Essential LightWave 3D- P12 potx

placed straight down from the corner of the mouth (when looking in the Back viewport) and centered between the first point and the last point of the spline created in Step 28. Create a new spline. This will act as the bottom of our quad cage. Since we now have top, right, and bottom splines, we need to complete our quad cage with a left spline. 30. In the Right viewport, create four new points as shown in Figure 14-40. These should start at the lower lip and run down the profile, ending at the center of the chin. The points should be posi - tioned at the very center of the head in the Back viewport. Select all of the points shown in the figure and create a new spline. Spin your model around in the Perspective viewport and check for anything that looks out of place. We’ve expanded our spline cage, but the area around the mouth is still open. Let’s close that off. Considering that we already have a top spline (created in Step 20), it makes sense that we should create splines for the bottom, left, and right to complete a quad cage. However, there’s no need to patch the region inside the mouth, and thus there’s no need for a left spline. You can create one if you like, but it won’t be used. Hence, we simply need splines for the right and bottom. 31. Create two new points as shown in Fig - ure 14-41. Select all three points as shown and create a new spline. This will be the right side of our quad cage. Chapter 14 ······················· 318 Figure 14-40 32. Create two additional points as shown in Figure 14-42. Then select the points shown and create a new spline. This will be the bottom of our quad cage. By adding these two splines, we’ve created the inside boundaries for our face, but we’re now in violation of Tips 2 and 3. The area over the nose and cheek is much larger than the other regions in our cage, and the area around the jaw consists of more than four splines. We need to address each of these issues. 33. Select the existing points under the nose and over the cheek as shown in Figure 14-43 and create a new spline. (If you don’t have the points needed to ···· Spline Modeling Exercise 2: Modeling a Human Head 319 Figure 14-41: This small spline defines the corner of the mouth. Figure 14-42 create this spline, you can add them by selecting each spline and using the Multiply | Subdivide | Add Points tool.) This becomes the top spline of a new quad cage. 34. Create two more points as shown in Figure 14-44. Select all of the points shown and create a new spline. This becomes the right spline in our quad cage. Chapter 14 ······················· 320 Figure 14-43 Figure 14-44 35. Create two points along the bottom of the lower lip as shown in Figure 14-45. Select all of the points shown and cre - ate a new spline. This becomes the bottom spline in our quad cage. And since the profile spline already exists, it will act as the left spline, completing the quad cage for this area. We’ve partitioned off the area under the nose and around the cheek, but it wouldn’t hurt to break the entire area into smaller sections. 36. Create a single point at the top of the nostril where it indents and joins the tip of the nose. Then select the exist - ing points as shown in Figure 14-46 and create a new spline. This becomes the top of a new quad cage. You’ll notice that this new spline is not evenly spaced between those around it. As a result, we have created a nar - row region running over the tip of the nose and down the side of the face. This narrow region violates Tip #3, but the tightly spaced polygons we’ll get by patching this region are necessary to properly define the muzzle region of the face. ···· Spline Modeling Exercise 2: Modeling a Human Head 321 Figure 14-45 Figure 14-46 37. Create two more points radiating out from the corner of the mouth as seen in Figure 14-47. Select all of the points and create a new spline. This becomes the right side of our quad cage. 38. Create two more points below the lower lip as shown in Figure 14-48, then select all of the points in order, and create a new spline. This becomes the bottom spline in our quad cage. Once again, with the profile spline act - ing as the left spline, this completes our quad cage. Chapter 14 ······················· 322 Figure 14-47 Figure 14-48 If you haven’t done so recently, now would be a good time to spin your model and check for anything that looks out of place. It would also be a good time to save your model. You can really see the face starting to take shape! But we still have areas that consist of more than four splines (specifically around the jaw and chin areas), so we must partition these to create a quad cage. Looking at Figure 14-49, we can see that two distinct edge loops converge at the jaw. We need to section off the jaw so that each of these loops can continue along its own distinct path. ···· Spline Modeling Exercise 2: Modeling a Human Head 323 Figure 14-49: Two edge loops converge at the jaw, requiring us to divide the area with a new spline. Figure 14-50 39. Create three new points that follow the jaw line as shown in Figure 14-50. Select each of the highlighted points shown in the figure and create a new spline. You can see that each loop from Figure 14-49 now has its own path to follow. Spin your model and check for anything that appears to be out of place. Looking at the cage, two things are pretty clear. First, we’re almost done with the face. And sec - ond, we’re violating Tip #3. Although the jaw now consists of a quad cage (where each region is bounded by four separate splines), the areas to be patched are much larger than those around them. We’ll finish the face by partitioning these areas. 40. Select the existing points shown in Fig - ure 14-51 and create a new spline. Chapter 14 ······················· 324 Figure 14-51 Figure 14-52 41. Select the existing points shown in Fig- ure 14-52 and create a new spline. 42. Select the existing points shown in Fig- ure 14-53 and create a new spline. Zoom out and take a look at your spline cage, correcting anything that seems out of place. The face is now complete. All that remains is to build splines for the back of the head and neck, but if you’ve made it this far, that will be a piece of cake. We can use the exist - ing cage as a starting point for building the remaining splines. But with no ending point to guide us, it’s difficult to determine where each spline should go. There - fore, we must develop a basic framework to help guide the placement of each new spline. This framework can be cre - ated from an outline of the head and neck. Take a look at Figure 14-54. The head and neck can be broken down into one large quad cage. There are distinct top, bottom, left, and right sides. At this point, most of the left side and part of the top already have splines in place. We simply need to com- plete the remaining splines to form a quad cage around the entire region. ···· Spline Modeling Exercise 2: Modeling a Human Head 325 Figure 14-53 Figure 14-54 43. Create three more points at the center of the head that run over the top toward the back of the skull. Deselect these points. Select the four points shown in Figure 14-55 and create a new spline. This completes the top spline in our quad cage. 44. Create five more points running down the back center of the head. Select all of the points shown in Figure 14-56 and create a new spline. This becomes the right spline in our quad cage. Chapter 14 ······················· 326 Figure 14-55 Figure 14-56 45. Create six new points around the neck running from the back to the front. Then select all of the points as shown in Figure 14-57 and create a new spline. Make sure that you adjust the points for this spline in both the Back and Right viewports to ensure that the spline forms a semicircular shape. This becomes the bottom spline in our quad cage. 46. Create a single point about halfway up the center of the neck. Then select the points shown in Figure 14-58 and cre - ate a new spline. This becomes the left spline, completing our quad cage. ···· Spline Modeling Exercise 2: Modeling a Human Head 327 Figure 14-57 Figure 14-58