making a turtle ( Tutorial Pts 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. )

[Modron]

<edit> just a note about drawmodes and stuff for noobs...this used to confuse me, and i know it's been a source of confusion for others as well, so, first of all...
there's the drawmode. on the main header, you can choose to be in wireframe, solid, shaded or textured. i am mostly in wireframe and solid here. that's the drawmode.
let's cover some other factors that affect the appearance of the object in the 3D viewport.
in some of the illustrations, i've set subsurface on, and clicked 'set smooth'. this is when you'll find out if your normals are all facing outside, because, if they aren't, weird looking black patches will appear on your model. the solution is to select all verts in edit mode, and use 'ctrl N' for 'recalculate normals outside.
now, if i want to see my wireframe, when i'm in object mode, i click on the button that looks like three arrows, then, with my object selected, i click 'wire'. if my object is subsurfaced, this could appear as a very dense web of lines, so to correct this, i go to edit buttons, and click 'optimal'.
while i am in edit mode, i have some options, which i can access from the edit buttons. you'l notice buttons for 'draw faces' 'draw edges' and 'draw normals'. in the pics, i have draw faces and draw edges turned on. without them, you'll just see the cage in edit mode, and not the faces, and selected edges won't highlight.
there are alot of frames in the tutorial that show a grayed out wireframe in wire drawmode. the reason they are gray instead of black, is, i have put them temporarily in a different scene, that i am linked to.
if you want to do this, go to the scene tab, select 'add new'>'empty', return to your original scene, select the object you want to send to the new scene, hit 'ctrl L'>>select 'to scene'. select the scene you want your object to go to. now delete the original, and over on the far left in the render buttons, there one of those little arrow buttons. click that and select the scene you want to link to as a set. now you'll see your object in the other scene, but in wireframe view it will be grayed out. if you wish to return your object to the original scene, you send it back the same way.

so, on to mr turtle.
http://home.att.net/~zolgnar/tur2oot2.jpg

A) make a cube, set subsurface on 2, and with the scaling widget, squash it into the desired proportions.
B) with 'Alt C' convert the subsurface to a mesh.
C) delete the lower vetexes.
D) select all verts and extrude. scale down and move them into position as shown. ( remember to recalculate normals before the next step )
E) with 'Shift R' select the face loop along the shell rim. extrude, and with 'Alt S' scale along normal until they are in position as shown in the illustration.
F) subsurface and convert to mesh
G) while still in edit mode, add some icospheres, and position them ( you can select them individually by selecting a vertice, and using 'Ctrl L' to select linked verts ) where you want to add the limbs, head, and tail. scale the head one up a bit, and the tail one down.
H) with the icospheres in position use shift select to select a vetice from each, and 'Ctrl L' to select the rest of the linked vetexes.
I) Use the 'O' key to toggle on proportional editing, and push the selected spheres up into the shell. If the influence is too high, use the ' - ' key to turn it down. If too low, use the ' + ' key.
J) with the ' X ' key, delete the icospheres. tab out of edit mode, and there is your upper shell. next....the lower shell!

[Rore]

Looks easy to understand and to follow, so far. And the turtle shell is nice too
Good job

[Modron]

thanks, i accidentally deleted it, ( exited without saving ) so i had to make a new one. it looks pretty much like the first one. :P

[Modron]

http://home.att.net/~zolgnar/turtltoot2.jpg

A) I could make this much in the same fashion as i made the other half of the shell, but i chose to be divergeant. so... first i added a plane from top view and extruded its four edges outwards to start my shape.
I then used the knife tool ( K ) to cut the long faces in half
B) I then added some new edges ( F ), and cut them in half, also with the knife tool, which works better than subdivision in this case.
C) using 'S' i scale the new verts into position...
D) and face them. ( F )
E) now I subsurface and convert to mesh
F) using the proportional editing tool once again, i pul in the areas where the various bits will poke out.
G) then i select the middle vertice, and in side view, again using the proportional editing tool, i pull down. ( in edit mode of course, not in object mode, as in the pic. )
H) next is to select all verts with 'A' and extrude down. ( remember to recalc normals outside )
I) i did a bit more tweaking here.
J) checking the fit, i notice that he needs more room for his head.
K) proportional edit mode to the rescue again. i give him a collar lift.
L) this looks like a satisfactory shell. next, the head.

