Character Modelling - 3D Toolkit

 In this blog post, I will talk about the modelling process of the character modelling for my 3D Games Art toolkit. Unfortunately, I did not get around to finishing the hands of the model since Maya kept crashing (my PC couldn't handle the size of the model, my SSD is currently corrupted), but I have blogged every step that I could.



To create the ruler, I used the following:
Translate Y = 61 centimetres. Scale Y = 122 centimetres.
This allowed the model to follow life scales.


Display > Grid > Length and width: 150 units. Subdivisions = 5. 


Importing the image planes (orthographs) of character.
Move the image plane so the feet are on top of the grid.
Move pivot point to the bottom centre to allow equal scale (holding down D + V) without it moving off the centre of the grid.
Scale the image plane to reach the top of the ruler.
Once aligned, delete ruler.


Reposition the image planes along the Translate X axis for side and Translate Z for front.
Select the image planes and create new layer so that they can be locked or hidden later. 


Create > NURBS Primitives > Sphere
Scale it up. Rotate X axis 90 degrees
Rename to "L_Eye_Ref" in channel box
Right Click > Assign Favourite Material > Lambert
Rename Lambert2 to "Eye Ref Lamb"
Go to Colour > Checkerbox > Ramp
Go to Ramp Attributes, change type to U Ramp.
Click near the black end of the gradient and change to red.
Change interpolation from linear to none. Adjust the colour bar to create the iris and the pupil of the eye.



Go to side view. Click 4 to enable wireframe. Position the sphere and scale it to match the orthograph.
CTRL + D to duplicate the eye, CTRL + G to group the eyes. Scale X = -1.
Freeze transformations & delete history for both of the eyes.
To fix the eye, go to Surfaces > Reverse Direction. Rotate Y = -180.
Freeze transformations again.
Select both of the eyes and create new layer.



Start with a cube primitive. Scale it up and enable smooth mesh preview. Then go to the front view and make sure that the cube aligns with the general shape of the orthograph. 


Enable X-Ray to make the object see-through.
Go to side view and line it up with the orthograph there.
Modify > Convert > Smooth Mesh Preview to Polygons.
Go to channel box inputs and select polySmoothFace1


Go to Deform > Lattice.
Reduce T Divisions from 5 to 3. Change S Divisions and U Divisions to 3.

Return to front view
Right Click (Hold) > Lattice Point.
Move verts to manipulate the object and repeat for the side.


To delete the lattice, delete the history of the object.
Then create a new lattice. Increase T Divisions to 7 and then manipulate verts to shape the body of character.


Remove X-Ray and delete the history to remove the lattice again.


Select half of the faces of the object and delete them.
Press 4 to view wireframe. Double click on the move tool and change Axis Orientation to Normal. Lift up the verts to start to shape the eye. Once done, set axis orientation back to world.
Select the faces that cover the eye in the front view of the orthograph.
Go to Mesh Tools > Insert Edge Loop. Maintain position: Relative distance from edge.
Hold down shift and insert edge loop so that it matches the curve.
Select faces again and extrude > increase offset to around 3.
Select vertex (change axis orientation to normal) and move verts to create the shape of the eyelid, then delete faces.
Use the insert edge loop tool around the shape of the faces of the eye.
Bring eyeballs forward (Translate Z = 5).
Select all inner verts of the eye shape and move to the eyeball.
Select eye and make it a live surface. This will make the verts snap to the eyeball. Once the eye shape is done, turn off live surface.
Enable smooth mesh preview to make sure everything looks fine.
To increase curvature, use the insert edge loop and hold shift towards the centre of the body/face.


Start inserting more edge loops to form faces ready for the structure of the mouth.
Manipulate verts to follow the lines of the orthograph.
CTRL + Delete removes edges and verts, do this for the outer edge loop but not the front.
Then insert edge loop again to maintain shape and use multi cut to align the cut.




