Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Detailing Your Simple Person 2

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This tutorial uses the simple person model from the previous page. If you didn't do it, go back and do it now or find it pre-made just for you here.

Contents 1 Starting with the right modes 2 Scaling with axis constraint 2.1 Selecting two hip edges 2.2 Scaling the hips 2.3 Drawing the armpits 2.4 The belly and the chest 3 Modeling the arms 4 Modeling the legs 5 Modeling the head

[edit] Starting with the right modes

Up to this point, you've been selecting vertices and manipulating them. In the first chapter, we touched on selecting faces. In fact there are three selection modes: vertices, edges and faces.

Make sure you're in:

• Edit Mode (TAB),
• Solid Mode (ZKEY),
• and Edges select mode: press CTRL+TAB, a menu will come up where you can choose Vertices, Edges, or Faces, then choose Edges. The three selection modes can also be selected with the statusline buttons shown on the right.

Note for KDE users (not 3.5.6): CTRL+TAB changes the desktop so you will have to use the statusline buttons instead. But also you can configure KDE hotkeys for blender window. (Older versions of Blender do not have this feature. Instead, just select all vertices connected to the edge you want to select).

It is important to remember that depending on the selection mode you're in (vertices, edges, or faces), moving or otherwise manipulating your selection will cause connected vertices, edges, and faces to be moved as well. This is because you cannot separate faces from edges or edges from vertices.

[edit] Scaling with axis constraint

We want to position the 3D cursor between the hips of the simple person, then use that cursor for scaling.

First, make sure:

• everything is deselected (AKEY or Select → Select/Deselect All from the viewport's menu),
• you're in perspective mode (NUM5 or View → Perspective menu),
• the 3D transform manipulator is on (switch on the hand button ; this may appear as a hand with an index finger).

Our goal is to place the cursor as it is shown in the picture below, that is at the center of the two selected edges (instead of snapping it to the grid as we did when adding the head):

Troubleshooting: if you do not see the cubes around your person, make sure you are in Edit Mode as explained in the introduction. In case you played with the Subsurf modifier, you may have to uncheck the Apply modifier to editing cage during Editmode box, just on the left of the Move modifier up in stack button (^). If it still doesn't work, try deleting the Subsurf modifier (the X on the right, above the Apply button) and adding it again (Add Modifier -> Subsurf). Or you may have to redo it. (the entire model) or you can keep pressing Ctrl+Z until you undo the smooth command.

[edit] Selecting two hip edges

By default, when editing in solid mode, the vertices, edges and faces that are on the back side of the model are not visible or selectable. This can be toggled by clicking the Limit selection to visible button (pictured on the right). Toggle it on and off a few times and observe how the edges of the wire cage appear and disappear as you click. Disable it for now, to show the hidden edges. (Note that this button is called "Occlude background geometry" and behaves slightly differently in V2.46.)

Now, select an edge of one of the cubes to the left or right of the model's pelvis just above the hips, where the legs connect to the torso: (RMB). Notice that the 3D transform manipulator jumps to the edge you selected. Now select the edge on the other side of the pelvis (SHIFT+RMB). The 3D transform manipulator should jump halfway between the two edges.

Once you have both edges selected as in the image, press SHIFT+SKEY to bring up the Snap Menu and select Cursor->Selection.

Troubleshooting: If, instead, it jumps to the second selected edge, change your Rotation/Scaling Pivot to Median Point.

[edit] Scaling the hips

Choose the scaling manipulators: CTRL-SPACE and select Scale (or use CTRL-ALT-SKEY). Since the Transform Orientation is set to global, the manipulator's orientation is the same as the world's orientation shown in the lower left corner of the 3D View pane. Make sure Proportional Edit Falloff is set to Off. The axes are colored R-G-B for X-Y-Z, i.e. the X-axis is red, the Y-axis is green, the Z-axis is blue.

It's important to note that in addition to the global XYZ axes, each individual object has its own XYZ axes. We'll get into that in the next section.

Grab the red cube-shaped handle and drag it with LMB to symmetrically widen up the selection along the selected X-axis.(For some people who get mixed up you might have to grab the green cube-shaped handle to widen up the person, remember you dont want to make the persons pelvis longer you want it wider.) While scaling, press CTRL to snap to the grid or ESC to abort the current manipulation. When it comes to scaling in Blender, 1.0000 means 100%, 0.6000 means 60%, and so on. Scale up to 2.

Note: you cannot scale along the Z-axis, as the current selection's Z-dimension is zero — if you want to symmetrically lift the hips, switch back to Translate Manipulator Mode (CTRL+ALT+GKEY).

[edit] Drawing the armpits

We'll now use the 3D cursor instead of the selection's center: bring up the Mesh → Snap menu (SHIFT-SKEY) and select Cursor → Selection (KEY4). This will move the 3D cursor to the location of the manipulator.

Troubleshoot: If the joints seem to jump into the center, pulling the edges towards them, remember to select Cursor → Selection, not Selection → Cursor

Now, set the Rotation/Scaling Pivot to 3D Cursor. Since the 3D Cursor was positioned to the selection's center, the manipulator's behavior stays the same.

Select the two edges under the arms where they connect to the torso. This time, the manipulator does not jump to the selection but stays at the 3D cursor. Make sure you are in Scale Manipulator Mode (CTRL+ALT+SKEY) and form the armpits using the square handles on the manipulator: say 2.0 along X and 1.1 along Z.

