Rigging And Skinning Transformers Optimus Prime

Part 1

by Didik Wijaya

After texturing Optimus Prime, I will continue to explain the next lesson, skinning and rigging Transformers Optimus Prime robot. I will use Bones and IK (Inverse Kinematics) to rig the robot. The process is much similar to my previous tutorial, Rigging Mechanical Robot. But this Optimus Prime is more complicated, so I use a lot of modifications here.

1. First, you need textured Optimus Prime 3D model. You can download here. After you download, open 3ds max file (optimusprime_texturing_finish.max).

Freeze all objects if you want (Freeze option is available in Display tab). Now, create Bones. Go to Create>Systems. Click Bones button. In Bone Parameters rollout, use Width=1 and Height=1 to use thinner bones. In Left viewport, click two times to create body bone (1-2), after that right click to finish creating bones. You will have one small bones at the end of bones hierarchy. You can delete this bone.Repeat the process to create neck and head bones. Make sure all bones are in the middle of objects. Move them if necessary.

2. Next, I will use IK (Inverse Kinematics) to create bones for leg. IK is a system that enable you to move whole bones at once. To understand IK, look at your own leg. You have upper leg, lower leg and foot. If you are not using IK, that means Forward Kinematics, you rotate upper leg, then rotate lower leg, and last rotate the foot. In IK, you just need to move the foot and other part of leg will adjust itself.

Create bones, this time activate Assign To Children. Other option Assign To Root will also active. Click four times in Left viewport to create bones like image below. Right click to finish. You'll see (+) object before the last bone. This is called IKChain or Goal . Try to move this goal and you'll understand what IK is all about. Press Ctrl+Z to undo.

3. I need to move Goal to the heel position. Most common, people use IK legs from upper leg to lower leg, and moving or rotating the foot manually. Make sure Goal is selected, and go to Motion tab. In IK Solver rollout, click button under Pick End Joint. And click Bone03. Goal will move into new position, but bones position will also move. Move Goal into heel position and all position will be fixed. Delete small end bone.

In IK Solver Properties rollout, activate Parent Space=IK Goal. In IK Display Options, set Goal Display Size to 5. This will make IK Goal smaller.

4. Creating IK for arms is almost the same with legs. Create bones with IK in Left viewport (from upper upper arm to wrist). This time don't delete the small bone. Look at image below for reference.

5. Zoom in hands area. Create bones for palm and fingers This time without IK. Adjust bones position in Left viewport. Next, link finger bone to the palm bone. Click Select And Link tool. Select bone closest to palm bone. Click this bone and drag to palm bone until cursor is change and release. White flash will confirm that they're linked. You have to do this five times. In image below, read arrows show the link connections.

6. Create three bones like image below (without IK)

7. In Top viewport, make sure all bones are in positions (left side) So far, you created bones for the left side. You need to make bones for other side. Select all left side bones, Use Mirror Tool (Tools>Mirror) with Copy option active.

8. When finished, image below show finished bones.

part 2

1. Before we go to the skinning process, we need to modify the Pivot Point location for many objects. Not all objects is controlled by bones. I am not using bones for each objects to reduce the complexity controlling the bones later.

For example, select object named "shoulder side left". Go to Hierarchy tab. Click Affect Pivot Only, and move Pivot Point at the center of "pipe" object. When finished, turn off Affect Pivot Only. This new Pivot Point location is used as rotational axis later

2. There are many objects that needs to be modified its Pivot Point location. Image below shows just a few examples. I am not explaning all objects, because there are too many, and basically the process is the same.

3. Next, the skinning process. Usually we need skinning process when using bones. But fortunately we work with mechanical object. They are all stiff, un-deformed object. So, you just need to link each body part to corresponding bone. For example head object linked to head bone, body object linked to body/pelvis bone, and so on. You may link object to other object. For example "body upper lid" to "body upper". Image below shows example of linking objects in body and head. Again, I don't explain all linking process. There are too many objects and basically the process is the same. I suggest that you download the finished 3D model and learn the hierarchy by yourself.

4. After all objects is connected to bone or other object, now we need to controll all bones. In Command Panel, go to Create>Helpers. Click Dummy button. Click and drag in Top viewport to create dummy object. Position dummy in pelvis area. Actualy creating dummy is optional. I use dummy for easy selection. When all geometry and bones visible in viewport, it's hard to see and select body/pelvis bone. It's easier for me to select dummy instead. Create other dummy. So you have 2 dummies, one for controlling pelvis (Dummy robot), and the other for controlling whole car (Dummy car).

