Procedural Dragon Animation (Part 1: Modeling) - Blender 4.0 Tutorial

hey guys we're about to make and animate this Dragon it was meant to be a single video but it's coming out in three parts so in this one we will model everything in the second video we will set up most of the animation and in the third one we will do the shading with the final rendering settings and some animation tricks we'll start with the body of the Dragon creating the scales making this fish-like skin and to make this work we need a PO which will be the base of the body if we go to edit mode with tap we can enable the normals from here so we can see the direction of the curve select and delete these two vertices then extrude this one on x axis like that so the origin Point stays at the center for the scales we are using a plane scale it down and apply the scale tap into edit mode and let's create something like a leaf shape we can add edges with control R and merge vertices with M at Center just pull this up and we have the base mesh we can add subdivision surface with two levels for now crease the middle edge with contr e switching the views so we can get the right shape something like this the next modifier is solidify adjust the thickness and what we want is this offset but without applying the modifier so let's grab these faces go to the object data properties tab add a new vertex group and assign the faces to this group so we can now use it to tell the solidify modifier what to extrude and what not we can also flip the factor with this arrows and add a little bit of depth we can cop the modify bars like that which make it very easy to arrange especially if we have a lot of them few more things to touch here if we edgecase these edges we can see that we get some mess and the backside is not great as well but we can just change the mode from simple to complex and we get something much better we can also change the boundaries and for this one I will stay with flat looks great if we pop up the subdivision levels but we'll have a lot of copies and it will slow down everything so one for viewport and three for rendering is okay we need to array this part two times one is along the curve but first we can make the one around the curve so let's add the array modifier disable the relative offset and enable object offset so we can add an object or empty like in this case to adjust the size use the right click menu so adding the empty there we can use it to control the array just like that apply the scale and rotation to make sure everything runs smoothly in edit mode move the plane on top so we have the origin point at the center rotate the empty on x-axis and add a few more counts to close the circle so just move it in edit mode and rotate the empty to get right with this we can go to the side view and duplicate it in edit mode check it from different views and adjust the position XO if you want to set the rotation precisely you can hit n and adjust it from the side panel almost done with this part now I just have to connected to the P using the curve modifier and add it as a curve object here checking if everything is fine we use the curve often but it's hard to select it unless you in x-ray mode so what we can do is go to the viewport display settings and check in front and now it will always stays on top and be much more easier to select the final thing for this setup is to pair the curve to the body and do the same with the empty so they stay attached to the body when we move it we can move on with the back side of the body creating this part that resemble flames and it's very easy to do starting with a simple plane scale it down and rotate it on xais and if you go to edit mode we can add edge Loop there so we can delete the bottom face add a few vertical edges and one more there we can delete some of these faces and just start bulling vertices extruding some edges and aim to get something like this simple base mesh check if scale and rotations are applied and add solidify modifier control 3 and as a shortcut to add subdivision surface with three levels add the array modifier and enable merch to get the seamless transition have to be on top and maybe TW some vertices if needed move everything up in edit mode switch the array type to fit curve and add our P there the last modifier is the Curve as you already know pick the p and let's PA this to the body as well in edit mode we can enable proportional editing from here and this will help us to make the mesh looks more natural disable the modifiers to make our lives easier and just grab vertices log them on y AIS and use a scroll Mouse button to control the proportional editing if needed comes the belly and we have two parts to model here so let's start with that one and it's similar to what we do with the previous part adding a plane check the scale scale on xaxis and place it below the body go into edit mode and add hedge in the middle move it down add two more edges just the shape something like this add subdivision modifier and sharpen that HED with hedge Grease the next modifier is solidify increase the subdivision to two levels and shade smooth enable auto smooth to get this nice smooth shading adjust the mesh and we will need also bevel set the amount and we can add more segments but let's keep them low and enable hard than normals instead this will help us to keep the things running faster adding the array modifier switch to fit curve and select the pot the last one is the curve modifier with a PO T there Final Touch One a few things if the origin Point runs out you can bring it back to the three cursor which are the center now pair it to the body and we can add cylinder for the the final body piece scale it down and rotate 90° on the Y AIS apply the scale let's move out the edges with a B modifier adjust the amount and enable again Harden normals we want this on both sides so let's switch to edit mode and move it on the y axis we can add the mirror