Assembling the Bicycle - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial

Assembling the Bicycle - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial
Hello, hello people. In this 3d modeling part we will assemble the bicycle. This will be the last part of the modeling process for the bicycle. In this 3d modeling tutorial we will have steps where you will need to apply the knowledge you've learned so far because it will not be a step by step tutorial. Let's start this last part of this 3d modeling tutorial series.



Part 1 - Bicycle Fork - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial
Part 2 - Bicycle Frame - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial
Part 3 - Bicycle Crankset - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial
Part 4 - Bicycle Pedals - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial
Part 5 - Bicycle Handlebar - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial
Part 6 - Bicycle Seat - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial
Part 7 - Bicycle Wheels - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial
Part 8 - Assembling the Bicycle - 3ds Max Modeling Tutorial


Step 1: To start this 3d modeling tutorial Open or Reset 3ds Max. In the top left corner click on the 3ds Max icon and select Reset. Save your work and click Yes.

Step 2: Change the Units Setup to Generic Units by clicking on Customize on the top menu bar, select Units Setup, select Generic Units, International and click OK.

Step 3: Click on the 3ds Max icon again, select import, chose Merge, select the file where you saved the frame and click Open. In the new Window select all and click OK.

Step 4: Repeat Step 3 for the file where you saved the fork. I've merged all objects but we don't need the image reference of the form. Select it and Delete it by pressing Delete.

Step 5: Using the Select and Move, Select and Scale, Select and Rotate tools, position it to fit the frame.

Step 6: The frame is not very accurate for the type of bicycle we want to model so we need to readjust it a little bit. Select the frame, enter Vertex selection mode and select the back vertices, Rotate them for 15 degrees in the Z axis and using Select and Move tool reposition them to fit well.

Step 7: Import/Merge the wheels from the file you saved them to. With both the wheels selected, right click on the Select and Scale tool, change the Offset:Screen value to 18% and press Enter.

Step 8: Reposition the Wheels using the Select and Move tool.

Step 9: Since we didn't use any exact measurements, we need to do this by eye. So use the reference bellow, position the wheel closer to the frame, select the frame, enter Vertex selection mode, select the back vertices and reposition the to fit the wheel.

Step 10: Use the next image as a reference and reposition the vertices of the fork to fit a little better. The fork's opening was to wide so bring the arms closer together moving the vertices to fit the wheel like bellow.

Step 11: Select the frame, enter Vertex selection mode, select the edge vertices of the tube where the crankset goes and using the Select and Scale tool, scale them up in the Y axis to 130.

Step 12: In the Top viewport select the highlighted vertices and using the Select and Move tool first move the top vertices down for about -0.8 in the Y axis and the bottom ones up for the same amount but this time positive: 0.8.

Step 13: Import/Merge the Crankset and using the Select and Scale tool, scale it down to 25 on all axis.

Step 14: With the Crankset still selected, in the Top viewport, Scale it down in the Y axis to 60.

Step 15: Using the Select and Move tool position the Crankset.

Step 16: Select the Crankset arm, hold down SHIFT and using the Select and Move tool copy it to the other side. Select "Clone to Element" and click OK. Using the Select and Scale and Select and Rotate tools, position the arm on the other side.

Step 17: In the Front viewport: 1)Create a new Cylinder with the Radius of 3.8, the Height of 12, 4 Height Segments, 1 Cap Segments and 18 Sides. Convert it to Editable Poly. 2) Select the Cap polygons from both sides and Inset them with an amount of 2.6. 3) Extrude the same polygons with an amount of 3. 4) Inset the polygons again with an amount of 1. 5) Select the middle vertices resulted from the last inset and Weld the together. 6) Chamfer the edges from both sides with an amount of 0.05.

Step 18: From the Modifier list add a Turbosmooth modifier to the object you've just created, change the Iterations to 2 and check the box for Isoline display. Using the Select and Move tool position the object to the bicycle's frame.

Step 19: 1) Create a new Cylinder with the Radius of 1.9, the Height of 0.5 , 1 Cap and Height Segments and 10 Sides. 2) Inset the front polygons with an amount of 0.3. 3) Using the Cut tool in Edge selection mode create 2 new edges. 4) Chamfer the corner edges with an amount of 0.2 and 2 Segments. 5) Inset the middle polygon with an amount of 0.05. 6) Extrude the same polygon with an amount of -0.3. 7) Connect the inner edges with 2 Segments and a Pinch of 70. 8) Connect the Edges with 5 Segments and a Pinch of 20. 9) Using the Cut tool create 6 more edges. 10) Inset the back polygon with an amount of 0.05 and press Delete to delete it.

Step 20: In Element selection mode holding down SHIFT copy the object to the other side "Cloning to Element" and using the Select and Rotate tool, rotate it 180 degrees. From the Modifier list add a Turbosmooth modifier with 2 Iterations and the box for Isoline display checked. Using the Select and Move tool position the object to fit the holes.

Step 21: Make sure the back and front chain wheels are aligned. If not select the back wheel, enter Element selection mode, select the chain wheel and in the Left Viewport position it correctly. If you intersect with the frame reposition the front chain wheel as well.

Step 22: To continue this 3d modeling tutorial we need to build the bicycles chain. From Create, Geometry make a Tube with the Radius 1 of 0.5, Radius 2 of 0.25, Height of 0.075, 1 Cap and Hieght Segments and 8 Sides. Convert it to Editable Poly by right clicking on it and selecting Convert to -> Convert to Editable Poly.

