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Subpatch modeling "form down" tutorial
David Maas a.k.a. Stickman has written this extensive Lightwave tutorial about subpatch modeling. In the first part of this head modeling tutorial, he introduces the "from down" technique. Although the techniques spoken of here are applied to Lightwave 3D v 7.5, they are relevant to other software packages as well.
Related links ...
The online portfolio of ::: David Maas :::
email :
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Introduction.
It's a wonderful life...
When I think about working in 3D even two or three years ago, I feel joyous about the tools available to me today. Creative feedback is getting faster and faster. Powerful hardware is affordable and software solutions increasingly offer streamlined feedback options such as openGL viper renders and optimized GUIs.
Thank you, all you tech-heads and scripters out there, because my work on the computer is approaching the immediacy of traditional techniques, i.e. pencil on paper or clay sculpture.
Each advance in software makes my work less technical and more artistic |
A modeling stroll...
The word tutorial implies a learning girdle to be followed step-by-step in order to accomplish a specific task. I like the idea of a walk-through.
There are many different ways of doing the same task, and it's more important to convey the principals involved, how to approach a task, etc.
Of all the various tasks involved in the digital story-telling process, modeling is the most zen-like. The ultimate goal: to enjoy modeling - and to deliver models that are a joy for others.
Terms...
This is a form-down modeling technique.
The term form-down implies beginning with general forms and then working details into this by slicing or extruding extra geometry.
Detail-up will be dealt with in the next part.
Detail-up implies specifically detailing geometry for defined regions, then building them together to form one full mesh.
Of course, both techniques work great together, as well as with other techniques such as splines
A self-made man!
So, you want a be a self-made man? Or woman?
You want to enjoy the exclusive confidence of knowing that every polygon, every vertex in your body comes from your own sweat and labor?
First, you'll need reference materials. In this case, they'll be easy to find. Prop up a mirror next to your monitor, take snapshots, draw or have someone draw you.
We're interested in cartoonish, lower-detail material in this tutorial...
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A self-made man...
So, you've got in touch with yourself using various graphic utensils. Great! Slap that new-found knowledge up in the background projection of an appropriate window [ctrl d].
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I'll start off with a cylinder primitive with 12 sides. I start with 3 segments, but we'll be cutting more in almost immediately, so feel free to start off with more if you find it faster.
Select the end polygons. They're both have more than 4 sides, so they won't sub-patch.
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knife [shft-K] them into bite-sized pieces. If you're not exact (and who is) then grab the snap tool [Shft-G] and correct those corners.
No polys with more than 4 sides? Great. Onward.
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Hit the [tab] button. You now have a sub-patched cylinder. If this is what you look like, you're in luck!
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Align the polys to taste. Work from one view first, like the front.
Remember, I've got my background image for reference.
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Also pull the bottom geometry out. That will be my chin.
Your chin may require something radically different.
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Here's a look at the side view.
Not very head-like.
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That's better.
As you can see, I select whole point strings to better form them into the desired contour.
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This is what I look like in the perspective window - but not for long.
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More geometry!
I select my face(s) and smooth-shift them out.
If you're not happy with the contours, correct them now.
Every polygon you make is a polygon that you will have to tweak - repeatedly.
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[Bandsaw Tool] This tool is your friend.
Select two or more polys in a row, than saw all the polys in that row in two!
Switch to point mode and all the newly generated points are selected.
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Grab the bottom polys and shift them downward. This is the neck.
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By stretching and tweaking the points of selected polygons between each shift, you can quickly create form close to what you want.
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Don't worry about getting perfection right off the bat.
The model has to work as a whole, so it's oftern wiser to come back and rework
areas after neighboring areas have been worked along.
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Here I find something unkosher: the geometry works against the contour, leaving on point to define a curved jaw bone.
Select the culprits...
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... and spin them!
This leaves one of the newly spinned polys conveniently aligned with a neighbor.
Select those two and merge them into one poly [Shft-Z].
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I select two polys as future ears and delete them, then bandsaw the face polys for a better division between mouth and nose.
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Tweak.
Select mouth.
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Smooth Shift.
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Grab the bottom polys and shift them downward. This is the neck.
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By stretching and tweaking the points of selected polygons between each shift, you can quickly create form close to what you want.
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As nice as bandsaw is, bandsawPro is nicer.
Here's a good situation for it: I'd like the
division to tend towards one edge
or the other.
Click [n] to open the tool's numeric panel
and simply drag the slider!
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