Set Up Your Project

This is a new project, so set a new project directory.

1. Set The Project
2. Make a New Scene
   • – MAIN || File > New Scene.

Body And Head

Shape Mikey’s body using several useful NURB tools.

1. Body Sphere
   • Create a body starting from a primitive sphere
   • – Select  MAIN || Create > NURBS Primitives > Sphere.
     
   • *
   • – Translate Y: sphere up 17 units
   • – Rotate the sphere Y-axis: 90
   • Note: This places the NURB’s seam shown as a thicker line on the sphere’s wireframe.
     
   • 
   • Note: When modeling with NURBs , it’s IMPORTANT to carefully place the seam. 2 reasons:
     
     • 1) Attaching and Detaching surfaces, better to have seams aligned on every surface.
     • 2) When texturing, it is better to hide seams as much as possible, since this is where opposite textures edges meet.
     • Note: For this character: the seam will be in the middle of the back.
2. Shape The Body
   • – Switch to side view. Tweak the sphere so it matches the below.
   • 
   • Note: Make sure the poles of the body are at the tail and the neck of the sphere.
3. Head Sphere
   • – MAIN || Create > NURBS Primitives > Sphere
   • – Translate Y: sphere up 24 units.
   • – Rotate Y: 90 degrees.
   • Note: Seam indicated by arrow.
   • 
   • – Side View: tweak the sphere so it resembles the image below
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   • Note: Place the poles in the neck and in the back of the head where the hair will come out.
4. Global Shape
   • – Adjust the shape in other views.
   • *
5. Detach The Surfaces to Connect to Another NURB
   • Detach two surfaces for the head and the neck to connect.Remove the poles located at the neck then you’ll be able to connect the body to the head.
   • – RMB on the body and select Isoparm.
   • 
   • – CLICK + DRAG on the horizontal isoparm to define a new isoparm where the neck opening is needed.
   • 
   • – Select SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Detach Surfaces.
   • – Delete the separated surface located in the neck.
   • 
   • – Repeat this step for the head.
6. Duplicate The Surface Curve
   • You have the body and head but no neck. Duplicate the isoparm of the neck opening to better define the neck.
   • – RMB on the body surface and select Isoparm.
   • – Click on the isoparm at the neck opening to select it.
   • Note: the selection will be a fine yellow line. If you CLICK + DRAG from the isoparm, the line will be a dashed line.
   • 
   • – Select SURFACES || Edit Curves > Duplicate Surface Curves
   • Note: A curve is created, representing exactly the surface isoparm. Doing so will spare you the trouble of using a NURBS circle to create the neck surface.
   • – Select MAIN || Modify > Center Pivot.
   • 
   • NOTE: New curves and surfaces always have their pivot at the origin.
   • – Translate the curve up and scale to represent the middle of the neck
   • 
7. Loft
   • Loft creates a surface by linking several profile curves, perfect for creating a neck.
   • – RMB on the body: select Isoparm.
   • – Click on the isoparm at the neck opening to select it.
   • – SHFT + SELECT the middle neck curve.
   • – RMB on the head: Select Isoparm
   • – SHIFT + SELECT the isoparm at the neck opening.
   • 
   • – SURFACE || Surfaces > Loft
   • Note: the new surface is created by linking the selected curves.
   • 
   • Note: Because of the construction history you can still modify the curve
8. Attach the created surface to the body and head
   • Attach the three surfaces so all three pieces; head, neck and body are one piece.
   • – Select the body and neck surfaces.
   • – SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Attach surfaces.
   • Note: the two pieces are one.
   • – Select the body and head surfaces
   • – SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Attach surfaces.
   • Note: The entire body is now a single surface.
   • 
9. Clean up the file.
   • – Delete any obsolete nodes from the Outliner.
   • – Rename the surface to body
   • – Select body, MAIN || Modify > Freeze Transformations.
   • – Select MAIN || Edit > Delete All By Type > History
   • 
10. Save
    • – 050112_15-nurbsModeling_03.ma

 

Refine the Head

Insert new isoparms on a surface to increase level of detail. Doing so will allow you to create the eye socket. Create the eyeballs beak and hair.