[chrome]

hey thanks man this is a cool tut cant wait for the next instulasion

[Modron]

ok, now for the head...
http://home.att.net/~zolgnar/mrThead1.jpg

A) add a circle with 12 faces ( an arbitrary number, but for the purposes of following along,... ) squash it with the scaling widget.
B) go into side view,and rotate it some, so it matches the contour of the shell better, and extrude.
C) use the knife tool to cut the loop at a 90 degree angle.
D) delete the front edge loop.
E) extrude the top 3 edges out 4 times as i have done, and rotate them as you go.
F) select the edges above where the eyes would be, duplicate them ( Shift-D ), and move them down a bit.
G) squash, duplicate, and mirror. ( M )
H) add edges ( F ) to the gaps in the corners of the eye regions.
I) add faces ( F ) to connect the top of the head to the eye regions.
J) now start extruding the beak, rotating and scaling as you go.
K) looks like a beak. good deal.
L) add a face to the tip. ( F )
M) select these four edges
N) and extrude them back toward the eyes a bit.
( theHead part 2will be up shortly )

[Modron]

and here is part two of the head
<edit> looks like troutmask accidentally doubled M) and left out N) so i'll leave the original in view for now.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../mrThead2b.jpg

A) select these two verts, and move them back, and out.
B) extrude them, and again, flare them back and out.
C) make loop cuts above the eyes ( ctrl R )
D) add a couple of edges
E) and 4 new faces ( F )
F) select the lower back edges of the eyes, and extrude them down, then, select the front two verts, and move them forward a bit.
G) face the bit between the beak and the front corner of the eye, and that will give you the new edge you need to face the lower edge of the eye. so do that.
H) now select the edges of the eye area, extrude, and scale inward. don't worry about doing the other side. we'll fix it in a minute.
I) extrude and scale again, but this time move the edge loop inward a bit.
J) now, etrude > scale > move outward > extrude > scale > extrude > move inward.
K) face the area behind the eye.
L) then put another between that face and the neck, then one more to the space above it.
M) select the faces of the right ( the turtles right ) side of the head, and delete them.
N) then select the ones on the left, duplicate ( shift D ), and mirror ( M ).
O) move the new piece into position.
P) when it's as close as you can get it, select the edges that need to be joined, and click on 'remove doubles' in the edit menu. you will probably have to turn up the value a bit to get them all. then check to make sure you didn't miss any by deselecting, and in the mesh menu, use 'select non-manifold'. if you missed any, you'll see them highlighted in yellow. to join any pairs that you missed, select that pair, and press 'Alt M' to weld them.
--more coming soon

[Modron]

part three.
<edit> looks like troutmask left out part three so i'll leave the original for now, and i'll fix these if he doesn't get to it first

A) make a loop cut along the neck, close to the head
B) extrude a new partial row of vertices down from the new cut and under the eye. face the area between, and select the 4 verts that i have selected in the pic.
C) use the scaling widjet to nudge them inward a bit.
D) now select these verts along the beak area, on both sides
E) extrude and scale inward
F) now extrude the edge on the very tip upward.
G) fill in the gaps under the eye and near the tip using 'F' key, to close our new face loop.
H) now, select the verts from the edge under the eye, as in the pic, and extrude 4 times in an upside down arc, scaling inward as you go to form the top edge of the lower jaw, and add an edge to the tipusing 'F'
I) with your new edge selected, extrude downward.
J) hey wait, i wanted another row of faces between there!...no problemo, i use 'ctrl +' to add the next row of verts to my selection, and press 'Y' to split them from the main part of the mesh. I then move them downward a bit.
K) Now make another loop cut along the neck.
L) face...
M) another loop cut...
N) select the bottom 3 faces from the neck and extrude them to line up roughly with the loop you just cut
O) make a loop cut as shown ( don't forget to do both sides )
P) add some faces, and he's starting to look like a turtle.

stay tuned for the head part 4!

[BgDM]

Excellent tute Modron. Very easy to follow and great ref images.

Keep it coming!

BgDM

[Modron]

thanks Bg, here's part 4 of the head.
http://home.att.net/~zolgnar/TtutHead4.jpg

A) select the bottom face of the neck and from side view, extrude it roughly along the countour of your lower jaw.scale the last set of verts inward.
B) face the whole thing, and if, like me, you didn't make enough faces...
C) extrude again
D) and finish it off.
E) select the entire edge of the mouth
F) extrude, and scale, using the scaling widget.
G) some minor corrections are necessary on the front 4 vertexes
H) rotate them, and tuck them back into the beak a bit.
I) face with 'F'
J) keep going until you have sealed off both the upper and lower mouth.
K) select the row of faces that makes up the roof of the mouth
L) from side view, extrude upward a bit

( will be adding pt5 shortly )

[Modron]

and pt 5
http://home.att.net/~zolgnar/tTutHead5.jpg

A) now select the row of faces you made on the lower mouth and extrude downward.
B) now select the back of the mouth
C) extrude backwards
D) make a loop cut right through the middle of the entire head
E) select the middle vertices of the upper mouth and raise them a bit
F) select a couple of the middle verts where the back of the toungue will be, and raise them up a bit.
G) select the whole lower mouth as shown
H) raise the region up a bit
I) select the two faces at the tip of his beak
J) pull them down and rotate them so it comes to a point
K) select these two verts from his 'molars'
L) pull them up so they go just behind his upper jaw.

