Tutorials -- Creating a Model Step-by-Step

Creating a Model Step-by-Step - Part 1

A simple cube primitive can be transformed into a sophisticated model using a technique called Block Modeling.

In this tutorial we will transform a cube into a whale by application of the Extrude Operation and Smooth Operation.

As always, when modeling it helps to have a photo or physical model of the object you want to create to use as a reference. I based this model on a few photos of whales that I found on the Internet.

On the Primary Toolbar click the down arrow to the right of the Visible Objects button and select Flat to turn smooth rendering off. The Primary Toolbar is the toolbar that runs across the top of the 3D Canvas Window.

Smooth Rendering is typically used for final rendering of scenes. During the modeling phase however it tends to obscure the details of an object making modeling more difficult.

Drag and Drop a cube from the Primitives Panel onto the scene. This will be the basis for our whale.

TutorialBlockModeling1.gif (14267 bytes)

Enter Face Selection Mode by clicking

on the Edit Toolbar. Select a single face.

Click on

to perform an Extrusion Operation.

The parameters for the last operation applied to an object are located on the Object Layers Panel. Change the Extrusion to 1 and the Bevel Amount of 0 is required. This will extrude the face 1 unit and bevel it 0 units.

TutorialBlockModeling2.gif (14710 bytes)

The face extruded will automatically be re-selected.

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Scale it using the Edit Control as shown.

You will find that you have to rotate the scene as you work using the Navigation Control.

We are extruding the rear of the whale which gets progressively narrower as it approaches the tail.

TutorialBlockModeling4.gif (14785 bytes)

Right-click on the face and drag upwards to shift it up as shown.

This will give us a more attractive looking tail.

TutorialBlockModeling5.gif (12571 bytes)

Repeat the Extrude-Scale-Shift procedure of above to extend the body of the whale. We are now approaching the tail.

TutorialBlockModeling6.gif (12645 bytes)

Now we will start on the whale's head.

This is simply a Extrude-Scale operation applied to the front face of the whale's body. No Shift is necessary.

TutorialBlockModeling7.gif (12979 bytes)

Working our way towards the whale's nose. We Extrude-Scale-Shift again applied to the front face of the whale's body.

This time however after extruding set the Extrusion to .5.

TutorialBlockModeling8.gif (13425 bytes)

Repeat the Extrude-Scale-Shift again applied to the front face of the whale's body.

TutorialBlockModeling9.gif (13863 bytes)

Repeat the Extrude-Scale-Shift again applied to the back face of the whale's body. This is the point where the main part of the body meets the tail flukes.

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A final Extrude-Scale-Shift to the back face of the whale's body.

We have now completed the main part of the whale's body.

TutorialBlockModeling11.gif (11765 bytes)

The whale's body is a little bit too thin. It needs to be a wider than it is.

Enter Object Selection Mode by clicking

on the Edit Toolbar.

Select the whale and scale the object to 120% along the Z axis using the Edit Control.

TutorialBlockModeling12.gif (16020 bytes)

I frequently do test Smoothes of an object while block modeling to ensure that I am getting the desired effect. With experience, you will be able to predict what the end result will be, but is always helpful to do test Smoothes.

Apply the

Smooth Operation from the Operations Panel with a Level of 2.

TutorialBlockModeling13.gif (17715 bytes)

Turn on smooth rendering. This can be done by clicking the down arrow next to the Visible Objects button on the Primary Toolbar and selecting Smooth.

Apply the

Crease Operation from the Operations Panel and adjust the slider to the far left so that there is no creasing.

We have a pretty respectable whale's body.

Undo the Crease and Smooth operations prior to moving on to Part 2 of this tutorial.

Another option is to turn on Smoothing permanently. This can be done by right-clicking on the model, choosing Properties, changing the Smoothing Level to 2 and clicking OK. In this mode your block model is shown in wireframe and the object is re-smoothed in real time as you make changes to your model. This tutorial will assume that you do not have Smoothing on, but you can choose to complete the tutorial with smoothing on.

Click here to download the model completed in this part of this tutorial.

TutorialBlockModeling14.gif (16020 bytes)