Modeling A Retro Sci-Fi Female Character

WARNING: CONTAINS NUDITY

Introduction

This tutorial is the first part of a larger tutorial that will encompass creating a female mesh in the style of a retro Sci-Fi character.

This first instalment will provide a step by step guide to building the character in 3ds Max using an Editable Poly followed by an overview of mapping and unwrapping. We shall conclude by taking a look at setting up a skin shader and how the maps are applied.

We shall also look at the new modelling tools introduced in 3dsMax2010 and show how the new interface can be incorporated into the modelling pipeline.

The principal techniques will be covered in detail the first time they are introduced, allowing beginners to become familiar with the methods used, but will not cover every single step in order to keep the tutorial as concise as possible.

This tutorial will provide a step by step guide to modelling a female character, starting from a simple primitive and following through to a final model.  The key techniques and principles will be covered and will utilize some of the new features in Max2010, namely the Graphite Modelling tools. Each of the tools and methods will be explained fully when they are introduced but will not be detailed each and every time thereafter as many of the processes are a repeat of the same exercise.

The aim of this tutorial is to introduce some of the modelling tools in the new interface and present one approach to modelling a character using the Editable Poly tools.

Once the model is complete the tutorial will move onto a brief section that covers some of the mapping and unwrapping and look at how to prepare a UV template in preparation for texturing.

The tutorial will conclude with a brief section on setting up a skin shader in conjunction with the numerous maps.

The photo references used for the textures have been kindly donated courtesy of www.3D.sk which is a great resource for all artists specializing in both 2d and 3d alike so many thanks to them for their assistance and help.

A word of thanks also to Joe Harford at shine-labs.com for his expertise and advice on using SSS shaders.

Fig01 - The first stage is to create a Box which you can find under the Geometry tab in the Command Panel on the right side of the interface (highlighted in yellow).

Select Cube as the Creation Method and the drag out a cube.

Fig. 01

Fig. 01

Fig02 - Click on the small Modify icon (1) and then on the small arrow (2). Once the Modify List opens scroll down and select Spherify (3).

Fig. 02

Fig. 02

Fig03 - Set the Parameters to 80%.

Fig. 03

Fig. 03

Fig04 - Right click on the cube and scroll down to the bottom right panel and click on Convert To: and select Editable Poly.

Fig. 04

Fig. 04



Fig05 - This will open up the new Graphite Modeling Tools menu along the top bar. To open it fully, click on the small arrow below the Scale Transform tool (ringed in red).

Select Edge Sub-Object mode (triangle icon top left) and then select an edge in the centre. Now select Ring which will highlight the middle row of edges shown in red.

Fig. 05

Fig. 05

Fig06 - Now click on Connect which will add a subdivision along the row of edges.

Fig. 06

Fig. 06

Fig07 - Go into Vertex mode (dots top right) and make sure you uncheck Ignore Backfacing on the Modify Panel (ringed in red). Create a selection area around some of the verts in the right or left viewport and move them to create a shape similar to that shown, making sure to check the other views. Unchecking Ignore Backfacing will ensure the shape remains symmetrical.

Fig. 07

Fig. 07

Fig08 - Select one of the middle vertical edges (shown in blue) and then click on the small arrow next to Connect. This opens a dialogue box where you can alter the segments and their positions. Change the number to 3 and then hit OK. You will now have 3 subdivisions through the middle of the mesh (red lines).

Fig. 08

Fig. 08

Fig09 - In Vertex Sub-Object level and with Ignore Backfacing still unchecked start to move the verts in using the Orthographic views to create shape resembling the one shown.

Fig. 09

Fig. 09

Fig10 - Use the Scale tool to pull the verts inwards along one axis on both sides to create a better shape in the top view and be sure to check your progress in a perspective or user view.

