Attached Link: http://www.secondreality.ch/

http://www.secondreality.ch/

I found a head and ear SubDivision tutorial you guys might want to look at. It's for 3ds max 4 but with some difficulty I was able to get through the first step ok using Carrara 2. I had to make a rectangle in the vertex modeler, duplicate and rotate 90z get rid of the links, relink the edges replicate 4 times offsetting in z, subdivide the top and bottom shapes to get the top vertex point and link them all together one link at a time to get a "rounded square" but it looks promising.

BTW:
Is there a better way to get to a rounded 2x4x4 square - one without triangles? Doing the above by hand is so to speak a brute force approach and took me a while to figure out - not complaining just wondering if there's a simpler way.

Anyrate bearing in mind that it's for MAX check out the tut. You'll have to click on tutorial on the menu bar at the top of the second reality index page; it's the first and second tuts on the tutorial page

• TJ

Message edited on: 08/28/2004 05:41

TJ, Have you checked out Mike's Carrara Studio Handbook? Chapter 10 covers modelling a head with sub-d surfaces, and, although I haven't had the time, yet, to sit down and go through it step-by-step, it appears to be pretty comprehensive. To answer your question quickly... he starts with a cube primitive in the vertex modeller, then use the minus (-) key to reduce the number of polygons to one per side. hope this helps... without breaking any copyright laws... ;)

No, I haven't gotten any of the guides for Carrara or for that matter Bryce either . . . When I've got more disposables (A.K.A. Benjamins (or Dead Presidents)) I'll try to pick up a copy. As to the copyright thing; I think you're safe - Thanks! I'll try the minus key. In the meantime I've got to Part 2 of the tutorial. A lot of it appears to be unsaid, and the author seems to rely on your ability to follow his illustrations which is good in a way, as it makes one think about what one is doing - fortunately every step is illustrated. Anyrate it's taking shape (right now it looks like an angry gorilla.) I know litst made a tut that covers the subject too and in Carrara; I'm gonna try to muddle through this one before I go back and look at it though. In that way I'll have appropriate questions to solve. Hopefully I'll be able to maintain the right state of mind to get through this - then with some luck do other body parts. - TJ

He has a nice tutorial . Thanks for posting it.

FWT, It turns out that a cylinder will do nicely (8 sided 5 segs)and it gives you quads. You still have to resize the middle and make your pole vertexs and their links but it's alot less work than I previously described, and will get the Carrara 2 people past the first step. mmoir, Your welcome! -TJ

oops!!!! 4 segments on the cylinder - sorry!!!!

Hi folks ! Here's a quick tutorial that shows you how to model a simple spherical shape that is made by quads only . 1- insert a Vertex Object . 2- Insert a Sphere with 8 sides and 4 edges in the Z axis . 3- rotate it 22.5 degrees on the Z axis . 4- switch to the Top view with a Wireframe render . 5- grab the Delete tool and delete the 8 highlighted points . Notice that using the Delete Tool prevents Carrara from emptying the polygons . 6- still with the Delete tool, delete the 8 highlighted points . Deleting the points in this order keeps some edges where we want to . 7- switch to the side view . Using the Marquee tool in conjunction with the Shift key, select the two highlighted rows of points . 8- resize the selection 85% in the X and Y axis and 110% in the Z axis . Now you got a sphere made of quads with a structure that can be used as a start for a human head, and everything is done fairly quickly . I hope you'll find this technique useful ! I don't know Mike's, but reading what FWTempset said about it, it's not the same one . litst

litst,

I don't know about Mikes tutorial either, but I've noticed that FWT usually knows whereof he speaks.

Your method seems much simpler than using a cylinder as there is no subdividing, linking and welding for the poles
and XY percentages for the individual horizontal planes do
not have to be recalculated as much.

I don't know how many people besides me have given up on
subdivision modeling as they were unable to get past this all important first step. Thank you very much! I'll make one of these tonight to keep for future use!

• TJ

BTW:
going over the tutorial, I noticed that It should all be do-able in Carrara 2; the next hurdle might be properly making holes for the nostrils, eyes and mouth but other than that it looks like a simple matter of linking, unlinking subdividing links and moving vertices if nothing else - it would be nice speedwise to be able to figure out how to do "loops" like the author talks about doing in MAX as but it can be done with suvdivision of links and linking the resultant vertices to each other, perhaps unnecessary.

Message edited on: 08/29/2004 23:32

litst, I tried what you said - the dialog box for inserting a sphere in the vertex modelel in Carrara 2 looks like the above (and it turns out triangulated) . . . another reason to upgrade when I can afford to.

In the meantime the cylinder method works and is less work than getting rid of the triangulation in inserting a sphere in C2 - so for the moment it looks like I'm stuck with that. (LOL)Fortunately, a perfect sphere is not required to do the job.

• TJ

...but I've noticed that FWT usually knows whereof he speaks This time it seems I don't. ;) My first mistake was assuming you were using C3 instead of reading your first post a bit more carefully. And I've finally gotten the chance to delve into the tutorial in the Carrara Studio 3 Handbook... from which my suggestion is taken ... and frankly my results are different than what Mike has in print. When I insert a cube in the vertex modeller in C3, it comes in with 6 polygons, one per side... nothing triangulated ... and the - and + keys are doing nothing. So maybe I missed something. Glad you got a method figured out that works for you, though... happy modelling! :)

There is another way to insert a cube, try using the primitives icon in the vm and then drag the cube into the modeler , the +/- is then available. Mike

Aaahh... I did miss something... I use the spline modeller a lot, but haven't done much with the VM... perhaps it's time to start... Thanks for the help.

And for all you spectators out there who don't have your programs open to the rosters...

The Mike I referred to earlier is Mike De La Flor, author of Carrara Studio Handbook 3... not Mike Moir, whose architectural renderings I greatly admire, working in the construction industry as I do.

Now, back to the Forum for more action...

Message edited on: 08/30/2004 11:09

FWT, It appears I misread something too . . . in the tutorial It mentions recessing selected polys for the eyes, nostrils and mouth rather than making cuts. Also, from litst' illustration it appears that both pole vertices would move along the Z axis by 25% rather than the 10% I'd used which upsets my calculation to rescale the Z dimension back to 100%. Trivial as every point is moved at sometime or another during the tutorial but it shows to go ya - we all make mistakes. Anyrate, If the converstaion has stimulated your curiousity, so much the better. There is no denying your talent and I look forward to future renders/models from you in Carrara when I get back from the abyss. (I still ponder on that shadow thing I think you did in Bryce a while back.) cheers, - TJ

FYI: Moe is starting a thread on subdivision in the modeling forum - check it out!