Questions about modelling an ant

[wasisn]

Hello everyone,

I'd like to model an ant. I made some pictures for the proportions. But the question is how to start modelling.
Should I use primitives (e.g. sphere, cylinder) for the body parts or should I draw the facets on my own?

Thank you for suggestions... :love:

[Hugo]

Hi,
I think the best for this model is Box modeling.
Start with a cube, and extrud it., in 5 seconds you will have one part of your ant.
I think you need 3 cube, for the 3 major parts (head, body and back).


Here is a quick exemple for understand what i mean.

Happy modeling with amapi.

[wasisn]

Hello Hugo,

thank you for the suggestion and the enlightening example file. While waiting for some answers I started with a sphere yesterday and used the deformer to get the right shape.
But I think your approach is a better way because it is less complicated and has low polygon numbers.
I will post my advances...

Good night

[wasisn]

Hello again,

I've got a question about smoothing. When I smooth the body of the ant with range 2 and render it in Amapi one can see the edges of the polygons (see image). If I choose range 3 everything is smooth. Does this happen because of bad modelling or because the edges are to sharp?

[Hugo]

I don't know exactly, but it can come from the poor rendering engine in Amapi.
Hope you will use another software for render.

It can also come from your modeling, maybe need a bit more of poly, or from the edge smooth.

But i don't think taht's a major problem.

Maybe post a wire of your model (without smooth)

[draudrau]

It can be the edge smoothing value which is to lower.
Try 80 or 85.
It's only a rendering problem. With a correct edge smoothing value it'll be disappear.

[wasisn]

Hello Hugo,

thank you again for the fast response .
No, I don't use the Designer for rendering, I use Carrara Studio 1.1. But there it looks similar. But when I use a higher grade of smoothing everything is okay.
Attached a side fiew of the not smoothed geometry. :D

[wasisn]

Hi reiomega,

I tried the edge smoothing parameter in Amapi but no matter which value I chose there was no difference.

[laughingnome]

hi wasisn
you simply need more cuts in the low poly model to create a more gradual smoothing.

stu

[wasisn]

Hello,

my work on the ant is proceeding. The two front legs are missing because they are diffrent from the other one's. There is also some fine-tuning necessary on the legs. But so far I'm quite satisfied :D

[Hugo]

Nice, can't wait the next update ! ;)

[toonman]

Me too! Very nice!!!

[wasisn]

@Hugo and toonman - Thank you for the flowers ;)

[wasisn]

Hello everyone,

the ant's model is progressing but I again have a smoothing problem. If I smooth the mesh (see figure) with a range of 2 I get hard edges. If I take range 3 everything is fine but the polycount is very high. Could anyone give me a hint how to solve this?

Thanks!

[Hugo]

It's normal. You cannot create a form with hard edges very distant without that generating that kind of thing.
Try to add more details/polygons, because smooth at 3 cannot attenuate but at 4 or 56 that work...

[wasisn]

Hello

a long time has passed since the last update. But today I did a big step forward and next time I might present the first render of the ant. Unfortunately I had to rebuild the legs because there where some parts that don't exist in nature (maybe I should train my counting skills :P ). Because of the missing eyes and mandibles it looks ab bit unfinished but I'm on it....

[Hugo]

Nice job ! Post a shaded view without wire and in not an iso (conical pers')

[Shonner]

Great job! Nice clean design.

[wasisn]

@Hugo:

You're right I forgot to change to perspective camera. Maybe I can model the missing parts today and the I post a "real" render. I'm also looking forward to it ;)

[laughingnome]

this is looking good.
nice rebuild on the legs.
cant wait to see a real render.

cheers
stu