Fig. 10

Fig. 10

Fig11 - Use the top view to add more curvature to the mesh by selecting vertical rows of verts at the front and back. Be aware that if you select verts in the front view with Ignore Backfacing unchecked you will also select verts at the back so switch this on or off accordingly.

Fig. 11

Fig. 11

Fig12 - Here is what you should approximately aim for.

Fig. 12

Fig. 12

Fig13 - Select the two edges shown in blue and then click on Ring and then Connect to add in two extra rows (red lines).

Fig. 13

Fig. 13

Fig14 - Re-position the extra verts on the top of the head to add more curvature using the Move and Scale Transform tools.

Fig. 14

Fig. 14

Fig15 - Select one of the horizontal edges in the yellow box and then click on Loop (next to Ring on the toolbar which will select the ring of edges around the head. Now move these up and add in two subdivisions below it using Ring - Connect as before (two red lines).

Fig. 15

Fig. 15

Fig16 - Scale the verts inwards shown in red (two at a time) to create a rough nose shape.

Fig. 16

Fig. 16

Fig17 - Select the six middle polygons and then click on Bevel to pull out the nose and scale it down slightly.

Fig. 17

Fig. 17

Fig18 - Add a subdivision (shown in red) using Ring - Connect.

Fig. 18

Fig. 18

Fig19 - Click on the Window / Crossing tool along the top toolbar (highlighted in yellow) and then in either the top or front view select Polygon Sub-Object level and drag a selection area that just incorporates all of the right half of the mesh (yellow rectangle).

Now delete these polygons which are seen in red.

Fig. 19

Fig. 19

Fig20 - Select the middle row of edges and with the Left view active click on the To View button to ensure the middle edges / verts are parallel. They should in theory already be aligned but this will make sure.

Fig. 20

Fig. 20

Fig 21- Now click on the Hierarchy tab (1) and then select Affect Pivot Only (2). This will open the align Selection dialogue box. Select the parameters shown in order that the pivot is exactly aligned with the open edge and then hit OK (see top and front views).

Fig. 21

Fig. 21

Fig22 - Open up the Modifier List (see Fig02) and choose Symmetry. Choose X as the Mirror Axis and check Flip to create a duplicate.

Fig. 22

Fig. 22

Fig23 - The Modify Panel will now show the mesh as an Editable Poly with the Symmetry modifier above it (highlighted in blue on the right). Click on Editable Poly (1) and then on the Show End Result button (2).

Now select the two polygons on the left shown in red and then perform an Inset to begin the eye cavity (highlighted in red). The same operation will occur on the opposite side which means we can work on one side only and ensure the head remains symmetrical.

Fig. 23

Fig. 23

Fig24 - reposition the extra verts around the eye to create a better shape.

Fig. 24

Fig. 24

Fig25 - Another function that will prove useful is the Cut tool which is accessible by right clicking the object as well as in the new toolbar along the top (scissors icon). This helps when you want to add edges in specific places.

Swift Loop is another useful tool if you wish to swiftly add subdivisions instead of using Ring and Connect. Click on this and then move your mouse over the model to see where edges will be added.

Fig. 25

Fig. 25

Fig26 - Add in an extra edge running through the eye as shown in red. Try using Cut and SwiftLoop to compare how they work. Once done switch to Vertex mode and click on Target (highlighted in red on toolbar) and weld the row of red verts to the ones below in yellow.

Fig. 26

Fig. 26

Fig27 - Here are some views of the current stage.

Fig. 27

Fig. 27

Fig28 - Here are some views of the current stage.

Fig. 28

Fig. 28

Fig29 - Using the Cut tool add a cut from the centre of the eye to the bridge of the nose as shown on the left. Highlight the vertical edge above and below this new one and click on Remove. Now select the three verts in red and Remove them (inset 1). Add the two cuts shown in inset 3.

Fig. 29

Fig. 29

Fig 30 - Use either Ring - Connect or SwiftLoop to add a further cut as shown in red.

