From BlenderWiki
[edit] Modeling and rigging a cartoon looking spider!
Level: Ex Super Expert Class R
[edit] Introduction
Blender modeling tools are excellent for many tasks, especially for making organic forms. To make funny simple cartoon looking character with Blender is as simple as walk in the park (well, once you know how, obviously :) I'll try to prove that in this short tutorial...
So, first you'll need an idea. If you don't have fresh idea, use an old one, probably it's already mature enough to be recycled in some fresh dimensions. Such was my case... Actually, you can skip this idea part, with the Blender you don't even need an idea, to surf on the tools options is usually more than enough to start one! :)
So I needed a good looking model, but also simple enough to achieve decent short rendering times. You know, short rendering times - longer movie in the short time.. :)
OK, there are many good modeling tutorials around, of course in the previous BlenderArt volumes too, so check them out, most of the modeling tools are mature, so it didn't change much.
Here I'll show you my key stages of the modeling and rigging process:
[edit] Body
It's good to start your model in the center of the 3D space, especially if you'll use Mirror Modifiers, Armatures, etc... So first hit SHIFT-CKEY (move 3D cursor in the center X=0,Y=0,Z=0) and Numpad 1 (Front view. X axis goes from left to right)
Add a cube (Object mode: SPACE key > Add Mesh > Cube) and add Subsurf Modifier (F9 > Modifiers > Subsurf), select subsurf level 2 and hit Apply button (picture 1.h) (or ALT-CKEY in object mode) in the Modifiers pannel. Tweak the vertices to get shape like this:
 1a. |
 1b. |
 1c. |
 1d. |
- TIPS: Basic modeling tools are of course: GKEY (grab, move), SKEY (scale), RKEY (rotate). You can select joined mesh pieces with a LKEY in edit mode (modeler is active in this mode most of the time). Once selected, you can separate them again with a PKEY. To make face (also known as a polygon) select edges or vertices and press FKEY. With a ALT-SKEY you can move faces according to normals!
Select three faces and extrude them inward with EKEY to make place for an upper legs 'connections' with a body. You can delete one side of the body mesh and add Mirror Modifier, so you'll need to tweak only one half of the body since it's usually good to build things symmetrical as far as it goes... OK, this is the spiders body shape. Easy, huh!? We'll add hair or fur later...
 1e. |
 1f. |
 1g. |
 1h. |
[edit] Head
Check the sketch how big must be the head to fit the style of the illustration. Be flexible here, try to make it bigger or smaller too. Usually you can get better results if you don't follow the sketch... :)
There are many ways how build a head for a body. I used the topology of the body as the starting point for a head. So, I duplicated body faces (4x3) in edit mode with SHIFT-DKEY. This 12 new faces are still part of the body mesh so I separated them with a PKEY.
 2a. |
 2b. |
 2c. |
 2d. |
You can make head the same way as the body above, from the cube, but with a duplicating part of already made body mesh you get normal coordinations which are useful for the quicker assembling body parts - less tweaking, faster result! :)
So, after a few extrudes (EKEY) and a few vertices tweakings, I came up with this:
 2e. |
 2f. |
 2g. |
 2h. |
[edit] Legs
Again, with the same principle as a head, I selected one (this time was one enough) face where is placed middle leg "joint" and duplicated it with a SHIFT-DKEY and separated it with a PKEY. After a few extrudes (EKEY) and a few vertices tweakings, I came up with this:
 3a. |
 3b. |
 3c. |
 3d. |
On the tip of the leg I added four spheres1* and joined all leg meshes together with a CTRL-JKEY. I could pose leg also into a different resting positions, but for the later stage it's important that is knee at least a little bended (angle with a less than 180 degrees) because of the proper armature IK calculations (needed later). Finally I duplicated the rest five legs in the planed positions, again with SHIFT-DKEY of course.
[edit] Eyes & Teeth
Spider's teeth are super simple, well like the rest, huh!? OK, I admit, I went the same way one more time! Repetitio est mater studiorum! SHIFT-DKEY, PKEY, EKEY, tweaking... But this time I added one loopcut with a KKEY (picture 4c.) to make spider's teeth topology more fascinating! :)
 4a. |
 4b. |
 4c. |
 4d. |
- TIP: In Blender is extremely important HotKey XKEY which usually delete ugly & awkward looking artworks! Interesting how efficient is Blender with a few HotKeys, ha!?
I could make the eyes even more simple, but there's a little trick with an eye "iris lens". Namely, you get better light reflections if you make iris lens more spherical/convex! Here's how I made it: Add sphere - SPACE > Add > Mesh > UVsphere (Segments 8, Rings 8). Select top 16 faces (2 Rings) and separate them with PKEY. Make lens more convex (use GKEY, SKEY tools for that).
 5a. |
 5b. |
 5c. |
 5d. |
Eyelid is made with additional UVsphere (Segments 12, Rings 8), rotated 90 degrees towards the eyeball. Scaled, deleted one row segment row and extruded edgeloop towards center of an eyelid. (pictures 5 b-c.) For a open-close eyelid I used shapekeys, but I'm not going into shapekeys details this time, you can check the related File...
