I want to learn to model like a pro

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LittleGreyMan
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by LittleGreyMan »

Thanks Michael.

More used to technical CAD, I absolutely didn't catch your method before trying it: why export a model and re-import it? Brilliant.

You sometimes have to think out of the box to design one :D
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mezalick
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by mezalick »

LittleGreyMan wrote:Thanks Michael.

More used to technical CAD, I absolutely didn't catch your method before trying it: why export a model and re-import it? Brilliant.

You sometimes have to think out of the box to design one :D

Thanks for the complement..."Thinking outside the box" should be my middle name.
This is just one of several "alternative " approaches that we show at our seminars.
.
Aspire and V-Carve are so flexible, it keeps me on my toes as to what I can't do.
So far, not much.. For me, it really works.

If you want more.. come be part of the event....our approach,,it's about your questions..we help find the answers..

www.cncseminars.com

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LittleGreyMan
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by LittleGreyMan »

mezalick wrote:come be part of the event....
Not exactly next door… :D
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Didier

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mtylerfl
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by mtylerfl »

LittleGreyMan wrote:
mezalick wrote:come be part of the event....
Not exactly next door… :D
Michael M. and Team are scheduling these events all around the country. I'll bet one of them will get closer to you sooner or later!
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LittleGreyMan
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by LittleGreyMan »

You bet?

Just have a look at my location :D
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Didier

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mtylerfl
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by mtylerfl »

LittleGreyMan wrote:You bet?

Just have a look at my location :D
oopsy! Silly American here! Oh well...Road Trip!! :D
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t28c34
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by t28c34 »

So Michael,
Did you model out all of the girl and the chicken? I want to learn how to model and sculpt like that.

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mtylerfl
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by mtylerfl »

t28c34 wrote:So Michael,
Did you model out all of the girl and the chicken? I want to learn how to model and sculpt like that.
Yes, I did...and yes, you can too. Watch the Vectric modeling tutorial videos and practice! HINT: A pen tablet really helps a lot with control while sculpting.

The stuff that can't be easily taught in a tutorial is what you gain from your own experience. Notice the girl's hair and face are not particularly highly detailed - that is intentional and yields a decent carve. This is one of the things I learned for a model like this after a few years experience. Sometimes a "suggestion" of features is all that's needed. I normally have a nasty habit of adding more detail that's not especially required - particularly animal hair/fur.

For example, I modeled a Black Bear a couple weeks ago and probably didn't need to detail the hair/fur as much as I did (but I was having so much fun "flowing" the hair!). However, I'm pretty pleased with the model and the toolpath previews look great with either a 0.125" BN or 0.0625" BN, even though I say so myself. :D (see pics below)
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Black_Bear3x5_1_front.png
Black_Bear3x5_1_iso.png
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mtylerfl
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by mtylerfl »

By the way, in case anyone is curious, I changed the 3D Preview Background and Gradient Background colors to fade from Black to a very Dark Grey. I find it more pleasant and easier on my eyes to work with than the stock background colors. It's just a personal preference...you can keep the colors as-is, or change them to whatever you want.

You can go to Edit/Options/3D View Settings. Click on the desired field to highlight it and you'll see a small square with 3 dots appear at the far right of the highlighted field. Click the square and you can choose whatever colors you like.

Before you change them, you might want to make note of the color numbers that appear in the field, so you can type them back in without having to do a global reset if you want to return to the original background colors. The numbers are RGB values separated by semicolons.

The screenshot below shows the background colors I use.

Background Color 0;0;0
Gradient Background Color 51;51;51
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t28c34
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by t28c34 »

Yes I refer back to the videos quite a bit, and like anything it just takes practice. . I did pic up a Wacom Intuos pen tablet a while back and that does help a lot. Which one do you use? I was wondering if a Wacom Cintiq pen display would be easier being able to work right over the component.