1. Add the Isoparms.
   
   • – RMB on the surface: Select Isoparm.
   • – Click on the vertical central isoparm and drag a new isoparm in the middle of the eye patch.
   • 
   • – HOLD SHIFT and repeat the previous step to define the same isoparm but on the opposite side.
   • 
   • NOTE: Don’t worry if the lines are not symmetrical to each other because you will eventually delete on half of the body an mirror it to keep it symmetrical.
   • 
   • – Select SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Insert Isoparms.
   • 
   • NOTE: The body is a single surface, therefore the new isoparms go across the entire geometry. Be careful not to insert too many isoparms for a localized area. Doing so will increase the topology of the entire surface.
   • – Repeat the previous step to define a new isoparm going horizontally across the eye patches.
   • 
   • 
2. Create the Eyes
   • – Using the new inserted CVs, tweak the shape of the head to narrow the nose area and carve the eye sockets.
   • 
   • – Create a primitive sphere and place it at the eye location.
   • 
   • – Rotate X: the eyeball to 90 degrees
   • – Rotate Z: the eyeball to -90 degrees
   • – Select the eyeball and duplicate it: Press CTRL + D.
   • – Place the duplicated eyeball in a group. Press CTRL + G. Then set the SCALE X: to -1
   • NOTE: By grouping the eyeball, it places the pivot of the group on 0,0(the scene’s origin). setting Scale X to -1 will mirror the group to the other side.
   • 
3. Beak Side Profile
   • Create the beak of the bird by drawing profile curves and lofting them.
   • – Select MAIN || Create > EP Curve Tool.
   • – From the side view, draw the following beak profile curve.
   • 
4. Beak Top Profile Curve
   • The Loft operation works best if the curves have the same number of CVs spread across the curve at a similar distance. Instead of drawing a new curve, duplicate the existing curve and rotate it  to create the top profile curve.
   • – Select the curve and duplicate it. CTRL + D.
   • – Center Pivot. MAIN || Modify > Center Pivot.
   • – Rotate Z: 90 degrees.
   • – Top view: Adjust the points to the following.
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   • – Translate Y: the last curve to match the first curve.
   • 
   • – Select the CV at the tip of the upper curve, and hold c to “snap to curve” and drag the CV to the tip of the profile curve.
   • 
   • – Tweak the rest of the curve to the shape desired.
5. Loft The Beak
   • – Group and mirror the last curve.
   • 
   • NOTE: You should have 3 profile curves. The tip of the beaks should all snap together, otherwise there will be a hole.
   • – Select all three curves and loft. SURFACES || Surfaces > Loft.
   • 
6. Refine the beak
   • – With the new loft selected, go to. CHANNEL BOX || Inputs > loft1
   • loft1 Options:
   • – Section Spans: 2
   • Note: This will increase the number of isoparms.
   • – Tweak the shape of the beak.
7. Create The Lower Beak
   • Create the bottom beak.
   • – Select the two profile curves at the base of the beak.
   • Note: Hide the nurbs surfaces or go to the Outliner to select them.
   • – Select SURFACES || Surfaces > Loft.
   • 
   • – Select the new loft and go to. CHANNEL BOX || Inputs > loft2
     • loft2 Options:
     • – Section Spans: 2
     • 
   • – Tweak the shape to your liking.
   • 
   • – Move the pivot of the beak surface to the jaw area to test the rotation of the lower with the mouth open.
   • 
   • NOTE: You can insert isoparms at the borders of the beak to curve them inside to get a smoother beak edge.
   • 
   • 
   • 
8. Create the Hair Profile Curves
   • Add hair to Mikey similar to that of the penguin but using different tools.
   • – Select MAIN || Create > EP Curve Tool
   • – From the side view: Draw the following hair curve.
   • 
   • – From top view: Draw a smaller hair curve.
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9. Extrude the curve to form the hair.
   • – Select the tiny curve from the last step, then SHFT + SELECT the first curve.
   • – SURFACES || Surface > Extrude > □
     • Extrude Options:
     • – Style: Flat;
     • – Result Position: To path;
     • – Click [EXTRUDE];
     • 
     • NOTE: The Hair starts out rounded up and finishes flat.
     • – Tweak the hair so it’s pointed.
     • 
     • 050212_15-nurbsModeling_04.ma
10. Duplicate The Hair
    • – Duplicate the hair to to create the hairstyle below.
    • *
11. Clean Up Your Files
    • – Delete History: MAIN || Edit > Delete All By Type > History
    • – Delete any obsolete nodes from the Outliner. This includes curves and groups, etc. If you delete a curve and the lofted surface disappears, that means the history is still present. This needs to be deleted.
    • – Rename Each node correctly.
    • – Freeze transformations: MAIN || Modify > Freeze Transformations.
    • Note: Since you don’t require any construction History, it’s good to frequently clean up your scene.
    • 
    • – Delete History: MAIN || Edit > Delete All By Type > History
12. Save
    • 050812_15-nurbsModeling_02.ma

 

Create NURBS Legs

Model one of the legs using simple primiives and then mirror them.