Next link bones and IK chains to dummy. Image below shows the linking hierarchy.

Finished rigged Optimus Prime can be downloaded here (optimusprime_rigging_finish.max). Try to move the IK chain, and dummy. Ctrl+Z to undo

Next is animating Optimus Prime!

Texturing Transformers Optimus Prime

Part 1

by Didik Wijaya

After modeling Peterbilt truck, modeling Optimus Prime head, and also modifying truck into robot body parts, in this tutorial you will learn to texture the Transformers Optimus Prime. Basically you will need to create material, and assign material to each Optimus Prime body part. Let's move on to the first step, drawing the material. Note: This is not a step by step material due to the amount of objects needs to be textured. After you can texture one or two objects, you can apply the same procedure to texture the others.

1. Peterbilt truck has flame stickers on its body. First, screen capture several objects. You may need to rotate several objects to show areas need to be painted.

2. In Photoshop draw the material. First draw gradient from yellow to red, and several background color (blue or red) and then draw the flame. I also use car grill photo.

3. Then, crop each image like image below. Bold black line is shows how you crop the image. One object requires one bitmap file. Save cropped image into JPG file. In total I have 15 images (14 images cropped from image below, plus 1 bitmap file (lamp texture, but this is not drawn here).

You can download these bitmap files here. This ZIP file also contains sample of finished textured 3ds max file

part 2

by Didik Wijaya

After drawing and created bitmap texture files in Part 1 tutorial, the next step is creating material in 3ds max using Material Editor. In this tutorial, you will use Multi/Sub-Object Material

1. Open file "modify_truck_finish.max" available in downloaded file. Open Material Editor (press M in keyboard). Select one of unused material slot. Click Get Material button. In opened window choose Multi/Sub-Object. This material allows you to apply different sub-material to different polygons. Name this material "common". Click Set Number and set value=7. You will create 7 sub-materials. Each material has one unique ID from1 to 7. Later these IDs will be useful when assigning materials.

2. Click None button under Sub-Material (where ID=1). Name this sub-material "bitmap". Then click Go To Parent. Don't forget to activate Show in viewport button.

Click None button under Sub-Material (where ID=2), name this sub-material "red". Change Diffuse color to red (RGB 237, 37, 36). You must use the same red color as in bitmap file created in previous tutorial. Set Specular Highlights=10. Click Go To Parent

Repeat the same porcesses until you create other color based sub-materials.
ID=3, name=blue, Diffuse Color=blue (RGB 52, 28, 238), Specular Highlights=10
ID=4, name=grey, Diffuse Color=white grey (RGB 208, 211, 218), Specular Highlights=10
ID=5, name=black, Diffuse Color=black (RGB 0,0,0), Specular Highlights=10

3. Create simple chrome material for sub-material with ID=6. Set Specular Highlights=10. Open Maps rollout, set Reflection=50. Click None button right next to Reflection. In opened window, choose Bitmap and choose one image found in 3ds max reflection maps folder (usually in Program Files>Autodesk/3ds max/maps/Reflection). For example I use factory_reflection_bw1.jpg

4. Create simple chrome material for sub-material with ID=6. Use Diffuse Color=dark blue. Specular Highlights=10. Click None button right next to Reflection. In opened window choose Flat Mirror.

5. To create other material, you can copy material (drag and drop to other slot). For example let's create material to object above tire. I name this material "tirearch front". In Multi/Sub-Object Parameters rollout click bitmap button to edit parameter settings. Then click small button right next Diffuse. In opened window, choose Bitmap and use file "map_tirearch_front.jpg". Don't forget to activate Show in viewport button. Click Get To Parent button. Activate Show In Viewport Again. Set Specular Highlights=10. When finished, click Go To Parent. Leave other sub-materials untouch.

Note: You need to create copy of material for each material that using bitmap file. For objects that doesn't require material with bitmap file, you can use "common" material.

Next step is assigning material to object.

part 3

1. Select object above left tire.

2. Go to Modify tab. Activate Polygon selection. Select polygons at top. In Polygon Properties rollout, enter Set ID=1 (always press Enter after typing number). This will make polygons have specific ID=1. Then select other polygons (from top menu Edit>Select Invert). Enter Set ID=2. When finished, turn off sub-object selection.

