Following on from the previous concept design
videos, we now have a 2D design of one of the main characters. But how do we go from a flat 2D drawing to
a rendered 3D model? The first step is to create front and side
on reference images to model against. As luck would have it the face was designed
that way from the start. So all we need now is the main body outline. For that you could draw it yourself, or save
the time and hassle and grab the standard Loomis drawings. Then match the proportions of the character
by scaling and adjusting the base outline to fit. Doing the same for the side profile, making
sure that all main points line up with the front view. Putting it all together and we end up with
two reference images that are the same pixel height with identical proportions. To set this up in Blender, we first add a
plane, scale it down, then in edit mode, extrude the face up. Then back in object mode we set its Z height
to 1.8 meters. This will act as a real world height reference
for our images, as we want to model everything to the same scale. Back in edit mode, subdivide the height once
and then snap the 3D cursor to that selection. At this point we can add an Image as Planes,
which will be automatically centered on our reference box. As this is the front image reference, rotate
it -90 degrees so that it lines up along the X axis. At which point we then add the side image. Next comes the part which really makes it
all work. On the Viewport Shading options, change Color
to Texture. This allows the reference images to display
while working in normal mesh editing mode. Then it’s just a matter of selecting both
image planes, turning on X-Ray view and in the front view, scaling up till the height
matches the reference box. At which point just move the images back,
delete the reference box and position the side image to better match
the center of gravity. Adjusting the visibility settings by turning
off Selectable and Renders makes sure that you can’t accidentally move them while modelling. This means you can now add and edit objects
while using the X-Ray viewport mode to see the reference images behind in order to line
things up. While turning X-Ray off gives a solid 3D view
to judge how the model looks overall, while still seeing the reference images in the background. With reference images in place, we now have
three options for modelling the character. You can start from scratch with a cube and
slowly adjust, add and extrude polygons till it’s done. But unless you are creating something very
unique each time, then this is a very time consuming and inefficient process. Option two is to start with something like
a sphere and then sculpt away till every detail is defined. This can be a valid option, especially if
creating a character with lots of fine detail that can be sculpted and then baked to normal
maps on lower polygon models. However, unless the character is unique, its
likely not a very efficient option to create much the same model again and again. The third option is to start with a base mesh
and adjust as needed. You can either download one that best matches
your character design from various sources at a low cost or even for free. In fact even Blender offers a base mesh as
part of a future Asset bundle for free download. Or, you can do what I did, which was build
my own. The reason for this was both as a learning
exercise and so I would know exactly how the model was put together and that it would be
suitable for animation. Now I could make a whole series of videos
about this, but why reinvent the wheel. Instead just follow along the excellent videos
that I used by Dikko. However, I do have a couple of tips, especially
if you are not that good at sculpting and really just want a generic base face. Instead, you can download a 3D scan of a face
(link in the description below) and use that as a basis for your polygon model. Unfortunately it does have a couple of problems. First there are a lot of eyelashes. So in edit mode, box select as many of the
ends of each eyelash without also selecting any of the face and then Select Linked to
select the whole of the eyelash and delete. The other problem is that the scan doesn’t
exactly line up along the Y and Z axis. Given that the face isn’t perfectly symmetrical,
we just focus on the left side and rotate it around in the front and top orthographic
views till it’s aligned. At this stage we can now focus on creating
the base mesh and making sure that the overall topology and edge loops are correct. While the general shape and form will just
follow the 3D scan. To start just add a plane and in edit mode,
divide it in half and then scale and move it to the corner of the eye. At this point we turn on Face Snapping and
start to position each vertex in a good starting location. Now it’s mostly just a constant switch between
edge select to extrude out a new polygon and vertex select to snap the position on the
face. Working around the eye, we basically follow
the topology guide to create the first edge loop. Overall it’s just working your way through
Dikko’s video till one has a basic polygon face. While it may lack detail, it can act as a
good low-poly starting point which has all of the important edge loops required for animation. At the same time, it is also easier to add
additional polygons for greater detail along those same edge flows without messing up the
overall structure. You know what else isn’t easy to model… Feet. Again Dikko has a video that covers feet,
but wouldn’t it be nice to have a template to build upon? As luck would have it you can also download
some feet scans (link in the description below). While not ideal, given that all the toes are
somewhat mushed together, it does still provide a good overall shape to model the feet, using
the same technique we used for the face. Putting it all together, we end up with a
fairly generic base mesh that can be scaled and adjusted to fit our character design. However, that will have to wait till the next
video. If you liked this look behind the scenes and
want to see more or have specific questions or requests then please click like and subscribe
or leave a comment below. If not that’s perfectly fine and I hope
to see you for the next one. Cheers.
