step 4
Create a new layer underneath the UVs and create a colour map so that you can select the shapes efficiently.
Step 5
Using the UVs and the colour map, create a new layer and create some base colours for the blade.
Step 6
On a separate layer, create some base colours for the handle.
Step 7
You can create a new layer on top of your base colours to create some details to the sword. You can add some highlights, cracks and battle damage to make it look more interesting.
Step 8
Once you are happy with the results, save your Texture Map as an image file.
13. Apply the Texture Map
Step 1
Ensure you have the sword selected and then click on the Material Editor button on the top menu bar.
Step 2
Once the Material Editor window appears go to Mode > Compact Material Editor.
Step 3
Select one of the spheres that you want the texture map to appear on and then click on the empty box next to Diffuse.
Step 4
Scroll up to the top of the Material/Map Browser and select Bitmap.
Step 5
Select the Texture Map image that was created in Adobe Photoshop.
Step 6
Ensure the sword model is selected and then click on Assign Material to Selection and then click on Show Shaded Material in Viewport.
Step 7
This should apply the texture map to the 3D Sword Model.
Conclusion
And with that, the 3D Low Poly Sword is complete. Feel free to share the own creations below. Explore different objects, shapes and colours to find out what works best for your model.
You can also render the model and export it to Adobe Photoshop to create an image for your portfolio.
