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Monday 18 April 2011

Choosing the right modelling method

After a very long hiatus I have returned to write about what I know best; everything 3D modelling related. During my time away from blogging I have been soaking up the 3D modelling scene to try and gain a bit more knowledge about building low polygon characters. My usual method of character modelling is effective enough but I wanted to see if there are any alternative methods on the internet. I managed to find a couple of informative tutorials but before I go into any detail I'll quickly explain how I've been modelling my characters in Cinema 4D.

  • I'll drop a cube object into the scene and increase the number of segments.
  • After I've made the cube editable I'll delete half of it and place it into a symmetry object (this really makes the modelling process a lot easier).
  • I will also pop the cube and the symmetry object under a HyperNurbs. From there I will make a series of extrusions and cuts to to get the desired look.
I've always found character modelling to be frustrating, particularly when the symmetry object causes unexpected deformations. Thankfully after much experimentation I am able to spot any errors that the symmetry object might cause. Overall though, character modelling can be a rewarding experience. Now, on to the aforementioned websites.

The first website looks at modelling a character by starting with the leg and building up the body from there. This is a great way to model as you can be more precise with your extrusions and for the basic body shape you won't need to make as many knife cuts. You can find the website by following the link below;


It's great to have as many methods of character at hand as possible. This website shows you how to model using a drawing which you can use as a guide. A great level of detail can be achieved using this method.

The second website that I checked out looks at adding detail to the face. I wanted to add facial detail to my character however I needed a few tips to gain a bit more confidence. The following link will take you to a very thorough face modelling tutorial;


Check out these two tuts and I promise you won't be disappointed. By combining various tutorials and techniques you will find that the modelling process becomes much easier. That's all for now.


1 comment:

  1. Welcome back fellow bloggerino ;P Loving the new layout :D

    ReplyDelete