Convert Editable Spline Trim Tutorial 3dsMax

1. Make the Alphabet/Number

a. Go to the ‘Create’ rollout -> ‘Shapes’ menu -> Choose ‘Text’ -> Click anywhere in the ‘Top’ viewport -> Type ‘5’ or any other alphabet or number-> size: 250mm -> Pick ‘Magneto Bold’ in the text style drop-down menu

2. Make the Plane to Draw the Tracks

a. Right-click+Ctrl then click on ‘Plane’ -> Click ‘M’ to access ‘Material Editor’ -> Click the box next to the ‘Diffuse’ button -> Click on ‘Bitmap’ -> Open this ‘jpg’ from wherever you saved it in -> Click on the ‘Go to Parent’ button -> Adjust to ‘Opacity’ to 30 (easier to see the drawn lines later)

b. Adjust the ‘Plane’ parameters to ‘Length’: 1 and 4/8” (just type 1 4/8” in the blank box) & ‘Width’: 2 4/8” -> Click on the ‘Select and Rotate’ button and select the plane in the ‘Top’ viewport to rotate the plane to about 2 o’clock -> Click on the ‘Select and Move’ button and use it to move the plane to the upper middle section of the ‘5’ number

3. Draw the Tracks Following the Image

a. Zoom in to one of the tracks in the image -> Go to ‘Create’ then ‘Shapes’ and click on ‘Line -> Choose any of the tracks in the image and draw a rectangle-like shape -> make sure to accentuate a round corner by clicking once at start of corner, one in the center and another at the end of the corner for next rounding procedure

b. Select the drawn line object -> click the ‘Modify’ tab then click on the ‘+Line’ in the hierarchy box -> Choose ‘Vertex’ -> Go to the ‘Top’ viewport then choose the center vertex -> It should turn red like in the picture

c. Now make sure the ‘Select and Move’ button is selected -> Right-click then choose ‘Bezier’ -> adjust the green handles for the desired curvature

d. Repeat the same procedure for the opposite corner and the middle vertex in the two lengths

e. Then click on the ‘Refine’ button and add new vertices as shown in red in the image

f. Click the ‘Mirror’ button, choose ‘Mirror Axis: YZ’, ‘Offset: 4/8”’, and ‘Clone Selection: Copy’ then press ‘OK’

g. Click on the ‘+Line’ hierarchy box to exit -> Click on ‘Select and Rotate’ button -> Rotate mirrored object to about 45 degrees -> move object to align with track in plane image

h. Multiple copy the tracks to fill in the upper section of the number ‘5’

i. Select all the tracks and plane image then copy them to fill the lower section of the number ‘5’

j. Hide the plane image as it will not be required now

4. Prepare the Entire object for Extrusion

a. Select the number ‘5’ -> Right-click and select ‘Convert to Editable Spline’

b. In the ‘Hierarchy Box’ click on ‘+Editable Spline’ -> Click on ‘Spline’ -> Go to ‘New Vertex Type’ section in the rollout and click on ‘Attach Mult.’ Button

c. A selection window will pop out -> Shift+down arrow all the objects -> Press ‘Attach’

d. Zoom into ‘Top’ viewport (press Alt+W to make this the only viewport) -> Press the ‘Trim’ button -> Trim out all the unwanted splines

Thanks for trying out the Tutorial!