Chapter 1: Introducing Hard Surface Modeling

Blender is becoming a massively popular and powerful 3D program. It is used by more than 6,000 companies worldwide, across various industries and companies, including Facebook, Ubisoft, and Lockheed Martin (https://blenderbasecamp.com/home/which-global-companies-use-blender/). Its modeling versatility makes it a great way to enter the 3D industry. Most 3D projects begin with a 3D model, which is then textured and prepared for further use in animation, VFX, scene rendering, and video games. Because of this, hard-surface modeling skills are fundamental and applicable in virtually all 3D disciplines.

This chapter introduces hard-surface modeling and how it is different from other modeling styles, namely organic modeling. You will learn about some basic principles that are commonly used in hard-surface modeling that we will later apply in the hands-on projects.

We will also cover the importance of hard-surface modeling skills and how they can be applied professionally in different areas, which will help you realize the potential benefits of what you will learn in this book.

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be ready to begin creating complex 3D objects and prepare them for further use by creating materials and textures from scratch.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• Understanding hard-surface modeling
• Defining hard-surface objects in Blender
• Creating a simple hard-surface modeling workflow
• Reviewing the projects