Creating a Model Step-by-Step - Part 4

In Part 4 of this tutorial we paint the whale we created in the first three parts of this tutorial.

As always, when modeling it helps to have a photo or physical model of the object you want to create to use as a reference. I based this model on a few photos of whales that I found on the Internet.

Open the model you created in Part 3 of this Tutorial or click here to download the sample model.

We are going to use a mixture of textures and paint to color our whale.

Click here to download the final model which includes the three textures that we will use to paint the whale.

TutorialBlockModeling4-1.gif (15791 bytes)

 

Click Button-DeleteSmall.gif (918 bytes) on the Material Palette to erase the previous material.

Using the Material Palette, select WhaleTexture.bmp by clicking on the upper pane next to the material preview. Click Button-WrapSphere.gif (917 bytes) to select a spherical wrap.

Click Button-Toolbar-FillTool.gif (941 bytes) on the Edit Toolbar to select the Fill Tool.

Click on the whale to paint it with this texture.

TutorialBlockModeling4-2.gif (17881 bytes)

 

Now select the WhaleEye.bmp texture and click  Button-WrapFlat.gif (920 bytes) to select a flat wrap.

Click Button-Toolbar-Paint.gif (941 bytes) on the Edit Toolbar to select the Paint Tool.

Click on the face where you would like the Whale's eye to be.

Repeat for the face on the opposite side of the object.

Don't worry about any seams that may appear they will be corrected in the final step of this tutorial.

TutorialBlockModeling4-3.gif (18202 bytes)

 

Now select WhaleBlowHole.bmp and choose a flat wrap.

Click Button-Toolbar-Paint.gif (941 bytes) on the Edit Toolbar to select the Paint Tool.

Click and drag to paint four faces on top of the whale's head centered just forward of the eyes.
TutorialBlockModeling4-4.gif (18121 bytes)

 

Click Button-Toolbar-RenderSmooth.gif (176 bytes) to turn Smooth Rendering off. When Smooth Rendering is off we can better see the faces we intend to paint.

We are going to paint the underbelly of the whale light grey. The Smooth operation has produced a pattern of faces that lends itself to painting. We could have applied a texture to select faces, but that would have been more involved.

You will likely want an Orthographic top view in addition to a perspective view for this step.

Turn the whale over using the Edit control.

Click Button-DeleteSmall.gif (918 bytes) on the Material Palette to erase the previous material.

Select a light grey color by clicking on the panel directly below the texture panel on the Material Palette.

Click Button-Toolbar-Paint.gif (941 bytes) on the Edit Toolbar to select the Paint Tool.

Click and drag to paint the underbelly of the whale.

TutorialBlockModeling4-5.gif (21905 bytes)

 

You need not paint the underbelly in one stroke.

Be prepared to undo. Painting individual faces can be tricky at times.
TutorialBlockModeling4-6.gif (22660 bytes)

 

Turn the whale right-side-up using the Edit Control.

Apply the Operation-Crease.gif (514 bytes) Crease Operation and adjust the slider to the far left so that there is no creasing. This will correct any seams that appeared when the eyes and blow hole were painted on.

Click Button-Toolbar-RenderSmooth.gif (176 bytes) to turn Smooth Rendering on.

We are done! Not bad for a transformed cube.

Click here to download the model completed in this part of this tutorial.

Note that we applied a texture to the whale as the first step of painting the whale. You may ask "Why did you use a texture when you could have just used a paint color?". The way that textures and paint colors are rendered by 3D Hardware is slightly different and do not result in exactly the same color even if the bitmap used is identical to the color used. Since we were going to paint on eye and blowhole textures, they would not have exactly matched their neighboring colors if we had not first painted the whale using a texture.

 

TutorialBlockModeling4-7.gif (19526 bytes)