How to Create a Realistic 3D Diamond Ring Using 3DS Max
on Jul 30 in Modeling by PaulIn this tutorial, we will create a very accurate 3D diamond ring model. We will use 3DS Max to create all the necessary objects and VRay rendering engine to render them! So, let’s begin!
3D Diamond Ring
Here is an example image of 3D diamond ring. To create this ring we’re going to use four different elements and combine them together. Let’s start with the little diamonds.
Modeling 3D Diamonds
If you’d like to have accurate model of a diamond you have to check their ratios and shapes first. If you’d like to have just a diamond not knowing how does it look like you will end up with some unrealistic model. We are certainly going to use real ratios and we’ll create as realistic model as possible. I’ve made a quick sketch (don’t use it as a reference image because it’s not precise).
Modeling Diamond – Size
Let’s start with the NGon that has 16 sides. Go to Shapes -> Splines -> NGon and create one in the top view. Place it on position [0,0,0]. My one has a radius equal to 21.7. Once you have it we can calculate all the dimensions we need:
- 43.4 is 100%
- 43.1% of 43.4 is 18.7054
- 2.5% of 43.4 is 1.085
- 15.4% of 43.4 is 6.6836
- 53% of 43.4 is 23.002
Modeling Diamond – Creating the Shapes
Once we have all these dimensions we can create a diamond. If you’d like it to be perfect just use the numbers above but you can also round them and make it almost perfect which doesn’t matter for simple scenes like this one. It would probably make a difference if you were working on some real ring project that requires high precision but I think 3ds Max it’s not software created for designing professional rings.
Modeling Diamond – Extruding Your Shapes
Let’s extrude your NGon with amount set to 18.7054 and add a modifier called Edit Poly to your object.
After that go to Vertex sub-level and scale all the top vertices like on the image below.
When they are close enough you can use Weld Tool to weld them together.
The next step is to rotate entire object upside down and extrude top polygon that will be our gridle. Use 1.085 as the extrudion amount value.
Afterwards extrude it again using 6.6836 for the extrudion value and select all the top vertices again. Scale them down to 57%.
Ideal Cut
Once we have right dimensions it’s time to virtually cut it. It’s the hardest part because standard diamond shapes aren’t just made of a series of standard lines. To make it correct just follow the screenshots and instructions below.
- First make sure you are using Cut Tool. This will allow you to create some more edges on top of the diamond.
- Then go to a Top viewport
- We have to start with the center part and create there two squares
- The next step is to connect some vertices with the gridle. Make sure you are starting with the farthest vertex that is a part of one of the squares!
- Select all the polygons around that are making specific shape presented on the fourth image and hit delete to get rid of them
- Use cap to fill the holes
- Lastly select all the vertices you’ve previously connected with the gridle and move them down in Front viewport. The value of this offset is hard to calculate but it’s around 1.2 Max’s units I guess
- There are also some missing edges at the bottom of the diamond so you can simply use Cut Tool to create them.
Modeling a Ring
Modeling a ring is quite an easy task. Inner diameter usually varies from around 11mm to 25mm so let’s create a circle that has 10mm radius (20mm diameter). After that duplicate your circle and convert it to Editable Spline. Go to Vertex sub-level of Editable Spline and drag one of the vertices up. Most of the rings has a similar shape so it’s good to draw something like this to have an outline of how it is going to look like. Afterwards delete one segment of your circle.
Lofting
Then create a little NGon with 5 sides and a rectangle with rounded edges. Move one of the NGon’s vertices farther than the others.
Select the circle you’ve created in the previous step. Go to the Compound Objects -> Loft and pick a NGon as a shape.
- Change the Path value to 30 and pick rectangle as a shape.
- Change the Path number to 70 and pick the rectangle again.
- At the end change the Path to 100 and pick NGon as a shape.
Try to adjust your ring’s shape according to the outline from the prevoius step. You can rotate and scale NGon and rectangle by going to the Loft’s sub-level called Shape.