( more to follow! )

[Modron]

part six finishes up the head for now.
http://home.att.net/~zolgnar/TtutHead6.jpg

A) select the top beak as shown
B) scoot it back so it fits up against the lower beak.
C) lift up the lower beak a bit.
D) select the faces where you want the nostrils to be, and extrude, then click in place without moving them.
E) hit smooth a few times to shrink the new faces.
F) extrude inward twice and you should get something like this.
G) then I moved the eye up for some reason.
H) then I added to my selection the top part of the head, and moved it down a bit.
I) this looks good to me for now, so I'll move on to the feet. I'll probably change and detail the head later after I've looked at it some more.

Next part: The feet

[TroutMask]

brilliant tutorial. blender needs more poly by poly tutorials like this to help the user base gain a more solid understanding of modeling principles.

just one suggestion though. would it be possible to arrange the images 3 wide to reduce the amount of scrolling up and down between the images and the instructions?

edit: if you want to do this i can rearrange the images for you while you focus on finishing the tutorial. just let me know.

great job, cheers.

[Modron]

thanks for the offer, but i don't want to put them all up again. i'll start doing them three wide though.

[TroutMask]

oops. actually finished the first sequence before you responded. hope you're not offended if i post it anyway. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../tur2oot2b.jpg

[Modron]

oh, no problem, i thought i would have to put them up again. i didn't realize you were putting them up. i'll replace the ones i did with your urls, and keep mine up in text form as a backup.
<edit> yeah you're right they look much better like that.

[Modron]

here's part 1 of the legs

A) I decided i need more room for the legs to poke out, so, i select these verts,
B) and with proportional editing mode on, i scale in with 'alt-S'.
C) that looks better. I can add some legs now.
D) in side view, I add another 12 sided circle and squash it a bit.
E) I extrude it out to the side.
F) Using the loop cut tool ( ctrl R ) I cut some loops and scale them so it looks like in the pic.
G) Ok, this part you can't actually see, because it didn't show up in the screen render. There is a lattice holding that leg in place, so, add a lattice, and in edit buttons, change the resolution so it sticks out 3 squares in the same direction as the leg is sitting at the moment. scale the leg so it fits nicely within the lattice, then parent the leg to the lattice. scale and manipulate the nodes of the lattice so that your leg is in a good position. I also used it to make the leg less wide, except at the base where it comes out of the shell. select the mesh in object mode, and hit 'ctrl Alt A' to apply the lattice deformation. your leg will now look quite strange until you delete the lattice. so, delete the lattice, and move the leg into position.
H) select the bottom edge loop
I) extrude down and rotate it to be flat with the ground.

( more shortly )

[TroutMask]

okay, when i am finished them all i will post them all in a single post and send you a PM.

[Modron]

awesome, man. thanks for the help.

[Modron]

ok here's the rest of the foot. i'll detail this some later.

A) from the base of the foot, select four adjoining faces that are pointed somewhat forward, and somewhat outward ( to the side ). extrude in 'individual faces' mode.
B) select the top front edges of the toes, and lower them a bit
C and D) these two frames got reversed somehow i just noticed, so, first, D:
make a loop cut through the toes and bottom of the foot. now C: select the toe tips and hit 'smooth' a couple of times.
E) now select the verts between the toes, and on the outside of the toes, along that same loop, as i have done in the pic.
F) with 'Alt S' scale them outward a bit.
G) now take each toe tip individually, and extrude each of them outward once.
H) now select the faces on the bottom of the toes.
I) extrude downward three times, using smooth as you go to give them some taper.
J) select the edges on the back middle region of his toes, as in the pic, and move them up slightly.
K) now select the lowest fron edges of his toes, and move them down slightly.
L) select all of his toes, right up to the base of his foot and hit smooth a couple of times. now he has nice sharp turtle claws. i may add some webbing later.
M) select the verts at the edge of his foot that are not connected to his toe verts, and scale inward, either with 'alt S' or plain 'S'.
N) extrude and scale inward.
O) extrude again, and press 'Alt M' to collapse the new edge loop into a single point.
P) select all vertexes with 'A', 'shift D' to duplicate, and 'M' to mirror.

next...the rest of him