Modeling Objects in Carrara - Q&A - Come One and All

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  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited August 2016

    Misty,

    It can be done! The complete dumb looking trophy using ruled surface tool. It was a PITA!  The key... I started at the very base, bottom, with a circle, emptied, and duplicated moved and scaled it to form the chrome base... for the wood base, this is Important, I still used a circle but scaled only the sides to make it square shaped in order to keep the same number of vertices as the other circles. And finally changed back to circular again for the rather dumb looking trophy I designed.... oh well should have looked at a few trophy pics beforehand. The 2 white looking areas at each side at top are apparently reflections coming from somewhere... I double checked and they *are* assigned to a texture domain for sterling silver.

    TIP: where model changes from round to square and vise versa have both aligned the same on the Z axis.

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    Post edited by wgdjohn on
  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675
    edited August 2016
    wgdjohn said:

    Misty,

    It can be done! The complete dumb looking trophy using ruled surface tool. It was a PITA!  The key... I started at the very base, bottom, with a circle, emptied, and duplicated moved and scaled it to form the chrome base... for the wood base, this is Important, I still used a circle but scaled only the sides to make it square shaped in order to keep the same number of vertices as the other circles. And finally changed back to circular again for the rather dumb looking trophy I designed.... oh well should have looked at a few trophy pics beforehand. The 2 white looking areas at each side at top are apparently reflections coming from somewhere... I double checked and they *are* assigned to a texture domain for sterling silver.

    TIP: where model changes from round to square and vise versa have both aligned the same on the Z axis.

     

    pretty and shiny. yes

    and keepin in mind the normals direction!

    Post edited by Mistara on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,103
    edited August 2016
    MistyMist said:

    pretty and shiny. yes

    and keepin in mind the normals direction!

    Yeah, looks nice!

    ...and I bet Misty's correct, in that there appear to be to vertices poking through the wrong side, so we're experiencing their back-faces. 

    Fenric's Pose and Shading Tools 2 comes with a tool:

    TowardAway Shader Ever wanted to shade the two sides of a polygon different colors? With this simple shader, you can. White when the normal is pointing toward the camera, black when it is pointing away - this is great for simulating linings in clothing (which is nearly always one-sided).

    So we might be able to correct back-faces looking odd by actually assigning them the same shader (?) Hmmmm....

    Post edited by Dartanbeck on
  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675
    edited August 2016

    how would you do a pipe(candycane) bend on a long cylinder in vertex mode ?

    i know could move one edge loop at a time, but mebbe there a special command way

    thanks :)

    can vaguely remember doing candycane in wings, cant remember how the pipe bend worked.
    i had uvmapped the cylinder with straight striped image map, then rotated each edge ring to make the stripes wind around the cylinder like a canddy cane. 

    Post edited by Mistara on
  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,021

    Although this is the perfect use of the spline modeler, you ask for vertex modeler.  There is more than 1 way.  Here is an example of constructing an oval and then drawing a curved line.  Then use the CONSTRUCT : SWEEP menu.  Remember to delete the polyline.

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  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,021
    edited August 2016

    Here is the spline method.  Use the circle preset and hold shift to draw a perfect circle to start.  Use SECTION : CENTER to make sure the circle is in the center of the drawing plane.  Use GEOMETRY : EXTRUSION PRESET : PIPELINE.  Use the pen tool from the top menu to draw the shape of the candy cane on the side wall.  Use the convert point tool to smooth the points.

    If desired, you can convert the spline model to a vertex model.

    EDIT: if convert spline to vertex model, it is usually a good idea to apply UNTRIANGULATE under the MODEL menu choice.

     

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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,021
    edited August 2016

    Here is a 2nd Vertex modeler method.  Use CONSTRUCT : Cylinder.  Select the top few rungs of the cylinder and then use MENU : DEFORM and choose the bend modifier and apply the bend angle that you want.  Make sure there is enough geometry to support the bend.

     

    999 construct cylinder and then under moel menu use DEFORM.JPG
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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,103

    When I did it, quite some time ago - which worked really well, was to use the Dynamic Extrusion and hold down Ctrl to have it extrude uniformly. After each short extrusion, I'd switch to rotate and give it a slight turn, Ctrl Extrude again - turn, Ctrl extrude, turn, Ctrl extrude. Was fast and easy and looked great in the end. 

