# Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Simple Vehicle: Another Shooting Machine

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== Techniques == You should already know how to do:

-   Previous Simple Vehicle techniques

This section will introduce and recap:

-   Transform Locking (new)
-   Reuse of existing assets (new)
-   Application of *Show/Hide* (new)
-   Duplicate (recap) & Separate (new)
-   Parenting (recap)
-   UV Spheres (recap)
-   Changing object\'s pivot point (recap)

Caveats:

1.  I'm also learning Blender; if I've misrepresented anything please
    correct me
2.  I have *Select With* under *Mouse* on the *Input* tab of User
    Preferences set to Left whilst the "factory" setting is Right; if
    some of the following instructions containing
     are not working mentally replace
     with
    
3.  I must use a 2 button mouse and cannot emulate a 3 button mouse (due
    to number 2 above) for orbiting around the viewport; instructions
    presented here use the Numpad for Orbiting

## Overview

!***Fig. 01: Big Game Camera Rendered Model and
Components***\|357x600px
A simple Safari Big Game Camera for use on a photo safari will be
created; a render of the completed product is provided at right (Fig.
01-A).  It is primarily based on cylinders and is comprised of three
components (Fig. 01-B):

1.  Lens Casing
2.  Camera
3.  Swivel Mount comprised of four sub-components:

:   

    :   → Front Support
    :   → Central Bracket
    :   → Stability Braces (2)
    :   → Ball Joint (from the Rocket Launcher)

## To Abridge or not to Abridge **\...**

This tutorial turned out to be \"a bit\" (as my British friends would
say) longer than initially anticipated. And that\'s alright, I had a lot
fun -- and learned a ton -- making the Another Shooting Machine.
Occasionally I may have provided a little more than you want in
explanations or intellectual exploration. To address the desires of
those who only want bare bones instructions an abridged version of this
tutorial is available. All of the illustrative graphics -- excepting
those associated with the linked explanatory Supplements -- in this full
version are also in the abridged version.

The Abridged version does **_not_** have:

-       or  (mostly: provided if a
    function has not been previously introduced in Noob to Pro)

-   In-line Blender icons supporting instruction clarity (mostly)

-   Clarification Notes or Hints

-   \"Alternative approaches\" exploration (including the Knife topology
    tool usage detail)

-   Linked explanatory Supplements (for those curious about the
    \"why\"s)

You can, and are encouraged to, try out both. If you\'ve taken an
extended hiatus from Blender I recommend following this full version, at
least until you\'ve refreshed your memory on key strokes.

To follow the full version simply continue here. OR access the
_Abridged
Version_.

## Lens Casing -- Base Model

If you have completed the Rocket Launcher tutorial:

-   Open the Rocket Launcher file
-   Select an unused visibility layer in the layer map
    ![](ILI04-Visibility-Layers.jpg "ILI04-Visibility-Layers.jpg") of
    the 3D View header, indicated by the absence of the little \"used\"
    circle for that layer
-   Add a Lamp if you expect to render the  scene; the default camera
    will work for the new layer but each layer to be rendered must have
    at least one Lamp
-   Just to be certain, Snap the 3D Cursor to the center

If you have ***not*** completed the Rocket Launcher tutorial, start a
new file and delete the default cube.

### Add Starting Cylinder

\[\[<File:Fig-02-Change-Default-Orientation.jpg%7Calt=Fig>. 02: Change
Default Cylinder Orientation illustration\|frame\|***Fig. 02: Change
Default Cylinder Orientation***\]\] Begin in Front Ortho view
, ensuring "Limit Selection to Visible"
is turned***off***
![](ILI01-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-off.jpg "ILI01-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-off.jpg")

Add a cylinder mesh: sides=8, radius=1, depth=2, cap fill=nothing;
rename the object (using the Outliner) to something unique and easily
identifiable like Big Game Lens Casing

Remaining in Front Ortho and Object Mode, rotate the cylinder 22**.**5
degrees around the Y axis (the easiest (and most accurate) approach is
to type 22**.**5 on the Y line of the Rotation section in the Transform
Panel at the top of the Properties Shelf (press
 to toggle its visibility at the right
side of the 3D view). This will provide a horizontal flat surface for
the top of the lens casing which will be used to create the handle.
Because we want to ensure this orientation does not get inadvertently
altered we will also lock this specific transform (Fig. 02).
`{{B3D:N2P/Note|The Properties ''<u>Shelf</u>'' and the Properties ''<u>Window</u>'' are two different animals. The Properties Shelf  is toggled on and off with {{B3D:N2P/Do|N}} and contains the Transform, Grease Pencil, Display & View, Background Images and Transform Orientations Panels. The Properties Window [[File:Blender269PropertiesIcon.png]] "factory" location is underneath the Outliner Window [[File:ILIp01-Outliner-Window-icon.png]] to the right of the main viewport; there is a page dedicated to the <u> [[Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Properties Window|Properties Window]]</u> in this Wiki Book.}}`{=mediawiki}


### Extend Starting Cylinder

!***Fig. 03: Create Lens Casing Base
Model***
Switch to Right Ortho view , enter edit
mode by pressing  and execute the
following steps (see (Fig. 03) for reference). *Note: all units are
Blender Units.*

Switch to Vertex Select mode
![](ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg "ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg") and
select the "rear" 6 vertices using Border Select
() then:

1.  Extrude on the "Y" axis **.**5 by pressing
     
    
2.  Scale to 70% along the "X" and "Z" axes by pressing
     followed by
    +
    (not Y)
    
3.  Extrude on the "Y" axis 2**.**5 by pressing
     followed by
    
    
4.  *Repeat* Step 2
5.  Extrude on the "Y" axis 1**.**5 by pressing
     followed by
    
    
6.  *Repeat* Step 2

## Lens Casing -- Refining the Model

### Adding Details

!***Fig. 04: Refine Casing Front
End***\|right\|428x428px\|alt=

-   Rotate the view counter-clockwise
    () until you get a nice view of the
    inside and outside combo.
-   Switch to edge select mode
    ![](ILI01-Switch-to-Edge-Select.jpg "ILI01-Switch-to-Edge-Select.jpg")
    and select a front edge.
-   Click on *Select→Edge Loops* (Fig.
    04-A).
-   Extrude  followed by
     to exit extrusion while retaining
    the newly created edges.
-   Scale to 90% along the "X" and "Z" axes by pressing
     followed by
     (not Y)
    