Select the edges that align with the mouth and bevel (decrease fraction to 0.1). Select those faces, use multi cut, hold shift and insert cuts from the edge of the mouth, then delete the outer edges.
Then delete the inner faces to create the mouth.
Use multi cut tool to create the shape of the lips.
Select the verts of the mouth and move them down accordingly to align with the orthograph.
Use multi cut tool again around the mouth for more divisions.
Select the new edges and pull the forward.



Select the outer edge of the eye shape and extrude outwards to start the structure of the nose. Delete additional faces on the inside. 
Manipulate verts to create the shape of the nose according to orthograph.
Use multi cut tool to create curvature.


Select edges around the half of the model, not including the inner side of the mouth. Use scale tool with the red handle and drag inwards a few times. Then use move tool, hold X, move it to the left then bring it back to the centre.
Select object, go to Mesh > Mirror. Set merge threshold to 0.001. 



Modelling the Legs

For legs, select faces around the area where the legs will start. 

Extrude faces and increase offset to around 2 and move it down a little bit, and scale it down a little bit.
Use the circularise tool and use the twist function to adjust the shape and decrease radial offset. Use translate tool and move selection down, and rotate it, then delete the selection.

Create cylinder, set subdivisions axis to 10, delete top and bottom faces. Duplicate the object and move it down so that there are two for each section of the leg. Rotate the second cylinder to align with the orthograph.

On the both cylinders, select bottom verts, rotate and scale down accordingly. Repeat for the top verts. Don't include the knees.

Select everything, and combine. Then select the edges between each shape and bridge them. Increase the divisions on the bridge tool. Curve type = Blend.

CTRL + Delete the combined edges on the top half. 

To create the knee, go to Mesh Tools > Slide Edge. Hold down middle mouse button and drag to create the shape of the knee.

Move vertices to create the shape of the knee that follows along the orthograph.

Snap the pivot point of the base of the leg to the right and then scale down so that it matches the reference.

Insert edge loop with multiple edge loops, set it to 1, and select it on the top half of the leg, then scale it down. Repeat for the bottom half of the leg.

Select the middle faces of the knee, go the side view, and move them out. Scale accordingly to the orthograph. 

To create a smooth transition from the body to the leg, select the edges and (CTRL + B) to bevel it. Increase the fraction and segments. 

Modelling the Arms

Select the faces around the start of the arm, reposition faces so that they align more with the orthograph.

Extrude the faces, increase the offset, scale accordingly and then use circularise. Twist to match the shape of the circle on the orthograph and decrease radial offset

Rotate and scale selection to align with shoulder. Move verts to create smoother transition and then delete the faces of the selection. 

Create a cylinder, and change subdivisions axis to 8. Delete top and bottom faces of it. Scale it up, move it to the position of the arm, and then rotate it accordingly. Duplicate it and move it down, similarly to how I did the legs. Go to side view and move the cylinders to the right to align with the orthograph.

Select all components and combine. Same as before, select the edges around the joints, and bridge them. The bottom bridge, set the curve type to blend, increase divisions to 2. Select the joints on the top, between the top cylinder and the body and bridge, repeat the same steps but with only 1 division. Rotate the selected edges. 

Tweak the arms by moving the verts and scaling the loops around the arms to create the elbow. 

To maintain the curve around the shoulders, use edge loop settings and change maintain position to "Relative distance from edge", then hold shift and insert the edge loops around the shoulder.

Modelling the Feet

Decrease the oval shape on the bottom of the leg.

Create a cube, hold D + V to snap the pivot point to the bottom of the cube, then hold X to snap the cube to the bottom of the grid. 

Scale and move the cube to get the general shape of the foot. 

Place an edge loop around where the ankle ends and the foot begins. Move verts down to begin creating a general outline of the foot. 

I moved the verts and placed edge loops following the orthograph to create the shape of the foot. 

Once I finished modelling the shape of the foot, I made sure there was 6 faces on the top, extrude and made the offset smaller, and then clicked circularise, deleted the faces, combine the foot and the main body. Then I selected the edges and bridged it, increased divisions and changed the curve type to blend. 

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