3D Face - Part Four: Using Splines to model the Head

With the reference planes in place, it was time to start creating the model itself. The first step was to 'trace' the topology on the reference planes in the front view. This was done using Lines, or 'Splines'.



Under the Create Shapes column, the Line tool was used to create each individual point or corner defined in the Topology. One of the most important things is to keep each polygon in the model as a quad. Fortunately by following the Topology reference, this can be done without much effort at all.



The splines are created all the way down the face in the front view. Once all the Topology lines had been traced, they could be attached together as a single object in the program. Before doing this, however, one or more of the splines were transformed into Polygons by applying an Edit Poly modifier.

With the created polygon selected, the Attach tool (found under the Edit Geometry section of the Edit Poly settings) could be used to attach the rest of the splines. Using the Attach Settings (the little box icon next to the Attach button) was a quicker way of doing this, as it would open up a list of all the objects inside the project. You could then select them all using CTRL-A, then clicking the Attach button. Now, all of the splines are transformed into Polygons, and are part of the same Edit Poly object.



At this point, the model was completely flat. By going into Vertex mode inside the Edit Poly settings, each individual vertex could be moved in the Left viewport to give the model some depth. This is a lengthy process, and required some patience in trying to accurately create the look and feel of the face.

3D Face - Part Three: Setting up Reference Planes

Once the topology had been determined, the image needed to be imported into 3DS Max so that it could be used as a reference. To do this, I created two Planes inside of 3DS Max, and added the image to them as a material.

A UVW Map modifier was then applied to the plane, granting access to the Bitmap Fit tool. This allows the material to be mapped at the same size as a specified image. The gizmo for this tool can be moved around, allowing me to map the left half of the image to one plane, and the right half to another.

More detail about Reference Planes can be found here: http://jackina3dbox.blogspot.com/2011/04/reference-planes-vs-viewport.html

3D Face - Part Two: Adding Topology

The next (and perhaps most important step of the entire project) was to plan out the topology for the model. This was done on the image itself, using Photoshop to simply paint different coloured lines over the face of the image.

Topology is how well the polygons on the model flow, how they are positioned and shaped. It is vital to create a good flow between the polygons to create an organic looking model, and one that will animate naturally without looking distorted or artificial.

Following a tutorial provided in the lesson, I was able to create the topology by using the tutorial as an example. It took a long time, and a lot of trial and error trying to get it to look right and flow correctly.

The blue lines on the image are the guidelines. These are drawn first to establish key areas on the face; wrinkles or the jaw bone, for example. The red lines represent the actual polygons that will be created when modelling. A few important rules had to be followed, such as making sure all the polygons were 'quads' (four edges and points). Ensuring the polygons are quads will prevent any 'pinching' and artefacts during smoothing, and will also allow smoother and easier animation.

Also, creating a 'diamond' shaped polygon in certain areas allows for the edge loops to change direction, such as in the centre of the cheek.

3D Face - Part One: Editing the reference images

The first step in this assignment was to get my photo taken, which the Tutor did for the entire class at the beginning. A front photo and a side photo were required:

After getting the photos, they needed to be edited in Photoshop so that they would make decent reference images inside of 3DS Max. A Lens Correction filter was applied in order to fix some of the flaws created by the camera when the photo was taken, and to straighten the images.

The next step was to rotate and resize the photos side by side, so that they would match up accurately:

Assignments and Initial Thoughts

Virtual Environments is split into two assignments: An individual project worth 40% of the overall mark and a group project worth 60%.

• Individual Project: Create a 3D model of your own face.

Other than some embarrassing photographs, this project looks like a lot of fun. It teaches the importance of topology, modelling the face as accurately and efficiently as possible to allow for easy and good looking animation later on.

• Group Project: A Client led brief to produce an animation based around research of Finchingfield Guild Hall.

There are two choices for this project: Either create an animation that shows how the Guild Hall would have been used over the years and how it affected the society around it, or create an animation showing how the building will look once it has been redeveloped, showing how groups would use it in the present day.

I am slightly concerned about the group project at this point in time, as I do not know anyone in my class that would make forming a three/four person group easy. However, I'm sure this wont be too much of a problem for long.