Notes:

• It is easier to select the edges by rotating the view around the world's X-axis with View → View Navigation → Orbit Down (or NUM2).
• For better visual comparison to the width of the hips, switch to View → Orthographic (or NUM5) before scaling along the X-axis (the red one). You can now scale along the Z-axis (the blue one), as there is a distance along Z between the selection and the pivot.

[edit] The belly and the chest

Now, deselect all and select the belly cube (use one of the methods described here). This time, use the Scale Tool instead of the scaling manipulator:

• press the SKEY to choose the scale tool;
• and then SHIFT-ZKEY to lock the Z-axis. Now, the scale tool is constrained to the X and Y axes (i.e. the selection is not scaled along the Z-axis) and those axes are drawn through the pivot in a bright color;
• scale the belly using LMB.

Continue with selecting different sections of the torso and scaling them to your liking, exercising above scaling methods.

Note that just as you can constrain scaling to the X, Y, or Z axis by pressing XKEY, YKEY, or ZKEY, you can constrain movement to an axis as well. Press the GKEY and then press the appropriate axis key. As you work on the arms, be sure to use the different viewing angles so everything is correct (MMB to rotate, NUM1 for front view, NUM3 for side view, NUM7 for top view). Also, be sure to use CTRL+ZKEY to undo if you mess something up. If you undo too many steps press CTRL+YKEY to redo what you just undid.

[edit] Modeling the arms

When you've got the basic shape of the torso, move on to the arms. We'll start by making him holding his hands up.

First, make sure you're in Edit Mode; if not, select the figure and press TAB. Also, make sure you are in Vertex select mode (CTRL+TAB). Now, select the 8 vertices at the end of one arm (the hand cube).

Press the XKEY, and choose Vertices in the popup menu. Suddenly the box disappears, and at the end of the arm, there's a hole! Don't panic. We'll fix that in a moment.

At this point, your person should look like the image below:

Select the top four vertices of the last "arm box" (by pressing BKEY and dragging the box around the 4 vertices of the cube) and extrude them up three times by pressing EKEY and CTRL to create three boxes the same shape.

If everytime you try to extrude it puts a weird angled section on the back right side of the extrusion then you
may be still in Perspective mode. Select Orthographic mode View → Orthographic (or NumPad5)

Rotate manipulator mode is the double circle to the right of the 3D Manipulator hand (or CTRL+ALT+R) Scale manipulator mode is the small blue square to the right of the 3D Manipulator hand (or CTRL+ALT+S)

We'll now fix the hollow elbow. Simply select the four vertices at the gaping hole (turn on Limit Selection to Visible mode to make it easier), and press:

SPACE → Edit → Faces → Make Edge/Face (or FKEY)

Notice that the hole was covered by a face. Now to make it a smooth face, choose the option:

SPACE → Edit → Faces → Set Smooth

Do the same with the other arm. Make sure to deselect all the selected vertices from the first arm (AKEY). It is important to follow the steps in the same order to end up with identical arms. If you're having troubles with the other arm, you can undo all the arm work and redo every step simultaneously on both arms.

Troubleshooting: if the surface of the model swells out where you added the face to cover a hole, use CTRL-Z to undo the face. Try selecting all the hole vertices (or even select the whole figure) and choose: Mesh → Vertices → Remove Doubles from the viewport menu, and try to add the face again. If it still looks strange, then without undoing it, select the whole figure with the AKEY and use CTRL-N to recalculate the normals.

[edit] Modeling the legs

First switch to the Face select mode (choose from the CTRL+TAB menu, or click the triangle icon).

Select the two bottom faces of the feet (the soles): use RMB and hold down SHIFT when selecting the second one. Each face comes with a small square denoting the face center that turns orange when selected, while the outline is highlighted in yellow.

Then, subdivide them: WKEY, Subdivide, or, SPACE → Edit → Edges → Subdivide (or, from the viewport menu: Mesh → Edges → Subdivide).

Now, switch to the Edge select mode (CTRL+TAB) and clear the selection (AKEY).

Select the bottom front edges making the toes (RMB, then SHIFT+RMB). You should end up with four edges selected.

Switch to the side view with NUM3 and press the GKEY. Now move the selected edges away from the legs as far as you like: drag with MMB for orthogonal movement and drop them with LMB.

Pressing the YKEY will also restrict movement along the Y-axis only, however orthogonal movement can be easier.

Congratulations! We now have feet!

[edit] Modeling the head

When you've got an acceptable shape for the legs, you should do something about that head. A little too spherical, isn't it?

• Press the AKEY to clear your selection.
• Place the mouse cursor over the head and press the LKEY: this selects the closest edge, face, or vertex, as well as all edges, faces, or vertices that are linked to it. The faces for the head and the faces for the body pass through each other; however, none of the vertices in the head are linked to any of the vertices of the body via an edge or a face.
• Place the 3D cursor in the middle of the head (SHIFT-S, Cursor → Selection) or just set Median Point as Pivot (CTRL-,). Then press CTRL+ALT+S and scale on the Z-axis (blue handle of the 3D manipulator) in order to get a better shape. I think 1.5 is enough. Without using the 3D manipulator, remember that you need to press the ZKEY to restrict the scaling to the Z-axis only (in both cases, CTRL snaps the values).
• After elongating the head, you may find that it is too low or too high. To fix this, press the GKEY (to move it) and the ZKEY (to restrict the movement to the Z-axis). Play around with it a little until you like the result.

Note: another course of action would be to put the cursor (and thus the 3D transform manipulator) at the underside of the head. That way the neck will keep the same length, while you can scale the head at will.