Fig. 30

Fig. 30

Fig31 - Add further cuts as seen on the far left (large image). Now continue adding cuts (1-3). Remove the two edges shown in inset 4.

Fig. 31

Fig. 31

Fig32 - Select the four polygons that make up the eye and perform an Inset as done in Fig23.

Now right click on the Symmetry label in the Modify panel and choose Collapse To. This will remove this modifier and allow us to add an inset to the mouth area.

Select the eight polygons highlighted in red and perform two Insets.

Try doing this with the Symmetry modifier still active and see what happens.

Once done delete the right half once again as shown in Fig19-22 and re-apply the Symmetry modifier.

Add in a new cut around the chin, cheeks and across the nose as shown in red.

Fig. 32

Fig. 32

Fig33 - Using the Transform tools as shown in Fig10-11 start to refine the shape (right side versions).

Fig. 33

Fig. 33

Fig34 - Add another Inset to the inner eight polygons of the mouth.

Fig. 34

Fig. 34



Fig35 - Add a new cut here.

Fig. 35

Fig. 35

Fig36 - Add two more insets to the eye and a further subdivision around the mouth (inset 1).

You will have noticed that the extra cut added in Fig32 resulted in a triangle being created in the cheek area which we will now address. Make a cut as shown in inset 2 and then remove the edge highlighted in yellow.

Fig. 36

Fig. 36

Fig37 - With this extra detail I again take the time to refine the head shape. You can see in the left view how the profile on the right is now far better than before.

Fig. 37

Fig. 37

Fig38 - Add another cut around the neck and head as shown on the far left. Now Target Weld the two yellow verts together and add in extra cuts (inset 1). The result can be seen in inset 2.

Fig. 38

Fig. 38

Fig39 - Add in cuts in the following places.

Fig. 39

Fig. 39

Fig40 - Reposition the verts in order to refine the features.

Fig. 40

Fig. 40

Fig41 - Use SwiftLoop to add in the horizontal subdivision and Cut to add in the vertical edges shown in red. This creates a quad above and below the left side of the eye where there were two, five sided polygons.

Fig. 41

Fig. 41

Fig42 - Add in a cut from the corner of the triangle above the eye that runs across the scalp and to the back of the head. Now remove the yellow edge which will get rid of the triangle here. Add a further cut across the forehead and then remove the other yellow edge to create a quad (inset).

Fig. 42

Fig. 42

Fig43 - Refine the eye shape by simply moving the verts.

Fig. 43

Fig. 43

Fig44 - Add further subdivisions around the mouth.

Fig. 44

Fig. 44

Fig45 - Delete the inner polygons of the eye and then select the edge border and then holding down the Shift key move these outwards to create an extra ring of polygons.

The yellow edge removed in Fig42 from the forehead has created a bad shape so add a new cut for the time being.
Add a new row across the head from the bridge of the nose.

Fig. 45

Fig. 45

Fig46 - The topology around the corner of the eye is a little messy so time to tidy it up a bit. First of all Target Weld the red verts to the yellow ones (far left).

Now add in some extra cuts shown in red (upper inset) and the weld the matching verts and Remove the yellow edge.
The result can be seen in the lower inset which looks a bit neater.

Fig. 46

Fig. 46

Fig47 - Add a further edge loop around the mouth if you feel it is necessary and be sure to move verts as and when extra edges are created in order to continually refine the shape. This is quite an organic process in many ways and I find I am always changing the topology as I go along and rearranging the polygons to shape the mesh much like moulding clay (not quite as much as ZBrush however).

Fig. 47

Fig. 47

Fig48 - You may have noticed a triangle above the right corner of the eye, next to the nose and on the cheek which we will now remove. Add the cuts shown in red, remove the yellow edges and then weld the two green verts. The result can be seen in the inset image.