    (Fig. 04-B).
-   Extrude on the positive "Y" axis **.**3 pressing
     followed by
    
    ;
    this creates the visible interior of the lens casing. Press
     to create the face which is our glass
    lens (Fig. 04-C).

```{=html}
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```
-   Based on experience we know we will eventually be adding a
    Subdivision Surface (\"Subsurf\") modifier and can anticipate that
    action, so with glass lens face (and its attached edges) still
    selected press  to crease these
    edges with an edge crease factor of 1 (Fig. 04-D) in order to retain
    a sharp delineation between the lens casing interior and the glass
    lens.
-   Select an outside front edge and select Edge Loops on the Select
    Menu (as above) (Fig. 04-E). Scale to 120% along the "X" and "Z"
    axes by pressing  followed by
     (not Y)
    
    to create the typical flared or belled mouth of the lens casing
    (Fig. 04-F).

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### Preparing for Subsurf

\[\[<File:Fig-05-Subdivision-Surface-Modifier-Preperation.jpg%7Calt=Fig>.
05 Subdivision Surface Modifier Preparation\|thumb\|400x400px\|***Fig.
05 Subdivision Surface Modifier Preparation***\]\] Return to Right Ortho
view  and toggle \"Limit Selection to
Visible"
![](ILI03-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-on.jpg "ILI03-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-on.jpg")***on***.
Select an edge from each of the vertical edge loops -- using
 to add edges - and then 3D header
*Select Menu→Edge Loops*. Rotate the viewpoint vertically towards you
() until you can see top fully.
Deselect the top edges from the middle pair of loops
( on each edge to deselect) and
crease the remaining selected edges
() at a factor of 1 (Fig. 05).
\

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### Adding a Casing Handle

#### Handle Stem

!***Fig. 06: Extrude Handle
Stem***
For clarity's sake we will divide the handle into two sub-components:

-   The vertical piece we'll call the "handle stem"
-   The piece parallel with the lens casing body we'll call the "handle
    proper"

Start by switching to Top Ortho view 

Deselect all ()

Switch to face select mode
![](ILI05-Face-select-mode.jpg "ILI05-Face-select-mode.jpg") and select
the handle extrusion face (Fig. 06-A), Extrude 1 on the default
extrusion angle

(Fig. 06-B).  Giving the handle a slightly slanted stem rather than a
stem perpendicular to the casing results in a more "organic" looking
handle. 

#### Handle Proper

!***Fig. 07: Extrude Handle
Proper***
Switch to Front Ortho , deselect all
 once or twice and select the front face
of the handle stem (Fig. 07-A); just to be safe, rotate the viewpoint
enough to verify the correct face (and only the correct face) is
selected (Fig.07-B)

We could just extrude this face to create the handle proper but that
would not result in a very functional looking handle.  Instead we will
only extrude the upper 1/3 of the face, which will result in a nicely
functional looking handle proper.

There are 3 approach options to accomplishing this

1.  Subdivide face, merge 10 vertices -- requires the least knowledge
    but is the most time consuming
2.  Subdivide Left then Right edges sequentially, use the Knife topology
    tool and (optionally -- see Handle Variations below) merge 2
    vertices -- less time consuming and potentially the most powerful
3.  Subdivide Left and Right edges simultaneously and (optionally -- see
    Handle Variations below) merge 2 vertices -- quickest/easiest for
    this specific case

All 3 are presented as has potential utility depending on the situation.
This section became bigger than expected; the alternate approaches are
described on a supplemental page: _Face Subdivision
Alternatives Supplemental
page_.


##### Extruding the Handle Proper

\[\[<File:Fig-12-Final-Handle-Extrusion.jpg%7Cthumb%7C400x400px>\|***Fig.
12: Handle Proper Extrusion***\]\] Remaining in viewport orientation
used for the "face work" above, deselect all
 than switch to face select mode
![](ILI05-Face-select-mode.jpg "ILI05-Face-select-mode.jpg"), ensuring
"Limit Selection to Visible" is still***on***
![](ILI03-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-on.jpg "ILI03-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-on.jpg")
and the select the upper face (Fig. 12 inset).

Switch to Right Ortho view  and extrude
on the Y axis -2
.

Be sure to specify the Y axis in order to override the default extrusion
angle (Fig. 12). 

## Finishing Up the Casing -- No Materials Yet

!***Fig. 13: Smoothing Things
Off***{width="326"
height="326"} While still in Edit mode click
 on the Modifiers icon
![](ILI08-prop-pan-Modifiers.jpg "ILI08-prop-pan-Modifiers.jpg") at the
top of the Properties Window and select the Subdivision Surface
(frequently called Subsurf) modifier under the Generate column on the
pop-up and use 2 subdivisions for both view and render. You should see
an immediate change in the model to a much smoother look.

Exit Edit mode  and apply Smooth shading
from the Tool Shelf. Voilà! The result should be fairly close to
Fig.13-A.

If your results look closer to Fig. 13-B then some -- or all -- of the
edge creasing needs attention.

If the results look similar to Fig. 13-C then the face the handle proper
was extruded from has not been divided into thirds.

### Handle Variations

!***Fig. 14: Variations on a
Theme***{width="325"
height="325"} As mentioned above the merging of vertices V09 and V12
(Fig. 07-D) into their respective lower corners is optional. That is
because merging/not merging results in a discernibly different
shape. When the original face is divided into three faces the inner
curve between the underside of the handle and the top of the main casing
body is much more open with the handle proper having a slimmer look
(Fig. 14-A).

When the original face is divided into two faces -- the top ⅓ of the
original and the bottom ⅔ of the original -- the inner curve between the
underside of the handle and the top of the main casing body is quite
smooth (Fig. 14-B).

Which one you choose is strictly personal preference.

Just for fun, Fig. 14-C depicts the result if the center face from Fig.
13-B is extruded instead of the upper face; hmmmm, that's (maybe)
potentially useful sometime ...

## QDRC Camera

A camera is a complex piece of equipment with many different pieces and
creating a truly accurate model of camera could be a tutorial on its
own. We must keep in mind, however, the function of this camera within
our scene. It is a "supporting player" in the scene. It will be attached
to a much larger lens casing, both of which will then be attached to a
much, much larger object (a jeep). Since the focus of attention is
intended to be the jeep we only need an object that at a distance
provides the viewer with enough clues -- in this case a general shape
and coloration -- to lead the viewer to the desired interpretation:
they're "seeing" a camera.

!***Fig. 15: Camera
Base***{width="400"
