Hi everyone, welcome to today’s continuation of the multi-part tutorial on modeling of a tank. This is the 10th part of a multi-part tutorial on creating a military tank. Today, we look at using shapes, polygonal editing mode, and bevel tool, to create tread and treadPath objects, which we will use in the next tutorial, to create multiple tread instances, to form the tracks of the tank.

1. select the wheel objects in the top viewport

2. type wheels in selection dropdown box, to create new selection set called wheels, and press enter

3. right-click top viewport, and select Hide Selection

4. right-click left viewport, to activate that viewport

5. press Alt+W, to maximise current viewport

6. click Create tab

7. select Shapes button

8. select Splines from object type dropdown box

9. click Rectangle button

10. in left viewport, click and drag out a rectangle, based on reference image in left viewport

11. click Line button

12. use click and shift+click where appropriate (see video), to set nodes for the inner polygon

note: hold down Shift, when you click, to ’straighten’ lines, between nodes, such that its a strictly horizontal, vertical, or 45 degree line

13. right-click inner polygon, and select Convert To > Convert to Editable Poly

14. right-click inner polygon, and select Attach, and click rectangle

15. click + sign beside Editable Poly, and select Polygon, to enter polygon editing mode

16. click and drag selection marquee around both polygons in left viewport

17. right-click selected polygons, and select Bevel dialog box

18. change height to 1.4, and outline amount to -0.8, and click Apply

19. Ctrl+click outer polygon, to deselect that polygon, leaving only inner polygon selected, and click OK (use previous set parameters of height of 1.4, and outline amount of -0.8)

20. click mirror button

21. select mirror axis of X, clone selection of Copy, and change offset value, till the mirrored object is at the appropriate position, based on reference image in left viewport, and click OK

22. select hierarchy tab, click Affect Pivot Only button, and click Center to Object, then click Affect Pivot Only button to toggle off Affect Pivot Only

23. select modify tab, and change name of object to tread

24. select tankbody object

25. press Alt+X, to toggle on see-through mode for tankbody object

26. right-click front viewport

27. click Line button

28. press click, shift+click, and click and drag, where appropriate (see video), to create the path for the tread obj to follow, and change the name of the line object to treadPath