Fig. 48

Fig. 48

Fig49 - The facial features such as the eye and side of the nose need some extra detail in order to achieve a better shape. Add cuts from the eyelid down to the nose as shown in red. You can see I have also added a cut around and under the nose in order to better prepare for the nostril shape which stops abruptly (yellow line) as well as a further ring loop around the lips.

Fig. 49

Fig. 49

Fig50 - With the extra vertices we can now once again refine the features. You can see that I have welded the vert below the yellow edge in the previous image to the right poly for the time being (ringed in red).

Fig. 50

Fig. 50

Fig51 - Create a nostril shape below the nose and add any extra cuts necessary.

Fig. 51

Fig. 51

Fig52 - Select the polygons that form the nostril and then add a small Bevel (shown in yellow). Then Extrude them upwards to create the cavity.

Fig. 52

Fig. 52

Fig53 - The nostril shape needs some refinement as the edge nearest the lip is too straight. Add a cut through the centre and down towards the lip as shown in red and then create extra these extra edges in order to add the dent below the nose.

Fig. 53

Fig. 53

Fig54 - Re-arrange the extra verts to create a better nostril shape. The yellow edge is the one that was removed previously. Weld the two green verts together which will leave a triangle but once the Symmetry modifier is applied it will become a quad.

Fig. 54

Fig. 54

Fig55 - Here is the stage so far. You will notice that there are two triangles on the back of the head which could be addressed by adding in some extra edges. I could also add some extra edges and subdivisions to refine the model and add more detail but this is a reasonable stage to stop if we are to add some smoothing.

Fig. 55

Fig. 55

Fig56 - Go into the Modifier List and apply Turbosmooth as done in Fig02. You can see this now at the top of the stack above Symmetry and Editable Poly and the resultant effect on the right.

Fig. 56

Fig. 56

Fig57 - Creating the ear is something I often do separately and then attach to the head afterwards. As ears vary tremendously from person to person they allow quite a lot of leeway for interpretation.

I will not detail the process step by step as it will be too lengthy but instead will cover a few steps to get you started. You can model them using the exact same approach we have covered so far and all you need to do is find a suitable reference.

Start with a box with 5 segments both vertically and horizontally (1).

Convert this into an Editable Poly and then start to move the verts to create a rough shape (2).

Perform an Inset on the upper section of the outside faces to get the approximate volume and then start to use Cut and Ring - Connect to refine the shape (3).

Fig. 57

Fig. 57

Fig58 - After adding more subdivisions re-arrange the verts on the back to allow a Bevel that will be roughly the right shape (Right view). You can also see that I have added another inset into the front faces to create the outer section of the ear cavity.

Do not worry too much about the topology being perfect at this point; add in the detail and then you can refine it afterwards using Cut and Target Weld.

Fig. 58

Fig. 58

Fig59 - Once you have a sufficient amount of detail move the ear into position and start to re-arrange the vertices on the side of the head to align with the ear. Toggle on Snaps (highlighted in yellow on the main toolbar) and hold down the mouse button to see the three settings). Select "3" and then right click on it to open the settings. Check Vertex only which will enable you to move vertices to the same coordinates.

Now "snap" the head verts to the ear verts where the positions look similar. They will not all match off course but if you check Edge/Segment you can then snap the ear verts to the edges on the head (green dots).

You will also notice that I have deleted some of the polygons that will correspond to where the ear joins the head (blue lines).

Fig. 59

Fig. 59

Fig60 - Get the ear into position and then start to tidy it up by removing edges and adding cuts where necessary. This can involve some trial and error at first but you can see the before and after results here after some refinement. There are still two verts that need attention (shown in green) but you can see the progress.

Fig. 60

Fig. 60

Fig 61- Here is the head so far with the ear now attached.

Fig. 61

Fig. 61

Fig 62 - We can now begin creating the body so start by adding in an extra row of verts either with Ring - Connect or SwiftLoop.

