Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Objective Complete - Mini Debriefing
We started by seing up three objects to interact in such a way that the basic shape of the
shell was created very easily by using the array modifier as a parametric modeling tool.
We used two empies to control the set up: One empty worked as a hook to control the
extrusion generated from the original circle and the second empty played two roles—one as
the controller of the offset of the array modifier and one as the parent of the other empty.
Together, they allowed the array modifier to do its magic.
Ater generaing the basic shell shape, we coninued by applying the two modiiers used
in the setup (hook and array) to get a mesh in which we could tweak any vertex directly.
Having that mesh, we coninued working out some hand tweaking—extruding the aperture,
tweaking it with a sculping brush, and inally tweaking the apex to look nicely closed.
Shading the Shell
Now that our shell is fully modeled, we can work on shading it. For this task we're going to
apply a couple of tricks that are not so obvious in Blender, which will allow us to get the task
done very fast.
Engage Thrusters
1. Start by ripping a new editor below the 3D View and seing it to be a
UV/Image
Editor
. Then go to the 3D View and switch to
Front View
(Numpad
1
).
2. Now switch to
Edit Mode
(the shell object must be selected). Also, switch to
Edge
Selection Mode
(
Ctrl + Tab
) and select the edge loop (
Alt
+ right-click) of the
edge running diagonally from the top-let-hand side to botom-right-hand side that
touches the irst whorl from the aperture. An easy way to check that the selecion
is the correct one is by first checking in wireframe (
Z
key) if the edge loop runs from
the aperture to the apex, then switching to solid shading (
Z
key), rotaing the view
around the object, and not being able to see it at all; only the edges in the aperture
are visible.
3. Now let's go to
Mesh → Edges →Mark Seam
(
Ctrl
+
E
→Mark Seam
) to set this
edge loop as the seam that Blender will use to unwrap the mesh into its UV Map.
Now is ime to apply the useful trick to avoid performing the boring manual tweaking of the
UV Map that we're going to create.
4.
Switch to
Object Mode
(
Tab
key), go to the
Object Data
tab of the
Properties
Editor
, locate the
Shape Keys
panel, and click twice on the plus icon to the right-
hand side of the empty list; this will add two entries to the list:
Basis
and
Key 1
.
Select the
Key 1
entry from the list and then go to the 3D View to work on the
mesh.