height="400"} So let's create a Quick & Dirty Rude & Crude Camera ...

Start by switching to Top Ortho view and add a cube, making sure you are
in Object mode

In the Dimensions section of the Transform Panel of the Properties Shelf
(Press  if it isn't displayed) type in
1**.**5 for X, **.**75 for Y and 1 for Z (Fig. 15-A); rename the object
(using the Outliner) to something unique and easily identifiable like
Big Game Camera

Enter Edit mode , select all
 and Bevel
 with an amount of .2 and 1 segment
(default) (Fig. 15-B)

!***Fig. 16: Loop
Cuts***

Switch to Front Ortho view  and then
orbit until you have a nice view of the front and top, adding a Loop Cut
with 4 cuts (Fig. 16)

!***Fig. 17: Face
Extrusion***{width="233"
height="233"}

Switch to Face Select mode
![](ILI05-Face-select-mode.jpg "ILI05-Face-select-mode.jpg") with "Limit
Selection to Visible" on
![](ILI03-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-on.jpg "ILI03-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-on.jpg").
Select the top central face and extrude **.**35 on the default (Z)
extrusion axis

(Fig. 17)

!***Fig. 18: Selective
Merging***

Switch to Vertex Select mode
![](ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg "ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg")
successively selecting the vertices at the bottom of the newly extruded
section and merging them  with their
nearest neighboring vertices towards the outside of the object and along
the X axis (Fig. 18)

!***Fig. 19: Top Face
Subdivide***

Switch to Edge Select mode
![](ILI01-Switch-to-Edge-Select.jpg "ILI01-Switch-to-Edge-Select.jpg")
and deselect All () and select both the
top front and back edges.

Subdivide with two cuts

Switch to Vertex Select mode
![](ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg "ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg"), Deselect
All  and select the four exterior vertices
of the combined three top faces using Circle Select
 (Fig. 19)

!***Fig. 20: Shaping View
Finder***
Switch to Front Ortho view 

Move the vertices -**.**15 along the Z axis


Scale 2**.**5 along the X axis

(Fig. 20).

!***Fig. 21: QDRC Camera - Ready to
Use***
While still in Edit mode click  the
Modifiers icon
![](ILI08-prop-pan-Modifiers.jpg "ILI08-prop-pan-Modifiers.jpg") at the
top of the Properties Window and select the Subdivision Surface
modifier.

Exit Edit mode  and apply Smooth shading
from the Tool Shelf.

As promised, you now are the proud owner of a QDRC Camera (Fig.
21)

## Swivel Mount

The Swivel Mount is comprised of:

-   Ball joint providing the swivel movement
-   Stabilizing support (1), bracket (1) and braces (2)

### Ball Joint

\[\[<File:Fig.-22N-Reusing-the-Ball-Joint.jpg%7Cthumb%7C717x717px>\|***Fig.
22: Reusing the Rocket Launch Mount***\]\] If you have***not***
completed the Rocket Launcher tutorial you can find the ball joint
creation instructions at _Create a mount
instructions_.
When you finished the ball joint return here.

For those having completed Rocket Launcher, click
 on the Rocket Launcher layer in the
visibility layer section of the 3D View Header.

:   Since we were in Edit when the mount components were added to the
    Rocket Launcher the Cylinder and UV Sphere became an integral part
    of the Rocket Launcher object. The result is that we cannot simply
    copy the mount components in order to reuse them. Instead we now
    need to "extract" a copy of the mount\'s components (which are
    collectively referred to as the *ball joint* in this tutorial) from
    the Rocket Launcher object.

::\*Select your Rocket Launcher object, enter Edit mode
 and Deselect everything


::\*Select a vertex/edge/face (which is irrelevant) in both the cylinder
and sphere that together create the ball joint and press
 to select the entirety of both
components (Fig. 22-A)

::\*Press  to create a duplicate,
which automatically become the selection and move the selection into a
clear area.

::\* to release, press
 to bring up the Separation Menu and click
on Selection (Fig. 22-B)

:   At this point we are still in Edit mode of the original object (Fig.
    22-C). Note that the selection is now portrayed as an object
    outlined in red (selected but not active) and the
    Manipulator/Transform Widget has disappeared; this confirms
    Separation and informs us that nothing is selected in the actively
    edited object.
:   Exit to object mode . We now have
    two distinct objects and are ready to reuse the ball joint (Fig.
    22-D).

Deselect all  and select the newly created
ball joint. Move it  to the layer where
you have the lens casing and camera. Take note that the Manipulator is
hanging out in space rather than in center of the new object (Fig.
22-E). That is because an object "extracted" from another object carries
with it the characteristics, including the origin, of the source at the
point of Separation.

Well, that is easy to correct. To change the Origin characteristic click
 on *Set Origin→Origin to Center of
Mass* on the Tool Shelf. Now the Origin more accurately reflects the
object to which it is attached.

 

While in Object mode click on the Layers tab of the Tool Shelf to
view/use the Layer Management capability. Layer Management enables the
naming of visibility layers and facilitates management of visibility;
quite handy. (This is an Add-on in Blender; if you don't see a Layers
tab go to the Add-ons section of User Preferences and look for "3D View:
Layer Management". If you're not finding this Add-on mostly likely
you're using an older Blender version.)

### Stabilizer Support, Bracket and Braces

!Jeeping\|***Fig. 23: Rough
Roads*** We expect our Big
Game Camera to be attached to body of a safari jeep which will be
traveling over rough terrain (Fig. 23) at potentially high speeds. To
provide stability in this demanding environment we'll include a Front
Support and Central Bracket in the package.

The Front Support and Central Bracket need to reflect the size and shape
of the object to which they will be attached. We could start with a new
cylinder and then manipulate it to achieve the desired size and
shape. An easier, faster and more accurate approach is to start with the
facet of the Lens Casing to which the stabilizing element will be
attached. 

#### Creating the Front Support Basis

!***Fig. 24: Support
Prep***

1.  Select the Lens Casing, switch to Right Ortho view
     and enter Edit
     mode ensuring "Limit Selection to
    Visible" is toggled ***off***
    ![](ILI01-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-off.jpg "ILI01-Limit-Selection-to-Visible-off.jpg")
2.  Select the 8 faces of belled front section using border or circle
     or 
    (Fig. 24-A). Double check 8 faces are selected (using the Info
    header). If less than 8 are selected "Limit Selection to Visible" is
    not toggled off.
3.  Duplicate
    ;
    do not use
    
    in this situation, it will remove the selected faces from the model
    when they are separated.
4.  Separate the selection  similar to