Fig. 62

Fig. 62

Fig63 - Enable Loop mode and then highlight the bottom edges and add Shift drag two more rows. Scale these along the X axis in the top view to create a shoulder shape (upper left). Now shift - drag the bottom edges down and then perform a Ring - Connect with 8 segments.

Fig. 63

Fig. 63

Fig64 - Use the Transform tools to shape the edges to form a better shape.

Fig. 64

Fig. 64

Fig65 - Select the eight verts at the top of the arm and move them to create the shoulder joint.

Fig. 65

Fig. 65

Fig66 - Select the four polygons and extrude them three times using the Rotate tool to in the front view to angle them into the arm.

Fig. 66

Fig. 66

Fig67 - Perform eight more extrusions and then once again use the Transform tools (Move, Rotate, and Scale) to reposition the verts to create an arm.

Fig. 67

Fig. 67

Fig68 - Now select the six large polygons on the front of the chest area and apply three bevels making sure to scale down each time.

Fig. 68

Fig. 68

Fig69 - Re-arrange the verts to create a more curved breast shape.

Fig. 69

Fig. 69

Fig70 - Add cuts in the places marked red and then remove the yellow edges.

Fig. 70

Fig. 70

Fig71 - Using Ring - Connect, select the two green and one blue edge and then add in three extra edges (shown in red).

Fig. 71

Fig. 71

Fig72 - With these extra subdivisions you can now re-position the verts to create a better shape. Here are the four key stages through this process.

Fig. 72

Fig. 72

Fig73 - Add in two extra cuts in the places marked in red.

Fig. 73

Fig. 73

Fig74 - Now add in these four marked in red.

Fig. 74

Fig. 74

Fig75 - Add in the cuts marked in red in the yellow circle on the left. Now select the two green edges and apply a Ring - Connect. This will leave two polygons at the top that require a cut (between the green verts). Select the two left verts highlighted in green and then apply Connect and then repeat this for the right two.

Now apply a further subdivision across the breast marked in red (inset).

Fig. 75

Fig. 75

Fig76 - Add another cut around the torso.

Fig. 76

Fig. 76

Fig77 - We also require some more detail down the back so time to tidy up any stray triangles that may remain. Select the two edges marked in red on the right (inset) and add a further subdivision down to the waist, removing any unwanted lines (shown in green).

Fig. 77

Fig. 77

Fig78 - Here are a few angles of the progress so far.

Fig. 78

Fig. 78

Fig79 - When it comes to the legs I have collapsed the model with the Symmetry modifier applied as we did in Fig32. You can repeat this action as many times as you like and then delete half the mesh and re-apply the modifier but be mindful of the pivot point (Fig21).

Fig. 79

Fig. 79

Fig80 - Select the edges marked in red in the previous image and shift drag them down. You can either pull them down to ankle length and then add in around fifteen cuts using Connect or you can shift drag each row individually and shape them as you do so. Either way is fine but ultimately you need to transform the verts to create a rough leg shape. Do not worry about the shape being imperfect as you can change it later if need be.

Fig. 80

Fig. 80

Fig81 - To create the buttocks add in some further cuts around the pelvis and then re-arrange the verts to create a better shape (inset). You can see I have pulled the verts down to add more of a curve. Use Target Weld and Cut to add in any extra detail and re-organise the topology.

Fig. 81

Fig. 81

Fig82 - The knee area will need some extra geometry so add in three or so subdivisions around this area (shown in red).

Fig. 82

Fig. 82

Fig83 - Using the extra vertices, simply reposition them to create the knee shape.

Fig. 83

Fig. 83

Fig84 - Add in any extra cuts where you feel it necessary to create a better shape or more curvature, in this case above the knee and around the hips.

Fig. 84

Fig. 84

Fig85 - Now it is time to address the clavicle area. I have added some extra geometry and re-arranged the mesh (right). There are a few triangles in there at this point but these can remedied once we have achieved a better overall form.

This is a good rule of thumb when modeling - get the basic volumes in place and then worry about the topology - it is easier to change something when it is front of you as opposed to existing purely in your mind.

