Increality

Tutorial Information:
For 3D Studio Max
Version 8.5
Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced
Emphasis: Walk Through only (this is not a step by step tutorial)
You should acquire some knowledge of Max’s interface before using this tutorial. All images in this tutorial can be clicked on to enlarge for better visibility.

Hello and welcome to Increality’s third installment of modeling electronics. This Making of a Sony PlayStation tutorial is intended as a walk-through or guide to modeling and texturing a PSP. This tutorial is however not a step-by-step, number for number tutorial. If you’re looking for a step-by-step tutorial for intermediate to advanced modeling using 3D Max, I encourage you to check out my Basic iPhone tutorial or my Advanced iPhone tutorial to bring yourself up to speed with how I will be modeling in this tutorial. Then challenge yourself by coming back to this tutorial. If your fairly familiar with modeling using editable poly, then without any further adieu, lets begin.

First, I set up my scene using one thin reference box with images on the front and back. You can find the reference images by doing a google search. There’s plenty out there.
I then began creating my model by using the line tool. I created an arc first to follow the curve of the side of the PSP, then mirrored it. After that I attached the two arcs together to make one object, created a couple of lines to connect them together and made sure to weld any pair of vertices that needed to be connected. I believe I ended up with 8 vertices after doing this.I tried several other ways for beginning this model, but I really like this one because it gets your basic shape going right off the bat.

Next I added a simple extrude. I didn’t have a side reference view, so I modeled the thickness by eye. I converted to an editable poly by collapsing all. I’ve found it easier to use editable poly rather than editable mesh for more detailed models such as this. Next I did some connecting of vertices and cutting of polygons to get it to where it is here. I knew I was going to need more segmentation for the detail later on.
I proceeded to extrude so that I had 3 main chunks on the side. The middle area for the triggers/etc., and the section for the front and the back. I deleted the necessary polygons around the indented trigger areas, then rebuilt them to make the indentations. Then I adjusted the appropriate vertices to bring the angles out remembering to use “alt” + “x” to toggle between see-through mode.

Next I started modelling the back handle areas. I pulled out some vertices on both of these sides together as one and tried to get a good end result after mesh smooth was applied. I wanted some added detail on the back. I did this be chamfering lines or inseting, and extruding by negative. Standard view – And after mesh smooth applied

I started adding some details. First I chamfered the edges of the model to make it look more clean. Second for the looped area down on the bottom left. This was a little difficult because that area is hard to work with. I found the best way to do this was to delete the polygons by using the reference image in the back as my guide. Then, using the left view port, duplicate vertices and drag them over to the center so that I could rebuild polygons in that area while in Polygon sub-object mode. Then I started adding detail just above the loop area on the back. I used the same method as earlier pretty much. Chamfer, inset and then extrude with negative values.

Next I modeled the detail on top. Moved on and added more detail to the plug area, and both sides where those little side switches are.

This next part was really fun to do. It however took a rather long time to figure out. This is the area where the left buttons needed to go. Check out some of the steps to the right here – It all started from chamfering the necessary vertices, and simply building up from them. Chamfer, then pull vertices out in one direction using your front viewport so that they match the circle around the buttons in the referance image. Once you get the pattern figured out it isn’t all that hard to do. You keep moving on and then start chamfering and adjusting areas or extruding so that you can start building up each individual button.

For the right side I did pretty much the same as the left side buttons. There were some differences, but still it was a matter of figuring out a pattern in your mesh that would work for the design of the psp buttons. Again it all started from a simple chamfering of the vertices and adjusting them in that area. The back then was fairly easy because it followed the same method as the circles around the button areas on the front. I also added a chamfer or inset of the edges and extruded to the negative to get that inseted groove going around the circle.
To finish off the modeling part, I added the screen area and also added some last details to the back. Take a look at the finished model  -

Texturing began by deciding which renderer I wanted to use. I ended up using Vray, and used the materials that came with it. Most of Vray’s materials are very cool. Just remember if you decide to use Vray as your renderer, it does not have the capability to render Raytrace materials. I may end up texturing this model using MentalRay so that I can have one version with Raytrace, I just like those materials a lot. I used Multi-Subobject for my texturing method, and had 26 different polygon channel sets. If interested, you can take a look at how I set up my material Id’s below.

1 – default
2 – screen
3 – Front buttons at bottom
4 – button “square”
5 – button “triangle”
6 – button “Circle”
7 – button “X”
8 – button “up”
9 – button “left”
10 – button “right”
11 – button “down”
12 – Toggle button
13 – Left Trigger
14 – Right Trigger
15 – Center middle section – whitish/gray
16 – Center circle on back for large PSP logo
17 – Ring on back, shiny
18 – Yellow plug
19 – Top bumps (above screen)
20 – Front/Right Sony logo
21 – Front/Left PSP graphic logo
22 – Smaller Sony logo back/left towards the top
23 – Small UMD letters on back top right
24 – Sound/Power 25 – Power/Hold
26 – Front Default
Most of my text logos and graphic logos I created in Illustrator, and brought into photoshop to convert them to transparent gif’s. Gifs work great because you can use them in the diffuse channel and set them to Alpha RGB’s. Play around with them and you can get awsome results. This enables you to have the graphic, or text that shows up on the psp, and have the background default texture show through where needed. The rest of the model was textured using the Vray, and using bump maps for such things as the toggle control on the front lower left, and bumps maps for the bottom buttons aswell.That’s how this model came to be. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and are able to see one useful method for modelling a Playstation Portable. This model was a great learning experience and I also hope you’re as happy with your model at it’s completion as I was with mine.
This tutorial is © 2007 Increality.com