- TIP: Use median point 3D pivot cursor and SHIFT-SKEY (snap) tools for the center positioning of an eyelid axis. FaceLoops/EdgeLoops you can select with a ALT-SHIFT-RMB and ALT-CTRL-RMB. Sneaky tools!
[edit] Hair, fur and other horrendous growings!
OK, spider model was at this stage basically done. The rest are colors and of course horrendous hair! That's quite easy again, colors was tweaked in the Shading Menu (F5) and for the particle emitters was used duplicated parts of already made spider meshes.
 6a. |
 6b. |
 6c. |
 6d. |
Particle system is in the current Blender (Jan. 2008) so advanced that is this file made in Blender version 2.45 old already. So, particles in this file will not be compatible in the next Blender versions! Check related file for this particle settings (F7 > Physics buttons > Particles).
- TIP: Check BlenderWiki's ActionBook for updated versions!
- http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Blender_3D:_ActionBook
[edit] Rig, oil & sweat!
Next phase toward animation was rigging. This armature contain basic (version 1.)2* use of IK constraints, but for an animation I didn't need more complex rig.
- TIP: If you want to avoid some unpredictable armature behaviour, start to build the rig in the center! SHIFT-CKEY!
So, I added first bone in the center (Object mode: SPACE > Add > Armature). I usually name this first bone Root_Something, in this case Root_Spider.
 7a. |
 7b. |
 7c. |
 7d. |
After I duplicated this bone in edit mode; extruded (EKEY) tips of the bone two times and positioned them again with a SHIFT-SKEY tools.
- TIP: If you want to save time with a naming bones, name only "important" bones (Root_*, Handle_*, Tag_*) and leave to do the rest naming job Blender automagically! Only take care to add *.R or *.L on the end of the bone names (on example: Handle_Leg_01.L). Blender will recognize this as a bone chain on the Left side. This is also useful for mirror bone editing!
Here is an example of setting leg bone in the exact position, which is very hard to achieve by hand, especially when working with the organic forms and exotic angles:
 8a. |
 8b. |
 8c. |
 8d. |
- 8a.) Add Bone
- 8b.) Select Median Pivot Point; Select Edges; SHIFT+SKEY > Cursor -> Selection
- 8c.) Select Tip of the Bone in Edit Mode
- 8d.) SHIFT+SKEY > Selection -> Cursor
OK, back to Spider's rig. After I extruded and positioned all needed bones for a leg, I started with a IK chain logic setup.
 9a. |
 9b. |
 9c. |
 9d. |
Bones with IK constraint solvers are yellow colored. So, every spider's leg have one IK solver (picture 9b. - ChainLen:2) which I added in a pose mode. After I duplicated (SHIFT-DKEY remember? :) left/right side legs. Then I added bone for a head and one bone for a mouth-jaw. Of course there is also unnecessary bonus handle for a moving all legs simultaneously!
- TIP: (switch pose/edit mode with a TAB and pose/object mode with a CTRL-TAB)
Finally there was only attaching mesh to the armature left to accomplish the final step. That's also quite easy. I added Armature modifier to the mesh and assigned Vertex Groups to each bone.
- TIP: Don't forget to disable Envelope in Armature Modifier if you use Vertex Groups!
- & FINAL MASTER TIP: One animation per day keeps Kaito away! :)
[edit] Download .blend
 |  |
- 1. Adding the spheres that way isn't optimal if you build model for a game. There must be unplanned hidden faces forbidden! This model was planed for the animation, so this "dense" spheres can be used as a particle emitters if needed...
- 2. Armature system in Blender was build in stages. Version 1. can do FK, IK and some other basic constraints. Version 2. can do more advanced things - check Mancandy's rig made by Bassam Kurdali as an example. Version 3. is latest and greatest current armature system used for characters in the Blender's Open Movie 2! http://peach.blender.org
[edit] On Your Marks!
Many old & new Blender tools have a bunch of new things implemented since version 2.4. Changes and new candies in Armatures, NLA, new Nodes & other powerful tools give you an amazing spectrum of new options, but watch out, also traps! Here I'll try to cover some more advanced Blender options & features in animations, nodes, composing, etc., and also some basic stuff that is used mostly in my own working process. You will also find example files...
- Note: Example files are saved with the Blender 2.43 (unless explicitly marked) & some parts are Linux specific. Screenshots are made with a different Blender versions and some with a new icon set (this is just a preparation for the Blender 2.50 GUI redesign).
Blender is not only the first and only fully integrated 3D graphics creation suite allowing modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, realtime interactive 3D, game creation and playback with cross-platform compatibility, but it's also global phenomena in many ways.
It ain't easy to ride Blender at its full development speed... So, dear reader, don't worry if you will find some parts in this book confusing. It is likely that if something doesn't seem the way it should it is because of my latest neuro linguistics interests, a typo, or Blender has had some major update and gotten even better! If you come across any errors, please make the appropriate changes directly. You don't need permission, and it's easy to register... :)
- Python Code, Monty Note:
- Blender is changing, so does me & my NoteBooks! ;)
![[]](/skins/blender/open.png)