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mtylerfl
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by mtylerfl »

t28c34 wrote:Yes I refer back to the videos quite a bit, and like anything it just takes practice. . I did pic up a Wacom Intuos pen tablet a while back and that does help a lot. Which one do you use? I was wondering if a Wacom Cintiq pen display would be easier being able to work right over the component.
Both of my tablets are Intuos 3 (which are a few years old). I think the current Intuos Pro models are comparable to the older Intuos 3.

A Wacom Cintiq pen display would probably fit my workflow well, although I've never used one myself so I can't speak from personal experience. When I visited the Vectric offices in May, I saw they had a couple Cintiqs. I should have tried one then!
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JamesB
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by JamesB »

The Cintiqs are fantastic if your proficient with a Wacom already. As someone whose used both those and the intuos over many years I'd start with the intuos and see if you get on with it. Lots of people find they can't make the transition from a mouse. So you would not want to spend what a Cintiq would cost without having worked with a tablet at all.

Cheers
James

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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by martin54 »

Michael do you really find the sculpting tools that much easier using a tablet or is it simply a case of that is what you are use to ?

I ask because being new to modelling if I could find a tablet at a price I could afford (which isn't a lot :lol: ) then it may be worth looking out for one so I learn to use the tablet at the same time as learning to model.

I've actually got a wacom tablet lying in the cupboard but it's an old Intuos GD-0912-R & I haven't been able to use it since upgrading to windows 7. I did have it running on a virtual machine running xp but it didn't seem to function that well. Don't have the virtual machine running anymore as I no longer have a need for the software I set it up to run.

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mtylerfl
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by mtylerfl »

martin54 wrote:Michael do you really find the sculpting tools that much easier using a tablet or is it simply a case of that is what you are use to ?

I ask because being new to modelling if I could find a tablet at a price I could afford (which isn't a lot :lol: ) then it may be worth looking out for one so I learn to use the tablet at the same time as learning to model.

I've actually got a wacom tablet lying in the cupboard but it's an old Intuos GD-0912-R & I haven't been able to use it since upgrading to windows 7. I did have it running on a virtual machine running xp but it didn't seem to function that well. Don't have the virtual machine running anymore as I no longer have a need for the software I set it up to run.
Hi Martin,

Every time I get the chance (and especially during my CNC software presentations), I sing the praises of using a pen tablet. Yes, it makes sculpting much easier. I would say it took maybe a couple days to get really comfortable, but it was handy right away!

As James mentioned, some folks don't get used to using pen tablet, but perhaps those folks don't do enough sculpting on a regular enough basis to give themselves time to. I use a combination of both mouse and pen, alternating between one or the other when the situation calls for it. Can you imagine trying to efficiently sculpt fine details with only a mouse? It's easier/quicker with a pen.

Here's a model I just finished up today. It was a touch-probe scan of a Sculpey Clay sculpture I made years ago (saved as STL and imported into Aspire). I actually had that model for sale as-is for a long time, but couldn't resist making some improvements after taking a closer look at it this morning. The probe scan had lots of tiny "lumps and bumps" that needed smoothing and some details needed to be enhanced a bit. Having the pen tablet made this an easy task to get into all the nooks and crannies a was lot faster than if I was tethered to a mouse only.
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Flowers5x6_1_front.png
Flowers5x6_1_iso.png
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t28c34
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Re: I want to learn to model like a pro

Post by t28c34 »

Michael,
Your inspire me to want to sculpt and learn more. I use both my pen and mouse when I sculpt also. It seems easier to zoom and twiddle with the mouse than the pen. certain lines I have problems with, so I have to move the tablet around a bit. For me some times it the hand eye coordination looking at the screen and making a diagonal line on the pad on my desk. Kind of like playing with an Etch-a-sketch. I would like to try a pen display some time. I think it would be a whole lot easier. I did a little sculpting on my box, now I have to work on modeling what is going inside
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Box Pic.png

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