Creating Apple iPad Using 3ds Max

This time you will learn to create an Apple iPad using 3ds Max. You will first begin with modeling the Apple iPad using simple object: Chamfer Box, then texturing the tablet computer. I believe this tutorial is very useful for 3ds max beginner user. I hope you will enjoy this tutorial.

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011, founder of Apple Inc, maker of Apple iPad
died at his California home around 3 p.m. on October 5, 2011
Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

1. First, download Apple iPad blueprint file here (3ds Max 9 format, RAR). In this file there are blueprint file, complete with its material file. Open file "apple_iPad_start.max". In this file you can see 2 planes that we will use as blueprint. If you want to know how to create blueprint like this, read tutorial here: Modeling Using Blueprint

2. In Front viewport, create a Chamfer Box (in Command Panel, go to Create>Geometry>Extended Primitves) with dimensions like image below.

3. Open Material Editor. Select one of unused material slot. Change Diffuse Color to green and set Opacity = 50%. Apply this material by click and dragging this material to Chamfer Box. This object is now transparent. This way, you can see blueprint behind.

4. Select object. Right click and convert into Editable Poly. Go to Modify tab. Activate Polygon selection. In Left viewport, select nearly a half of object (look at image below). Then press Del to remove these polygons.

5. Change to Vertex selection. In Left viewport, select all vertices at the mostleft. Activate Soft Selection. Set Falloff=32.Then using Select And Uniform Scale tool, minimize selected vertices like right image below. When finished, turn off Soft selection.

6. In Left viewport, adjust vertices position to match the blueprint behind. Basically you need to adjust iPad thickness.

In Page 1 tutorial, you have created a basic Apple iPad shape using Chamfer Box. In this tutorial you will continue modeling and also texturing the Apple iPad.

7. Change selection to Border. (1) Select border. You won't be mistaken, the object has only 1 border. Activate Select And Uniform Scale Tool. (2) Hold Shift and drag selected border in Front viewport to create new polygons inside. You may need to scale selected border in one axis, so the newly created polygons have the same width. These polygons are our Apple iPad edges. (3) Hold Shift and in Left viewport move selected border a little bit to the left. (4). In Edit Borders rollout, press Cap button to fill the hole.

8. Next, creating buttons. In Left viewport, create 1 Chamfer Box. Use parameter below to create longer button. This longer button needs more length segments.

Select Chamfer Box, Hold Shift and move Chamfer Box up to create one clone. In Modify tab, reduce its segment and length values to create smaller Chamfer Box.

Select longer Chamfer Box, right click and convert into Editable Poly. Actvate Vertex selection. In Front viewport, select vertices in the middle and using Select and Uniform Scale tool in horizontal axis narrow vertices distance.

In Front viewport, clone small Chamfer Box to make top button.

Move all button to their position.

9. Select Apple iPad Object (the biggest Chamfer Box). Activate Polygon selection. Select one polygon like image below. In Edit Geometry rollout, click Detach button and separate as new object. Name as "homescreen". When finished, turn off sub-object selection.

10. Next creating material. Open material Editor. Select one unused slot. Name this material "homescreen". Click small button right next to Diffuse. In opened window choose Bitmap and choose file "map_apple_iPad_homescreen.jpg" (included in downloaded file). Apply this material to "homescreen" object.

Repeat the same process to create "back" material. This time use file "map_apple_iPad_back.jpg". In Coordinates rollout, don't forget to flip the image by setting V Angle = 180. Apply this material to Apple iPad object.

Last material, create a simple black material, just change Diffuse color to black. Apply this material to buttons.

11. When you render, you may find the material is not rendered correctly. To fix this, select "homescreen" object, go to Modify tab, and apply UVW Mapping modifier. Mapping default is Planar. This will fix the problem.

Repeat the same process with APple iPad object (back of iPad).