Placing Diamonds
Now it’s time for the top part of our ring. You can place there all the diamonds and other things as you like. I’m not able to depict everything because it would be boring so here is a little preview of what it is made of. If you have any problems or questions regarding this step feel free to ask but I hope it’s clear enough how to create all the elements.
Materials
That’s very short and easy. Use VRayMtl for both materials.
- Diamond material – diffuse: black, reflect: white, refract: white, IOR: 2.47, refractions subdivs: a lot more (like 50).
- Gold material – diffuse: black, black, reflect: brown (rgb(187,164,70)), reflection glossiness: 0.8, refract: black, IOR: 0.23 or a little bit higher.
Scene
Create a plane and apply a pure white material to it. Create many omni light around but decrease their multipliers from 1.0 to 0.25. Place them randomly. You can add some random objects around (big objects or many smaller) and render your scene with the standard VRay settings and Global Illumination turned on. Use Irradiance Map + Light Cache for GI. You can also try to render it using HDRIs or you can use both lights and HDR image.
Conclusion
Again, this is what I got. I hope you enjoyed it. As usual the next tutorial is coming next week so don’t miss it!
A beautiful and realistic looking result!
Thank you for your tutorials. It help full for me.
Thanks you very Much
I get mine to the part with the diamond looks more like clear glass.
the mine stars to crash once I add some lighting
I do not understand the part of (lofting)
@Andrea
Once you have all required shapes simply select circle and go to Compound Objects -> Loft.
Loft has one parameter called ‘Path’. You should change its value several times and after each change pick another shape by clicking on ‘Get shape’ button.
For instance in the ‘Path’ field type in 0 and pick NGon as a shape. Then in the ‘Path’ field again type in 30 and pick rectangle as a shape and so on.
I hope that helps!
thanks for such helpful tutorial Mr. Paul.
but can u tell me which are the objects used for placing Diamonds?
hey.. how about materials??? r u using V Ray or something else?
Modeling anything is not a big deal… but just to give realistic look by materials is a big deal my bro…
@M Junaid
I’ve mentioned about my materials and VRay setting at the bottom of the post. There are two materials. One for my diamonds and the second one for gold.
All the setting I’ve used are close to the standard ones. Just read the paragraphs before the conclusion and everything should become clear.
sry i can’t find the cap tool can anyone tell me where is it~ thank u very much~
Hi, ykcaj. When you convert your object to an Editable Poly select: Modify Tab > Border > Edit Borders section. Cap tool is in the middle of “edit borders” section.
great tutorial.. thankuu
great great
tutorial.. thank you
This is not a complete tutorial!
I SAY THIS BECAUSE I’VE FOLLOWED STEP BY STEP AND MY PATH IS STOPPED TO THE LOFT…I GET A STRANGE BIG SHAPE…IF I FOLLOW WHAT YOU SAID I OBTAIN A CIRCLE WITH 4 VERTICES and (OF COURSE) 4 SEGMENTS…IF I PUT UP ONE OF THESE VERTICES (I GUESS THE VERTEX ABOVE) TO OBTAIN THE SHAPE I’VE SEEN IN THIS TUTORIAL, I HAVE TO DELETE ONE OF THE LATERAL SEGMENTS OF MY CIRCLE…IF I DO LIKE THIS I WILL NOT OBTAIN THE SYMMETRICAL SHAPE LOFTED IN THIS TUTORIAL…SO, THERE ARE SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO EXAPLAIN BETTER IN YOUR TUTORIALS…
WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS TO CREATE THE CIRLE THAT WILL BE LOFTED? THIS IS A CIRCLE OR AN NGON??
HOW MANY STEPS??
WHICH SEGMENT WE HAVE TO DELETE FROM THE CIRCLE??
@ADAM
Indeed I missed one sentence here. I’m sorry!
1. Well, you have to create a circle and move one of its vertices father (like on the image). Then use ‘refine’ to create two additional vertices (that’s the missing part) and delete top two segments to get symmetrical shape.