Fig. 85

Fig. 85

Fig86 - Now add in the sternocleidomastoid (the muscle that goes from the clavicle up to the ear). You can see that I have added in a number of cuts across the neck to accommodate this and still have a couple of triangles remaining.

Fig. 86

Fig. 86

Fig87 - Here is a front view of the model so far with a Turbosmooth applied. It still requires some modification but much of the refinement can be done once the mesh is fully modelled when it will be easier to gauge as a whole.

Fig. 87

Fig. 87

Fig88 - With the body and limbs at a reasonable stage of development this seems like a good time to add in the feet. Start by dragging the ankle edge down and then select the front five polygons (highlighted in green in middle image) and extrude these outwards three times. Then add a cut around the side of the foot (shown as red in the middle picture).

Now reshape the verts to create a better shape (far right).

Fig. 88

Fig. 88

Fig89 - Add in two more cuts in these areas.

Fig. 89

Fig. 89

Fig90 - Add two further cuts shown in red and then start to reorganise the extra verts into an ankle shape.

Fig. 90

Fig. 90

Fig91- Add another cut across the top of the foot near the toes (far left) and then select the group of three polygons on the left that will make up the little toe. Bevel these slightly (inset 1) and then repeat this process for the other groups of polygons that will eventually form the four other toes (inset 2).

Now select each group of polygons and click on Make Planar along the toolbar (highlighted in red). This will align the faces with each other.

Fig. 91

Fig. 91

Fig92 - You can now use Extrude on these faces to pull out the toes, using the Transform tools to position the new vertices as you do so.

Fig. 92

Fig. 92

Fig93 - Continue to extrude the faces to from the five toes (highlighted in red). Scale the new edges accordingly to shape the toes and then add a cut along the length of each one (shown in green). Do not worry about the cut creating a five sided poly yet, just get the toes in place.

Fig. 93

Fig. 93

Fig94-95 - Here are two previews of the foot so far showing the progress. You can see how the version on the far right in Fig94 has a far better shape despite the untidy topology; something which can be addressed afterwards.

Fig. 94

Fig. 94

Fig. 95

Fig. 95

Fig96 - To create the bones of the foot and help add some definition it is worth adding another subdivision along the top of each toe. To do this select the central edges running up the toe and apply a Chamfer, thus dividing into two (shown in red along the toe). This will create a five sided poly at one end and so to resolve this add a new cut (shown in green) and then remove the blue edge.

This new configuration can be seen on the two smallest toes on the right foot. The area ringed in yellow has had the edge chamfered down the centre but still has a five sided poly at the end exactly like the toe to its right (solid blue). To solve this add a cut (pink line) and then weld the pink vert up to the top corner and repeat this for the neighbouring toe. The edge that intersects the chamfer (dotted in black) will have to either be removed and the stray verts welded to neighbours or the edge could continue through all the toes and around the underside of the foot.

Fig. 96

Fig. 96

Fig97 - With the foot underway it is a good time to make a start on the hands. I often duplicate the arm and then align it with the viewports to make it easier. Extrude the end set of polygons a few times and then transform them (Move and Scale) to make a basic palm shape.

Fig. 97

Fig. 97

Fig98 - Now select the polygons that make up the thumb and extrude these out making sure to scale and rotate as you go.

Fig. 98

Fig. 98

Fig99 - The fingers are done in a similar way. First of all make the highlighted poly's planar and then duplicate them. These can be extruded and scaled to form the initial finger.

Fig. 99

Fig. 99

Fig100 - Now select the next group of poly's and apply an Inset before deleting the central group. This will form the base of our next finger.

Fig. 100

Fig. 100

Fig101 - You can now duplicate the first finger and simply transform each one to fit with the hand making sure to create an inset for each.

Fig. 101

Fig. 101

Fig102 - The remaining four fingers can now be moved into position and their verts snapped to the hand.