    what was done with the Ball Joint but leave it in place -- do
    ***not*** move; this will provide the starting point for the Front
    Support.
5.  Exit Edit mode .

Rename the new object -- using the Outliner -- to something unique
indicating it is (will become) the Front Support. Take note of the
yellow lines on the belled faces of the Lens Casing in Fig. 24-B; this
indicates two (or potentially more) mesh areas are occupying the exact
same space, which is exactly what we want this case.

\

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#### Refining the Front Support

!***Fig. 25: Support in the
Round***\|567x567px
Select Front Support (if it is not already selected) and switch into
Local View . Local View is used here to
avoid having the Lens Casing obscure our editing vision.

Enter Edit {{ B3D:N2P/Do\|TAB}} and perform Loop Cut with seven cuts
(Fig. 25-A)

While all of the Loop Cuts are still selected crease at a factor of one;
deselect all, select an edge of the 2^nd^ loop from the right and click
 on *Select→Edge Loops* (Fig. 25-B).

Delete the loop  then selecting *Edge
Loops* which results in a selected ring of faces that will become the
Front Support (Fig. 25-C)

Invert the selection  (Fig. 24-D) and
delete unnecessary mesh , selecting
*Edges* so that we now have the "foundation" for creating the Front
Support (Fig. 25-E).

Switch to Vertex Select mode
![](ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg "ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg") and
select all ; scale 115% on the X and Z axes


(Fig. 25-F/G)

Extrude and escape
 (Fig.
25-H)

Scale 70% on the X and Z axis

(Fig. 25-I/J).

Exit Edit mode  to view results.

Whoops, not quite what was expected (Fig. 25-K) but no worries.

Re-enter Edit mode , switch to Face
Select mode ![](ILI05-Face-select-mode.jpg "ILI05-Face-select-mode.jpg")
and select all .  Click
 on *Mesh→Normals→Recalculate Normals*
(or simply press ).  You will
immediately see a change in face orientation.  Upon exiting Edit mode
 the problem is solved; now results
equal expectations (Fig. 25-L).

#### Front Support -- Finishing Touch

!***Fig. 26: Support Finishing
Touch***{width="357"
height="357"} Switch to Vertex Select mode
![](ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg "ILI06-Vetex-select-mode.jpg") and
select the top 8 vertices using your preferred method (Fig.
26-A). Delete the 8 vertices  *Vertices*.

Select the 8 "open ended" vertices resulting from the deletion (Fig.
26-B) and give them Faces (Fig. 26-C) by pressing
.

Exit Edit mode .

#### Finalizing the Front Support

!***Fig. 27: Support Quality
Check***{width="276"
height="276"} Switch out of Local View 
to review the finished (excepting materials/textures) Front Support.
Check shape, size and position to ensure they match intent (Fig.
27).

#### Create the Central Bracket

!***Fig. 28: Create Central
Bracket***{width="444"
height="444"} Repeat the same process as used for the Front Support
(Fig. 28) with the following exceptions:

1.  perform Loop Cut with 7 cuts _*changes*_ to
    perform Loop Cut with **11** cuts
2.  select an edge of the 2^nd^ loop from the right
    _*changes*_ to select an edge of the
    **3^rd^** loop from the right
3.  scale 115% on the X and Z axes *_changes_* to
    scale **120%** on the X and Z axes
4.  No "Finishing Touch" is required, we'll use this one as a full
    circular bracket to enhance stability

#### Retaining Positioning

!***Fig. 29: Setting
Parent*** Once the
support and bracket are where we want them we need to keep them in
place. In fact, we want the brackets to retain their current
relationship with the Lens Casing regardless of transforms performed on
the Lens Casing. We will use Parenting to keep the brackets--Lens Casing
relationship stable. Select the Front Support and the Central Bracket
and *_**lastly**_* the Lens Casing using
.

The order of selection is irrelevant with _the
exception_ of the last one selected; last selected is active
and will be the Parent (master).  Click 
on *Object→Parent→Object→Object (Keep Transform)* from the 3D header
*or* it can be set using the Tool Shelf (Fig. 29).  Now whatever we do
with the Lens Casing the Front Support and the Central Bracket will "tag
along".

#### Alternate Bracket Creation Approach -- Extrusion

!***Fig. 30: Extrusion
Approach***{width="681"
height="681"} Another approach to creating the brackets is to make them
integral to Lens Casing mesh itself through the use of Loop Cuts and
Face Extrusion (Fig. 30-A). Using Loop Cut/Extrusion has the following
benefits:

-   it is easier and quicker
-   it eliminates the need for additional positioning during creation
-   the bracket will retain its proper relationship with the Lens Casing
    regardless of how the object is transformed post-creation without
    the complexity of Parenting

There are, however, at least two drawbacks to the Loop Cut/Extrusion
approach.

1.  Even with all bracket edges creased at a factor of 1 and with the
    Smoothing Correction modifier applied there remains an unwanted
    shine between the Lens Casing body and bracket (Fig. 30-B). With two
    separate objects and use of parenting the shine problem is resolved
    by avoiding the problem.
2.  There may be design changes or may want to reuse all or portions of
    the object (s) for some other project. If the bracket is integrated
    into the Lens Casing mesh it restricts our future options. In
    developing brackets and braces I became dissatisfied with the
    bracket positioning and their implied function. Had the bracket been
    integrated into the Lens Casing object not only would making the
    change have been a lot more work, portraying the functional change
    of the front bracket could not have been accomplished (Fig.
    30-C).

#### Adding Bracing

##### Incorporating the Ball Joint

!Fig.-31-BJ-pos\|***Fig. 31: Positioning Ball
Joint***
The bracing will stabilize the connection between the Lens Casing, the
camera and the Ball Joint. Since even a Big Game Camera and Lens Casing
are typically smaller than a rocket and its launcher (even a little
rocket that can fit in the back of a jeep) we're going to scale the Ball
Joint down a bit.

Switch to Right Ortho view  remaining
in Object mode.  Select the Ball Joint object
 and scale it to 90%
.

Enter Edit mode, select  a shaft element
(vertex, edge or face) and press  to
quickly select the whole shaft.

Scale the shaft to 60% on the X and Y axes
 followed by
 (not Z)
.

Exit Edit mode and position the Ball Joint so that the shaft intersects
with the bottom of the Central Bracket; the top of the object outline
will disappear when full intersection (no gaps) is achieved (Fig.
31). Positioning of the Ball Joint relative to the Central Bracket is
perhaps easiest to see by:

-   Selecting both objects
-   Switch into Local View 
-   Switch to Front Ortho view 
-   Change the *Method to Display/Shade Objects* in 3D View in the 3D
    header from the default Solid
    ![](ILI07-Solid-View.jpg "ILI07-Solid-View.jpg") to Wireframe
