Box or cylinder modeling vs strip modeling?

ebagg

I've noticed quite a few people use strip modeling here, I guess the most noticeable is b1ll but I've seen quite a few others using it. I personally get a box or cylinder as my base and just mold like crazy. It definitely seems like a "try it yourself and decide which method works best for you" type situation, but I would like to hear what you guys think on the subject, why you choose your method, what makes it work better for you?

Renaud Galand

I'm generaly using edge extrusion for the face and box/cylinder for the rest of the body (+ some addition in edge extrusion when needed). I prefer the edge extrusion method for the head because it allows me to really "draw" in 3d all the muscles 'n main shapes directly (and it's easier for me). When I started 3d, I was always confused by starting with a box for the head. I wasn't able to see how I could cut here and there to get the shape I wanted. Maybe I should give it a try again, now I'm more confident with modeling, don't know.

MoP

Yeah, I think for faces, strip modelling (or at least, not starting from a box) makes it much easier.

I find a good method for faces, is to model nice quad-strips of geometry around the mouth, nose and eye shapes, then connect these all up ... makes it easier to keep good edge loops for deformation.

For bodies and general mechanical things, I find box modelling easier, because it enables me to really quickly rough out a full silhouette and the mass/volume of the thing I'm modelling.

Doing that in strips often confuses me because I can't tell how the proportions are working with each other, and how the balance is looking.

Each to their own, though.

Marine

i've found starting with a box to rough out the shape, deleting faces, and then going with strip modelling to fill the area to be a nice method.

KDR_11k

I'm the edge extruding kind but I don't do a "sketch" with the edges first. It's partially because I'm too lazy to think much about where to add cuts and partially because Blender doesn't support ngons properly and that means lots of cleanup work especially when changing the meshflow from the one your base shape provides.

Zcubed

I've bounced back and forth between the two quite a bit. Overall, I'm more comfortable with box modeling, as it lets me rough in the volumes and get the basic silhouette pretty quickly. Complex things like faces can get a little messy, but it's not so bad if you're mindful of edgeflow as you add detail.

I'm unsure of whether or not I like strip modeling. Whenever I try it, I find that while I'm able to lay down the basic loops much more easily, I often get lost and make major proportional errors. The topology might look nice, but the head is the wrong shape. Perhaps it's simply because my knowledge of anatomy is so lacking. I make anatomical errors either way, but box modeling lets me fix my mistakes while the mesh is still light and easy to work with.

Strip modelers also seem to have a nasty habit of promising to record modeling sessions only to "forget" later.

Mongrelman

I do strip modelling pretty much exclusively, just box modelling for low poly models to normal map.

I prefer strip modelling because I can do the details exactly how I want for an area and then just build along with my details, without worrying about messing up other parts of the model. I find when trying to do a lot of detail with box modelling I do much more cleanup as the loops I add end up messing up stuff in another part of the mesh.

But that's just me

retleks

[ QUOTE ]
Strip modelers also seem to have a nasty habit of promising to record modeling sessions only to "forget" later.

[/ QUOTE ]

Was that a shot at Kolby? :P If you want those vids pm me, or hit me up on aim, eoffalicious. I've been pbp ever since, Things like latices make reproportioning so easy. I usually tend to do a kind of stick figure to set up the general shape/establish the major loops, then start stripping away at the detail.

oXYnary

I just have to be different I guess. Recently I have been doing spline modeling. Somewhat like edge, but I can control the curves via bezier.

This includes the head.. Of course, Im still planning to go back and add the final tweaks with a edit poly layer before export to zbrush. It really helps you understand cross contours and following the flow of muscles on the body.

SHEPEIRO

im a just stripper
nothing to do with modelling

Zcubed

[ QUOTE ]
Was that a shot at Kolby?

