12/4/10

WIP?

Was working on a simple table that would double as a display case sort of thing. I ran into a problem when I was going to put in the legs of the table by using a mirror modifier but I have no clue as to how to change the mirror planes. So while I wait for the answer I decided to mess around with what I had so far.

Simple

http://www.blendtuts.com/2010/10/modelling-objects.html
This video right here. Good stuff. I saw this video a couple of times (over and over) and every time I opened up Blender and decided to model something. Low poly/Simple stuff of course since I'm still new. To the point:

wat

So I look around my room for inspiration, something I lack. The first thing I noticed that seemed pretty easy to model was my computer's speakers. It's pretty blocky so this should be too hard right? Lame. I still don't know enough of the basics to do something like this yet. I should have chosen a different color but I decided I should try and imitate the same material as the reference. It's incomplete but I gave up because their is no way I'd be able to do it justice at my skill level. I figured I should just move on.

Flesh Light ;o

Next up. Flash light. I lacked the knowledge on how to make a 'glass' like material although I do now so I might get back to this one (or a flashlight model in general). The squared side is from trying to CTRL+R the shapes into shape ( :| ). I think I should have just made the switch smaller and as a different object instead of extruding. Argh. I don't plan ahead. I need to work on that.

B)

I'm happy about this one. I look around my room again and I noticed this container I had laying around filled with lug nuts. It's a plastic Ziploc tubawear (spelling?) type of thing. I feel as though I really got the proportions down practicably perfect for this one. I also messed around in the materials tab and figured out more about using materials. I made it clear like it actually is but the only thing that would have made this PERFECT is if I knew how to make the material also have a Gaussian Blur instead of it being just clear like a window. Threw the blender monkey head model in there to show the material better.

I think I need to learn a couple more hot keys and one or two more techniques and I'll have the basics down, I think. Looking to get into Materials, Textures, and UV mapping.

UV Mapping Rage

Fig. 1

So to follow up with the mug I thought "Hey! I should probably make that sweet mug better by adding a custom design of sorts on it."

Cool.

So I head over to Photoshop but being the lazy person I am, my instincts push me towards my image render/pre cut folder. I didn't really feel like doing too much work. Ever since I lost all of my resources last year from a BSoD/reformat I only have a couple of renders from when I would make signature on forums for fun. So I pick out a render of a Battle Cruiser from Starcraft 2 and another render of a galaxy (Or nebulae?). Use the galaxy render so that the back ground wouldn't seem so vacant. Place the Battle Cruiser over that and then I pulled out my handy soft brush and brushed in black in white. Another of my no skill cheese tools came into play. Smudge tool. Then through in some highlights by brushing some more with the soft brush in Blue, Red, and White. Set the layer to Screen and bam. instant eye candy (sort of). Then I just through some Adjustment layers > Gradient layer a couple of times, High pass on low opacity, and finally my last resort cheese tool. Sharpen.

Sigh. I'm so lazy. I always find myself doing the same techniques over and over again. I feel like a fraud.

But yea. Their you have it*

Now then I hop back on over to Blender and skim through this YouTube video by some hispanic guy:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI859_0-rrU&feature=related

Like I said. I skimmed through it, probably because of the lack of sound. Long story short I have no clue how to apply that image onto the side of my mug. Yes I mad. I can the image over the mug where I want it in the render but the image is copied onto every other face of the model.

Can't do nothing right :C


*Fig 1

The Mug

It's him

At the moment the only 3D modeling tool I have is blender and I had a hard time getting used to the UI and where all the hot keys were. Figured following a tutorial would be the best start. The only gripe I have with it is that the mug doesn't seem to be thick enough. It looks like it will shatter if the wind were to look at it wrong. I think it's a bit to tall too. Then theirs the top of it, I don't think mugs have a ridge like that. I made it protrude way too much. Whatever man. Next time.

Tutorial link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq6UAeoej5E&feature=related (Blender 2.5 Alpha)

Anyways, as far as I can tell (I'm sorta new at this) the poly count is 302, at least if "Fa" while in edit mode and having the model of the mug selected makes "Fa" (Faces yes?) 302. Other things of interest; 6 light sources (lamps), Sub surf 1view/subdivision smoothed, and Material set to 511 hardness.

Taking advantage of this first post I want to just mention that this blogger site is going to be used by me to post all of my art related hobbies. They currently include 3D modeling, Photoshop, and hopefully Traditional Art. Fuck yea.