Hi:
I’m trying to model a bottle which has some very asymmetrical detail. I am unable to blend that detail into the overall bottle shape because of the difference between the high number of polygons in the detailed area and the low overall number of polygons in the model.
How can I do this better? Maybe my overall strategy is incorrect?
Thanks.
I’d start with your understanding of the shape. Notice the symmetrical flatiron-like shape that’s facing you and integrate that with the cone shape of the whole bottle first. I think you just missed this in an otherwise fine big-to-small workflow. Can’t replace all the effort with technique.
This is a rather challenging model to re-create.
If you want those clean, rounded indentations, there should be edge loops wrapping around their borders. Considering the level of detail of the bottle, you are going to need the base mesh to be quite finely detailed even before subdivision.
Personally, I would do this using a completely different technique, as it would be very dificult to get both the shape and topology correct at the same time. I would:
1-Start by getting the correct shape without the indents.
2-Model the indents as a separate object, then use booleans to carve them into the bottle.
3-Now, the bottle has the correct shape and details, but the topology is a mess.
4-Then, I would retopologize, the same way you would for a sculpted character. I would start by adding edge loops that follow the hard edges and the borders of the detailed parts, then fill in the smoother areas.
Thanks for the advise and the link to the tutorial!
I think @Zyl has the right idea: try to create a topology from the start that allows you to put in those details:
One messy part:
After applying one level of sub-d to iron it out:
This part here still isn’t perfect, maybe applying shrinkwrap in one way of another could help:
plastic_bottle.blend (194.5 KB)
What a nice neat job.
Thanks! Although I think starting with a bit more geometry (16 vertices in the top circle) gives better results:
That’s a really good topology!
But that problem with the crumpled areas is exactly why I am suggesting the retopology way. if you have a basis with a perfect shape, you can be sure your retopo will be flawless, because it will be shrinkwrapped onto it.
Though I will admit your way is faster to do. If I had to clean that messy area, I might do it with the looptools addon (it comes with Blender). You can use the relax tool one edge loop at a time in each direction and make the topology more even and flat.
Wow thanks LordoftheFleas! That’s seriously helpful!
I was thinking about shrinkwrap too (I did a big shrinkwrap tutorial but it has been a few years since I’ve worked with that modifier.)
