[Bf-docboard] Malefico: Special modeling techniques chapter
bf-docboard@blender.org
bf-docboard@blender.org
Thu, 7 Aug 2003 16:03:13 +0200 (CEST)
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Hi!
Here it is
Warning: It is an automatic translation WML -> XML,
I checked it by hand but I'm not sure it compiles straight away.
2nd Warning: I'm on a poor modem, I cannot afford to send you pictures
too :) YOu can grab themfrom the on line version
of the 2.0 guide at www.blender.org -> Documentation.
Please recapture all obsolete ones. Please use ONLY PNG
format. for the resolution, capture Blender
at 1024x768 resolution without AA fonts :)
Send all to me, when done :)
Thanx
Stefano
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<section>
<title>Special Modeling Techniques</title>
<warning><para>WARNING: THIS CONTENT HAS BEEN IMPORTED AUTOMATICALLY FROM 2.0 GUIDE - MIGHT BE OUTDATED AND/OR INACCURATELY CONVERTED</para></warning>
<section>
<title>Dupliverts</title>
<warning><para>WARNING THIS CONTENT HAS BEEN IMPORTED AUTOMATICALLY FROM 2.0 GUIDE -MIGHT BE OUTDATED AND/OR INACCURATELY CONVERTED</para></warning>
<para>
Dupliverts are an easy way to make arrangements of objects. In fact on
every vertex of a mesh an instance of the base object is placed. The
placed object can be of any object type which Blender supports.
</para>
<para>
Load the scene <file>Dupliverts00.blend</file>. It contains a simple
scene and a column. Switch to Layer 2 and create in the top-view (<keycap>PAD_7</keycap>) a mesh-circle with 12 vertices.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliverts01.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
This circle will be our base for the arrangement. Now switch Layer 3
on with <keycap>SHIFT-3KEY</keycap>. The column appears in the middle of the
circle. Select the column and then add the circle to the selection (hold
<keycap>SHIFT</keycap> while selecting) and press <keycap>CTRL-P</keycap> to make the circle
parent to the column.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliverts03_AnimButtons.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Now select only the circle, switch the ButtonsWindow to the
AnimButtons <keycap>F7</keycap> and select here the option "DupliVerts".
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliverts03_CircleColumn.png" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Note that the base column is still shown in the 3D-views, but it is
<b>not</b> rendered. You now can select the column, change (scale,
rotate, EditMode) it and all dupliverted objects will show up the
change. But the more interesting thing to note is that you also can
change the parent object.
</para>
<para>
Select the circle and scale it. You can see that the columns are
uniformly scaled with the circle. Now enter the EditMode <keycap>TAB</keycap> for
the circle, select all vertices <keycap>AKEY</keycap> and scale about three times
bigger. Leave EditMode and the dupliverted objects will update. This
time they still have their own size but the distance between them is
bigger. Not only can we scale in EditMode, but we can also delete or
add vertices to change the arrangement of columns.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliverts04_TopView.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Try to delete the left four vertices of the circle in EditMode. Select
the two on the left and extrude them to the left. Repeat this step a
few times and then leave EditMode. We now have an arrangement of columns
similar to those which can be found in a temple or a big hall.
<subsection>Rotating dupliverted objects</subsection>
With the "Rot" option in the duplivert section of the AnimButtons, you
can rotate the dupliverted objects according to the face-normals of
the parent object.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/duplivertsrot_AnimButtons.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Add an Icosphere with two subdivisions. Next, add a cone and size it to
a spike on your club.
</para>
<tip>
<title>A tip</title>
<para>
The standard "cone"-primitive of Blender will render with a seam on
the side when it is drawn smoothed. Often a cylinder, with all of its vertices
on one side scaled to one point, is the better choice
</para>
</tip>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/duplivertsrot_AnimButtons.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Now, make the icosphere the parent of the spike. Select the icosphere
alone and make it "Duplivert" in the AnimButtons. Note the effect of
the option "Rot" when you click on it now.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/duplivertsrot_RotEffect.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Depending on the orientation of the spike relative to the world, you
may now need to rotate the vertices of the spike in EditMode to make
all the spikes point outwards.
</para>
<!--MAL, be more precise here! Please experiment, but I'm quite
sure that the Dup Obj is rotated so that its Y axis
is aligned to tne normal at the vertex... -->
<para>
Again, the base mesh is not rendered.
</para>
</saction>
<section>
<title>Dupliframes</title>
<para>
The method of "Dupliframes" can be described as modeling with
animation. Here are two illustrations of the technique.
</para>
<section>
<title>Arrangements of dupliframed objects</title>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/RollercoasterFilm.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
This method is similar to the dupliverts method, but this time we can
use curves and animation paths to arrange our objects.
</para>
<para>
For a roller coaster animation, you start with a curve
describing your tracks. A simple bevel will do your tracks
(<file>Rollercoaster00.blend</file>), the curves are also reused for
the camera path.
</para>
<para>
Add a cube that will act as sleeper for the track. Scale it so that it
fits to the tracks. Now, select the sleeper, then extend the selection
by the object "SleeperCurve" and make the Curve (with <keycap>CTRL-P</keycap>)
the parent of the sleeper.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/Rollercoaster01.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Select the object "SleeperCurve" alone and activate the options
"CurvePath" and "CurveFollow" in the AnimButtons <keycap>F7</keycap>. It maybe
that the sleeper is now dislocated, in which case select the curve,
then extend by the sleeper and press <keycap>ALT-O</keycap> to clear the
origin. Then position the sleeper down under the tracks. Until now we
have done little more than animate the sleeper along the curve. This
can be verified by playing the animation with <keycap>ALT-A</keycap>.
