Introduction to Ornatrix: Ep. 4 - Grooming Bangs & Smoothing Guides Workflow

Welcome to Episode 4!

In this installment of the Introduction to Ornatrix 3ds Max Shorts Series, we focus on the frontal area of the hairstyle - the bangs (or fringe). This is often the most critical part of a character's groom because it directly frames the face.

However, manual grooming in this area can lead to some common geometry issues. Below is the breakdown of the workflow shown in the video.



1. Control Your Extensions

When brushing hair forward for the bangs, you might notice the strands extending in unpredictable arcs. This is usually caused by the "Curved Extensions" option in the Brush settings.

  • The Fix: Turn "Curved Extensions" OFF when defining the initial shape of the bangs. This gives you direct linear control over where the tips end up.

2. The Power of Interpolation

Never leave large gaps between your main guides. Using the Plant Guide Tool with the Interpolation mode active allows you to create new guides that automatically follow the flow of the existing hair. This creates a seamless transition between the side hair and the bangs.

3. The "Collapse" Hack for Smooth Guides

This is the most important tip of the episode. If you manually edit guides (pulling points one by one), they often become "jagged" or low-poly. The curves lose their smoothness, resulting in blocky hair renders.

The Workflow to Fix This:

  1. Add an Ox Strand Detail modifier to your stack.
  2. Set the View Count to roughly 30-50 points.
  3. Right-click the modifier and select "Collapse To" (collapsing it down to the Baked Guides state).

Why do this? This operation physically subdivides the guide curves. When you switch back to the "Edit Guides" modifier, your brush will slide perfectly along the smooth geometry, eliminating those sharp, low-poly angles.

💻 Workstation Performance

Grooming requires a responsive viewport, especially when increasing guide resolution. This session was recorded on the MSI Titan 18 HX AI.

Thanks to the single-core speed of the Core Ultra 9, operations like "Collapse To" and real-time interpolation happen instantly, keeping the artistic flow uninterrupted.

Stay tuned for Episode 5!

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