2. Create an NGon and a rectangle and click ‘Loft’ while you have your circle selected (follow the tutorial). If the final object looks strange then go to the loft’s parameters and turn off ‘Skin’ and ‘Skin in Shaded’. Go to loft’s sub-level called ‘Shape’, select your shape and scale it down.
One more thing. Right after you’ve used ‘Loft’ you have to set its ‘Path’ to 0.0 and pick NGon as a shape, change path’s value to 30 and pick rectangle as a shape and so on… Then try to adjust it as I suggested above.
cap…i think he was referring to “cap holes”…it is a modifier…its in the modifier’s tab…
I have completed the Diamond thanks to the great guide. My only problem that still exsists is that i would like to cut the bottom of the diamond (as shown on the sketch), but do not know how to do this.
Could anybody help me with this problem?
Thanks.
@James
I used ‘cut’ to create those additional vertices and edges. It should work fine and it is surely precise enough for standard purposes.
@Paul
I understand that i need to ‘cut’, it is just that from what i can see of the images; i cannot tell whether from then the polys are extruded or moved in any matter?
Thanks a lot, guys, you’re doing a great thing. I mean, your site is the first for me that has such detailed lessons and explaining key methods of modeling, texturing etc., which are missing on large cg resources. I hope, in future this quality of your tutorials will remain the same. Thank you and good luck! I’ll check for updates regularly ^__^
other diamond shapes. do you have tutorials for other diamond shapes, like princess, radiant, oval, pear etc.
Thanks
David
It’s funny that you finally spoke up! I have been waiting for someone to bring this out to the open! Anyway… nice post. I will be back.
@David
I don’t have any tutorial for other diamond shapes but you can easily find some blueprints on the net!
If you are skilled enough it should be easy for you to create them.
Tnx. . but. i feel hard part of Diamond material render .
so i wanna environment tweak setting ( .. )
Thanks ^^a
Thx! ^^a
hi sir plz
ring this matarial
London is The Capital of Great Britain
Perfect
thx indeed,
i am not getting the nice lighting set up but working on it. I am using Vray sp2 version. is there any possibility to have emailed only the scene set up?
Once you create many objects around your ring and many omni lights you’ll get great final result.
It just has to reflect something in order to look realistic. Try to place this ring inside some interior scene or use HDRI to make reflections quicker.
All the files for every tutorial will be available for download over time but it’s not possible yet.
thx for quick support
i am using some nice HDRI and mapping them in reflection environment.
Way you work with geometry is simple and easy to repeat, I spend hours to find something like this, because was stunned by ‘where to start’ problem ^) But there are two issues that make you’r diamond look a bit glass-like.
First one is proporties: I haven’t found any web-source confirm number used. Info from http://www.diamond-cut.com.au/ can give a better result in back-surface reflections. Second is table size: during work on the gem you have reduced size from 57% to something like 45%, since some edges been cutted-off.
Last one, and least important: more expensive gem > smaller griddle, this part exist only to increase weight of gem in most efficent way and mask cutting mismatches. Most expensive gems has round griddle between 0,7% on corners to 0,01% on sides. Culet should not be used in 3d as well, since it’s ‘cheap’ part of design.
Cheers/Thanks for tutorial!
Thanks for you extensive comment Kaenoru!
There are a few different diamond sizes, shapes and materials and since I’m not diamond expert I chose the most common dimensions and values.
My model and render may not be perfect too but I did my best to make them look as realistic as possible and I tried to depict the entire process of creating this ring as clearly as possible.
Thanks for the information you provided. It’s always good to know a bit more about diamonds!
bad instructions
my diamond is all black! it’s a coal! haha
my 3ds is 2010, is there any difference?
Are you using proper rendering engine? This usually happens when you’re trying to use VRay Material and render it using Scanline.
I think that 3ds Max’s version doesn’t make any huge differences.
yes, i’m using vray render… ok for the gold material, excelent, but my diamond.. it’s still a coal =/
I think the problem is the material. Because when I start to configure the material, the slot becomes completely gray… I don’t know what to do ù.ú