modelling a high heel shoe, what tools?

[edvon1]

Hi all,
I am new here, and fairly new to 3D as well, I played with LW7.5 a few years ago, but now I want to learn more...
I have been trying to model a shoe, I start with the sole, now what modelling tools would the more experienced user use to model that shape. I started with a disc, moved some points and used "bend". First results were ok, I was just wondering if there is a better (quicker) way or one with more control.
Also, I found some modeling tuts on the newtek site, where else can I find some good modelling tuts?
cheers, Ed

[Surrealist.]

Have a look at the one I did on the lightwiki on the fundamentals of subpaches. You might learn enough there to get started in the right direction. If you go through my tutorial and get a grip on the basics, then it would be easier for I or someone else to help you with making some high heels.

I did not do a tutorial on making these point shoes but I used the basic theory and concepts that are in my subpatch tutorials. I think once you understand the basics and how to make a shape with very few polygons it is rather simple to figure out. Then it is just a matter of choosing a plan of attack.

[edvon1]

Hi Richard,
I had a very quick look at your tutorial, it seems this is just the help I needed to get started.
thanks so much, Ed

[meshpig]

Hi all,
I am new here, and fairly new to 3D as well, I played with LW7.5 a few years ago, but now I want to learn more...
I have been trying to model a shoe, I start with the sole, now what modelling tools would the more experienced user use to model that shape. I started with a disc, moved some points and used "bend". First results were ok, I was just wondering if there is a better (quicker) way or one with more control.
Also, I found some modeling tuts on the newtek site, where else can I find some good modelling tuts?
cheers, Ed

In any case Surrealist's shoes aren't really shoes they're feet.

A disc would be an OK start. Try hitting "k" to kill poys and arranging the remaining points into the basic shoe-shape from the top view.

-then select the points in clockwise order 4 at a time and hit "p" as in make polygons.

- once you have the polygons set-out, tools like bevel "b" and smooth shift "shift f" will be more or less self evident.

There are quicker ways but starting with a disc and bending; you'll need to add a bit more geometry to bend and that's probably not the right tool anyway.

m:)

[Surrealist.]

Hi Richard,
I had a very quick look at your tutorial, it seems this is just the help I needed to get started.
thanks so much, Ed

Great. Let me know if you have any questions along the way.

Also to help you with some knowledge on many of the tools used look here (http://www.newtek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77002).

Scroll down and, in particular, take a look at the Add Edges, also the Connect tool. There are a few short cuts now with those tools that I did not add in the tutorial yet. Many of the other modeling videos there will help you as well.

Then Also look at JeffrySG's videos (http://www.pixelandpoly.com/video.html) which cover much of this information in video form.

PS: Welcome to the community. :)

[JeffrySG]

Here's a shoe I modeled using subd. I usually start with a cube (box modeling) and form it from there. You can see the basic form with the unsmoothed wireframes.... hope it can help...

Jeff

54683

[JeffrySG]

^ok that really didn't say what type of tools I used....

Mostly I use things like multishift, bandsawpro, knife, connect, extender plus....

[Surrealist.]

LOL!

When he does the tuts he'll get the idea. :)

Great polyflow by the way Jeff.

Also that is pretty much how I started the point shoes with a box and worked from there. As long as you know what polyflow you are looking for - and you should by the time you finish those tuts - the rest will be easy.

Here's the wires of my point shoes - before and after adding the fold and wrinkle details. It was for a still of course so I was not concerned with animation.

[RollerJesus]

nothing like a personal tutorial from two of the best on the forum eh... feeling overwhelmed? me too.

[Surrealist.]

Thanks RJ.

Well, here's a quick example of the basic process for one method.

Often times I will start with a profile of the basic shape then add volume and contour as I go. I explain the theory of this in my other tutorial "creating contour" on the wiki site - still unfinished.

Here are images showing the steps I would take. This is with no reference material so it wound up looking more like a boot but you get the idea.

pen tool add edges and extender plus

[Surrealist.]

More. Spline Guide and cleaning up the polyflow on the corner.

[Surrealist.]

