Month: April 2018

Intended Outcome:

• Create a pile of tin cans.

Problems I encountered and how I overcame them:

• Creating the base of these tinned cans all required the same basic model, one I created with a cylinder and the use of loop cuts, proportional editing, bevelling, and extrude/indent/moving parts of the mesh.

• Adding detail to the tops of my tins is where the difficulties in this model lay. I used the move tool significantly, and tried to alter each section in an attempt to create the basic outline of each detail ready to be extruded. I then extruded sections so that they were steadily declining. Adding bevels and subdivision modifiers is what added to this model’s realism, and helped to best replicate my reference images.

• I spent a good portion of this modelling process attempting to boolean an indent in the top of the cans. While the effect of this was as I had hoped, the process was very complex, and afterwards I thought of simpler methods to achieve this. I eventually opted to skip this step and head straight to adding detail to other parts of the tin.

• To create the tab, I began with two circle meshes, one small than the other, and joined them together with a taper. I then added a cylinder to boolean the two holes in tab, before using the smaller cylinder as a connector.

• When creating multiple cans, I altered each slightly. Some I made shorter, some I removed the ridges down the sides of the cans, and others I removed the top details, to replicate tinned cans that are opened only with a can-opener.

• To complete this model, I bevelled any edges that were too harsh, and I ensured that the normals of the mesh had an auto smooth angle of 30 degrees. I also removed any unnecessary faces/vertices and grouped all of the cans together, as they would all be textured identically.

Where to go from here:

• Add more smaller details.

Timelapse:

Final Model:

Intended Outcome:

• Work with fabric to create a realistic camping bed.

Problems I encountered and how I overcame them:

•  To begin this model, I focused on creating the base of the bed to establish proportions. I used index and extrude to add details, and added loop cuts to create a rounded edge to make the two end portions of this frame. I then made 4 identical cylinders to form the side parts, again adding detail to them with extrusions and indents.

• I created the legs to this model the same way I did in my Camping Table model, but this time I split the diagonal legs in half and off set them in order to create the bridge in the centre of the legs.

• To create the brackets the hold the legs together, I duplicated the leg that has been split in half, added loop cuts that were an appropriate length, and shaped it to match my reference image.

• I used the Boolean modifier heavily in this model, both to fit the longer leg through the centre, and to insert some screws. Once this bracket was complete, I hollowed it out, removed any unnecessary faces, and added a solidifier modifier. I then duplicated this mesh so that all four brackets were identical. To create scores, I used the same method as I did in my camping table model.

• Adding fabric to this model was rather simple, especially after working to create the camping chair perviously. The main fabric section was one large rectangle, subdivided to add definition when the cloth simulation is added. I then created cylinders slightly larger than the side frame pieces, and with proportional editing I pulled one edge outwards, making a tear drop shape. The tip of the teardrop would then appear to be attached to the main portion of fabric, and the tautness of this piece of furniture would not make lack of movement from these pieces seem unnatural. I duplicated this one piece for both sides of the frame, and repeated the same process for the end pieces.

• During this mode, I also contemplated creating a pillow, but decided against it due to my lack of experience with collision in the physics Blender has to offer.

• To complete this model, I bevelled any edges that were too harsh, and I ensured that the normals of the mesh had an auto smooth angle of 30 degrees. I also removed any unnecessary faces/vertices and grouped any meshes that would be textured the same to help save time when UV unwrapping my models for texturing and added a solidify modifier to my fabric pieces.

Where to go from here:

•  Dedicate some time to smaller details of the scene.

Timelapse:

Final Model:

Intended Outcome:

• Work with fabric to create a realistic camping chair.

Problems I encountered and how I overcame them:

• While the majority of this build was simple, it was also time-consuming. Because the image I was using to reference had many different pieces, and I wanted to stick as true to this image as I possibly could, I ensured I focussed the majority of my time on ensuring I created each part of this build as accurate as possible.

• I started at the base of the seat, making sure the shapes were symmetrical and resembled the shape of the initial image. I relied heavily on the boolean tool and beveling certain pieces more than others to establish the difference between pieces. Because I only had an image to reference, I had to alter this first piece a few times to make sure the proportions were appropriate for the rest of the build, so I ended up going back and forth resizing each piece until I was happy with the result. I used the same methods as I used in the base to create the back and legs of the chair, as well as the braces.

