I am currently working on a knife, and I wanted to ask you, if you got some tips for me, to get these caved details:



I tried some ways, but It wasn't working out very well...

I'd appreciate any help.

Which modelling program?

• You could use Max's boolean function to substract out these things.
  Create Tab -> Geometry -> Compound Objects -> Boolean...
• Normalmap (+ POM)

I am very aware that I need a Normal map to fake it, but to make an accurate Normal map I would need some High Poly work to bake, and that's where I am currently failing, getting these cavings into the High Poly Model.

Then again, could you explain me the boolean function?

EDIT; yes, I work with max.

Boolean in 3ds max work exactly like the CSG solid stuff in the SB3 with the union / intersection / difference.

different name, but same result.

Basically you just need to have your knife selected, then click Boolean. Now click "Select operant B" (which is the negative) and check "A-B". that's it.

hrmm boolean probably isnt the best way to go about doin that.

gunna edit in a sec with a pic

Why shouldn't it?

because booleans will mess up the topology.

the shape is easy enough, so you shouldnt need any booleaning anyway..

quick example of how to do it using just the connect and chamfer tools



if you did that with a boolean, you'd have to dismantle most of it anyway and rebuild it in order for turbosmooth to work with it.

you might have to clean up some of the loose support loops in order to get the shape in your ref.

Okay, I might try that one, kinda silly of me not getting on the chamfer method...

It currently looks like this:



Might have some trouble getting it right, Either I completely redo the lower side of the blade, or I can mangage to move the edges out the way...

i would probably just redo the segment of the blade where you need the cuts.

you've already got some usable edgeloops there, so all you have to do is delete the existing faces and extrude the edges down, then just adjust the Z values to match the curve and youre halfway there.

I need some help with the chamfer part, I just can't seem to get this caved effect right. How did you do that?

I just made evenly spaced support loops to create one edge ring for each cut in the blade. Then I selected each edge ring and placed on support loop in the middle of it.
Then im left with the selection of only the middle support loop in each edge ring. I deselect all other edges except the ones that are on the sharpened part of the blade (because the cuts are only in the sharpened part, not the flat part) and just pulled the edges up, Leaving me with a perfect number of V shaped cuts in the blade. Then i just reselected the middle support loop of each edge ring, and placed a chamfer with an edge value of 5.

The problem here is, that I can't use your technique, because these cavings aren't on stretched over the whole edge of the blade, but in fact only halfways. Look again:



I can't do this, while staying at this halfway-caved style, it just bends the edges around, so it always stays like this. I've tried for 3 hours now, I am running out of ideas...