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 bevel map

We will now learn how to simulate smooth bevels using a normal map.

At this point, the object has a bumpy surface, but its edges look too sharp and unrealistic. We can make the edges look nicer by adding bevels, but that will increase the polygon count too much. We can simulate smooth beveled edges using the same normal map techniques we already learned:

  1. First, duplicate the object and bevel the sharp edges on the copy with Ctrl + B.

Figure 6.20 – Bevels versus no bevels

  1. Move the objects so that they are in exactly the same place.

Select the original object and in Edit Mode, solidify everything slightly using Alt + S. This will ensure that the copied object is completely contained by the original object. In the same way we moved the plane above the carbon fiber mesh when baking the previous normal map, we need the surface to be slightly above the high-poly mesh.

Figure 6.21 –...