http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/learning/3dsmax/v6/T2/ look under Columns

http://www.xtreme-pixel.com/tutorials.php?viewtutorial=2

 

sorry i don't know why it made a big space

For the fancy organic leaf type parts I'd use Splines with the Surface modifier on it...

Or NURBS...

Here's a quick and dirty sample... I used splines (all attached), used snap to vertex during creation of splines, normally used bezier corner for end vertices, bezier for mid curve vertices... added surface...

Hope it helps (btw this is half of a leaf... In the graphic I show splines, splines with surface, then collapsed mesh with all edges showing.

 

Finally, you can add some geometry (like chamfered edges) and move things around to make the shape more interesting.

Correction: it's ALT-X for transparency , not CTRL-X. Sorry.

Nice tut, Bruce. As usual.

Those kbd shortcuts make things go soooo much faster!!!

 I did not know you could use voice on max. i did a search and this is what i came up with!

"AutoVox is a freeware plugin for 3DSMAX 4&5 that will enable your 3D character to speak realistically with a minimum of effort. AutoVox consists of a phoneme based speech controller plugin and a utility plugin. Composite phoneme mouth shapes are generated, by blending percentages of various targets. Animation is completely automated by AutoVox. AutoVox has a new speech recognition feature allowing animators to capture sound and do speech animation simply by speaking into a microphone. Furthermore animators can enter or load a piece of text into AutoVox's Script Editor and AutoVox does the rest. Users can edit keys generated by AutoVox in any traditional manner using 3D Studio Max. Users can fully customize AutoVox??™s phoneme mapping table. Thus allowing them to virtually make any type of character speak, be it a realistic human character or a cartoon character. A preview of your animation is generated using a synthesized voice or your own voice if you use the new speech recognition feature. This voice can be used as a scratch track and can be replaced by the user's own soundtracks"

 

oh i am happy. this time i got quick replies and all are very very helpful. first of all thanks to anthony, caprier,  andy, bhnn for their help. i'll try to do one by one method. i'll post all the progress. please kindly give a view to them. thanku.

first while i am searching for the tutorials i found this link which is not useful for me but useful for u advanced users. its about box modeling of a soldier. i wish one day i too can do this fast.

http://www.3dm3.com/tutorials/knight_modeling/

andy u showed me easy way and caprier ur way si totally different but reallu u got accurate shape. thanku. i am sending the total design of the complex

hi caprier i used your method too. it took only 1 hour to do that. not exactly as u got but almost the same. I am attaching both the capitols here. right side is with the cone method and left side is with spline method.

hi caprier, thats going to be made in cement concrete. ya its good if the edge is made a little thick.

and about the link. it is actually faster video not only in ur browser. thats why i said 'if one day we can do modleing in that speed ...' lol.

caprier now about the down part i am doing actually my design is not clear about the droping petals. i'll ask about that. plz help me for that too.

caprier thanku. i got it and completed that with spline method. design is little bit changed. istead 4 petals dropping only 2 are there now, 1 front n 1 back. its completed. thanku all of you again. i'll keep on posting the design progress. here is the completed capitol

hi caprier. ya its completed. now the total building has to be made. only difference from my model and yours is that you got it really smooth and perfect. but i am unable to do that. it has undulations on the surface. i don't have time to correct it. so i am using it in the model right now. later on if i have time i'll correct it. thanku. i'll agian post the proceedings. really i need help while finishing my model.