Advice please (and an intro)

[Yecire]

Booleans aren't needed for something as simple as a tube ... and it's best to avoid them if possible (for the sake of clean topology, esp. in Blender, which doesn't handle them well currently).

When you create your tube, disable the Cap Ends option. Then in Edit mode Select All faces [Ctrl+A], Extrude [E] and Scale [S] them inward (use [Shift+X,Y, or Z] to avoid making it shorter along the length of the inside). And yes, you should select all faces again and Recalculate Normals Outside [Ctrl+N] ... this is generally a good thing to do periodically while editing meshes.

As for paneling, I would use the Array modifier. Make just one short section of your tunnel, and use the modifier to create offset duplicates to fill out the rest of your sections. Now, when you bevel the edges on the ends of your tube, the change will be reflected in the duplicates, resulting in a 'seperation' of panels.

Hope that helps ...

[prizo]

Thats great info, thanks!

I'll investigate the array modifier right now.

[prizo]

*double post*

[kilon]

Thats great info, thanks!

I'll investigate the array modifier right now.

As far as I understand , your issue is an issue of modelling. I think you need to look at Subsurf modifier, it will make your life easier and of course arrays can assist you as well.

What you are asking is not really anything difficult , it is pretty standard Blender beginner stuff. Just read one of the available tutorials on Subsurf and the Mesh tools and you will be just fine. Or you may even visit youtube if you prefer video demostration.

If you do no not mind paying for your knowledge this is an excellent tutorial , dealing with panels as well.

http://www.blender3d.org/e-shop/product_info.php?products_id=105

I also recommend getting a book also for learning blender. I have bought this and it is very good for beginners.

http://www.blender3d.org/e-shop/product_info.php?products_id=96

I guess the best technique is to start with a cylinder and extrude the faces that will be the panels and then apply surbsurf for more detail and organic lines.

[prizo]

Yecire - Arrays are fantastic and I definitely made some good progress last night, thanks!

But I ran into a big problem: I can't make an array with from multiple objects. If I have two cubes and I select both of them (shift + RMB) then add an array modifier it only applies to the last cube I clicked on.
I have seen youtube vids where it applies the array to multiple objects... what am I missing?

kilon - I will investigate subsurf tonight but from what I've just read in the last couple minutes I don't see how it will help... it looks like it smooths out angular edges... could you elaborate on how you see it applying?

[Yecire]

Yeah, modifiers would only be applied to the Active (last selected) object. You can apply it to other objects using Copy Attributes [Ctrl+C], or simply Join [Ctrl+J] the two objects into one. Remember, the order of selection is important ... the Active object is the one that will be the source of copied/retained data (try the opposite order - or more than two objects - to see what I mean).

[prizo]

Thanks.

After I join them, however, all changes apply to both from that point on... right?
Is there a way to unjoin?

[Liquidape]

Select The part you want to unjoin. Hit the P for se(P)arate. Select "Selected".

[Yecire]

After I join them, however, all changes apply to both from that point on... right?

Yeah ...

Is there a way to unjoin?

In Edit mode use [P] for options to Separate.

[kilon]

kilon - I will investigate subsurf tonight but from what I've just read in the last couple minutes I don't see how it will help... it looks like it smooths out angular edges... could you elaborate on how you see it applying?

Do not be fooled by some tutorials out there, subsurf is equally useful for inorganic modelling as well.

Generally subsurf is used for curved surfaces. For example is very capable tool when modelling a car. By itself subusrf creates smoth edges. The sharped eges can be accomblished using a feature called "Edge Creasing" , the cool thing about this tool is that it allows you to cotrol how sharp the edge is going to be. As you know in the inorganic world not everything is 100% sharp .

Tutorials

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/Beginning_Tips
http://www.cgsutra.com/blender_tutorials/b0007_vital_function_part3/vital_functions_part_3.php
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=113427&page=3

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/1604/subsur1it6.gif

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/7059/subsur2se9.gif

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/1455/subsur3ww4.gif

[prizo]

Thanks kilon.

Well.. here is tonights work - most of it thanks to you guys.
I'm very happy with it. Any advice on what could be done better?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/3334292555_f59701eb5a_o.jpg

[wiz4rd]

Hey, this looks pretty good!
You may wanna use "set smooth" for the tunnel walls. This would give you a nice gradient, and would make the tunnel look more roundish. Works best if all the edges are carefully creased (like kilon already explained).

Keep it up!

[prizo]

Thanks wiz4rd.
I actually like the more angular look.. it looks more like panels.

Texture question - I made my own large texture (2200x1500) and I am trying to map it to a flat wall. I've gone thru a couple tut's but things seem harder than they should, and reults aren't good. I am doing this:
1. Material -> Add New Texture
2.Texture Buttons -> Add new image -> load image
3. Material -> play with the Map Input buttons, but it just doesn't seem to align very well.

What are the typical settings on the Map Input tab to have a flat texture on a flat wall?

[Yecire]

Can you post some screenshots of your current settings/results?

[prizo]

Sure.. I will right after my photoshoot, which I hjave to head out for now.

I am trying to model just a simple room.

My goal is to have very detailed textures. In analysing renders I've found that ones that tend to look 'fake' have textures that are too big (amongst other things, of course).

I've got some semi-ok results using Map Input ->Object, Flat and setting the sizeX, Y & Z to 0.20.

This works fine for the wall in front of the camera,
but if I duplicate that wall and rotate it 90 the texture is too big on the rotated wall (now the 'side' wall) and thus looks fake.


I also wonder why I have to set the size so small (0.20)?

[Yecire]

Cool ... when you get the chance, check out these articles from the wiki manual (if you haven't already):

Map Input (http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Manual/Textures/Options/Map_Input)
Image Textures (http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Manual/Textures/Types/Image)
UV Textures (http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:Manual/Textures/UV)

[prizo]

Thanks for the links, they helped a bit but ultimately it was trial and error that solved it.

My primary problem was that I was mapping the texture as FLAT when it should've been CUBE... d'oh!

I've got the room rockin' now.
I'll list my primary settings since it might help someone else. Please let me know if there's any problems I'm bound to encounter with them:

Texture panel:
Map Image: Only thing selected is 'Repeat', everything else de-selected.
Image: 'Still',everything else de-selected.

Material panel:
Map Input: 'Global', 'Cube' & some 'size' adjustments.

Thats it. It looks great now.

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