Help with 3ds max (noob question) Thread

I'm trying to model with 3dsMax 9, I'm new at this and I've been following Stormy's guide to modeling a glock: Moddb.com need some help. How do I extrude edges on a box? I hold down shift in the edit mode and try to drag but that doesn't work... it just doesn't do anything. Next, I try clicking the extrude box and it extrudes, but they're like wings and they extrude in the wrong and opposite direction. Also, I'm trying to insert vertices but I can only insert on one edge, I want them on the other edge too (on the other side of the box). Could I get some help on this, please?

bevil and then extrude by either local or group

I'm not sure what you mean or how to do that. Could you please explain?

in max you can't extrude (not really the right word in this case) or clone (which does shift+drag) an edge on a closed surface, you'll need to open the surface in order to do so, try it with a plane ore delete one face of your cube to open it.

i'm not sure what you mean by "but they're like wings and they extrude in the wrong and opposite direction. " in max you can give positive and negative extrude inputs so it can go in both directions, inwards and outwards

Also, I'm trying to insert vertices but I can only insert on one edge, I want them on the other edge too
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get yourself meshtools and cspolytools, there should be a bundle with both of them in one file, you'll find an option for divide in the meshtools section of your customize options (customize > customize userinterface), you can plug that tool into a menu, onto a shortcut or into a quad to get access to it

iaintyosista wrote: I'm not sure what you mean or how to do that. Could you please explain?

bevil is a tool kinda like extrude, seriously just have a play around with all the options before coming for help.

bevel is the name, same word as chamfer

those should be the two words worth searching for in he help, but from what he wrote it's not the same thing he described

well just say chamfer then, its easier for noobies

i didn't say bevil

Have you done the tutorials that come with MAX? They are extremely helpful for beginners, especially the Chess Set one. Most online tutorials assume you have a basic knowledge of box modeling, and so they will generally not give in-depth explanations on using each tool.

I seriously suggest you do as many of the tutorials that came with MAX as you can, cause they were made by professionals and detail every single step, so total beginners can learn quickly and easily.

To extrude or bevel, select one or more faces and right click. Then press the square just near to the extrude (or bevel) word, it will open a more intuitive panel to adjust your extrusion, with some options to choose how you want to make the extrusion.

To make points in the same place in different edges (only if they are parallel) i will suggest to select the edges and then right click and click in the square near to the word connect. It will make a line betwen the 2 edges and also one pont in each edge, if you just want the points erase the new created lines with the arrow key on your keyboard (the one to erase when you are writing, i don´t know the name), if you press that key MAX will erase only the line and will keep the vertex.

Most of the poly modeling tools appear when you do right click on something selected. And as jerrif said, better do the modeling tutorials that come with max, they are enough to understand how the polygon modeling works.