    But diomede has a LOT more experience, so I'd try his methods first ;)

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    diomede said:

    Although this is the perfect use of the spline modeler, you ask for vertex modeler.  There is more than 1 way.  Here is an example of constructing an oval and then drawing a curved line.  Then use the CONSTRUCT : SWEEP menu.  Remember to delete the polyline.

    Who asked for "vertex modeler"? Spline modeler examples are alway welcome here! Modeling is modeling.

    Most of my examples and questions refer to the vertex modeler simply because I'm not familiar enough with the spline modeler. The spline modeler is fairly easy, I think, compared to the vertex moder... I have made a few things in it with what little familiarity I have. It is very powerful!

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,103
    MistyMist said:

    how would you do a pipe(candycane) bend on a long cylinder in vertex mode ?

    She did! ;) LOL

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,234
    wgdjohn said:

    Who asked for "vertex modeler"? Spline modeler examples are alway welcome here! Modeling is modeling.

    Most of my examples and questions refer to the vertex modeler simply because I'm not familiar enough with the spline modeler. The spline modeler is fairly easy, I think, compared to the vertex moder... I have made a few things in it with what little familiarity I have. It is very powerful!

    When I first started Carrara I had no 3D experience whatsoever and used a book called "The Carrara Studio 3 Handbook" so my first modeling experience was an airplane made in the Spline Modeler. I was terrified of the Vertex Modeler. I made all my models in the Spline Modeler for my first epic (tragically long) animation...really wish I had used the Vertex Modeler for some of them in retrospect. smiley

    As a side note, all the nodes/points (or whatever they are called) in the Spline Modeler can be animated - pretty cool!

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,103

    As a side note, all the nodes/points (or whatever they are called) in the Spline Modeler can be animated - pretty cool!

    That is VERY cool!!!

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,021

    Thanks for the shout-out, Dart.  Recently, I am really focusing on improving my uvmapping and shading skills.  There are a couple of threads in which Tim and Roy give uvmapping tutorials that I need to track down.  Now that I have the Baker plugin and can convert the procedural shaders to uvmaps easly, I will begin trying to create a few objects worth distributing as freebies. 

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,021

    I have the Carrara 3 Studio Handbook.  I also have the Carrara Bible which was released for Carrara 1.  And of course, the Carrara 5 Handbook which I think I have already praised.  If these can be found at a steep discount as used books (with the discs), I still recommend them, although the further back one goes the more that might be outdated.  I like the terrain tutorial in the Carrara Studio 3 Handbook in particular (Lake Louise).  Wouldn't pay full price though. 

    .

    wgdjohn said:

     

    When I first started Carrara I had no 3D experience whatsoever and used a book called "The Carrara Studio 3 Handbook" so my first modeling experience was an airplane made in the Spline Modeler. I was terrified of the Vertex Modeler. I made all my models in the Spline Modeler for my first epic (tragically long) animation...really wish I had used the Vertex Modeler for some of them in retrospect. smiley

     

     

  • DesertDudeDesertDude Posts: 1,234
    diomede said:

      I like the terrain tutorial in the Carrara Studio 3 Handbook in particular (Lake Louise).  Wouldn't pay full price though. 

    I remember that one...not the specifics though. I don't own the book anymore, I get rid of everything not in use. Partially it's because I I have this morbid obsession with not wanting anyone to have to sift through "stuff" if I suddenly get prematurely recalled from planet earth. Also ditched the hard copies of the Carrara 3 and 4 user guides...probably sacrilegious to say on this forum...blush  

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    MistyMist said:

    how would you do a pipe(candycane) bend on a long cylinder in vertex mode ?

    She did! ;) LOL

    Crazy browser scolled Misty's comment right off top screen... my bad. :(

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    wgdjohn said:

    Who asked for "vertex modeler"? Spline modeler examples are alway welcome here! Modeling is modeling.

    Most of my examples and questions refer to the vertex modeler simply because I'm not familiar enough with the spline modeler. The spline modeler is fairly easy, I think, compared to the vertex moder... I have made a few things in it with what little familiarity I have. It is very powerful!