</para>
<para>
Now, select the sleeper and go to the AnimButtons <keycap>F7</keycap>. Here,
activate the option "DupliFrames". With the "DupSta:" and "DupEnd"
NumButtons you can define the start and end of the duplication.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/Rollercoaster03.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
If the sleepers are too close to each other, you can adjust the number
of objects using the "PathLen:" option of the sleeper-curve.
</para>
</section>
<section>
<title>Modeling with dupliframes</title>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/ThingyFilm.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
With Dupliverts, not only can we create separate objects but we can
also create one big object. Ideal for that purpose are NURBS-surfaces,
because we can change the resolution easily after creation, and if we
need to we can convert them to a mesh object. Also, the surface objects
from Blender are ideal for "skinning".
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliframes01.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Create a surface circle (ADD->Surface->Circle) in a front view. Don't
leave EditMode, just move the vertices of the circle until they are
about 4 times the size of the circle diameter to the left.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliframes03.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Switch to a TopView and insert a key using <keycap>IKEY</keycap>, then choose
"Rotation" from the pop-up. Advance the frame slider by 30 frames (three
times <keycap>CURSOR-UP</keycap>). Now, rotate the circle 90 degrees and insert
another keyframe.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliframes03_AnimButtons.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Use <keycap>F7</keycap> to open the AnimButtons and activate "DupliFrames". You
can now see an arrangement of circles in your TopView. In the shaded
3DWindow you will see nothing so far, this we'll change at the end.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliframes03_RotIpo.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Switch one window to an IpoWindow using <keycap>SHIFT-F6</keycap>, and select
the "RotZ" curve. Now, change the Ipo to "Extend Mode Extrapolation"
<guiicon><inlinegraphic fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/ExtendModeExtrap.jpg" scale="50"></inlinegraphic></guiicon>.
</para>
<para>
Switch off the "DupliFrames" option in the AnimButtons, and insert a
keyframeanimation for the size of the circle. After that, animate the
location of the circle with a keyframe animation along the z-axis.
Here you should also use the "Extend Mode Extrapolation" in the
IpoWindow. You will get something that which is shown in the next
picture after you have activated the "DupliFrames" option again.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/dupliframes06_SizeLoc.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
To turn the structure into a real NURBS-object, select the base object and
press <keycap>CTRL-SHIFT-A</keycap>. A pop-up menu will appear prompting "OK? Make Dupli's
Real".
</para>
<para>
We now have a collection of NURBS forming the outline of our object, but so
far they are not skinned, so we cannot see them in a shaded preview
or in a rendering. To achieve this, we need to join all the rings to
one object. Without deselecting any rings, press <keycap>CTRL-J</keycap> and
confirm the pop-up menu request. Now, enter EditMode for the newly created
object and press <keycap>AKEY</keycap> to select all vertices. Now we are ready
to skin our object. Press <keycap>FKEY</keycap> and Blender will automatically
generate the solid object.
</para>
<para>
When you leave EditMode, you can now see the object in a shaded view.
But it is very dark. To correct this, enter EditMode and select all
vertices, then press <keycap>WKEY</keycap>. Choose "Switch Direction" from the menu
and leave EditMode. The object will now be drawn correctly.
</para>
<para>
The object we have created is a NURBS object. This means that you can still
edit it. Even more interestingly, you can also control the resolution of the
NURBS object via the EditButtons.
</para>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/MakeKnots.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
Here you can set the resolution of the object using "ResolU" and
"ResolV", so you can adjust it for working with the object in a low
resolution, and then set it to a high resolution for your final render.
<hint>NURBS objects are also very small in filesize for saved scenes.
Compare the size of a NURBS scene with the same scene in which all
NURBS are converted (<keycap>ALT-C</keycap>) to meshes.</hint>
</para>
</section>
</section>
<section>
<title>Modeling with Lattice</title>
<figure float="1">
<title>Figure </title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="gfx/chapter_special_modelling/Lattice.jpg" format="PNG"/>
</imageobject>
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
A Lattice consists of a three-dimensional grid of vertices. If the
vertices are moved from their regular positions, this will cause a
deformation of the child objects. Lattices only affect Meshes,
Surfaces and Particles, and they can be used to give them a
'NURBS-like' flexibility. A Lattice does not affect the texture
coordinates of a Mesh Surface. Subtle changes to mesh objects are
easily facilitated in this way, and do not change the mesh itself.
</para>
<para>
A Lattice always begins as a 2 x 2 x 2 grid of vertices. Use the
EditButtons->U,V,W settings to specify the desired resolution, then
the Lattice can be deformed in EditMode. If there is a Child Object,
the deformation is continually displayed and modified. Changing the
U,V,W values of a Lattice returns it to a uniform starting position.
</para>
<para>
Lattices can be used as a modelling tool. They also allow you to make
the deformation <i>permanent</i>. Use the SHIFT-CTRL+A command. A menu will ask:
"Apply Lattice deform?".
</para>
<!--MAL: This is very poor! Add something :) -->
</section>
</section>
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