• When creating the arms of the chair, I used the ‘hide’ option heavily to prevent my model from warping where I didn’t want to. I also used the bevel tool quite a lot, but as I was new to using this tool in such an obvious situation, it proved difficult to get the final result I wanted. Despite this, I managed to resemble the chair’s arm in the reference image I was following quite accurately.

• One thing I had to focus on heavily was the influence of dowelled wood in this piece of furniture. Dowels are used to stabilise the legs of the chair, as well as to alter the rate at which the chair can be reclined, so I had to ensure the dowel at the back of the chair was accurately placed. I also had to create notches above the dowel where the alteration would be locked in place in the real world.

• While I had experience in working with fabric in Blender, I was only confident in creating simulations, not using fabric in an actual project, so this project helped me to develop these skills. This chair had a rather simple fabric set up, but I decided to change the top and bottom design in order to ensure my final output was realistic. In the inspiration image, the fabric wraps around the top and bottom frames, but I chose to embed the fabric within these pieces instead, which looked just as plausible. I had experimented with wrapping fabric around poles to see how I could recreate this, but opted for a simple resolution to this problem.

• Because of previous problems I had experienced with wrapping fabric around objects, I also decided to make the back piece of fabric static instead of adding a cloth simulation to it. This would not affect my final model as I would be angling the chair so that the main focus is the front of the chair. I took inspiration for this design from other examples of camping chairs and furniture as it was not visible in my initial image.

• To complete this model, I bevelled any edges that were too harsh, and I ensured that the normals of the mesh had an auto smooth angle of 30 degrees. I also removed any unnecessary faces/vertices and grouped any meshes that would be textured the same to help save time when UV unwrapping my models for texturing and added a solidify modifier to my fabric pieces.

Where to go from here:

•  Use some of the skills I have learnt in this modelling process to create a camping bed.

Timelapse:

Final Model:

Intended Outcome:

• Design and model a vintage style drinks cooler.

Problems I encountered and how I overcame them:

• Creating the main base of this asset was rather simple to do. Referencing my inspiration images, I began by creating a simple box and attempted to create the lip in between the lid and the base of the cooler, which originally proved difficult. Using the indent and extrude tool heavily, I managed to create this part of the model by creating slight indentations before modelling the rubber lip, then doing the same before continuing to make the lid of the cooler. This gave the effect of rubber surrounding the inner portion of this object, despite the viewers never seeing the inside.

• After creating the base, I moved on to creating the lock of the cooler. While I contemplated designing a simpler lock for this piece, I liked the contrast of complexity against a rather simple model, so chose to create a lock similar to the above inspirational image. To create this, I began by using a boolean modifier to indent an appropriately sized cube with the front of the cooler I had already modelled. I then removed the little details that extruded into the indents I created at the lip of the cooler and created new faces to reduce the number of vertices and faces in the model. I then added details to the front face of the lock by isolating the front face and added a loop cut to the upper portion. I then inset and indented to make the large rectangular cut-out. I repeated this method to make the indent in the lower portion of the lock.

• On completing the previous step, I realised I needed to create a bevel at the top of the lock before making the rectangular indent. Because of this, I needed to remove my progress, bevel the top edge heavily, and then repeat the previous step.

• To create indents in the bevel, I isolated the bevelled panels and added loop cuts to resemble where I wanted the indents to be. I then extruded the appropriate faces down into the lock to create the desired effect.

• I added some circular indents to the front of the lock by creating two identical cylinders and using the Boolean modifier with ‘difference’ selected.

• To add detail, I created some marks and indentations using the sculpt tool. While I needed to add more geometry to certain parts of the mesh to create these details, I also enjoyed the long mark this method made across the top of the cooler, as it resembled some of the marks oinspirationon pictures I was using.

• To complete this model, I bevelled any edges that were too harsh, and I ensured that the normals of the mesh had an auto smooth angle of 30 degrees. I also removed any unnecessary faces/vertices and grouped any meshes that would be textured the same to help save time when UV unwrapping my models for texturing.

