How would you approach this? 3ds Max

andreygheorghe

Hi!So I'm a 3ds Max user and I'm trying to model this particular soccer ball.I've tried everything I could think of,including splines modelling,conform modifier,trying to model every patch then use the spherify modifier....nothing worked.So,how would you guys approach this?

Eric Chadwick

I'd suggest finding a 3D model to use as a guide, to help you figure out the layout. Then decide what the smallest repeatable element is (one triangle and one larger patch), model that as simple as possible, then instance-rotate it around to fill out the whole ball.

Sketchfab lets you search for downloadable assets, here's one that seems to match your design:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/al-rihla-qatar-2022-world-cup-football-ball-stl-a10706a5659f4d11a7ad6c4a8b088b49

Here's a quick sketch using a Geosphere set to Icosa, for triangle-based layout.

Noren

Since you already have the sewing pattern, you could try the Cloth modifier. Trace the two shapes with splines, apply the Garment Maker modifier or Subdivide set to Delaunay, copy (edit: reference) and arrange very roughly like shown by Eric, define the connected seams and simulate in place with some internal pressure. If you want the surface bump as geometry, you can Skin Wrap that high poly geometry to your flat cloth pieces before simulating (but if you use bump/normal/displacement maps that's not really necessary).

Klunk

another possible method is to create a sphere and all the separate patches. Now create a space warp/geometric  conform object for each patch. Set the conform object to have a lookat controller to the sphere and set the sphere as the wrap to object of the conform object. now bind the patch to the conform space warp object. Once done add a position and orientation constrain from the patch to the conform space warp object. To rotate the patch assign a point helper to the lookat controller upnode ... set as axis alignment.


if you make each patch an instance it will make correcting the seams easier (probably )

Lamont

Ohhh this is a doozy of a problem. When I first saw it, my initial reaction was "geosphere". What is this stitch pattern called? If you know it, then for sure there is a way to replicate it. Just need to see all the sides.

kosh3d

This is a really cool problem! Here's my attempt:

First I was thinking along the way of projecting the pattern through UVs or trying to fiddle with conform. But then I had the idea that it had to be mathematically possible to do this precise since you'd have to manufacture the ball somehow and the patterns are clearly defined. So there is only 2 segments you need to model and the whole ball is seamlessly covered with them. The triangle and the kite-shape. After looking at the ball I realized how you can solve this very easy.

Start with a sphere, take the "slice plane" tool and slice the sphere 6 times. That's literally it, you will get the exact segmentation. Now I deleted everything but one triangle and one kite segment. You can now clean up the topology/remodel those however you need and use symmetry and instancing to create the ball.

Hope this helps!

Klunk

When I first saw it, my initial reaction was "geosphere". 

geosphere works

kosh3d

Klunk said:

When I first saw it, my initial reaction was "geosphere". 

geosphere works

Very nice, this is probably even easier than my method with slicing.

Klunk

still better than my projection method.... interesting technique but probably less than optimum for this

Noren

@kosh3d: Clever! You'd still have to distort those lines to get the exaggerated curves of the ball in the OP, but that should be doable.

I was wondering if the 3D renders were maybe just a rough 2D hack (as in: wrong), but all other images of the ball I looked at show the same curves as well.

poopipe

I suspect it was originally designed by slicing off-center.  that would explain the curvature on the panels 

  

HAWK12HT

Klunk said:

When I first saw it, my initial reaction was "geosphere". 

geosphere works

curious how many segments on Icosa?  

EDIT: nvm figured it out, its on 2 Icosa with Turbosmooth and then splitting it apart. Way better than slicing technique but surely will come in handy for tools that dont have slice tools for example

Klunk

2, as Erics, with a turbosmooth, it's not ideal as there are a couple of pinch points

Noren

Tried the cloth approach.
 A bit cumbersome, especially since the panels have to be moved into position at least roughly (used the geosphere method as a template) in order to make sense of things and reverse seams were necessary, but you can't switch back to the flat version interactively.
I tried to preserve it with a morph modifier, but inevitably the vertex order was changed down the road.
Luckily, you can revert the panel positions after doing your cloth sim, which makes UV-Mapping and Skin Wrapping possible, but then you lose your manual panel arrangement (could save that as an initial state in the cloth modifier, perhaps, and you can simulate with self intersection, but it's messy). So it's doable, but not ideal. 

I attached the file in 2022 and 2019 format (not sure if Subdivide works correctly in the latter). The bitmap is just the one from the OP saved as a png. Interestingly, the panels are not all identical, especially the big one in the right upper corner is quite a bit higher than the rest, but I chose to ignore that. In general the shapes seem to be correct. Might help to reverse engineer the design process. Off center slicing sound very plausible, but then that would probably throw off the base pattern we had established previously?

andreygheorghe

 Wow,that many responses.Thanks guys! I thought I'm a pretty good modeler but.... seems one can learn his whole life
I've tried the slice method,kind of,because I forgot about the modifier and tried to do it with some circles and then delete from the intersection the part that wasn't needed but it ended up messy quickly.

bobmoh19

hello there, contact me if you still want the correct 3D Model, I shared it for free on my page

Eric Chadwick

bobmoh19 said:

hello there, contact me if you still want the correct 3D Model, I shared it for free on my page

And who are you?! New account, exactly 1 post, no link… ban hammer itching…