    ![](ILI08-Wireframe-View.jpg "ILI08-Wireframe-View.jpg") or press
    
-   Click  on the Central Bracket which
    should make the Central Bracket active while the Ball Joint remains
    selected but is no longer the active object
-   Parent the Ball Joint to the Central Bracket so it retains its
    position relative to both Central Bracket and the Lens Casing.

Switch out of Local View  and back to
Solid View . 

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===== Creating/Positioning the Braces =====

###### Initial Set-up

!Fig.-32-Setup-Braces\|***Fig. 32: Bracing
Setup***
Select the Front Support and switch into Local View
.

Switch to Top Ortho view .

-   Snap the 3D Cursor to the Support's center
     Object→Snap→ Cursor to Selected.

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```
-   Add a cylinder sides 8, rad=**.**25, depth=2 (default) and Cap Fill
    Type=Nothing.

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-   Similar to what was done when starting the Lens Casing rotate
    22**.**5 degrees around Z by typing 22**.**5 on the Z line of the
    Rotation section in the Transform Panel of the Properties Shelf
    (Fig. 32-A). This will be the Front Brace -- you may want to rename
    it as such now.

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-   Change the *Method to Display/Shade Objects* in 3D View in the 3D
    header from the default Solid
    ![](ILI07-Solid-View.jpg "ILI07-Solid-View.jpg") to Wireframe
    ![](ILI08-Wireframe-View.jpg "ILI08-Wireframe-View.jpg") or press
    

:   

    :   *This will make seeing what we're doing easier.*

-   Switch to Front Ortho view  and use
    the Manipulator to move the Front Brace down (negative direction)
    the Z axis until top is just above lower surface of the Front
    Support (Fig. 32-B). Switch to Right Ortho view
     and check to ensure proper Y axis
    alignment (Fig. 32-C).

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-   Keeping the Front Brace selected select the Front Support and set
    the Front Support as Parent to the Front Brace.

Change from Wireframe View back to the default Solid View and switch out
of Local View .

###### Transform a Cylinder into Braces

!***Fig. 33: Brace
Creation***\|482x482px
Deselect all  upon returning to Global
View then select the Front Brace and enter Edit mode
.

-   Deselect all , switch Vertex Select
    and select the bottom 8 vertices ( or
    ).  Use the manipulator to move the
    vertices into the sphere of the Ball Joint just above its center
    (Fig. 32-A).
-   Exit Edit , duplicate the Front
    Brace
    
    and click  *Object→Apply→Rotation
    and Scale* to reset any transform parameters to zero. Note the Front
    Brace origin is no longer in center of the object (Fig. 32-B); click
     on *Set Origin→Origin to Center of
    Mass* on the Tool Shelf. Now the origin is where we need it for
    proper mirroring (Fig 32-C).
-   Click  *Object→Mirror→Global Z*
     to create the Rear Brace (Fig
    32-D).

Use the manipulator to position the top of rear brace just inside the
bottom of camera. The bottom of the rear brace is now "hanging" in
mid-air unconnected to the Ball Joint where it needs to be. Enter Edit
 mode to solve the problem.

-   Deselect all  and select the bottom 8
    vertices ( or
    ). If we attempt to position the
    bottom vertices into the Ball Joint as was done with the Front Brace
    you'll see that the diameter of the Rear Brace becomes smaller. Our
    objective, however, is to keep the diameters of both braces
    identical.
-   Go to the 3D header and find the 3D Manipulator Widget section and
    change the Transformation Orientation from Global to Normal. Now we
    can extend the length of the brace so that the bottom vertices are
    just inside the Ball Joint without impacting the brace's diameter
    (Fig. 33-E).

Exit Edit  mode.  That completes the
Stabilizer components with the Ball Joint securely connected to the Lens
Casing and Camera (Fig. 33-F).

### Pre-Textured Model Review

!***Fig. 34: Hierarchically Connected***
\|470x470px
Chapeau! You've completed modeling the Safari Big Game Camera. Take
moment to review how the Outliner is displaying the model components.
With the Parenting we've set up to prepare for mounting the assembly on
the back of the forthcoming Jeep we've also set up a hierarchy of the
model's components. Whatever is done to the Big Game Camera Casing
(which I\'ve named BGC Lens Casing (Fig. 34)) -- in terms of location,
orientation and scale -- the children elements will follow along.

## Bringing it to Life

One of the primary objectives of 3D Modeling is to create a 2D rendition
conveying a 3D feel that communicates one --or more -- specific messages
to a target audience. Despite all the hard work you've done to create
this model (which is -- I hope -- SAVED to your storage device) it is
not yet ready for public consumption:

-   colors (called materials in 3D land and for good  reason: materials
    encompass much more than color, even when the word "color" is used
    in it's broadest, non-technical sense) need to be added
-   lighting needs to be set up (lamps in Blender)
-   and the 3D model converted to the 2D rendition (rendering) before it
    is ready for dissemination to the target audience. What follows is
    only a cursory exercise in materials, lighting and rendering; entire
    books have been written on each of the three topics.

### Adding Zing! with Materials

!***Fig. 35: Base Material
Selection***\|463x463px
Material selection can make or break a project. Material selection also
happens to be very subjective. Regardless of the science underlying
material selection -- and especially material combinations -- many
individuals will either like or not like what they're viewing without
being able to specify why. To make things even more intriguing, material
preferences, material combination preferences and subliminal material
messages are also strongly influenced by culture. The particular
materials I've chosen simply reflect my personal tastes and you are
encouraged to substitute your own preferred materials.

In addition to material selection, lamp selection and setup will also
dramatically influence how the final render will appear. Using the
default Point lamp with no material applied to the Big Game Camera
results in a dull grey look when rendered (Fig. 35-A), which is not my
objective. My objective is to have a base material of brilliant white
(Fig. 35-D) that will be contrasted with a material that accentuates the
object's geometry. *\Hint: Click on the Materials context
! in the Properties
![ window
to access Fig. 35-B/C.\]* The Lamp set up used in this tutorial is
explained in the Render section.

#### Lens Casing Materials

There are four different materials to be created for the Lens Casing:

1.  the base material which is the dominant color of the object
2.  an accent material used emphasize geometric transitions
3.  an inside front rim material
4.  a lens glass material