modifier now and change on which axis to be mirrored place it somewhere here and let's add the other modifiers they are array modifier check if the rotation is applied and let's connect them to the pot in the same way as the other parts adding the curve modifier with the Curve object and pair it to the scales so we ready with a body and we can grab everything and move it to a new collection with m okay that's done and we can continue with ah head as you can see there are a lot of things to model but it's all very simple we can make this part of the mouth first and start building up things on it so now I'll just want to add a cube and use it as a base only extruding and scaling down this face will give us a better idea of the head position adding a cube and scale it on y AIS add a edge and delete this part so we can add the mirror modifier and work only on one of the sides pull a few edges then insert and extrude this face check the scale and we can add a barel modifier just so we can limit the effect of the next subdivision modifier levels up if we come closer we can see that we get this B mesh but we can just go to edit mode and pull up the edges so we get get something that looks much better don't forget to enable clipping on the mirror modifier and let's add the array bring the parts closer to see how they work together and scale down the back face to have a better transition here adding a curve again adjusted as before and use it for the array curve is is the final modifier alt Z for the x-ray mode so we can pick the P put it in front and pair it to the object move it there from the side view and tap into edit mode and extrude like that take some volume from the front part and add more depth here we can do this by scaling the curve radius with old s let's score now what's inside for this we can use a plane get it there and if we go to the side view in edit mode press out Z for the xray mode so we can select what's behind and just start extruding the edges like so along the mesh adding the modifiers subdivision solidify with a little bit of thickness we also need a bevel with the right amount and three segments we can give it a little bit more subdivisions we can also precise the shape in edit mode using the proportional editing sliding edges and so on control R to add one more Edge at the center and pull some of the edges so making another tunk in the same way but with a few modifier changes get it there extrude the edges control three to add subdivision with three levels add one more Edge there and pull it down a little bit stick out this vertex proportional editing helps a lot in these cases we can scroll up and down to get it right last one is the solidify modifier and bring it on top to get this nice smoothing to model all the teth we are using simple curve with some depth F the gaps so now just shrink down this edge with old s and we can easily rotate it like that get it there where it needs to be tap to edit mode to set the right shape it's all about vertices and their scale and position checking how it looks from different views and adjusting it the only thing we have to do now is duplicating and adjusting it in edit mode and yeah I can see that this will take a while so take your time no rush here but you know no pressure because later if there is something you don't like everything is procedural so you can just come back and adjust it so keep that in mind once you get it select all the tis and add the mirror modifier we have it only on one of the TS but we can easily press control L and copy the modifiers with shift and right click we can move the 3D cursor on different places so let's add a cube there to model the eyes select these two faces and extrude them along normals press s to scale then shift X and zero to scale down without the x axis control 3 for the last subdivision and shades mod add a plane on the same place and we can create the shape around the eyes so tap into edit mode and extrude the edges to get the basement go around the eye work from different angles here we can extrude like that and make a space for the other set of f you know the shortcut for the subdivision we also need a solidify apply the scale and we can set the thickness this time we will smooth the edges with one more subdivision instead of a bevel we can increase to two levels and actually that's how we can control the edge smoothness if we increase the first subdivision we'll get sharpen Edge duplicate the eye refine the shape if needed mirror everything copy the modifier and let's move on with the horns they are also simple to make and we can start with this one so get a cube there with shift a in edit mode press M at Center which will merge everything to single vertex add the skin modifier and in edit mode verx selection grab and extrude it several times like so control a is here the shortcut to scale up and down the vertices when adding subdivision after the skin modifier even if we increase the levels and shade smooth we still have to enable this smooth shading to make it smooth we can refine it in edit mode and what we have to do is just to find the best place for the vertices so we can get rid of this artifact mirror it on y AIS and we can continue with other horns using aart only add a depth and change the profile to get this squared edges fill the Caps scale down this vertex and when you have the final shape we can twist it by tuing the vertices with contrl t can be single or multiple vertices at the same time mirror this one on y- axis as well the curved horns are the hardest to make we can start with a circle scale it down and we also need a pth so we will array it and do it in the same way as we did with the scales at the beginning but let's get right the circle first we can extrude the curve from here rotate it on y AIS if we apply the rotation we will mess up the Tilt but it's easy fix with contrl t 90° at the first array modifier switch it to the object offset and get an