So I uploaded my latest tutorial to my Youtube channel last night, and it's also up in the Tutorials area here on Renderosity.  So far, there seems to be a lot of people interested in learning how to make this shape, but I know there are some users in the forums who don't visit the Tutorials section very often, so I thought I'd share it here as well.  Eventually, I will upload a Blender version of this process, but even though this one is done in 3dsmax, the tools involved are all very basic, and the strategy used is universal.  Aside from the base primitive object, which not every modeling package has to begin with, the techniques and strategies involved along the way are fully compatible with almost any capable modeling package.

This interesting shape is ideal for 3d printing, or as a unique digital jewelry design.   This procedure requires no addons or plugins.  However, an intermediate knowledge of hotkey shortcuts, and standard editable polygon tools, is recommended to follow along.  I will also post the Blender version to this thread when I have a chance to upload it.

If you have any questions about the techniques used in this tutorial, please don't hesitate to ask.  If you are using a different modeling package, and can't find a way to create the base primitive to start out with, let me know what you're using, and I'll see if I can help you.  I could provide the base primitive as an OBJ, for example, if you need it to start out.  The primitive can be created from a simple octahedron, with vertices only (not edges) chamfered or beveled until they touch each other, then weld all the points.  Hope you find it useful.

For those who wish to try this tutorial, but do not have 3dsmax or Blender, you can still do it in any modeling package that supports a Cube primitive, and a Chamfer or Bevel tool at the vertex level.  Just start with a cube, then select all the vertices on that cube, and chamfer them into triangles until the vertices of those triangles are touching.  Then just average weld those vertex points together, and this is the shape I begin with in the 3dsmax tutorial.  Here's an illustrated screenshot of the process:

Once you have the starting primitive shape, it should be easy to follow along.  I'll release the Blender tutorial hopefully in the next 24 hrs.  Thanks.

Waiting for the Blender tut, but might give it a shot in Max too.  Does Blender have that basic primitive, or will we need to create it?  I don't see the same primitive object in the math function solids presets, so I'm going to assume Blender will have to create that step manually?

Waiting for the Blender tut, but might give it a shot in Max too.  Does Blender have that basic primitive, or will we need to create it?  I don't see the same primitive object in the math function solids presets, so I'm going to assume Blender will have to create that step manually?

Blender does not natively support the specific polyhedral primitive either.  The Add Mesh > Math Function > Regular Solid addon does have a preset "cuboctahedron" in it, but it's not the same type of cubic octahedron I'm using in the 3dsmax tutorial.  You would need to also begin by doing the steps I've illustrated above, with a standard cube. I will release the Blender version tutorial soon.

Hey everyone.  Here's the Blender version of this tutorial, for anyone who may be interested in making this object easily in Blender.  In this video, as mentioned, I'm using Blender 2.75, and I do have Pie Menus, Dynamic Spacebar Menu, and the Icons:Dev addons enabled, but they are not required to follow along.  Hope you enjoy!

Also, for anyone here who may prefer Wings3D as their modeling package of choice: my friend, and brilliant Wings modeler, Micheus Vieira, has taken it upon himself (with my blessing) to translate this workflow to the Wings3D software platform.  Here's a link to his Wings3D tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7fGuLPOPgY

Once again, I hope you enjoy, and find this technique useful.  Thanks!

Someone should post that Wings tutorial over in the Wings forum.  They seem to be in need of some activity over there, and the guy did a very good job!

Someone should post that Wings tutorial over in the Wings forum.  They seem to be in need of some activity over there, and the guy did a very good job!

I'm not sure if Micheus is a member on this website or not.  I'm guessing he isn't, but I'll ask him.  Meanwhile, he contacted me today to let me know he updated his video, and changed some of the techniques to include a smoother workflow, which appears to be much cleaner and faster than the previous one.  I've taken the liberty, with his blessing, to post it here as well.  Here's his updated video: It's been a long time since I used Wings.  Micheus is definitely a very skilled modeler, and I'm sure his strategy with the tools in this video is the most efficient!  Well done.

Might it be an idea to upload some of these primitives to free stuff?

Might it be an idea to upload some of these primitives to free stuff?

That's an excellent idea, Mark.  I will offer up some of these objects for free in the near future, but if anyone out there would like to contribute their own results from these tutorials to the community, or even the base shapes that we start out with, please feel free!