##### Base Material

The default starting material provided the desired look (HEX CODE E7E7E7
in v2.79). If you are unsure how to create a new material using the
default characteristics and/or how to apply it to an object please
review _Quickie
Material_
and _Multiple Materials Per
Object_
before continuing.\

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##### Accent Material

!***Fig. 36: Apply Accent
Material***\|624x624px
Once you're satisfied with base material, the mesh areas that display
only that material can be hidden to make it easier to work on accents
and fine details. Let's start with the accent material:

-   ensure *Limit Selection to Visible* is toggled ***off***
-   select the three main shank sections comprised of horizontally
    oriented faces using border select 
    (Fig. 36-A)
-   press  to temporarily hide the
    selection
-   select all faces remaining visible 
    (Fig. 36-B)
-   deselect the glass lens and inner rim faces
    
    (Fig. 36-C)
-   orbit the view a bit  to
    double-check that only faces intended to receive the accent material
    are selected (Fig. 36-D)
-   add a new material in the Materials context of the Properties Window
    -- or use one you've already created -- (Fig. 36-Inset) and assign
    the material to the selected faces

The accent faces should now show the accent material color (Fig. 36-E).

Press  to hide the accent faces. Exit Edit
mode  to seeː

-   changes on the full model
-   assure yourself that hidden faces are indeed still there ;-)

##### Inner Rim Material

!Fig.-37-Apply-Flat-Black\|***Fig. 37: Apply Inner
Rim***

Select all  to ensure only the inner rim
and lens glass faces are remaining (Fig, 37-A).

-   Deselect all  and select
     the lens glass face (Fig. 37-B).
-   Invert selection  and the selected
    faces will now be the inner rim faces (Fig. 37-C)
-   Create a material for the inner rim. I used "matte" black (no gloss;
    Diffuse=HEX CODE 393939 with Specular=0**.**05) to minimize unwanted
    light reflections onto the lens glass.

Assign the material to the inner rim faces (Fig. 37-D) and hide the
faces .

##### Lens Glass Material

!***Fig. 38: Add Lens Glass
Material***\|425x425px
Select all  to select the only remaining
face (or you can simply click  on the
face).

-   Create a new material and leave it at the default; we're going to
    add a texture to this material as explained _Image
    Textures_
-   Select the red and white checkerboard representing Texture context
    ![](Blender255TextureContextButton.png "Blender255TextureContextButton.png")
    to right of the Materials context in the Properties Window (Fig.
    38-A).

:   

    :   *Before proceeding with material/texture you will need a
        suitable picture of lens glass. You can use the one I created
        (so it isn't copyrighted) or find one you prefer on the web. To
        use mine, right click on ***Lens Glass Pic.jpg*** below (I
        suspect you know the drill) and save to your local computer.*

-   Select Image or Movie for the Type (Fig. 37-B) and click on Open
    (Fig. 37-C). Navigate to the lens glass image file and open it.
-   When you are returned to Blender note that (1) the image is
    displayed in the Preview pane and image information is provided
    (Fig. 37-D). You can leave all other settings at their defaults.

Click on the Materials context icon and Assign the material to the lens
glass face. Exit Edit mode  to see the
changes . 

###### Non-copyrighted lens glass image.

Lens Glass Pic.jpg !Fig.-39-Lens-Glass-Pic\|***Fig. 39: Share Alike
Lens Glass
Image***\|624x624px


##### Quickie UV Unwrap

!***Fig. 40: Results of UV
Unwrap***\|481x481px
Rotate the model's front rim towards you until you can clearly see the
lens glass face. It should look similar to what is shown at right. All
of the materials are applied as intended with glaring exception of the
lens glass (Fig. 40-A), because in Solid View mode textured-based
materials are not displayed.

Change the *Method to Display/Shade Objects in 3D View* in the 3D header
from the Solid ![](ILI07-Solid-View.jpg "ILI07-Solid-View.jpg") to
Material ![](ILI09-Material-View.jpg "ILI09-Material-View.jpg"); you
will need to make the change by clicking
 on the icon in the 3D header as
 only works for toggling between and Solid
and Wireframe. Now it is possible to see a material's texture in the 3D
display without rendering.

Results are still not matching intent. The texture looks like it is
scrambled. Why? Well, this Wikipedia article on _UV
Mapping_
gives some very strong clues. To summarize: the output isn\'t really
scrambled. Lacking sufficient information Blender is creating triangular
\"slices\" of the texture image and applying to all of the faces.

In the Image Texture tutorial in which a square checkerboard was applied
to a cube Blender could determine how to apply the image to the object
using the Mapping instructions of the Texture context since there was
only a single face -- having a same proportions as the texture image --
to which the image needed to be applied. To tell Blender how we want the
image texture applied to the object in this tutorial's situation -- a
multitude of faces (calculations are performed on the faces generated by
Subsurf) none of which have the image\'s proportions -- we need to use
*UV Unwrapping*:

-   enter Edit mode ; select the lens
    glass faces (if needed)
-   click  *Mesh→UV Unwrap→Unwrap*

Even with the face selected and still in Edit mode you will see the
texture image appear on the lens glass faces as a single image.

Exit Edit mode  and you will see the
applied texture image much better. It still doesn't look quite right
though; specularity is too strong and sharp. To correct that reduce
Specular Intensity to **.**1 and Hardness to 15 (Hardness is the spread
of the specularity, the lower the value the greater the spread and the
softer the specularity border).  Now specularity complements the
selected image texture (Fig. 40-B).

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##### A Minor Hiccup

!***Fig. 41: Optical Illusion Partially
Resolved***\|664x664px
That completes application of materials to the Lens Casing. And it is
looking pretty good (Fig. 41-A).

Except ... if we look closely at the rear section of the Casing it sort
of appears to slant downwards. It is difficult to see for sure with
white of the Lens Casing against the light blue background.

Let's give it darker background and yes, it definitely appears as though
rear section has a downward tilt (Fig 41-B). We know it does not tilt
downward because of the manner in which we created the model. It must,
therefore, be an optical illusion, most likely caused by the curvature
of the handle stem as it merges into the Casing's rear section.

One option for correcting the illusion is to redesign (and obviously
remodel) the handle, which would entail substantial time spent on
rework. Another option is to provide a visual "clue" that would counter
the illusion by reinforcing the horizontal structure of the Casing