    When I first started Carrara I had no 3D experience whatsoever and used a book called "The Carrara Studio 3 Handbook" so my first modeling experience was an airplane made in the Spline Modeler. I was terrified of the Vertex Modeler. I made all my models in the Spline Modeler for my first epic (tragically long) animation...really wish I had used the Vertex Modeler for some of them in retrospect. smiley

    As a side note, all the nodes/points (or whatever they are called) in the Spline Modeler can be animated - pretty cool!

    Cool... I've mostly gotten off of my terrified stage of vertex modeler and onto learning all functions that I need to learn or know better. Note that vertex modeling is more like my previous modeler Imagine 3D for the Amiga.

    Regarding the spline modller I was very interested in it long ago but just playing until I more recently stumble accross a YouTube video or two from Cripeman. It is waay kewl what can be done with it... a lot of objects can be made quickly and easier as a spline object than a vertex object.

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited August 2016
    diomede said:

    Thanks for the shout-out, Dart.  Recently, I am really focusing on improving my uvmapping and shading skills.  There are a couple of threads in which Tim and Roy give uvmapping tutorials that I need to track down.  Now that I have the Baker plugin and can convert the procedural shaders to uvmaps easly, I will begin trying to create a few objects worth distributing as freebies. 

    Please when you track the "Tim and Roy" threads down let me know and I will plug them onto the first page here. One if not both their threads may already be on page 1 here... I'd run accross a few a few month's ago. I'll also be adding your example from the current Carrara Challenge which has not gotten me into tackling UVmapping as well as Baker.

    Thanks for your examples of the candy cane for both Spline and Vertex modelers... cool.

    Modeling in Carrara is funnnnn!

    Post edited by wgdjohn on
  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    edited December 2016

    Carrara Pro 8.5 and earlier come with good examples of Spline Objects. I found this to be a neat example of the is capability and power of spline modeler. The pic is for Spring 1 found in Basic Objects... just go to Browser tab, select Objects, Basic Objects. I like this one since it shows how to create the paths, 2 different ones for the spring to follow. Note that you can select either/both paths to see thier vector handles and points used to create curved objects. This is not the *only* spline object that Carrara comes with... this is what makes both the standard and Pro versions so cool... they come with plenty of examples to get anyone started using Carrara faster.

    I now have a Springs free plug-in which is Free. which has many functions/options for creating springs quickly and an easily, it's a time saver. I'll see if I can't find the link.

    "Carrara Rocks!" quote by Dartanbeck

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    Post edited by wgdjohn on
  • MarkIsSleepyMarkIsSleepy Posts: 1,496
    edited August 2016

     

    wgdjohn said:

    I now have a Springs free plug-in which is Free. which has many functions/options for creating springs quickly and an easily, it's a time saver. I'll see if I can't find the link.

    "Carrara Rocks!" quote by Dartanbeck

    The springs primitive is probably from Sparrowhawke.  http://www.sparrowhawke3d.com/Sparrowhawke3DPlugins.html

    You should get his Instance Randomizer and Edge Falloff shaders too - I use both of them constantly.  The edge falloff shader provides a much nicer and more controllable fake-fresnel than Carrara's built-in effect and the instance randomizer lets you randomize the color of something everytime you make another copy of it . His transforms package includes an option to jump any object to the location of any other object  - I use that one a lot too. 

    Post edited by MarkIsSleepy on
  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675

    When I did it, quite some time ago - which worked really well, was to use the Dynamic Extrusion and hold down Ctrl to have it extrude uniformly. After each short extrusion, I'd switch to rotate and give it a slight turn, Ctrl Extrude again - turn, Ctrl extrude, turn, Ctrl extrude. Was fast and easy and looked great in the end. 

    But diomede has a LOT more experience, so I'd try his methods first ;)

    loll, misread as fast and tasty

    candycanes are tasty

  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675
    diomede said:

    Here is a 2nd Vertex modeler method.  Use CONSTRUCT : Cylinder.  Select the top few rungs of the cylinder and then use MENU : DEFORM and choose the bend modifier and apply the bend angle that you want.  Make sure there is enough geometry to support the bend.

     

     

    menu, deform!  thanks!!

