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Introduction

Congratulations on downloading RailClone, the artist-friendly procedural modelling and instancing plug-in for 3ds Max. RailClone has a unique approach to parametric modelling that is powerful, fast and easy-to-learn. To help you get started, we've written this Beginners Guide to introduce the core concepts and get you up and running with RailClone as quickly as possible. It is our intention that by the time you reach the end of this document, you will be ready to make RailClone an indispensable part of your day-to-day workflow.

Using this guide​

We recommend working through this guide from start to finish. It has been structured to that each new section builds on the concepts learned in the last chapter. To help you get more from the guide, each new concept features the following sections.

Exercises​

The best way to learn RailClone is use it. We've included exercise throughout the guide to help you pick up the foundational skills required to use RailClone for many of the relevant day-to-day tasks you might encounter. We recommend making the effort to go through these exercises, but we're aware that time is precious, so the exercises have deliberately been kept short and simple. You can download the source files for the exercise below. The .max files are in 2010 format with standard materials.

Getting Started Exercise Files

Relevant Tutorials​

At the end of each chapter you will find links to recommended tutorials. Follow these to learn more about each subject, see the principles put to use and learn more advanced skills

To find out more about a subject, each chapter provides links to the relevant areas of RailClone's online documentation. If you have a question, there's a good chance you'll find the answer there.

Requirements​

No special skills, renderer specific knowledge, programming experience, or additional software is required to use and learn RailClone. If you can find your way around 3DS Max then you're ready to go!