shank. Two parallel stripes down the shank running from the front to the
rear should correct the illusion *and* be fairly quick & easy to
implement.

The stripes are added by simply:

1.  press  to reveal the hidden
    faces
2.  apply a Loop Cut with 8 cuts to the side face of the shank
3.  use select edge/select loop/delete loop to quickly select stripe
    faces
4.  assign the accent material (Fig. 41-C)

The good news is that the stripes do counteract the illusion. The not so
good news is that when the Loop Cuts were added the Subsurf algorithm
flattened the area around the cuts resulting in a very noticeable
flattening of the front rim (Fig. 42-D).

Use  or the Tool Shelf's Undo History
(my preferred approach) to revert to before the Loop Cuts were applied.


##### Optical Illusion Resolution

!***Fig. 42: Optical Illusion Fully
Resolved***\|407x407px
Since the stripes appear to correct the optical illusion we need to
create the stripes whilst leaving the front rim pristine (untouched).

While still in Object mode click  the
Modifiers icon
![](Blender255ObjectModifiersContextButton.png "Blender255ObjectModifiersContextButton.png") at
the top of the Properties panel (ILI08) and Apply the Subsurf modifier.

Enter Edit mode  to find that a lot of
now permanent faces are now available to us (at a small ploy-count cost)
(Fig. 42-A)

Select faces which in aggregate will provide the stripes (Fig. 42-B) and
Assign the Accent material.

That does the job; the illusion issue is resolved and the circular
curvature of the front rim is intact (Fig. 42-C).


#### QDRC Materials

!***Fig. 43: QDRC Fully
Clothed***\|457x457px
We will give the QDRC Camera the traditional black and silver two tone
look which requires two materials:

-   main body area
-   viewfinder area

Select the Camera object

-   click , on the Materials context
    icon at the top of the Properties Window
-   click  the "+" sign to create the
    first material slot then click  on
    "New"
-   click  on the default name type in
    Camera Body
-   click  on the Diffuse color swatch
    and move darkness slider to the bottom (darkest) -- leave other
    options at their defaults
-   enter Edit  and switch Limit
    Selection to Visible off
-   select the upper faces (Fig. 43-A) using Border select
    
-   create another new material naming it something like Camera
    Viewfinder and make the following changes to the defaultsː

1.  check the checkbox for Mirror
2.  in the Mirror section set Reflection to **.**2 and Depth to 4

Exit Edit mode  to see your completed
Two Tone QDRC Camera (Fig. 43-B)!

#### Swivel Mount Material -- Create

!***Fig. 44: Swivel Mount
Texture***\|432x432px
All Swivel Mount components have the same material. The intent is to
create rugged dull metal look.

Select any one of the components and create a new material, naming it
something appropriate.

-   set Diffuse to HEX CODE=5E5E5E
-   click on the Texture context icon in the Properties Window (Fig. 44)
-   add a new texture and select Noise for the type
-   make the following changes to the defaults:

1.  activate *Influence/Diffuse/Intensity* and set to **.**75
2.  activate *Influence/Diffuse/Color*, leaving it at 1
3.  activate *Influence/Shading/Emit* and also leave it at 1
4.  change the *Blend* from Mix to Divide
5.  click on the default pink color and set the Hex value to BFBFBF
6.  change the *DVar* from 1 to **.**4

##### Swivel Mount Material -- Apply

!***Fig. 45: Swivel Mount
Textured***\|277x277px
Click on the Materials context icon and apply the material (one at a
time) to the remaining Swivel Mount components. After the material is
created you can (with the Material context active):

-   select a Swivel Mount component
-   click  on the Material sphere next
    to the material name
-   select the material on the "fly-out" panel (Fig. 45) from the list
    of all the materials created in this Blender file, or
-   use the search capability at the bottom of the panel

If no other materials have been created for the object the selected
material will be automatically applied to the
object

### Project Status Overview -- Outliner Hierarchy

!***Fig. 46: Project
Status***\|921x921px
Good job on getting this far!  Before we move to the final step
(rendering) let's take a bit of breather and review what has been
accomplished. One way to do that is using the Outliner which provides a
structured, organized and comprehensive "snapshot" of the status (Fig.
46). Using the content of the Outliner it is quite easy to identify:

1.  the hierarchical relationships
    ![](ILIO-hierarchy-symb.jpg "ILIO-hierarchy-symb.jpg") between the
    high level components of the project
2.  which primitive meshes
    ![](ILIO-primative-symb.jpg "ILIO-primative-symb.jpg") provide the
    base for the object
3.  the consistency and logic of naming conventions
4.  the materials ![](ILIO-materials-symb.jpg "ILIO-materials-symb.jpg")
    associated with different objects, down to the names of image
    texture files
5.  which (if any) Modifiers
    ![](ILIO-modifiers-symb.jpg "ILIO-modifiers-symb.jpg") are active
    for each object

The granularity of this information facilitates model
maintenance/changes, asset re-utilization and -- potentially -- problem
solving. 

### ¡¡Camera -- Lights-- Render!!

Now that you've created the Safari Big Game Camera it is time to
transform -- or render -- the results of your hard work into a format
shareable with others. Rendering is a BIG subject comprising at a
minimum:

-   selecting a rendering engine (internal Blender Render used here)
-   positioning and adjusting the camera(s)
-   selecting, positioning and adjusting lights (or Lamps in Blender
    terminology)
-   providing a presentation setting

Exploring any of the items listed above in their entirety is well beyond
the scope of this tutorial. There are, however, some very simple things
we can do to create an attractive rendered result.

#### Camera

!Fig.-48N-Camera-Setup\|***Fig. 47ː Camera Set
Up***

Positioning and aiming of the (single) camera in this tutorial uses the
*"Lock Camera to View"* capability which is based on the simplistic
WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) principle. To activate this
function:

-   toggle Property Shelf visibility if needed --
    
-   find the View Panel (3^rd^ panel down with factory settings) and
    click on the checkbox to the left of *"Lock Camera to View"* (Fig.
    47)

Now camera positioning/aiming can be accomplished quickly and easily:

-   select all BGC components ( or
    )
-   activate the camera viewpoint 
    (Fig. 48 Camera Persp)
-   press  to center the BGC components
    in the view space
-   adjust to your satisfaction by panning and zooming (which may
    illustrate a constraint inherent to the *Lock Camera* approach,
    namely it can get you close but it may not be "perfect")
-   you can fine tune the positioning using the Manipulator but use with
    caution: this actually moves the objects -- it is not just for
    camera positioning/aiming

\