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    MDO2010 said:
    wgdjohn said:

    I now have a Springs free plug-in which is Free. which has many functions/options for creating springs quickly and an easily, it's a time saver. I'll see if I can't find the link.

    "Carrara Rocks!" quote by Dartanbeck

    The springs primitive is probably from Sparrowhawke.  http://www.sparrowhawke3d.com/Sparrowhawke3DPlugins.html

    You should get his Instance Randomizer and Edge Falloff shaders too - I use both of them constantly.  The edge falloff shader provides a much nicer and more controllable fake-fresnel than Carrara's built-in effect and the instance randomizer lets you randomize the color of something everytime you make another copy of it . His transforms package includes an option to jump any object to the location of any other object  - I use that one a lot too. 

    I just recently grabbed all that Sparrowhawke's website had but have not installed them yet.

    Note about installing any plug-ins manaually. I had Carrara hang up when starting up and never starting... this was my error... I'd neglected to install 1 single file for a particular plugin, don't remember which. After checking all that I'd installed and putting the required file in it's proper place Carrara then cranked up as normal. Sorry for being a bit OT... I should open a request to Support/Help so that Carrara will report the error instead of going into never never land.

  • MistaraMistara Posts: 38,675

    does lathe have setting to not go all the way round?  can i make it stop at 45 degrees?

     

    thanks smiley

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,021
    edited August 2016

    Not sure about lathe, but depending upon the initial shape, you might be able to get the result you want in the vertex modeler by using MODEL : DEFORM : BEND/TWIST.  The bend modifier allows you to enter the numeric angle that you want.

     

    Maybe someone has a better solution?

    .

     

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    Post edited by Diomede on
  • MarkIsSleepyMarkIsSleepy Posts: 1,496
    edited August 2016
    MistyMist said:

    does lathe have setting to not go all the way round?  can i make it stop at 45 degrees?

     

    thanks smiley

    I don't think so - AFAIK it always completes the circle.  You can use the +/- keys to increase or decrease the definition of the lathe though, so if you make it about 24 divisions each one should be 15 degrees and you can just delete all but 3 of them, or some variation on that depending on how detailed you want the remaining section to be.

    EDIT: nevermind - that sounded good in theory but doesn't quite work in practice. At least not the way I think you want.

    Post edited by MarkIsSleepy on
  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634
    MistyMist said:

    does lathe have setting to not go all the way round?  can i make it stop at 45 degrees?

    thanks smiley

    Lathe does go completely around unless there is an option I don't know about... that is unlikely. Only way to use Lathe for that would be to chop the object down after lathing it... too much work than I prefer and also not as precise. Growing up I used a lathe in our workshop to make candle holders, round table legs and even a lazy susan. A lathe spins, normally wood, around in a continous circle so you can taper and make circular grooves in the round piece of wood. Carrara is simpler and you don't need to be as careful. :)

    See Deform Bend/Twist modifier where you can have the 45° you want. d3an mentions how to use it on page 2. Also see the 2 examples following his shown by 3DAGE and DesertDude. I took another approach for making a tire like object on the same page which does use Lathe.

    Start here on page 2... http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/1327751/#Comment_1327751

  • Another way to do pipes and the like is using the path sweep option. You draw the path and a 2dimensional form or line you want to sweep. First click on the form/line you created then select the "path sweep" tool and click on the starting point of the path. Voila!  Note that the path can go in all 3 directions not only in 2 as shown in the example.

    Would be great if the path stayed linked to the form, so that you could modify the whole object later as you wish. But sorry, not yet. Something for Carrara 9 ;-)

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  • PhilWPhilW Posts: 5,139

    For a 45 degree lathe, could you extrude the shape you want to lathe, rotate the extruded face say 15 degrees and move it so that one side came together at a point, then repeat that process a couple more times?

  • wgdjohnwgdjohn Posts: 2,634

    Would be great if the path stayed linked to the form, so that you could modify the whole object later as you wish. But sorry, not yet. Something for Carrara 9 ;-)

    I've used sweep both with an empty square/circle and a filled square/circle... using filled one end is capped off. Either way just loop the end poly(s) and choose fill polygon. Is that what you mean?  Of course you would need to have the end vertices connected to avoid an n-gon.

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