Mastering the Mask Pipeline in Ornatrix 9: Strand Groups & Selection Hacks (Ep 2)

 

Welcome back to the Charly Tutors blog!

Today, we are diving into Episode 2 of our new collaboration series with Ephere. We are tackling one of the most common frustrations in 3D grooming: Managing Chaos.

When creating graphic hairstyles like a sharp Bob cut, working with a single hair object can quickly become a nightmare. You try to comb the back, but you accidentally mess up the internal layers. You try to select the roots, but you grab the tips.

The solution? The Mask Pipeline.



What is the Mask Pipeline?

The core concept is moving away from "eyeballing" and towards a procedural, grouped structure + painted masks for distribution and etc. In this tutorial, we demonstrate how to assign specific Strand Groups to logical zones of the head:

  • Occiput (Back)
  • Temples (Sides)
  • Bangs (Front)

By using the Edit Guides modifier, we can instantly isolate, hide, or lock these groups. This gives you surgical precision over your groom.

🔥 The "Strand Length" Selection Hack

This is the highlight of the episode (timestamp 04:20). Selecting internal guides in a dense groom is difficult. Standard selection tools often fail to grab what's deep inside.

The Trick:

  1. Add a Strand Length modifier on top of your Edit Guides.
  2. Drastically reduce the length (make the hair short).
  3. Now, the internal roots are exposed and easy to select.
  4. Make your selection, then go back down the stack or delete the Length modifier.

It is a non-destructive way to filter your selection based on depth.

Next-Gen References: Gaussian Splatting

We are also pushing the boundaries of 3ds Max 2025 by integrating Gaussian Splatting data directly into the viewport.

Using the high-quality "Figgy" scan from 3D.sk, we can verify the volume of the hair against a physical reference, rather than relying on 2D image planes. This ensures the groom is anatomically correct from every angle.

Tools Used:

Have you tried using Strand Groups in your daily workflow yet? Let me know in the comments below!

Best regards,
Andrew (Charly Tutors)

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