How to create real tunic/dress folds in 3ds max, usable even for MEDII/RTW units if you prefer. Usually when people creates units for TW games, they're usual to shape folds directly on the texture via photoshop. But making them directly on 3ds max, you will avoid in game the "sticker effect" as things attached on tga as a tatoo. In game thanks to this tutorial, units will be more realistic and detailed
LETS START WITH TUTORIAL:
STEP 1
From the "create" panel, select "shape" and then "nurbs curves" and select "point curve" button
STEP 2
With the point curve mode, start to create your first shape. Obviously more complex and detailed it will be, more particular and realistic will be the folds of the dress. In this tutorial i'm creating a basic fold system to show you.
Now when you ended your first shape, click right button of mouse to copy it. Move the copied shape few cm below the first one you created. As i showed in pic below
Now create a third shape (not equal as design as the first two shapes you made), at a distance who will represent the height of folds. See pics below
STEP 3
Now select one of your three curve nurbs and go on "modify panel", then submenu "general" and click on "nurbs toolbar". Once the toolbar will be opened, click on "create ruled surface". See pic below
Now select the first shape (at the passage of mouse it will become blue coloured) drag and drop it pressing left mouse, moving it till reaching the following shape (once done you can release the mouse button). Proceed in the same way with the third shape you created
STEP 4
Now we have our basic folds.. you have to convert the model to "editable poly" (right clicking on geometry) and you can assign it a little bit of shell mode (from modifier list) to improve the same model
STEP 5
I opened Photoshop CS2 and i created a quick simple texture who will be used for my test. Dress has no folds as you can see in pic below
Now in 3ds Max, select the model and assign it your test texture as material, then set the unwrap mappings etc. and result will be like this: