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basic modeling pixar renderman teapot utah walking teapot

BASIC / Modeling The Utah Teapot 101



I always wanted to write an article that focuses on Modeling 101 in Blender. Today, I finally have time to do so. This is for the very beginners in modeling. More experienced Blender users can skip this, but maybe you will still discover few useful tricks or maybe you have some advices you like to add.

To be completely honest, I am still discovering many of Blender modeling tools. There are so many "hidden" tricks on modeling inside Blender, which also includes some modeling Add-ons that kept getting added. Some Blender modeling tools Add-Ons are not even activated by default.

Anyhow, since this is kind of my first proper post on Blender modeling, to make it more interesting let's model the "Hello World" (the very basic task in programming) of modeling: THE UTAH TEAPOT.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_teapot

Surely, if you feel challenged, you can just model an actual blender if you feel that is more politically correct.

And we will also try to further model THE PIXAR WALKING TEAPOT.
http://renderman.pixar.com/products/tools/renderman-teapots.html

I would love to make this teapot animated, walking and probably also controlled by the Blender Game Engine!

001: GET A GOOD REFERENCE

Google and Google Image Search are the best place to start:

You never knew that you might even stumble into really good references such as:

We learn an interesting fact that the actual original Utah Teapot is actually taller, and you kind of need to squeeze it in ratio of 4:3 to get it to the Utah Teapot that we know today.

002: SETUP YOUR USER INTERFACE FOR MODELING

Depending on the artist preferences, you can setup the UI to your liking.

Some artist like to model in freeform, and just using reference images on the side (just put it on Image Editor panel) and do the modeling right away:

Another way is to use Blender "Background Images" feature inside the Property panel of the 3D View (tap N if it is hidden):

This is quite nice and handy to bring in and use your image references to 3D view and actually use it as references during modeling.

NOTE: You may notice that I also change the background color of my 3D View so that I have a better contrast of my 3D geometry and also the grid. You can make that changes inside the User Preferences.

Before attempting the 3D modeling in Blender, you should be really familiar to navigate around the 3D View. You need to know and understand:
- How to switch between Ortographic and Perspective View (Numpad 5)
- How to get to front, side, top view
- How to orbit, pan, zoom in 3D view

Check inside the View Menu to see some list of useful navigation commands:


003: START MODELING

Ok, let's start modeling.

I guess, breaking the model into separate parts is a good method in modeling. Eventhough this is a super simple Utah Teapot, by breaking the model into pieces, we can focus and model it very efficiently.

From references, we can already tell that the Utah Teapot can be broken into:
1. The Lid
2. The Body
3. The Handle
4. The Arm

Most of modeling for Teapot is using the basic and simple modeling function such as extrusion, revolve, loft.

Few more notes that I wrote in my head before modeling anything in Blender:
1. Blender is primarily Polygon modeling, most of the tools are for Polygon modeling, but we can always  utilize Blender Curves as needed
2. Blender GRID is a little bit weird. It is there as reference, but you cannot really snap to grid. You can snap per unit grid, but it does not really snap to the grid.
3. Blender Unit and Measurements. For this Utah Teapot modeling, I don't worry too much about Unit and being totally precise. But in the future, you might need to be more precise:


004: MODELING THE LID
For the lid, we can simply draw the profile of it.

I start by turning the default 3D cube into a single vertex (merge it) in Edit Mode (hit TAB):

With a single poly vertex, we can start extruding (E) it into Edges or use the Ctrl+Click-Click-Click method to start drawing the profile of the Teapot Lid. Sometimes this is called plotting or digitizing.


Once you have the profile, we can simply perform a revolved, you can either:
1. Revolve using Screw Modifier in Object Mode
2. Revolve using Spin tool in Edit Mode --> this is more correct


You can still adjust the Spin option at that point, such as the Steps (16 is good) and the Degress of rotation (360 for full rotation), also the Axis. We revolve it around the Z axis at (0,0,0) Center.

Blender will SPIN based on the camera view you have at that point, so when you do Spin operation, it is a good idea to switch to the TOP VIEW first.

Once the revolve operation applied to the edge profile, you now should have the Teapot Lid.

CLEAN UP:
- After the revolve operation, you need to clean up some vertices that might be overlapping, use Remove Doubles.

- You can apply Shading Smooth.

If you are happy with what you have, you can see how it looks when subdivided by applying Subdiv Modifier. Do not apply though, just keep the Modifier alive and editable.


In the outliner, rename your newly created 3D geometry into useful name, such as: teapot_lid_geo. Hide it for now by clicking on the little Eye icon.

005: MODELING THE BODY

Same modeling process can be used for the teapot body. We just draw the profile and do revolve operation (Spin). Don't worry about how the arm and handle will connect to the body yet, we will make that happen.


When plotting, you can extrude and constrain your movement to certain axis by MMB click.

