Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Useful Techniques
Beyond knowing what buttons perform what techniques, it is also important to under-
stand how you can use these techniques together to create different effects.
In the previous character tutorial, you performed some of these techniques that relate
to extruding and scaling polygons:
Extrude, Move, then Scale
In other 3D programs this process is known as
beveling
. You
create an extruded face and then make it smaller. This technique is useful for forearm and
calf muscle shapes.
Extrude, then Scale
Extruded faces do not have to be moved outward but can instead
be used to create a form with an inset extrusion similar to the head and neck on your
character.
Scale, Axis Constraint (X, Y, or Z), then Numeric 0
This function flattens the selected ver-
tices, edges, or polygons to create a good surface for extrusion. This technique is helpful
in creating a nice surface to extrude arms, legs, and other extremities from. Note that this
function works only if you have Median Point selected as your Pivot Point mode.
Move Geometry Around
Are you afraid of changing the form of a 3D mesh by mov-
ing, scaling, or rotating vertices? Remember that interesting shapes or better topology
can often be created by freely moving geometry around. If you make a mistake, there is
always the Undo command.
Ctrl+Z
This is the hotkey combination for Undo. This nearly universal computer com-
mand deserves highlighting here because it is so useful to Blender users. Experimenting
with new techniques and forms becomes less intimidating when you realize that you are
just a Ctrl+Z away from erasing your mistakes.
Now that you have taken Blender for a test drive and have made a simple character
model in it, you are ready to begin creating what will eventually be an interactive game
character. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back before moving on to the next chap-
ter, where you will use these and many more techniques to create a 3D zombie model.
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