Modeling a child’s tricycle  

In this new 3d Studio Max tutorial, we are going to create a child’s tricycle. This is going to give us lots of practice with such things as the Loft modifier, Boolean operations, and much more besides. Before we begin though, it is extremely important to visualize what the end result will look like. You can try drawing a simple sketch, or looking on the net for some good resource images. Just have a set idea in mind before you start. Also, it is important to know the perspective of the finished toy you want. There is no point modeling objects that will never be seen in the final render, unless you are going to animate it as well. For example, in this tutorial I’m not going to model underneath the seat, as in the final render I have visualized, this won’t be in view.

Our first task is to make the frame. For this, we are going to use the loft modifier. Right click the Front viewport to activate it. Click on the create panel, then the ‘shapes’ tab. Choose ‘Line’ from the various options, and click once in the top right corner, then again in the bottom left. To finish the line, right click:

With the line still highlighted, right click and a whole host of extra options appears. Ignore them all except for the ‘Refine’ tool. This gives us extra vertices. Click once in the middle of the line then right click again to end the refine tool. Now right click on the new vertex again, and a new menu will appear. Change the Bezier Corner to Corner.

Move the vertex up and to the left. Now on the right hand panel, scroll down until you see ‘Fillet’. This changes a vertex into a rounded corner. Click the fillet button then drag the vertex: