Difference between revisions of "Asteroids and rocks in Blender"

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Pieced together from various tutorials around the net, which tend to be focused on rendering an asteroid. We don't want to render an asteroid, we want an asteroid mesh.
 
Pieced together from various tutorials around the net, which tend to be focused on rendering an asteroid. We don't want to render an asteroid, we want an asteroid mesh.
  
= Basic shape =
+
= Step by step =
 +
 
 +
== Basic shape ==
  
 
* Start with an icosphere. I've given mine 4 subdivisions, and made it 500m radius.  
 
* Start with an icosphere. I've given mine 4 subdivisions, and made it 500m radius.  
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* Select the lattice, tab to edit mode, then give your asteroid its overall shape. You might want to increase the number of control points on the lattice.
 
* Select the lattice, tab to edit mode, then give your asteroid its overall shape. You might want to increase the number of control points on the lattice.
  
= Surface =
+
== Surface ==
  
Now were going to add 'noise' to the surface, using textures to generate it.
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Now we're going to use some default textures to generate mesh 'noise' for the surface.
  
 
* Switch to Textures panel, and create two textures, one for the fine detail, one for larger perturbations.
 
* Switch to Textures panel, and create two textures, one for the fine detail, one for larger perturbations.
* Set one to 'Clouds', and increase its size. 5 seems to work.
+
* Make one 'Clouds', and increase its size. 5 seems to work.
* Set one to 'Distorted noise', and increase its size to something bigger, say 100.
+
* Make one 'Distorted noise', and increase its size further again, say to 100.
 
* Select the asteroid, and add 'Displace' modifiers, attaching them to the textures you've just created. Adjust 'Strength' appropriately. Numbers in the 10 - 200 range seem sane for an asteroid of this size.
 
* Select the asteroid, and add 'Displace' modifiers, attaching them to the textures you've just created. Adjust 'Strength' appropriately. Numbers in the 10 - 200 range seem sane for an asteroid of this size.
  
= Adding lumps =
+
== Some final, 'manual' lumps ==
  
Before this stage, you'll need to apply the modifiers you've created to update the mesh.
+
Before this stage, you'll probably want to apply the modifiers you've created to the mesh.
  
 
* Tab to edit mode, ctrl-tab to vertex mode.
 
* Tab to edit mode, ctrl-tab to vertex mode.
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* Hold the 'g' key and scroll the mousewheel to set 'Proportional size' to 100 or so. You can now manually add some natural looking lumps by grabbing several vertices at a time.
 
* Hold the 'g' key and scroll the mousewheel to set 'Proportional size' to 100 or so. You can now manually add some natural looking lumps by grabbing several vertices at a time.
  
= Textures and properties =
+
== Craters and pockmarks ==
  
Switch shading mode to 'Smooth'.
+
Haven't got that far yet, run out of polygons again... :-)
  
= Craters and pockmarks =
+
== Textures and properties ==
  
Haven't got that far yet, run out of polygons again... :-)
+
Switch shading mode to 'Smooth'.
  
== Tutorials and links ==
+
= Tutorials and links =
  
 
Lattice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfz0dTl7aeM
 
Lattice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfz0dTl7aeM
 
Asteroid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7SdmYKirLI
 
Asteroid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7SdmYKirLI
 
Rock generator script: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Add_Mesh/Rock_Generator
 
Rock generator script: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Add_Mesh/Rock_Generator

Revision as of 17:55, 3 February 2013

Pieced together from various tutorials around the net, which tend to be focused on rendering an asteroid. We don't want to render an asteroid, we want an asteroid mesh.

Step by step

Basic shape

  • Start with an icosphere. I've given mine 4 subdivisions, and made it 500m radius.
  • Add a lattice. Scale it appropriately to the icosphere - mine has 1000m edges.
  • Add a 'Lattice deform' modifier to the icosphere, and link it to the lattice. Don't hit apply yet.
  • Select the lattice, tab to edit mode, then give your asteroid its overall shape. You might want to increase the number of control points on the lattice.

Surface

Now we're going to use some default textures to generate mesh 'noise' for the surface.

  • Switch to Textures panel, and create two textures, one for the fine detail, one for larger perturbations.
  • Make one 'Clouds', and increase its size. 5 seems to work.
  • Make one 'Distorted noise', and increase its size further again, say to 100.
  • Select the asteroid, and add 'Displace' modifiers, attaching them to the textures you've just created. Adjust 'Strength' appropriately. Numbers in the 10 - 200 range seem sane for an asteroid of this size.

Some final, 'manual' lumps

Before this stage, you'll probably want to apply the modifiers you've created to the mesh.

  • Tab to edit mode, ctrl-tab to vertex mode.
  • Turn on 'Proportional editing mode' with the 'o' key. Choose an appropriate 'Proportional editing falloff' on the menu at the bottom.
  • Hold the 'g' key and scroll the mousewheel to set 'Proportional size' to 100 or so. You can now manually add some natural looking lumps by grabbing several vertices at a time.

Craters and pockmarks

Haven't got that far yet, run out of polygons again... :-)

Textures and properties

Switch shading mode to 'Smooth'.

Tutorials and links

Lattice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfz0dTl7aeM Asteroid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7SdmYKirLI Rock generator script: http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Add_Mesh/Rock_Generator