Book Image

Blender 3D Incredible Models

By : Arijan Belec
Book Image

Blender 3D Incredible Models

By: Arijan Belec

Overview of this book

Blender is a massively popular and powerful 3D program, with versatile modeling abilities that make it a great way to enter the 3D modelling world. Blender 3D Incredible Models is an extensive guide for those new to hard-surface modeling with Blender, helping you understand the complete range of tools and features it offers and how to employ those efficiently to create realistic models. You’ll be led through progressively more challenging modeling projects— from an assault rifle and an army tank to a sci-fi spaceship model—giving you a glimpse of all the skills you’d need in Blender’s vast ecosystem of features and functionality, ranging from textures, rendering, and UV mapping to lighting, rigging, and beyond. Each engaging project builds upon the last until you’re equipped with everything you need to tackle your own modeling challenges, whatever they may be. By the end of this Blender book, you won’t just know how to create the models covered here, but you’ll be able to turn your own concepts and references into 3D Blender models too!
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Part 1: Introduction to Hard Surface Modeling
3
Part 2: Modeling an Assault Rifle
7
Part 3: Modeling a Sci-Fi Race Ship
10
Part 4: Modeling a T-72 Tank

Baking a normal map

In this section, we will learn how to create a normal map texture from a high-poly object. This will allow us to simulate a bumpy surface by placing a texture on it. In the following steps, we will create a carbon fiber surface and bake it as a normal map so that we can easily place it on any object as a texture:

  1. Create two planes and place them as shown in Figure 6.1. Add a loop cut in the middle of each plane by pressing Ctrl + R and lifting it up:

Figure 6.1 – Two planes

  1. Bevel the edge created by the loop cut by pressing Ctrl + B and turn on smooth shading.

Figure 6.2 – Bevels and smooth shading

  1. In the top view, add an Array modifier and check Constant Offset instead of Relative Offset. Set the X and Y distances so that the shape is tiled perfectly, as shown in Figure 6.3:

Figure 6.3 – Constant Offset

  1. Increase the Count value to create...