Fig. 102

Fig. 102

Fig103 - Create the knuckles in a similar way to the toes by adding a cut down their length and adding subdivisions.

Fig. 103

Fig. 103

Fig104 - Here is a preview of the hand.

Fig. 105

Fig. 105

Fig105 - Here is a preview of the final mesh. Once the texture has been applied I may tweak it slightly but this is pretty much complete now.

Fig. 105

Fig. 105

Fig106 - The next thing to create are the eyes. To start with create a sphere with around 20 segments and align the top with the front view as seen here.

Fig. 106

Fig. 106

Fig107 - Duplicate the mesh and on the copy start to add some subdivisions around the front section following the same technique we have used throughout the tutorial. Once done flatten the frontal section that will form the lens and extrude the inner faces that will form the pupil. It is best to move these verts in the left or right view. Use an FFD modifier it you wish as either way works but the main aim is to have a flattened frontal area with a concave pupil.

Fig. 107

Fig. 107

Fig108 - On the original mesh add some further edges at the front in a similar way and then use Soft Selection to pull out this section. You can see in the right view how this corresponds to the flattened version shown in grey. Scale this up very slightly so that it just surrounds the other mesh.

Fig. 108

Fig. 108

Fig109 - When the two meshes are complete they should fit together similar to this with the Cornea (green) protruding in front of the lens (purple). These two meshes share the same material which in this case is a Multi/Sub-Object with the 3 Sub-Materials corresponding to the different coloured faces.

Fig. 109

Fig. 109

Fig110 - Here is the material with the 3 sub-materials for the lens, pupil and cornea.

Fig. 110

Fig. 110

Fig111 - For texturing the lens and sclera select all of the faces with ID 1 and planar map these from the front. This will mean that the back faces will also share the eye texture but this is not an issue unless you wish the eye to rotate extensively.

Fig. 111

Fig. 111

Fig112 - Once the eye texture is applied it will resemble the following.

Fig. 112

Fig. 112

Fig113 - For the eyelashes start by creating a thin cylinder around 12 segments with a similar proportion to the following. Convert this into an Editable Poly and then apply an FFD modifier and scale and move the control points to form a tapered curve.

Fig. 113

Fig. 113

Fig114 - Duplicate this initial mesh to form the eyelashes making sure to rotate and scale as you do so. You can follow the same procedure for the bottom row.

Fig. 114

Fig. 114

Fig115 - The mapping will involve Cylindrical and Planar projection and we will begin with the head. It is up to you where you want to position your texture seams and this is purely subjective and often depends on how the character will be used. Generally it is best to place seams in the most inconspicuous areas.

First of all apply a checker map to the mesh in order to see the integrity of the mapping co-ordinates. Select the polygons that make up the head and neck area and then apply the UVW Mapping modifier and select Cylindrical. If you click on the small cross next to the modifier it will reveal the Gizmo which shows up as a yellow cylinder with a green line denoting the seam. Click on Fit and it will correspond to the proportions of those faces selected.

Fig. 115

Fig. 115

Fig116 - Because the map has been projected onto the head from the cylinder any faces that are not parallel such as those under the chin or on the top will be distorted. To sort out the top of the head which is the most noticeable re map these using Planar projection. First select the culprit faces and then apply a Planar map.

Fig. 116

Fig. 116

Fig117 - Now delete one half of the mesh and apply an Unwrap UVW modifier and click on the Edit button in the rollout (see inset). This will open the Edit UVWs window where you will find the mapping co-ordinates. You will see a section that corresponds to one half of the head and the scalp area with the seams visible on the mesh shown in green.

Fig. 117

Fig. 117

Fig118 - If a vertex shares the same co-ordinates with another along the seam it will be highlighted in blue when it is selected. Right click in the window and select Target Weld. Now select each one along the seam and weld it to its partner by dragging it across.

