How do I create elastic and taut meshes?
polycounter lvl 2
I'm working on a DBAL-A3 IR laser and illuminator and there are a few lens covers that are in a taut or bendy position.
There are three elastic bands that I want to create, but how should I go about working on this? Aside from trying to model it awkwardly in those positions, I have no idea how to go about doing this. What do the professionals do?
Thanks.
Replies
Usually they move it awkwardly into those positions.
There's a number of simulation type options available but honestly they're more trouble than they're worth most of the time.
I'd recommend mucking round with a cloth sim so you're not just taking my word for it
Not a professional, but my go-to method for something like this is use a curve for the stretched part, then once I am happy with the position I can build out either end.
Using the curve gives you non-destructive flexibility so you can make all the tiny little tweaks until it looks believable.
But if you are working with simple geometry, you might just as well do with soft selection. I don't think using a curve here is really necessary, but if you haven't tried it, might as well give it a shot.
You may have some apprehensions because if you are used to hard surface modeling more than organic modeling you get more certainty about shapes and edges being "correct" because they line up or can easily be measured.
To get over that I'd suggest don't look too closely at the model, zoom out and maybe even take a step back from your screen and view the thing as a whole. Assuming this is a model that is used in a game or movie, try to view it the same way the viewer would. That helps to avoid wasting time with micro-details that nobody will ever notice.
Good advice.
Just to illustrate and briefly add to what's already been recommended: simple elastic and fabric components can generally be created with some basic subdivision modeling. Keeping things relatively simple and letting the subdivision smoothing do most of the work is what makes this process more efficient. Using modeling operations that synchronize the relative movement of adjacent mesh components or insert new loops, along an arc between two existing points, will help keep the surface flow of the whole mesh relatively even. Tools like bridge, loft, proportional edit, soft selection, path deform, latice, FFD, etc. can be used to speed up the workflow.
There's also more than a few different ways to approach the modeling process. Here's a couple of workflow examples. One approach is to model the end points of the shapes individually, rotate them into position then connect them with a modeling operation that will insert new geometry in an arc between the two shapes. An alternate approach would be to model the entire shape flat then move it into position using a curve or lattice based deform operation.
Below is an example of what the process could look like when modeling the end points first then connecting the shapes. Start by establishing the basic shape profile and topology of the end points. Rotate and deform the open end of the shape, with proportional editing fall off enabled, to fit the underlying surface. Bridge the edge loops at the open end of the shape and adjust the arc between the shapes until it looks appealing. All of these modeling operations are done on a single sided mesh to keep things simple. Mesh thickness and support loops are added with solidify and bevel modifiers, respectively.
Below is an example of what the process could look like when modeling the entire shape flat and deforming it along a curved path. Start by establishing the shape's entire profile and topology layout. Add mesh thickness with a solidify operation. Insert a curve and adjust the shape so it creates a smooth path between the two anchor points for the strap. Deform the strap along the path and add support loops with a bevel operation.
Recap:
Keep things simple when blocking out the shapes. Use tools that can deform or generate geometry along an arc between two points. Rely on the subdivision to smooth everything out.
Additional resources: below is a link to a more in-depth look at using a similar process for stiff fabric components of hard surface models.
https://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2771257/#Comment_2771257