Subdivisional modelling (using 3ds max's Meshsmooth Modifier) takes the painstaking precision out of assembling 3D forms, and allows you to create fairly complex objects easily. This tutorial highlights many different techniques for creating an intricate vehicle, and also gives you the necessary skills to apply the knowledge to other projects. During the walkthrough, we'll be applying two primary techniques in preparation for subdivision: box modelling and polygon-by-polygon modelling. By using both of these techniques together, you will come to understand the reasons for using a particular modelling method in a particular situation.
We will also look at the importance of understanding how to model effectively for Meshsmooth, and what the meshsmoothing process will do when it has been applied. Although this is something you'll pick up over time, the more practice you have using Meshsmooth, the more accustomed you'll become to how it subdivides your low polygon mesh. Eventually, you'll develop an intuition, and it'll become natural.
