Object Manipulating

[Justintime9]

I just recently learned to model animals, and people, (kinda just by trial and error) I've been using extuding, and selecting a face, and grabbing it to Manipulate it... is there an easier way to sculpt objects? o, and how can I Import it into an age or something (I'm planning on creating a statue of myself for my Ahra pahts shell when i get it, so I need to know how to Import my statue into ahra pahts) o, and also, how can I write an engraving or insctiption on it, with letters, or carving into stone... any Ideas, suggestions, or help?

[andylegate]

Just a couple of suggestions from a newb.

The program that you are using to make the sculture, what is it? Can it export your creation? If so, I would recomend exporting it as a OBJ file. If it can't export in that format, open up Blender and click on File>Import and take a look at all the formats that Blender can import. It will import the mesh of your object, but not textures. You'll have to texture it in Blender.

Carvings into it: Is it going to be like at the base of the statue? If so, one way you could do it is make a texture of your writing so that it looks like it's been carved and then UV map that side it goes on with that texture.

If you really want to carve letters into it, good luck, I can't help you there, as that would be a lot of manipulating the mesh! But someone else here might help.

[Chacal]

Carving letters: nobody does that. It would be insane. Use textures.
Making a statue (hello Kadish!): I suggest doing that in Blender. Start here: http://www.blender.org/tutorials-help/t ... g-started/

[andylegate]

Can you imagine a state the size of the one in Ahnonay, only of Justin???

Actually, I don't have a problem with that. We all need an ego boost once in a while!

[Lontahv]

Yes there is an easier way. http://www.blender.org/development/release-logs/blender-243/sculpt-mode/ and here is a youtube video demoing it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xHPi8UBtDk the first link talks a bit about it and you can find tutorials elsewhere. The tool may seem very strange and un-helpfull at first(as it did to me)but just try it for a while. The main thing that I do is make a simple box-model(a cube with things extruded off of it) and then subdivide, then enter sculpt-mode and play around a bit. It's really great for modeling landscapes, statues, you name it. I think Cyan uses something like it for their age-landscapes(I'm almost certain they used it for Er'cana, and Ahnonay). And, have you noticed my sig?

[Chacal]

I have the Kadish statue in a .blend file, if you want to study it and see how Cyan did it.

[Justintime9]

reely? thx that would help o, and Andy, I'm using Blender to sculpt it.

[Lontahv]

I've never modeled a statue before, but I'm in the process of trying to right now so that I can give you some tips. This is how I'm making mine, step1: get a image or two of whatever it is that you want to model a statue of. Step2: load them into blender a background images so that a top view image relates to the top view in blender. Step3: make a plane and model a rough outline of your picture See images:


Step4: When you are done roughing out your model in 2d mirror it and join the middle verts so you don't have a seam, extrude it and then subdivide it.
Step5: Go into sculpt-mode and select the Smooth brush and smooth you sharp edges.
Step6(haven't gotten here yet myself): Do some sculpting in sculpt-mode.
Step7(haven't gotten here yet myself): Now it's time to texture it take the half of one of the image that you used for reference(I'd use the front view if your making your avvie) and mirror that side in your favorite image editing software(i use Gimp)and then make it black and white and have it semi-transparent over a marble texture(if you want a marble statue).
Step8(haven't gotten here yet myself): Now it's time to texture your model! First go into UVfaceSelect mode in blender and press 'U' and select 'project from view' then go into the UVediter and load your edited image and match the mesh you have in the UVediter to the pic(it should fit almost perfectly) hint: press 's' to scale and x,y or z to make it scale along that axis.
Step9(haven't gotten here yet myself): Hmm can't think of anything else to add.

[Lontahv]

Ok, I just finished my statue(It's sort of sloppy)


I learned one thing about avatar statue modeling from this: Always wear light colors when you take your reference picture.
This avatar statue I made was headless(the head should be modeled separately and then jammed on the neck-stub . A good face tutorial can be found here: http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread?t=20448 I like this method of head modeling(it can be very low poly also ).
Note: I think that it's best to model then texture and then make your avvie do a pose(If you do it correctly the mesh should be very easy to pose).

[Justintime9]

ok... I don't get it... do i just extrude the vertecy until I have the complete front finished, adn create different windows for other things... how did u get it like that? any detailed tutorials? o, and is there a way to move the arms, and legs to change it's Position?