Fig. 118

Fig. 118

Fig119 - It is up to you how you arrange the UV's but here is how the scalp has been attached to the top of the head. Although there is a little stretching it is far less than before.

Fig. 119

Fig. 119

Fig120 - In the case of the arm select the faces that you wish to map and then apply a cylindrical map. Once you have unwrapped your mesh it is still possible to alter the seams by breaking the vertices and re welding them if you wish to experiment.

Fig. 120

Fig. 120

Fig121 - After applying an Unwrap UVW modifier you can see the position of the seams as green lines by checking the tick boxes under the Display section (bottom right).

Fig. 121

Fig. 121

Fig122 - You can follow the same procedure for the leg but remember to only map one arm and one leg as these can be duplicated later along with the mapping co-ordinates.

Fig. 122

Fig. 122

Fig123 - Once again select cylindrical projection for the torso and you can rotate the Gizmo so that the seam lines up with the middle of the back.

Fig. 123

Fig. 123

Fig124 - The hand, ear and foot all use planar projection and when one half of the mesh has been fully mapped the seams appear as so.

Fig. 124

Fig. 124

Fig125 - With one half of the mesh mapped you can then duplicate this by applying the Symmetry modifier. When you unwrap the entire model it will appear as if there is just one half of the mesh. If you check the Select Element tick box and then select a section you can move it away from its counterpart and onto a different part of the template. Here I have moved one half of the torso and head horizontally and flipped the right side of the head (highlighted on toolbar). Because the two sections are not joined you can see the seam edge on the front of the model.

Fig. 125

Fig. 125

Fig126 - Move the sections together so that the central row of verts overlaps. Open the Options menu and reduce the Weld Threshold to a low value before selecting all the verts that you intend to weld. Right click and select Weld Selected. You should now see the seam line disappear down the front of the face (see left).

Fig. 126

Fig. 126

Fig127 - Follow the same process for the torso and then by selecting the elements move the various pieces and arrange them in your template ready for export into your painting package.

Under Tools in the Edit UVWs window select Render UVW Template and enter the size of your texture in the width and height ratios at the top and then save out the wireframe by hitting the Render UV Template at the bottom.

Fig. 127

Fig. 127

Fig128 - I use an Arch & Design material for the eye using the following settings for the cornea which is the reflective outer mesh. To assign this material click on the Standard button and then choose the top most material. If you cannot see it in the list change the renderer to Mental Ray.

Fig. 128

Fig. 128

Fig129 - I use another Arch & Design material for the lens but this time using the settings shown here (essentially with the transparency and reflectivity ramped down).

Fig. 129

Fig. 129

Fig130 - To set up the shader for the skin textures we will assign an SSS Fast Skin Material. Select a material in the editor and assign it to the character. Now click on the Standard button and choose SSS Fast Skin Material (mi).

Fig. 130

Fig. 130

Fig131 - Once the shader has been applied place the maps into the corresponding slots using the settings shown. It is worth noting that the settings in this dialogue box are wholly dependent on the scale of your model and the two are intrinsically linked. If your character does not adhere to a real world scale then the settings in the shader will need to be modified accordingly so it is advisable to get the scale of your character reasonably accurate. In this case she is about five and a half feet tall (approx 170.6cm)

Fig. 131

Fig. 131

This concludes part 1 of this tutorial which has provided a base mesh on which to add her outfit and complete the series.

The next stage will involve taking this mesh and adding hair, clothing and accessories which will follow in the near future.

Render 01 - Click to Enlarge

Render 01 - Click to Enlarge

Render 02 - Click to Enlarge

Render 02 - Click to Enlarge

To see more by Richard Tilbury, check out Digital Painting Techniques: Volume 4
Digital Painting Techniques: Volume 5
Digital Painting Techniques: Volume 7
Beginner's Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop Elements
Beginner's Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop
Photoshop for 3D Artists
and Prime - The Definitive Digital Art Collection

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