3. Apply "tirearch front" material to this object. Polygons with ID=1 is mapped with bitmap, and polygons with ID=2 is mapped with red color. In viewport you can see that bitmap is not aligned correctly. Apply UVW Map modifier to object.

Make sure mapping type is Planar. Choose Alignment axis=Y and click Fit. Mapping coordinates will fit into object dimension.

4. If the the alignment is still not correct, try to rotate UVW Mapping Gizmo. Usually you need to rotate 90 degree clockwise or counter clockwise. And then click Fit.

Repeat the same process with other object For example "tirearch_front_right". When you finish creating IDs and applying the material, you may see that the bitmap is fit correctly without you need to rotate Gizmo. This is happen because the right object is mirrored from the left one.

Repeat procedure below to texture objects with flame stickers:
a. Copy material, rename material
b. Change bitmap file used in material
c. Assign material to object.
d. Change object into Editable Poly if it isn't
e. Create IDs
f. Apply UVW Map to object.
g. Use Planar mapping, and adjust axis alignment (X, Y, or Z)
h. If necessary, rotate Gizmo
i. Click Fit

5. For other object that doesn't need the bitmap file, you just need to define its IDs, and apply material named "common"

Just repeat the prcedure with other objects, I am sure you can do these by yourself.

6. When all object is textured, you'll have finished truck like image below. Next step is rigging and skinning Optimus Prime

Download sample of textured Transformers Optimus Prime truck

Modify Peterbilt Truck Into Optimus Prime

Part 1
After modeling an original Peterbilt truck and modeling Optimus Prime head, here I will show you how I modify that Peterbilt truck into Optimus Prime body parts. I have to tell you that this article is not a step by step tutorial. In my opinion, changing a truck into robot parts is a long, complicated and boring process. This process requires me to do a lot of trial and error to get the right dimension and movement for later animation. It's difficult for me to write the whole process into step by step tutorials. If you have followed all of my previous tutorials, I am sure you can do this by yourself. All you need to do is cutting and detaching polygons. Here I only show you the big picture.

1. First, you need to know how you will animate the robot. I refer to the Optimus Prime deformable toy here. Once you understand the transformation, you will know how to cut and split the truck into pieces.

Based on the toy transformation, I noticed that I need to modify the truck dimension to fit the requirement. Image below show the original Peterbilt truck (top image) and the modified truck (bottom image). The modified truck is shorter. The hood is longer. It also has smaller wheels.

2. To split object, you may need to cut polygons first. As an alternative Connect is also useful. Then detach selected polygons to split the truck into new object.

3. Next step, is to fill the hole with polygons. You can use Create button to create polygons manually. Then repeat the process, cut and detach.

4. Sometimes you need to delete un-necessary polygons. Or add thickness using Shell modifier. Remember to use Inner amount

The basic principle is "When you modify or split something, don't change the Peterbilt truck appearance ". For example always use Shell modifier with Inner Amount. You also should not accidentally move detached object, because misplaced object will make your render looks bad

part 2

by Didik Wijaya

In Part 1 article, you knew the basic of cutting and detaching. In this article I will show you how I modfy the entire Peterbilt truck into Optimus Prime body parts.

1. Image below shows how we will modify the truck. .

2. The hood has legs inside. This is the similar leg I created for Gundam. Read Gundam leg modeling tutorial here.

3. The cab is used as upper body, and under it there's lower body. Inside the cab, you can put Optimus Prime head. Lower body is similar to the one I created for Gundam. I added several modifications. Read how to model Gundam body here

4. Rear tires is used to form legs. Here I add several thin boxes to connect rear tires to the back of upper legs.

5. The most complex process is creating arms. I used arms and hands similar to the one I created for Gundam. Read how to create Gundam arm and hand here. Notice that upper arm is rotated a little bit

Modeling Optimus Prime Head

Part 1

by Didik Wijaya

Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots, a faction of heroic Transformers from the planet Cybertron who wage their battles to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons. Optimus Prime is depicted as a heroic, brave and compassionate character who puts all his talent to use to improve the universe around him. This tutorial will show you how to model Optimus Prime head using 3ds max. I refer to the head from Transformers The Movie, but in low poly version.This is a pretty long and complex tutorial, but I tried to make all steps clear in a detailed step by step tutorial. I am sure you can follow this tutorial easily. Similar tutorial: Modeling Gundam RX-78-2 Head

This is what you are going to create:

1. First, we need a blueprint. Download required file here. Open file "modeling_optimushead_start.max". This file contains Optimus Prime head blueprint (2 planes mapped with bitmap images). Want to know how to create blueprint like this? Read Modeling Using Blueprint

2. In Front viewport, create plane with 3 x 3 segments. Place this plane in front of mouth like image below. Apply material to this plane. I use simple green color and decrease its Opacity value to 50%. So I can see blueprint behind.