```{=html}
<HR SIZE="2" COLOR="#800080" WIDTH="50%" ALIGN="center">
```
\

#### Lighting

!***Fig. 48ː Lighting Set
Up***\|562x562px

A single Hemi Lamp with Energy set to **.**8 is used for the renders in
this tutorial. To switch to the depicted Quad View first activate the
camera viewpoint  then press
. Position the Lamp (Fig. 48)
using the Manipulator in move and rotate modes.

Alternatively, you can quickly position using the values provided in the
Fig. 48 Inset:

1.  click on the lamp to select making sure it is the only thing
    selected
2.  toggle Property Shelf visibility if needed and enter the values
    provided in the Location area
3.  the values are relative to the position of the BGC
    components

#### Setting

!***Fig. P1ː Render Backgroundː Elephants (no
copyright)***\|674x674px|674x674px")
!***Fig. P2ː Render Backgroundː Leaping Tiger (no
copyright)***\|674x674px|674x674px")

To provide the presentation Setting we'll give the World context a
render background derived from a standard image. The image should
explicitly or implicitly invoke the feeling of a big game safari. You
can use either (or both) of the images in Fig. P1/P2 or find one you
prefer on the web. Neither P1 nor P2 is copyrighted. The elephants image
is from WikiCommons and the tiger image is my own creation using
Photoshop and starting from a royalty-free image. To use these, right
click on the image and save to your local machine.

Image aspect and sizing is the Render context
default.

#### Render Background Texture

!***Fig. 49ː World Background \--
Texture***\|586x586px
The following steps associate your selected image with a World entry so
that Blender knows to display it as the render background:

1.  click  on the World context icon
    ![](ILI10-World-context-icon.jpg "ILI10-World-context-icon.jpg") at
    the top of the Properties Window
2.  and then on the "**+**" sign to the right of a World name (Fig.
    49-A) to create a linked World entry which is a clone of the
    original
3.  click on the "**X**" adjacent to the "**+**" sign to unlink the
    clone and reset the entry (Fig 49-B)
4.  click on the New button (Fig. 49-C) which has replaced the named
    clone to create a fresh World entry named World.xxx
5.  rename the entry then click on the Texture context icon (Fig. 49-D)
    to create a texture linked to the new World entry
6.  click on "New" to create a new Texture entry (Fig. 49-E)
7.  similar to how a texture was identified for a material, select
    "Image or Movie" for Texture Type and click on "Open" to browse to
    the background image location
8.  after returning to Blender -- where the image info is displayed --
    scroll towards the bottom of the Texture context to the Influence
    Panel (Fig. 49-F)
9.  click on the checkbox to the left of *Horiz:*
10. *Blend:* should be checked by default; if isn\'t, check it also
11. return to the World context

!***Fig. 50ː World Background \--
Rendered***\|508x508px
Click on the "Paper Sky" checkbox in the World Panel of the World
context to activate the image for use as the render background and align
to your render dimensions. Press  to
view the final results of efforts in a render. 
***Congratulations**... you've completed this tutorial!  I enjoyed
making it and I hope you found it enjoyably educational.* {{ B3D:N2P/NAV
\|next=Simple Vehicle: Body \|previous=Simple Vehicle: Rocket Launcher
}}