Where to go from here:

• I aim to focus on more on the larger pieces of this scene.

Timelapse:

Final Model:

Intended Outcome:

• Create a realistic replica of my Camping Table reference images.

Problems I encountered and how I overcame them:

• I began this model by focussing on the table top. The repetitive nature of this part lead me to use the Array modifier, mainly because of its relevance, but also because I had very little experience using this tool. I created on panel, repeated it 8 times, and increased the distance between the panels appropriately. It was at this stage I chose to look at different angles of a camping table to ensure my model was realistic. In doing so, I noticed that the shape was more rectangular than square, unlike the images I had found, so I altered the shape to make sure it was somewhat equal on all four sides. I also ended up recreating the tabletop later on in my modelling process, ensuring it looked as realistic as possible.

• My next challenge was to create the brackets that lay under the tabletop. To do so, I began with a long thin panel and equally extruded it out width ways by typing in a measurement as I extruded. I then extended these extrusions along the Z axis, altering the base of the model to resemble the thickness of the sides. Despite not being accurate, this piece of the table is only minor, therefore this slight irregularity was not worth altering and gave off an adequate result. I then scaled this model to fit the table top and used the Array tool again to repeat this structure.

• Creating the legs to this asset proved to be somewhat difficult for me. To get the initial shape, I simply scaled a cube to an appropriate size and moved the top and bottom vertices of this cuboid in opposite directions along the X axis in equal measurements. The legs of this model were made by two long metal poles of the same length, so I duplicated and rotated the first leg. During this stage, I noticed that while these legs fitted together in the middle, they met at similar placed at the top of the table, allowing them to fit into the brackets. Because of this, I then needed to ensure the top of the two pieces slotted into the bracket without intersecting elsewhere. To ensure this, I selected the top part of these meshes and scaled them along their Y axis until they met at the same point. Because this led the middle portions of these meshes to overlap, I then repeated this on the bottom, ensuring this was no longer. I then duplicated the two cuboids and placed them on the other side of the tabletop.

• To create the panels that run from one side of the legs to another, I decided to first find what angle the first two legs were at, ensuring these panels fit correctly. To do so, I scaled a cube so that it was the width I hoped these panels would be, then rotated it next to the legs until they matched. This was not completely accurate, and if I was to do this again I would most likely find a more precise way to do this, but again, this detail is rather small so I could afford to be off a few millimetres. On finding this angle, I moved this mesh to the centre of the two legs created previously and scaled it along its Y axis until it reached both sides. Because I had to scale/move the top sections of my table legs, the top and bottom of the legs no longer aligned, meaning there was a slight angle to these legs on the front side. Because of this, I needed to alter the length of these slightly. I repeated this process for each of the three panels present in my reference image.

• During the above section of this modelling process, I noticed something I failed to notice initially. Although identical in most ways, the legs were in fact flipped on the opposite sides. Because I found it difficult to create these legs in the first place, I decided that I would not change them to match the reference image. While different, my model would still be a practical design for a camping table, therefore it would not affect the realism of my final scene.

• To create the feet at the bottom of the legs, I simply created a loop cut, separated that portion of the mesh by selection, and scaled it to be slightly wider than the leg. I then duplicated this for each leg.

• Creating the screws/bolts for this project was rather simple. I halved a sphere and created a face to make a hemisphere, before indenting and extruding a cylinder to make the thread. To create the groove screws have at the top of them for a screwdriver to fit in, I created a sphere with just 5 segments and used the Boolean tool to form an indentation in the top of the hemisphere I made earlier. I then proceeded to extend the thread to the length it needed to be, and duplicate the hemisphere and place it on the end of the thread, creating the below mesh.

• To complete this model, I added a subdivision surface modifier to smoothen the surface of each mesh, I bevelled any edges that were too harsh, and I ensured that the normals of the mesh had an auto smooth angle of 30 degrees. I also grouped any meshes that would be textured the same to help save time when UV unwrapping my models for texturing.

Where to go from here:

• This model tested my ability to create more complex shapes, so I hope to begin another rather complex model.

Timelapse:

Final Model: