MilkShape Modeling
10) First Steps

Before we dive into the pleasure of modelling, we must first know something: All models in MilkShape consist of many assembled triangles, since these can be assembled contrary to all other polygons in all combinations perfectly. You don't need to know this, but what you should know is that every model is created from triangles. Let's now create this first triangle(technical term is vertex, in the plural, vertices)! :)

The First Vertex

In order to create a Vertex(triangle), you first need to determine the three needed corner points that will be connected to form a surface. We determine Vertex corner points with the Vertex Tool from the Model section with the tools:

Now we put into one of the 2D View Windows (the top-left window) 3 Vertex corner points, by simply clicking three times in the window:

To put a surface between the three points and thus form the finished Vertex, we click on the three points successively, after we have activated the Face tool from the tools:

Afterwards the whole should look like this:

Bravo! You just created your first Vertex! If we look now at the 3 other windows, you will notice that they also changed:

After you clicked, whether in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the Vertices, the finished triangle is now either grey or black in the 3D-View. It is very important which color it is, because only the grey side can be covered by a skin(the skin, which you put on afterwards over the Model), in which the black one will not be seen in a Game. Therefore the grey side must always look outward or there, where it is seen also later by the viewer! Here in our example the whole still plays no large role; if the side should be black however, then you should turn the 3D-View now to be explained in order to see the grey side(naturally it does not play a role for this model, from which side you see it, but it's a good opportunity to show the camera movement functions in MilkShape:) )

The camera functions for the 3D-View (and 2D-View)

Actually, there isn't much to explain at all, because the camera guidance in MilkShape is extremely user-friendly:) The camera is always directed toward the focal point of the field, which is characterized by three colored direction coordinates:

In order to move the camera around the focal point, all you do is click the left mouse button into the 3D-View and move the mouse while the button is pressed. The view always remains directed towards the focal point. You can zoom in and out of the window, by either turning the mouse wheel or hold the shift key and the left mouse button and moving foward and back. You can also use these two zoom versions with the 2D-Views, depending on which window you click on.

Sometimes it is advantageous if you can look at the model from a different view e.g. from further up or down. You can shift the model in the 3D-View by pressing either them mouse wheel (middle mouse button) and the mouse back and forth or alternatively hold the CTRL key (strg key) and with the left mouse button pressed and held, move around. You can also apply these two camera movements versions with the 2D-Views.

Further Vertices (1)

Now, we want to add still more Vertices to the one we made before! Perhaps you'll notice that you don't need 3 new corner points to create a Vertex, but 1, since a face has already been drawn. Thus, we activate again the Vertex tool, set a corner point into the proximity of the existing Vertex (again in the diagram) and connect the new corner point with 2 of the 3 old corner points:

Very good! Look now to your 3D-view. Compare it with the following picture:

If you connected the 3 corner points again in the same direction (not/clockwise direction) that you connected your first Vertex, then your 3D-View is surely does not look the same as the above Screenshot, but quite grey, or quite black, if you haven't turned the window yet. You surely understood that I connected the corner points of my model in the opposite direction to the first Vertex. Therefore one Vertex is black and the other one grey. But why does is have such a transition and no clear color boundary? That is because of the different window options of MilkShape, which I will now present.

Different window options

There are 4 different window options in MilkShape: Wireframe, Flat Shaded, Smooth Shaded, and Textured. The Wireframe option shows the model without surfaces, thus only the connections between the corner points:

The Flat Shaded option shows the surface with clear color distinction between the individual Vertices:

The Smooth Shaded option shows the same as the Flat Shaded option, but with subtle color transitions between the individual Vertices:

Remaining still is the Texture option, which shows the model covered with the skin:

We currently have the Smooth Shaded option in the 3D-View selected. In order to change between the individual options, we right-click on the 3D-View and choose the preffered/necessary option:

For exact operating the Flat Shaded option is recommended. We select Flat Shaded " in the context menu just opened ". Now the 3D-View should present itself in this way:

Vertex adjustment: turn

Naturally it is now unreasonable, if one Vertex looks foward and the other one to the rear. Therefore we turn one. In addition, we select the Vertex, the vertex we want to turn-the vertex after it's creation, created last, is automatically selected, so selecting it again is unnecessary. In order to turn the adjustment now, click in the menu Face and then on Reverse Vertex Order:

And the 3D-View changes like this (after we turned it):

Further Vertices (2)

Now we want to set still 2 further Vertices above or below the already existing, so that finally it looks like this (perhaps you must zoom out of the 2D windows so you have enough workspace to complete this task!

We will employ these 4 Vertices some in the next tutorial: we will shift, turn scale it (increase/reduce)... Until Then!:) We already obtained some progress!