3D Toolkit: Base Mesh Continuation

Base Mesh Creation:

I have continued to work on my Base Mesh, a 3D model human form that can be manipulated and sculpted. I used IMM shapes - primarily the IMM capsule - to do so, creating large forms for the arms and legs and adding supplementary forms for where major muscle groups would lay. For example, I placed a sphere shape atop the shoulder to show the location of the deltoid muscle. I could then sculpt this into the bicep and pectoral regions, creating a sweeping shape that encapsulated the arm and connected the arm mass to the torso mass.

The Dynamesh functionality assisted me in the building up of these forms, as this connected the IMM Subtools I had drawn to the primary Torso mass. 

Clay Buildup Tool:

The Clay Buildup Tool (Shortcut B, C, B) allowed me to sculpt the predefined masses together, the tool directly adding or subtracting mass from the sculpt and allowing for the sculpted region to be built up in a manner similar to the adding of layers. The Cay Buildup Tool adds these layers to the model; with the square brush shape I had selected, the brush added strip-like formations to the model that layered atop one another.

I also used the Smoothing Tool to lessen the depth between layers of clay I had built up. Ultimately, I had this setting set too high and this softened the arms to a degree that malformed them severely, a mistake I did not realise until after I had worked on other areas of the model. As such, I had to go about reconstructing the arms using IMM Primitives.

To do so, I looked online to try and find documentation about how to delete specific regions of a model. I found that I could mask the model, leaving the arms unmasked, and could then use the "Hide Unmasked" functionality to hide them. From there, I could delete the hidden portions of the model in the Geometry Tab.

This functionally removed the arms from my model, and as such I drew in new IMM capsules to replace the mass that had been deleted. This process also cleaved large holes in the side of the model, where the deleted arms once connected to the torso. When using the Dynamesh functionality, these holes were patched towards the newly-drawn arm primitives.

From these, I could reuse the Clay Buildup brush to add musculature to the new arms.

On the whole, this Base Mesh is definitely one that requires further work. Though I do not necessarily think I failed in its construction, the mesh seems geared towards a specific body type, with proportions that are slightly too exaggerated as a result. They are top-heavy, with legs that - I feel - are too long and too slender, not fitting in with the musculature of the arms and torso. Additionally, as I focused on the torso, arms and legs, I ultimately did not get around to constructing a neck and head for the mesh. I feel that, in terms of broad use, the mesh loses functionality due to the specificity of its body type; it seems like a mesh useful for perhaps a henchman-type character, not a basic model useful for a variety of character applications.