Convert to Editable Poly. Activate Vertex selection. Modify vertices position in Front viewport first (middle image below). Then in Left viewport (right image below).

3. Change to Edge selection. (1) In Front viewport, select 3 edges on top of plane. (2) Hold Shift, and move selected edges up. New polygons will be created. Modify vertices position. (3) Again, select edges, then in Left viewport move a little bit to the left.

4. Select 2 edges. In Front viewport, Shift+drag up to create more polygons. Activate Vertex selection. In Edit Vertices rollout, click Target Weld button. Click and drag on one vertex to another like image below to combine these vertices as one.

5. Select 3 edges on top of the plane. In Left viewport, Shift+drag selected edges to the left. Then target weld vertex no 1 to vertex no 2.

6. To create eye, select all top edges. Shift+drag selected edges up. Next, we will modify this eye area.

part 2

by Didik Wijaya

In Part 1 tutorial, you have create half of mouth and eye polygons for our Optimus Prime head 3D model. Next, we will modify eye area and add half of the head.

1. Activate Polygon selection. In Edit Geometry rollout, click Cut button. Then cut like left image below. Then modify vertices position. Tips: activate 3D Snap to cut precisely at the end of vertex. You may also need to set Snap settings (Customize>Grid and Snap Settings).

2. Select 2 polygons at eye area. In Edit Polygons rollout, click Hinge From Edge Settings. In opened dialog box, click None button right next to Current Hinge. Click edge shown in white arrow in image below. Then adjust Angle value. Click OK.

3. Modify edge position and delete one polygon like image below.

4. (1) Select 3 edges. (2) Shift+drag in Left viewport. (3) Weld vertices. Adjust vertices position in Front viewport.

5. Select all top edges. Shift+drag up. Then in Edit Geometry rollout, click Make Planar Y.

6. In Top viewport, modify vertices position in selected edges until the edges have round shape like image below. Then in Left viewport Shift+drag selected edges up. New polygons should have height like image below.

7. Select all vertical edges in newly created polygons. In Edit Edges rollout, click Connect settings button. In opened dialog, enter Segments=8 to divide polygons into 8 segments. Click OK.

Activate Vertex selection. Select vertices like image below.

8. Don't deselect anything. While vertices still selected, apply Bend modifier. In Modify tab, click plus (+) sign left of Bend row, highlight Center. Now, you can move center of bend modifier (shown in viewport as yellow arrows). In Parameters rollout set Direction=90, Bend Axis=Y. Set Angle value until you get round shape like a half of sphere. When finish, right click object and choose Convert to>Convert to Editable Poly.

9. Basic shape of head is almost finished.

part 3

by Didik Wijaya

After creating basic head shape of Optimus Prime 3D model head in Part 1 and Part 2 tutorial, in this tutorial you will add more polygons to further modify the model.

1. Select edges like image below. In Front viewport, Shift+drag a little bit.

2. In Left viewport, Shift+drag selected edges to the left. Change to Vertex selection, and move vertices and match blueprint behind.

Then, go to Edge selection again. This time, add selection with one edge at the bottom.

3. Shift+drag selected edges. Then, modify vertices position..

4. In Left viewport, select edges like image below. We will fill hole at the side of the head. Activate Select and Uniform tool. Hold Shift and drag selected edges. New polygons will be create. You can weld vertices at the center if you want.

5. Select edges at the back of the head. Shift+drag down to create back of the neck. Click Make Planar Y to make selected edges located at the same height. Then Shift drag down again

Cut like image below.

6. Select 2 edges like image below, and click Bridge button in Edit Edges rollout. Repeat the same process with other edges until hole is filled with polygons.

7. When finished, you'll have a part of head like image below.

part 4
n previous tutorials, you have created a half of Optimus Prime head. In this tutorial, you will modify cheek area, creating air intake holes.

1. Activate Polygon selection. Cut a little bit at cheek area (look at image below). Tips: Activate 3D snap to cut from vertex to vertex. Then select polygons like image below (red color). Then in Edit Polygons rollout, click Inset button. Click and drag at selected polygons until you get smaller polygons (marked by dashed line).

