Modeling a Spoon using Loft and the Fit Modifier in 3dsmax

The purpose of this tutorial is to show you how to use the Fit Modifier for MANY THINGS! We will do this by making a somewhat complex object. A SPOON! This tutorial was made by 

request. Here we go!

The first step is to create the top, side and front views of the spoon and a straight line the length of the side or top view. The line will serve as a path for some of our shapes to follow. These top side and front views will be 2D, and you will make them using a line.

1. Go to the Create tab choose 2D shapes then Line.
2. For now make just the top and side views and a line the same length. Like so....

3. Now make the "bowl" of the spoon. *(We'll call it "bowl/front")

You can do this by making a square 3 vertices across and 2 vertices high. Then changing each vertices to a bezier-corner and adjusting it until it looks like so. START THE LINE IN UPPER LEFT CORNER!!! The vertex with the small square around it represents where I started my line.

4. Once completed with the bowl, make another square the same way....

5. This time adjust the verts to form a shape similar to what's below. This will be the "handle" of the spoon. *(We'll call it "handle/front") REMEMBER TO START THE LINE IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER!!!This is because the Loft tool uses the starting verts as reference points, so it knows which way it needs to loft the object.

6. With the "handle" line selected, go to Create tab, 3D Objects, and choose Loft Object from the drop down menu. Click the Loft button.

7. Click the Get Path button.

You should have a shape like so.....

8. Now, with the lofted object selected, click the Modify tab, and scroll down to the Deformations section. Click the Fit button.

A window pops up.

9. The Make Symmetrical button is active  (yellow) click it to make it INACTIVE (not yellow!)
10. Click the Display X Axis button. It looks like a red line moving bottom left to upper right.

11. Click the Get Shape button. 
12. Minimize this window, and select the line that represent the top of the spoon. You lofted shape should look like this....

13. Now Maximize the Fit Deformation window.
14. Click the Display Y Axis button.  Is. The Green line in the middle.
15. Minimize the Fit Deform window again and select the line that represents the side view of the spoon. You should have something line this....

16. Now close the Fit widow.
17. Go over to the top of the Modify tab (with the lofted object still selected).

This part may bit a bit tricky. So READ CLOSELY!!!

18. Go to Path Parameters and adjust the path to any number.

You should see a YELLOW astrix move along the lofted path.

19. Move that astrix to a point right before the "bowl" of the spoon. (Mine was at about 58%)
20. Click Get Shape.

21. Select the "handle/front" shape.
22. Now move the astrix about 1/3 the way into the "bowl" of the spoon. Mine was at about 68% along the path)
23. Select Get Shape and select the "bowl/front" shape.
24. Move the astrix again to ALMOST the end of the spoon's bowl and place another "bowl/front" shape there by clicking the Get Shape button and clicking said shape.

You should see something like this....

25. Now go to Skin Parameters and increase the Path Steps to about 30. This should smooth out your spoon's edges. (Changing other parameters here may also help make it look better.)

26. Now go to the Material Editor .
27. Click the first sphere and change the Shading to Metal. Make the Diffuse color white and raise theShininess and Shin. Strength into the 70's.

28. Go to the Maps section below and click the None button next to Reflection. Choose Raytrace from the list and click OK. Leave the settings a default.
29. Go back to the Maps section and raise the Reflection up to about 55.

YOUR DONE! Make a scene a place you spoon in it. The more environment to reflect the better it will look!

This tutorial is Copyright © 2006 Jeremy LaDuke. All rights reserved.

source:http://www.hallofheads.com/