Adding a band around the heel and shaping it. Adding the top polys and cleaning up the corner flow by adding a band and redirecting with the merge points tool. Be sure and look for 2 point polys after.

[Surrealist.]

Final. Adding last bits of detail to the shapes. Now I did this symmetrical. The next step would be to curve the shoe to follow the curve of the foot. I would do this last after you are done creating all of the flow so you can make use of mirror and symmetry.

Then adding thickness would depend on what has to show and if there is a foot in it or not.

[Nangleator]

Here are images showing the steps I would take.
Surrealist, in the first post of that mini-tutorial, from thumbnail 2 to thumbnail 3, what I would do is kill the n-gon and build those quads one at a time. However, I sense another technique in there.

What's the trick?

[JeffrySG]

cheers guys :)
Richard, that's once nice shoe tutorial... and the wires on the ballet shoes look amazing!

[Hopper]

Hi Richard,
I had a very quick look at your tutorial, it seems this is just the help I needed to get started.
thanks so much, Ed
If you read the tutorials .. you must provide us with a hammer demonstration!

But seriously ... do the tutorial. I read it and "got it", then I actually did the hammer exercise and "got" about 5 more things out of it that I never thought of.

-Hopper

[Hopper]

...and of course Surrealist to a "I need to do this in SubD's, but I'm not quite sure if this is the right way" thread is like a racoon to anything shiny! :D

[Surrealist.]

Thanks Jeff. :)

Surrealist, in the first post of that mini-tutorial, from thumbnail 2 to thumbnail 3, what I would do is kill the n-gon and build those quads one at a time. However, I sense another technique in there.

What's the trick?

Well there are a lot of ways to skin it. But my trick here is the bevel. I forgot to mention that. This comes beteen thum 1&2. The idea with the bevel - actually multishift in this case because I had a center line - is to give yourself a quick and easy loop around the edge of the heel. This holds the form along that edge with a nice clean loop. Then I use add edges because of the center line rather than connect. Building the polys one at a time would take longer than just stringing the edges across with add edges. The goal here is to break the ngon up into logical quads based on the intended shape. In this case I knew I was going to bend it so I made a series of segments connecting the inside of the bevel.

The key here is this:

1) know your intended polyflow

2) Use techniques and work flow to get there.

#1 is the most important thing. Because there are probably 5 different ways to do #2. And I am always learning more about #2. Also new tools are introduced - such as connect - that make the process easier.

Then someone like Jeff or William will come along and do something completely different to get the same result. You learn. I do. The thing is to always be looking for faster ways to get finished but not be afraid to do it the hard way if it means getting it done.

#1 also is up for grabs but you will find that there are a certain few predictable things you can do and always get the result you are looking for. I covered the basics of those in my tutorial. Also Jeff has done a great job with the things he has discovered independently in his videos. You look around at people's wires and you see the good ones always have a similarity. This is because there is a logic to this and you see modelers discover and share, it gets out there and people also just find these things on their own over time or from tutorials or both. I just felt there was a need to sort of codify it in it's simplest form.

[Surrealist.]

If you read the tutorials .. you must provide us with a hammer demonstration!

But seriously ... do the tutorial. I read it and "got it", then I actually did the hammer exercise and "got" about 5 more things out of it that I never thought of.

-Hopper


Yes a hammer demonstration. :D

[Nangleator]

Did the tutorials. Learned quite a bit. Love the idea of the "editable loop."

And finally figured out what the Add Edges tool does. It's a biggy.

Thank you!

[Surrealist.]

Good deal man. Happy Modeling :)

[edvon1]

Hi,
halfway through the tutorial, I have to admit, it's still a bit overwhelming, but I am getting there, the video links were really helpful too, it's a good way to find out about features that would otherwise take quite some time to figure out by trial and error...
thanks again, Ed

[Surrealist.]

Don't be a afraid to ask Ed. Anything you need to know we are here. There are so many tools and yes I did not make it a tutorial about tools. Sorry for that but please ask if you need any assistance and make sure and do lots of examples as you go along so you don't gut bogged down in theory.