2. (1) In Selection rollout, click Grow button to select outer polygons. (2) In Edit Polygons rollout, apply Extrude a little bit. (3) Decrease polygons selection like right image below

3. In Front viewport, Shift and drag selected polygons to the left. In opened dialog box choose Clone to Object. Thus, you are creating new object. By the way, in image below the new object is too far away from the face. You should make the cloned object match the blueprint behind. I intentionally did this because I need to select several polygons later. Making the object far away from the face will make further selection easier.

Deactivate sub object selection. Select newly created object. Apply Shell modifier with Outer Amount=6. When finished, select head object. Go to Modify tab. In Edit Geometry rollout, click Attach button, and click newly created object in viewport. Attach will combine different objects into single object.

4. Activate Polygon selection. Select polygons at inner side like image below. In Edit Polygons, click Bridge button. All selected polygons will be connected. Change to Vertex selection. Select vertices shown in white circle, and move them closer to cheek.

5. Create a thin box in Left viewport. Convert box into Editable Poly. In Top viewport, modify vertices until it looks like a triangle. Then adjust box position dan rotation. Repeat the same process to create others. Or you can clone the box and modify when necessary. When finished, attach boxes to head object.

6. (1) Create cylinder with 12 sides. (2) Rotate its axis. (3) Convert into Editable Poly. Activate Polygon selection. Select its cap polygon. Using Select and Uniform tool, decrease its size a little bit. Finally, attach this cylinder to head object.

7. Image below shows finished Optimus Prime head up to this point.

part 5
Our Optimus Prime head 3D model is almost finished. It's time to add some details. In this tutorial you will add "ear".

1. In Left viewport, create a cylinder. Use Sides=4 and Height Segments=4. Position this cylinder like image below. Convert into Editable Poly. Go to Modify tab. Activate Vertex selection. In Front viewport select all left side vertices. Using Select and Uniform tool, stretch the vertices to make smaller cap.

2. Change to Polygon selection. Select polygons like image below (most topleft image). In Edit Polygons rollout, click Extrude Settings. In opened dialog box, activate Local Normal. Enter Extrusion Height=21. Repeat this process twice more, but reduce the polygons selections each time you extrude. (1st extrude=3 column of polygons, 2nd extrude=2 column, and 3rd extrude=1 column).

3. Select polygon like image below. Click Extrude Settings button. Change Extrusion Type back to Group. Now, extrude twice.

Change to Vertex selection. Modify vertices position.

4. Next, select one polygon like image below. Also extrude twice. Modify vertices position. In Front viewport also modify vertices position to make sharp ear looks. Finally attach ear to head object.

5. When finished, deactivate all sub-object selection. Apply Symmetry modifier. Use Mirror Axis=X, and activate Flip. In Modifier Stack, click plus (+) sign left of Symmetry and highlight Mirror, here you can move center until you get full 3D head. Make sure there is no gap between left and side of the head. If you make this correctly, you have only single vertex in the middle of head.

6. Image belows shows finished Optimus Prime 3D head up to this point. Final tutorial, you will add more details.

part 6
The Transformers Optimus Prime head 3D models is almost finished. Now, you need to add just a little more details. After this, you have your own Transfromers Optimus Prime head 3D model.

1. Activate Polygon selection. Go to Modify tab. Cut the forehead twice like image below. Use 3D snap before cutting to precisely cut from vertex to vertex. Select polygons like image below. In Edit Polygons rollout, click Extrude Settings button. Activate Local Normal. Then extrude a little bit.

2. (1) Modify vertices position in forehead. (2) Select polygons like image below (previous selection minus polygons in forehead). Extrude the selection. (3) Modify vertices position. (4) In Front viewport, use Select and Uniform tool to narrow a little bit.

3. (1) Select one polygon. Apply Inset. Then, Extrude inward. (2). Select two polygons at the eyes. (3) Extrude and modify vertices like image below.

4. I don't know how the back of Optimus head looks like. I also don't have any blueprint showing the back of the head. So I will use simple object. In Left image, create a closed line like image below. Apply Extrude modifier with Amount=282. Segments=1. Position this object at the middle of the head.

You can also convert this object into Editable Poly. Select edges behind and stretch to narrow its size.

Attach this object into head object.

5. Final Step. Select head object. Apply with Smooth modifier. Activate AutoSmooth and Prevent Indirect Smoothing. Use Threshold=10. Transformers Optimus Prime head 3D model is finished.

Download sample of lesson and finished file here