We do not need to draw the thickness because you can simply use Solidify Modifier in Object Mode at later stage. Although if you want to be precise and actually draw the thickness, feel free to do so before you spin the profile.

Do the Spin while your camera is on Top Ortographic View

Time to time, I like to hit the Z button to see the geometry in Wireframe mode:


You can also display Wire on Shaded (display Edges) if you like:


006. MODELING THE ARM/TRUNK/MOUTH

For this part, we can use Blender Curve.

Do we really need to use Curve? Bezier Curve is kind of weird, you may say.

No, we don't need to, you can also use Polygon modeling tool like we will do so for the Teapot Handle. Anyhow, if you can please use Curve for this Arm or the Mouth of the Teapot, because there is advantage in doing so as you can see in the next step.


Blender Curve is quite special, it has its own built in ability to create extrusion mesh just by activating it below:


Creating Teapot Mouth/Trunk
You can then convert it into Polygon once you are happy.

However, if you prefer all Polygon way, simply extrude 8 sided Circle with Extrude method.

Sorry that I make you repeat the same thing twice. By doing so you will learn something.




  • Alt+RMB = select Edge Loop
  • You can constraint Scale in certain axis by doing tapping keyboard SX, SY, SZ
007. MODELLING THE HANDLE

Finally we reach the the Teapot Handle. It was not hard at all so far, right?

For the handle, I decided to use Skin Modifier feature of Blender. Just draw Polygon edges and apply Skin Modifier to turn it into Mesh:


And you are done!


Some of you might totally disagree with my method for the Handle here. Yes, Skin Modifier is kind of giving you something that looks too Organic. You want a more Solid look.

Anyhow, go back a step and tidy up the handle.


Once you got that fixed, the apply Subdivision once and then you apply the Subdivision Modifier.



UDPATE 20130710:

If you want to make a nice round hole on the mesh to connect the handle and teapot mouth, you can follow this really nice tutorial on how to create a circular hole.
https://vimeo.com/68844586

Alt+Shift+S (To Sphere) = to snap selected vertices to sphere.

Then you use Blender Bridge.


Wait, we are not done yet! We want to turn this into Pixar Renderman Walking Teapot, we need the leg parts of this guy.

PIXAR RENDERMAN WALKING TEAPOT

Do another Google Image Search:



At this stage, I think we can squeeze our teapot to resemble the chubby teapot that we know. I will also give it material, but the color is totally up to you, give it color your like, this is YOUR teapot.


The legs part can probably  be made from few basic 3D geometry shapes combined together with Booelan Modifier. Lots of manufacturing object created like this.

I use box shaped mesh and then Subdividing it once, and then I will perform few Boolean operation here and there.



Blender Boolean is really good and fast, but if you want a clean topology mesh, then you should clean it up. To make it all quad faces.


Start working slowly, develop your own modeling skill, follow your instinct and remember useful modeling tools and hotkeys:

  • F = connect two vertices to create edge, connect two edges to create face
  • K = uber awesome Knife tool
  • Start working your own way deleting and creating Vertices, Edges, Faces
  • CTRL Plus and Minus (on the numpad) to grow selection
  • B = box select
  • C = paint select
  • Switching between Vertex, Edges, Faces (to convert your selection), simply by selecting vertex, edge, face select from that bottom bar on 3D view.

  • CTRL+R = loop cut and slide, scroll to add more loops
  • CTRL+L = select linked mesh shell
  • / on the Numpad = Isolate Selected Object
  • 123456789 on the Numpad to change your view quickly

I you can "cheat" in modeling, do so. Use basic shapes 3D geometry and modify them to get into shapes. We are doing a Solid Geometry Modeling, so most of the shapes are pretty much based on primitive 3D geometry shapes.


So that is what I end up with. I skipped the details on how each mesh connect to each other to create a single solid 3D mesh with nice topology. 

You can group meshes together using CTRL+G. Grouped mesh can be easly selected by hitting SHIFT+G. Group object is very special in Blender, is that they can be referenced from another Blender files. If you have 3D geometry made from hundreds of separate parts, by grouping, them, you can easily link reference copy and select it as a single Group.

Another way is to join meshes into a single mesh. CTRL+J. I will do that for the leg and the use Mirror Modifier to get the opposite leg side. I will then Separate the left and right legs, just in case we like to animate them separately.


Next step, if you have time, you want to do the UV Layout for the teapot. It should not be too hard. With UV, you can then have proper texture applied. Maybe add Pixar logo or your own logo on the surface.

Give it a nice materials, add camera and lighting, pose your teapot.

Here is a basic example rendered using Cycles:


Such a plain material we have... anyhow I append and use material from here then:
http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?252957-Cycles_Matlib-Beta-Release!-Help-Wanted!

(cannot resist using the Car Paint material...).



There you have it, a happy walking little Renderman teapot!
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