empty dare only adjust the size don't scale it with s because that's two different things so move the circle up in edit mode pick the empty and if doesn't work check if you have the rotation or scale a plat so now we have to rotate the empty and set the count for this one to six the other array we can set up to fit curve and pick up the pot let's also enable merch on this one we can twist it with a simple def modifier set it to 360 and if you're trying it can go up but if you need more twist just duplicate the modifier and that's how we can control it adding the curve as last modifier pick the p and enable in front display scale down this vertex and pair everything to the circle be careful not to scale down this setup in object mode for example if it's too long just go to edit mode and move the vertices like that doesn't look great now but it just a few Mouse clicks away to get this nice Twisted curves add more vertices if needed extrude till them with contrl t when mirror it do it only for the circle the curve don't need this modifier and we can move on with the last hns for which we need a cylinder scale it down and rotate it on y AIS apply the scale and add the bevel modifier set the amount with one more segment subdivision surface modifier and shade smooth other part so we can use it with the array modifier apply the rotation if it's wrong enable in front display and add the curve as the last modifier now we only have to adjust the curve in edit mode it's all about the vertices mirror the cylinder with a mirror object we model most of the things for the head and now we can create and arrange these spikes so get get a plane scale down on y AIS contrl R to add H loop at the center and two more there merch these and this vertices at the center pull this edge up and add subdivision modifier sharpen this edges with shift e bring also solidify modifier adjust it we can create a new vertex group with this faces selected and use them for the Sol F shade smooth and enable the normals and let's start building the spikes it's all about checking it from different angles move it rotate it I'll fill the space between the eyes first then move on to the sides we can also mirror it so we do it only on one of the sides it will take some some time don't rush it try to have fun with it once we ready with this we can add a few more curves that goes out of the head just to make the dragon more interesting moving on with the legs we have four parts to model here so select what we have before for the head and move it to a new collection to keep everything organize it bring back the body for orientation and let add a cube merge it at the center and add skin modifier here was control a to scale the vertices the shortcut and if you go to the front view we can extrude it like that move back these edges and let's add subdivision we can precise the shape to something like that and let's move on with the clous we need a cube with a B mod fire set the amount enable hard than normals and enable AO smooth add the array and add the curve modifier scale down this face offset if needed I'll be not showing every step now but that's because you already know how to do it we can enter edit mode and adjust the vertices position and scale when you have it duplicate it three more times for the front and one more for the back of the legs adding one cylinder there just to hide the connection between these parts it's a cylinder shape without top and bottom with solidify and subdivision modifier we get the right ship and we only have to create the armor just duplicate this part and let's add decimate modifier and switch it to planer we can go to the Warframe view with a zit key to see better what we're doing duplicate the decimate and change it back to collapse this will give us some nice Edge variations just like that we can play with the ratio on both modifiers to get it right so now let's add Warframe modifier to make only the edges visible and add some thickness enable the boundaries and disable thickness even to get rid of these messy Parts subdivision modifier to round the corners three levels are okay mirror the legs on the Y AIS you can use this part as a mirror object keep the things organiz it so add them to their own collection this will be helpful in the next steps the tail is also very simple as you already know we are using a lot of Curves and array in this tutorial and the tail won't make exception we have a simple plane and adjust it in edit mode so we can add the mirror modifier add more edges pull vertices insert and delete these faces so we can get the basic mesh that we can now subdivide and solidify with the mifs so now array with a fit curve type select the p and offset how much you need add the curve modifier and connect to the PT scale it down this vertex and we are done checking here and one things we forget is the iris but we can just place the three cursor there add a cylinder insert the top face select the rink and invert the selection with control I so we can delete the other faces bring back the origin point to the geometry here we can also set the snapping to Center on face and align the rotation and now by holding control we can snap it to the eye just like that adding also the sh W modifier and select the I as Target solidify modifier adjust the thickness and add subdivision we can duplicate it for the other eye just select this Edge and press contrl F grid through change the target of the Shing wrap mirror it and that's basically everything for this part so if you made it through a tutorial thanks for watching in the next part we will set the animation set up and in the final part to will create all the materials and we will set the final animation and rendering settings so hope to see you there

Channel: Shieverski

Views: 135,188

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Id: VCpyt_MTRV0

Length: 25min 14sec (1514 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 19 2023