Wondering if anyone can shine some light on this problem. I’m sure it’s an easy fix for someone with experience using Blender.
I’m following a tutorial from CG Cookie. The bit I’m getting stuck on is the mirror modifier.
In the tutorial the instructor removes sections of an object and sets up a modifier so the object will be mirrored along the Y and Z axis. When I try Z axis is seems to off to a random position.
For some reason this only works for me when I mirror along the Y and X axis.
My orientation within the Blender environment is the same as the instructors.
This isn’t a big problem generally but it is when we get to the next step in the video when we need to apply an Array modifier to the object.
This has worked for me yesterday but now when I try to brush up on my skills + looking at the video I can’t work out whats going wrong.
The object has unapplied rotations and scale. Tools and modifiers work in object data level (mesh in this case), and you’re looking at the mesh in different size and in different orientation than what the tools and modifiers see. Object mode, ctrl+A -> rotation & scale to apply, then the viewport and the mesh match.
Mirror modifier uses object origin and the selected axis/axes as the mirror plane. To change its position, either move the mesh, or set origin from the tool shelf (ctrl+alt+shift+C), snap menu (shift+S) can also help. Mirror modifier can use other objects to define the mirror point instead of object origin.
There are parts that are darker. It’s because the normals (face directions) are pointing in while everything else points out. Edit mode, select all, ctrl+N to make normals consistent and pointing out. There’s also W -> flip normals.
Thanks again for the help! Your advice has helped me to break down the steps in better understanding how the mirror modifier works.
Looks like I have lots to practise with!
I like to follow tutorials and generally pick up the concepts as I go along. But now and again I hit a brick wall and it stops the flow of progress. I don’t see it as a bad thing. It just means it takes some additional time in learning a new component.
I really appreciate the advice you (JA12) and others such as (Pyro) give. I’m hoping in a few months maybe I can be of service to new users.