1. Thigh primitive.
   • – Create a NURBS cylinder for the thigh.
   • – Make sure is has a span:2
   • – Tweak the shape to the image below:
   • 
   • Note: Make sure to place the seam on the inside of the leg.
   • 
2. Leg Primitives
   • – Create another NUBS cylinder for the upper leg.
   • – Create a NURBS sphere for the knee.
   • – Duplicate the upper leg cylinder to create the lower leg and stretch it so it goes down to the floor grid.
   • 
3. Foot Primitives
   • – Duplicate the knee sphere and translate it down to the ankle.
   • – Tweak the shape so it is flat where it touches the floor.
   • 
   • – Create a NURBS cone primitive to model a toe
   • – Modify the cone to have a CHANNEL BOX || Span: 2.
   • – Rotate X: the cone by 90 degrees
   • – Shape the cone to the image below:
   • 
   • – Duplicate the toe twice and arrange the toes so there are 2 at the front and one at the back.
   • 
   • TIP: Hold down the “d” hotkey to translate the pivot to the ankle before rotating.
4. Move the Seam of your NURB
   • If the seam of your toe is not underneath the toe, it might be hard to change the seam’s location now that the toe is modeled. To modify the seam’s location follow these steps.
   • 
   • – RMB on the toe: Select Isoparm.
   • – Click to select the longitudinal isoparm underneath the toe
   • 
   • – Select MAIN || Edit NURBS > Move Seam.
   • The tool recalculates the shape of the model in order to place the seam at the desired location.
   • 
   • – Repeat this step to relocate any other seams  that are not right.
5. Mirror the Leg
   • File: 050912_15-nurbsModeling_02.ma
   • – Select every leg surface.
   • – CTRL + G to group
   • – Press CTRL + D to duplicate.
   • – Set Scale X: -1;
   • Doing so will mirror the leg.
   • 
6. Clean up
   • – Rename each node correctly.
   • – Freeze transformations on the leg Groups. MAIN || Modify > Freeze Transformations.
   • – Delete History of everything: MAIN || Edit > Delete All By Type > History.
   • 
7. Save.
   • 050912_15-nurbsModeling_03.ma

Mirror The Body

For Symmetrical NURBS surfaces, you will detach, nirror and attach the NURBS surfaces.

1. Detach the Body
   • – RMB on the body and select Isoparm.
   • – Select the central isoparm on the back of the surface.
   • – Select SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Detach Surfaces.
   • 
   • – Select the central isoparm on the front of the surface.
   • – Select SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Detach Surfaces
   • 
   • Notice: You should now have two distinct halves.
   • 
   • Note: You can’t do this in one step. If you select more than one isoparm, the other isoparm will be lost. It’s because on the first detach, the tool rebuilds the model as if the geometry was open.
   • – Delete one half of the model.
   • – Duplicate the remaining half and set it’s Scale X: -1
2. Attach The Body
   • – Select the 2 halves, SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Attach Surfaces
   • TIP: If the attach tool uses opposite border isoparms, you can pick the two isoparms to attach before executing the tool.
   • 
3. Close The Surface
   • Since the body is now a single surface, you cannot attach the remaining gap together. You need to close the surface.
   • 
   • – Select body. SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Open/Close Surfaces > □
   • 
   • Open/Close Surfaces Options:
   • – Shape: Blend;
   • This option tells the tool that you want to blend the two opened isoparms together. Rather than simply connecting them.
   • – Click [OPEN/CLOSE]
   • Note: Surface is now completely closed.
   • 
4. Rebuild the Surface
   • The seam on your model might not be where you want it. If you use move seam, you’ll get funky results, because of the way the surface is built. You will need to rebuild the surface.
   • – Select body. SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Rebuild Surfaces > □
   • 
   • Rebuild Surfaces Options:
   • – Rebuild Type: Uniform;
   • – Direction: U and V;
   • – Keep: CVs;
   • – Click [REBUILD]
   • 
   • NOTE: The surface will be rebuilt so the isoparms are uniformly spaced. You can now move the seam.
   • Note: Rebuilding the surface corrects its topology and its parameterization, but it also affect its shape. You might have to refine the resulting surface.
   • – RMB on the surface and select body and select Isoparm.
   • – Click to select the longitudinal isoparm in the back.
   • – Select SURFACES || Edit NURBS > Move Seam.
   • Note: The seam will move to the desired location.
   • 
5. Finalize the Model
   • TIP: Speed up the display in the viewport, select some NURBS and press 1 for coarse quality.
6. Save
   • 050912_15-nurbsModeling_04.ma