[/ QUOTE ]

Haha, yeah (And b1ll too if he's reading this OMG YUS). I managed to grab that timelapse video during the short time that it was on his website, but haven't yet had time to really study it as much as I'd like to. Maybe when school is over. Anyways, I was really referring to all of those "Yeah sure, guys, I'll put up a sweet vid tomorrow" posts that litter his forum. I don't really blame him, as he seems to be an extremely busy guy, but it's always nice to be able to watch such a talented artist at work. And why does he have to tempt me so?!

Humor aside, I really appreciate all the effort that artists have made to put learning material online. I've never taken an art class in my life (Outside of fingerpainting in elementary school ) so everything that I've learned has been thanks to people like Poop, Daz, DH, b1ll, Kolby, etc.

Marine, that sounds like a good workflow. It might help me to establish the major shapes before I get started with the PbP stuff.

b1ll

No video for U! 1 YEAR!

poopinmymouth

The thing with tutorials is that they can be helpful, but really everyone needs to just DO the actual process. Try it different ways, and you'll see what ways you like, what works well for you, how you want to change it etc.

A lot of people seem to think there is a "correct" way to do things, and they just need someone to show them, and they'll magically be able to reproduce the individuals work. How do you think b1ll, daz, kolby, arshlevon, or the other awesome modelers learned their process? For those guys it was just DOING. Making models, any old way, and then seeing what appeals to them and helps them get good workflow and process. I know I didn't have anyone standing over my shoulder and guiding my mouse hand, or any timelapse videos to memorize, 1st this, 2nd that, CHARACTER!

Not trying to be too harsh, if I thought video tutorials were completely worthless I wouldn't have made so many, but honestly I think sometimes people use them entirely the wrong way. There's something to be said about the bootstraps method as apposed to spoon-feeding process to someone.

If you want to know about "strip modeling" then strip model something, and see how you like it. Try it in combination with box modeling, cylinder modeling. There are an infinite way to do things, and none more universally correct than another. Find what works for YOU that you can work with the way you want, and gives you results the way you want. If there is something you're curious about, don't wait for a tutorial, figure it out on your own!

MoP

Absolutely. While I'm all for tutorials, there is no substitute for just doing it yourself and seeing what works best for you.

Zcubed

Oh, no, I agree with you completely. Tutorials aren't a magic bullet, and they certainly won't compensate for a lack of experience/talent (Such is my case ), but I find that they can be extremely useful if they present a mindset rather than a series of operations. I.E. explaining why the artist does something instead of just "do this, then this..." I'd much rather gain an understanding of someone's modeling mentality than memorize and reproduce an action. Before I tackle any problem, I try to approach it from as many different perspectives as I can; modeling is no exception.

And yes, as far as tech/software goes, sometimes you do pick up useful little tricks and techniques.

Sorry if I came across as "Release tutorials so I don't have to practice and experiment for myself!" That's certainly not what I meant.

P.S. Omg b1ll, donnez les moi SIL VOUS PLAIT

Ruz

I learned the hard way. I lived in a cardbard in in the middle of the road whilst learning imagine 1.0 for dos with my left hand.

Weiser_Cain

I strip everything organic and not cylindrical with low detail other than that it’s tube modeling, I never use boxes for some odd reason.

Steve Schulze

Strip modelling is too wierd for my liking. Coming from a sculptural background, I find box modelling much easier to comprehend.

kat

'Box', 'cylinder'use both of those.. never heard of 'strip' modelling though, what is it?

[EDIT] nerver mind, just read Per128's post above again...

Toomas

Strip modeling is like anal sex with hairy Norwegian - fast and dirty.

snemmy

for those needing a visual, refer to this old WIP model of b1ll's

http://www.benregimbal.com/ice_hand_chick.jpg

MoP

that's not strip modelling, that's a mess

Steve Schulze

I can't see how that could possibly be a practical way to model...

oobersli

gnomon dvd from mayan escalante shows a good way how he uses strip mod. for faces. helped me a ton, since I used to always try to model straight from a box.