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My first really modelled object
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My first really modelled object // New Users
Post by weaveribm // Aug 20, 2007, 12:24pm
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weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
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Stop laughing at the back :)
Thanks WickedWitch and Jack for starting me out modelling today.
Very many incredibly patient TrueSpace forum people have helped and coached us while we've been finding our feet objects. All of us who love modelling but find it difficult to know where to start with such a rich feast close at hand but forever out of reach it seemed :)
This simple but complex object, Zen and the Art of Basic Building For Beginners- was an interesting enough problem to kickstart actually using the face and edge tools in Workspace. Those scary ones we're trying to ignore, we've all been there :)
In February I started out building a synthesis of a WW2 dispersal room and Briefing room, and behind the newly-minted skirting board object in the lower shot lies my first attempt at the skirting board object. How to bring together the corners of the skirting with that nice mitre joint... musing. I'll come back to that I thought: and here we are :)
The face edge vertex tools of Workspace are remarkably powerful once moving away from simpler objects into the scarier places. When forced to by dint of circumstances I mean. After a bit all I could see in the scene was that ugly corner of the skirting board it was mocking me :) Who'd employ a carpenter doing work like that be honest
Thousand thanks to Dr Roman Caligari for this super 3D application and by the way can we have our Cabinet back please :)
I would also like to thank POV which got the whole ball rolling way back when. :)
Peter
That Awkward Corner
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o63/Mington/OnFinals/replacing_oldskirtingJoinEdges.png
But how...?
A chat with Jack and WickedWitch later... Bring On The Body Double
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o63/Mington/FirstRealModel.png |
Post by Jack Edwards // Aug 20, 2007, 12:50pm
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Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
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You're welcome! Don't be afraid to get in there and move the verts by hand. In the real world edges aren't straight. So human "error" actually can make it look more realistic and less mechanical. ;)
One of the big jumps in the way look at modeling came when I reallized that there was no real difference between "organic" and "mechanical" modeling. It's all organic when you get down to it. Even machinery had worn edges.
Hey, I started with PovRay too! Editing those text files and then waiting for that render of checkerboard floor and shiny spheres. :D Wow that takes me back to my college days...
-Jack. |
Post by weaveribm // Aug 20, 2007, 10:55pm
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weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
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Don't be afraid to get in there and move the verts by hand
Yes that's it Jack, that's what I meant by 'really modelled' rather than building objects using primitives and squeezing and stretching them, chiselling away at them and so on. Dragging vertexes and other elements around using the fabulous widget that appears on selecting a vertex, edge or er, that other one. Face that's it :) It's very new to me dragging around these elements to create surfaces - across gaps even to create new surfaces, but wonderful
In the real world edges aren't straight. So human "error" actually can make it look more realistic and less mechanical. ;)
See you even spotted my not-over-perfect joint - on command from a higher authority not to create a 'graphics demo'. Something I agree with in this case but graphics demos go way back and they are the reason why we picked up the 3D applications in the first place :)
One of the big jumps in the way look at modeling came when I reallized that there was no real difference between "organic" and "mechanical" modeling. It's all organic when you get down to it. Even machinery had worn edges.
Jack I'm moving from skirting board to the gun deck of a warship next with inertial cannon animations and beefy tars, seen from the eyes of a powder monkey. Sounds good for Vray with dark into light and lots of wood textures. [Legal Disclaimer] One day I hope to do that, no hurry. Oak will figure :)
I started with PovRay too! Editing those text files and then waiting for that render of checkerboard floor and shiny spheres
Text files <scream> I think my POV was on the Atari 520ST and a GUI rather than text macros, that text version would have been very early on. You were very brave mate :)
Peter |
Post by chrisj // Aug 20, 2007, 11:16pm
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chrisj
Total Posts: 239
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The way I do it is to boolean subtract a cube rotated to 45 degrees. Gives you a nice clean mating of the perpendicular pieces. They don't have to be attached. Good for ceiling cornices as well.
Chris |
Post by weaveribm // Aug 21, 2007, 3:27am
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weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
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Thanks Chris. I had to get to grips with the Workspace tools that's my excuse. Your floors were my inspiration btw and that's your Arroway parquet texture you advised me about there. My wife loves your antiques work. Me too :)
Peter |
Post by brotherx // Aug 22, 2007, 3:22am
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brotherx
Total Posts: 538
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How did you do it??? I tried figuring it out but can't seem to.... |
Post by weaveribm // Aug 22, 2007, 5:51am
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weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
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Hi bro I set the shape of the profile in the 2D editor and extruded it, then I brought it over to Workspace and used the edge tools to drag the individual edges towards the imaginary point where the two vertexes would meet on the 45-degree mitre. Then I dragged the individual vertexes on both sides towards each other to close the gap like a zipper. Where they don't quite meet it looks as if it's one of my carpentry mitres so I made a feature out of it. There may yet be a mousehole with a little door :)
It did my head in for a while attempting to do this but after hours getting into knots with the geometry I suddenly noticed that everything I was selecting (not only whole objects) showed the 3D widget... for example right-click on the object for object-edit mode to choose surfaces and then click on the surface when a particular surface of an object is the one that needs to be moved, a widget hovers near the surface. Now the surface can be dragged around. Do the same selecting for edges and edges can be dragged around. Same for single vertexes. Lock up say Y and Z axes as usual if you remember :)
Each vertex grabbed and manipulated like this feels like handling a small planet because you can get down really close to objects from Workspace side it doesn't suffer the closeup problem from Modelside, the awkward way an object splits into two identical parts really close up and you're not sure which is the right bit to get hold of :) And with the axis locks it all feels very solid. So on the curved lowest part of the skirting where there's five or six vertexes in a curve I grabbed an edge between two vertexes, locked up Z and X and dragged the edge towards the point where the two sections were to meet. Then I dragged just one vertex of the two vertexes in the same direction to slide the lower vertex of the two to form the 45 degrees, did that over all the edges of the faces and then did the same over on the other section
Felt like an apprentice carpenter's test piece :)
Scaling things is also made much simpler now by using the Workspace tools on individual faces. Rather than use the sizing-bit of the widget (the little white cubes on the widget) which we know drives us mad because it doesn't allow just re-sizing say a wall from just one end - now we can grab the face pointing its normal in the direction to be resized and simply drag the face with the widget
Fire bucket next when the skirting's in. I made one a couple of months ago but it was so sad I gave it up :) Now in my mind's eye I can see how it will work from (mostly) Workspace. But I'll be back to ask how to get the FIRE legend to behave I bet. Last time in the (Modelside) UV editor was another nightmare but again, the Workspace UV functions appear to be very friendly
Peter |
Post by brotherx // Aug 23, 2007, 2:19am
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brotherx
Total Posts: 538
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Thanks for that. I had a feeling that was how it was done. I was trying to do the same as you for a skirting board to see how you did it but took a cube and used the extrusion tool in workspace to create the basic shape.
I've been trying things out like the leaf tutorium and soft painting tools and saw this and thought....gotta try that.
Thanks again. |
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