Tutorial 8: Modelling and composition of surfaces
Author: Anne Gutmann
The look of a surface is depends on 5 differenc aspects:
-
Structure of the surface
-
Character of the material (colour, transperency,...)
-
Textur (graphics and filters applied on the surface)
-
Lighting
-
Effects
Creating the look of a surface is not that easy since the same effect can be created on different levels with several settings. To ease this problem, we will only work with objects in the editing mode.
Generally Blender offers two different options to model objects:
-
Modelling of polygones: Polygones are planes between several points in the space. Polygones offer a high flexibility for the creation of the object and allow you editing all points of the object explicitly
-
Modelling with geometrical curves and bodies enables you to create objects rapidly especially of radiused objects.
If you extend modelling with polygones, this is called subdivision surface modelling (=subsurf)
Steps and functions for modeling objects
Polygones:
A vertex (plural: vertices) is the smallest Element of a polygone model. Within the editing mode you can select the vertices and edit them. For better understanding, two vertices create an edge, three form the simpliest geometrical plane, a triangle. If you have a number of planes, they create a mesh which defines the form (cover) of the object.
In Blender 20 polygone objects are predefinded. You can use them selecting the toolbox, “Space” => “Add” => “Mesh”
The following objects are at one's disposal:
Plane: a square plane, of 4 vertices, which is a perfect basis for the creation of different objects.
Cube: the ideal basis for creating houses, walls, boards,...
Circle: The circle is composed of vertices and edges, but without any plane. This is the ideal basis for extrusion- objects.
UVSphere: A sphere, like a globe consiting of latitudes and longitudes.
Icosphere: A sphere consisting of isosceles triangles.
Cylinder: A cylinder can be the basis for pillars and columnar objects.
Tube: This is a thin-walled tube, with a predefined wall thickness.
Cone: This is the ideal basis for the creation of peaks.
Grid: This is the main starting point for landscapes. It is similar to th plane object but the vertices are already resolved.
Monkey: This monkey head is the mascot of Blender.
After the creation of an object you are still in the editing mode, where you are able to edit particular vertices, edges and faces.
1. Editing Objects within the editing mode
By pressing TAB (tabulator key) within the editing mode all vertices are displayed as a grid of violet points or in a shaded view. If you select vertices with the right mouse button, they are yellow. You can select mupltiple vertices if you keep SHIFT pressed. If you have selected the wrong ones you can deselect them by pressing the right mouse button again.
Shortcuts:
A selecting/ deselecting all vertices
B rectangular areas can be selected by a selection frame
B-B orbital selection – If you press the left mouse button, all vertices within the circle are selected. If you press the middle mouse button, vertices are deselected. You can quit this function with pressing the rigth mouse button.
PAD+ / PAD- You can enlarge or reduce the size of the selection.
Generally you can do the same work steps within the editing mode as with the complete objects.
G move vertices
S scale vertices
R rotate vertices
SHIFT D copying selected vertices
If you want to edite the object on the whole, you have to leave the editing mode by pressing TAB