Step 23: In Element selection mode, select the Element and holding down SHIFT copy it to the Right in the X axis for 1.727, select Clone to Element and click OK.

Step 24: Select the two facing polygons from each side and click on the square next to Bridge, change the Segments to 2 and click OK.

Step 25: Select the middle vertices and using the Select and Scale tool, scale them down to 75 in the Y axis.

Step 26: In Edge selection mode, select the inner and outer side edges and using Ring. Connect the Edges with 2 Segments and a Pinch of 90.

Step 27: In Element selection mode, select the element and using the Select and Move tool copy it 3 times holding down SHIFT and selecting "Clone to Element". Position them correctly.

Step 28: For this step just use the reference image and reproduce the inner tube. To do this, from Create, Geometry make a new Tube with Radius 1 0.5, Radius 2 0.25 and the Height depends on how much gap did you leave between the pieces. I have a Height of 0.366. Set the Height and Cap segment to 1 and 8 Sides. Convert it to Editable Poly. Now, lie we din in step 26 Connect the inner and outer edges with 2 Segments and this time a Pinch of 95. 

Step 29: From Create, Geometry, make a Cylinder with the Radius of 0.25, the Height 0.75, 1 Height Segment, 2 Cap segments and 8 Sides. Convert it to Editable Poly. Remove every other edge from the middle on both sides. Chamfer the Corner edges with an amount of 0.005. In Element selection mode, holding down Shift copy it to the right hole of the chain piece.

Step 30: Activate the Attach tool by clicking on it and click on all the chain pieces to attach them together.

Step 31: From Create, Shaped, create 2 circles to fit the wheels of the chain. One for the back and one for the front.

Step 32: With both circle selected, right click on them an click Hide Unselected. Right click on the and select Convert to -> Convert to Editable Spline.

Step 33: Attach the Circles together, enter Segment selection mode, select the inner half of both Circles and press Delete to Delete them.

Step 34: In Vertex selection mode, activate the Connect tool. To use the Connect tool, left click on one vertex and drag to the other one, release the mouse button when finished.

Step 35: Right click and Select Unhide all to view all the objects. Select the chain pieces, click on Tool and Select Array. Change the X axis to a value that will copy the pieces perfectly. This depends on the space you leaved between the tube when you copied them in step 23. It was 1.727 so double the value to 3.454. Set the number of copies to 53 and click OK.

Step 36: With one copy of the chain pieces selected, click on the square next to Attach, holding down Shift click on Cylinder21 and then on Cylinder 73 to select all the new chain pieces. Click Attach. From the Modifier list add

Step 37: From the Modifier list add a PathDeform modifier. Click on Pick Path and click on the circles we build earlier. Change the axis to X and click on Move to Path.

Step 38: Since we did not build this with exact measurement when we started the chain will not fit perfectly. But it's OK for a beginner 3d modeling tutorial. You can also see a cap in the back, Stretch the chain for a very small amount, like 1.008 to close the cap. To fit better with the wheel's teeth, you can also change the Percent value. But this is up to you, do some testing.

Step 39: This one's easy. Merge/Import the Pedals and Scale them down in all axis, using the Select and Scale tool, to 12. Copy and Rotate in Element selection mode the pedal to the other side, and position it to fit the arm.

Step 40: Now Merge/Import the handle bar. Using the Select and Scale, Select and Move and Select and Rotate tools, position the handlebar to fit the frame.  First, Scale it down in all axis to 10.5, rotate it and position it in the tube using the Move tool.

Step 41: Merge/Import the Seat pieces, Scale them down, and move the pipe's vertices from the bottom to align with the frame, do not rotate the seat. Position it correctly. 

Step 42: Select the back wheel, enter Vertex selection mode, select the vertices from the top and move them up. Select the vertices from the bottom and move them down. Use the next image as reference.

Step 43: 1) From Create, Geometry make a new Cylinder with the Radius 1.5 and the Height of 0.3 with 1 Cap and Height Segments and 12 Sides. Convert it to Editable Poly. 2) Inset the Cap Polygon with a small amount like 0.2, 0.3. 3) Extrude the Polygon with an amount of 1.5. 4) Select the side edges and group the by 2 so that we have a 6 edged bolt. 5) Inset the polygon again with the same amount. 6) Extrude the polygon with a negative amount of -1.5 and Delete it. 7) Chamfer all the corner edges with an amount of 0.01. 8) Add a Turbosmooth modifier from the modifier list, change the Iteration to 2 and check the box for Isoline display.

Step 44: Now copy the bolt 3 times and position it on both the front and the back wheels. Also, select the wheels, enter Vertex selection mode and move the vertices of the wheel screw to come outside the bolt.

Step 45: For this step of this 3d modeling tutorial you will get some "homework". Make the ring around the handle bar. Tips: Start from a Cylinder, reposition, Inset, Extrude, Chamfer, Turbosmooth. By now you should by able to do this 3d modeling tutorial step with no extra help.

Extra 3d Modeling Step( more Home work :) ): Start from a Tube.

3D Modeling Result:

 I know some of you will have problems following this 3d modeling tutorial since it's not really step by step, but don't hesitate to comment and i will help you right away. If to many people will have trouble following the 3d modeling tutorial i will make some extra steps to help you. Stay tuned for future tutorials. Best of luck!

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