Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Note
Don't feel that you have to adhere to my
particular workflow. I find that laying down
points and then converting them into splines
gives me the control that I want, but if
you're more comfortable using the Sketch,
Bezier, or Spline Draw tools, go right ahead.
It's not important how you arrive at the end
result so long as you are comfortable with
the process used to get there.
Note
You'll notice as we proceed that the splines I
lay down don't strictly adhere to the refer-
ence image.
Remember Tip #1
! At this
stage, we're only interested in getting the
basic form. We'll be doing plenty of
fine-tuning to the model after we patch it.
So do yourself a favor: Don't waste time try-
ing to precisely match the reference image.
Focus on the overall form. Getting it close is
good enough
for now
. The actual refining
stage comes later.
Note
Notice that this spline does not extend over
the top of the entire eye. Rather, it covers
about 70 to 80% of the total area. This is
done to ensure that the splines on either
side of the eye are roughly the same size as
those on the top and bottom. Remember
Tip #3. We want to create patches that are
roughly the same size. If they are signifi-
cantly smaller, the polys created by
patching this area will get crammed
together, resulting in an unpleasant pinch-
ing effect that's difficult to remove in the
final object.
The most basic curve consists of a starting
point, an ending point, and a control point
somewhere in between. You can build your
splines with as many points as you like, but
keep in mind that the more points you have,
the more difficult it will be to adjust the
overall shape of the spline.
Note
As we build our splines, many of them will
jut up against each another, creating harsh
angles between them. This is nothing to
worry about. There's no need to rebuild your
splines. We'll be fixing these harsh angles
after
we've completely built our cage.
Figure 14-7: Create the first spline over the top of the eye.
