Creating Tire Tread!
by Daniel Buck
www.danielbuck.net

This tutorial is written assuming that you have somewhat basic knowledge of 3D Max 5, if you don't, read the manual. :)

Please take this tutorial for what it is worth in knowledge, not as a step by step guide to make "the perfect tire". This will just give you an idea of how to start a tire, and is by no means the best or only way to make a tire. I use several methods, but this is method is the easiest way for me to explain. Please keep in mind I don't view myself as a great teacher (some will argue I'm not a good learner as well!), and take this information as knowledge to get you along on your car project! Good luck, and send me some pictures of your car models!

Create a tube in the front view port, and use a good amount of sides. For this tutorial we will use 100 (always good to use an even number). For height segments, we will use 6, and for cap segments, 4 will work.

In editable poly mode, delete the inside polygons. There are a few ways to select all of them, and this is one way. Under polygon Properties, click "select By ID" and click "4". The inside polygons are now selected. I always delete these polygons because a wheel will go in their place, and will not be seen. What cannot be seen need not be modeled... right? :)

to give the tire a rounded shape on the sides, select the second, and second to last edge on the sides of the tube (both sides),

and click loop.

Now all the edges around the tube are selected. With center selection on, scale the edges outward a bit.

Do this for the remaining 3 rows of edges till you get a nice round side wall.

Select all the center edges on the outside of the tire and loop them like the picture.

Now extrude (by selecting the box NEXT to the extruded button so you can edit number values) them with a negative value so you have them about 2-4 times as deep as you want the treads, and lower the Extrusion base width to what looks about wide enough.

Select the outside rows of edges on the tread (on both sides like the image) and in the perspective view port, rotate those edges along the y axis (2 - 3 degrees) till you get something like in the picture.

Select the next rows of edges (not the edges inside the groove, just the outside ones), and rotate them as well. Do this to all of the edges till you get a nice directional tread pattern, like in the picture.

Select all the edges as shown in the picture (using "ring" instead of "loop" this time)

Extrude those edges to about 2 times how deep you want them (like before). Chamfer those edges (they will still be selected) by selecting the box NEXT to the Chamfer button, till you get them a flat bottom and not a "V" shaped groove. Adjust the chamfer value till you get the tread deep enough.

Select the edges in the bottom of the deep grooves you made earlier,

and Chamfer them like you just did for the sideways grooves to take out the "V" shape.

Now render out and see what you have!

These are some tires that I have made for various vehicles. Some tires I make I use this technique almost word for word, other tires I use a little bit of this technique as well as extruding polygons, and moving/scaling edges/vertexes/polygons to get the shapes I need.