Hi, I have a question for anyone who has done modeling. I've seen a lot of models that have been altered to enable them to open their mouths and the original models didn't have an open mouth. My question is how do you cut the mesh to make a mouth? I have a kangaroo model I've been trying to make an open mouth for, and I can't find any answers about how it's done. :( I use Lightwave 7.5, animator, and I also have 3D Studio Max (but I prefer to use LW.). So, if anyone has any answers or can point me in the right direction I'd really appreciate it. :) -Dawn

I tend to model the mouth open then morph it shut and set the closed mouth as the favoured pose

Thanks. (I'll have to keep that in mind.) LOL! Is it possible to cut polys without cutting the faces all to heck? I've tried slicing in to it a couple times but I get really jagged ugly cuts. :( Thanks for the info, though. Now, I know that it would be easier to make an open mouthed character then a closed mouth one. :) -Dawn

"Is it possible to cut polys without cutting the faces all to heck? " hmm..not really,if your model doesn't have a mouth to begin with then you'll need to get in & model one yourself..I tend to use symmetry modifiers so I'm only ever modelling one side..that way I can see the inside of the mouth even if the lips are closed. perhaps build the mouth seperately & weld it into the mesh you already have? or post a screenshot of what you have so far Cheers Stefan

Here's how I'd do it in Anim8or. I've started with a simple sphere. The edges marked are where the "mouth" will be.

Using the Cut Faces tool, cut across the faces just above the mouth, as close as you can get to the edge. Select "front" so you cut only the faces that are facing your face. :)

Message edited on: 06/01/2005 04:37

...which will give you extra facets like this.

Repeat just below the line, if you want.

Select the extra faces you just made...

...and delete. Make good and tidy up as necessary.

Here, I selected the vertices around the "mouth" and applied non-uniform scaling in the Y direction to morph it (almost) closed. I'm sure LightWave can do this somehow, but you said you had Anim8or, and that's what I use... Hope that helped.

Message edited on: 06/01/2005 04:44

Attached Link: http://www.simplylightwave.com/movie_pages/tutorial.mhtml?tut_id=534

Try this tut at SimplyLightwave. Also, the Dan Ablan Lightwave3D books are pretty good.

Message edited on: 06/01/2005 10:12

Select the row of polygons where the upper and lower jaw meets, do a smooth shift pushing the polygons inside the jaw a little, repeat that as many times as necessary to form the throat. Remember to check if the newly created polygons belong to the head body group ( in lightwave you declare them as a "part") before you export to obj other wise the head bone will not move them with the rest of the head. Make all your morphs for open mouth etc... as endomorphs within lightwave and export them.

btw,if your animating you may wan't to look into 'edge loops' to get a correct flow of polygons on the face

Everyone I have to thank you for your advice on everything, but especially EnglishBob! Thank you so much you explained it so simply that even a newbie modeler like me could understand it. You really should copy all that and submit it as a tutorial I looked high and low for something that showed exactly what you did!! Thank you all so very much! Here is the mouth I cut in to the model. Now, I have to model the inner mouth. The model isn't my original mesh but it was a low res one that I thought had a lot of potential. I don't even know where it originally came from now. :( Thank you all very much again!! -Dawn

Thanks Dawn, glad you found it useful. When I saw everyone else chipping in with edge loops and Lightwave stuff, my efforts looked a bit feeble; but it seems I hit the right level, so thanks for replying. This was all fresh in my mind, since I'd recently done exactly the same procedure to cut the front of an open shirt out of a continuous mesh. Anim8or is mentioned in my existing tutorials when a modeller is required, but I deliberately haven't gone into it very deeply, since they weren't meant to be Anim8or specific. I've meant to do one for some time, which probably means I'll never get around to it. :)