MAXON Computer Cinema 4D Tutorials: Modeling The Eye

- Human Modeling: Meissie

Human Modeling: Meissie:
Modeling The Eye
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CE Requires:
Version 6+

Before you can start on modeling the eye you are going to create a Sphere which will act as the eyeball and thus make modeling the shapes of the eyelids easier. There is also a tutorial that deals with the making of an eyeball. You can jump to that part first if you want, but here you are going to use a simple Sphere. Create a Sphere (Objects=>Primitives=>Sphere). The default Sphere has to be adjusted first. Double click on its icon in the Object Manager and change the radius to 13.35m and click OK. Double click on the name of the Sphere and rename it 'Eyeball'. With the Eyeball still selected in the Object Manager go to the Coordinates Manager and change the Position to X=29.5m, Y=22m, and Z=-58m. You need the Eyeball to be transparent when modeling around it. What you need to do is create a transparent material and apply it to the Eyeball. In the Material Manager create a New Material (File=>New Material). Double click on its icon and in the Material dialog change the Color setting to a yellow color by dragging the B (Blue) slider to 0%. Check the Transparency channel's setting, and set the Brightness to 40%. Check the Fog channel, change the Color setting to a yellow color by dragging the B slider to 0%. As the last change, uncheck the Specular channel. Close the Material dialog. Apply the texture to the Eyeball by dragging it over the eyeball in the Object Manager. Accept the default settings from the Texture dialog and click OK.

Step 1: Switch to the Object Axis Tool (Tools=>Object Axis) and with the head active in the Object Manager change the Position of the Axis from X=0m, Y=0m, Z=0m to X=30m, Y=20m, Z=-60m.

Step 2: It’s very important that you follow these steps, otherwise your polygons will end up in totally different places if given a new position in this tutorial. Make sure you’re back in Polygons mode (Tools=>Polygons) and double click on the eye Tag in the Object Manager. Choose 'Select and Hide Others'.

Step 3: With all eye polygons selected, change their Position in the Coordinates Manager from Z=-5m to Z=0m.

Step 4: The eye position should look like this.

Step 5: Activate the Live Selection Tool (Selection=>Live Selection) and select the polygons as shown.

Step 6: Go to Selection=>Hide Unselected to hide everything except for the eye polygons.

Step 7: Next you are going to make a Selection Tag of the polygons shown. Make sure none of the other Tags in the Object Manager are highlighted and make a Selection Tag for it (Selection=>Set Selection). Double click on your newly created Polygon Selection Tag and name it 'lashes'.

Step 8: Switch to the Points Tool (Tools=>Points) and select the inner points of your lashes. With the Move Tool activated (Tools=>Move) drag the points along the Z axis until they reach approximately -8m, or you can just enter -8m in the Z field under Position in the Coordinates Manager.

Step 9: Activate the Scale Tool(Tools=>Scale), deactivate the Z axis and scale the still selected points up from X=20m to X=22.5m.

Step 10: The scaling has set the points as shown, you do not want them set up this way.

Step 11: Select them and with the Scale Tool (Tools=>Scale), use the red axis handle to scale them back until they are in line again with their opposite points.

Step 12: As you can see in this image, the lashes have nice rounding now, that’s because the head was put into a Hyper NURBS Object. Create a Hyper NURBS Object (Objects=>NURBS=>Hyper NURBS) and make your head a child of it. It will give you a much better idea of what you're doing while modeling the eye. Change your view from Perspective to the Front View (F4). In order to make the modeling a bit easier you’ll treat the opposite points as if they were one. Select them in pairs with the Live Selection Tool (Selection=>Live Selection) and then move them into place with the Move Tool (Tools=>Move). Use the space bar on your keyboard to toggle between the tools.

Step 13: The next few pictures will give you an idea of how to form the shape of the eye. It’s really up to you what kind of shape the eye will get. The only point of attention should be that the inside eye corner should not get dragged into the eyeball. Keep this place a bit free.

Step 14: The next step is to make the shape of the eye fit around the eyeball. To do this change your view to 2 Views Side by Side. In the view window select View=>Panels=>2 Views Side By Side.

Step 15: Make one of the views the Perspective View (F1) and the other one the Top View (F2). Use the Perspective View to select your points and keep an eye on what you're doing and use the Top View to drag the points around.

Step 16: Since the shape of the skull is an oval seen from above, the outer eye corners are always placed a bit more to the back than the inner eye corners.

Step 17: It’s OK if the back part of the lashes ends up in the eyeball. Just make sure it’s not too far.

Step 18: If the result of your modeling has reached more or less the same phase as shown, it’s time to save your work and drag a copy in Headbackup.

Step 19: You’re going to unhide the eye. In the Object Manager double click on the eye Tag and choose 'Unhide Polygons'.

Step 20: Your eye is already getting into shape. Deactivate the Hyper NURBS Object in the Object Manager. With the Live Selection Tool active (Selection=>Live Selection) select the next row of polygons. Make sure that no other Tags are highlighted in the Object Manager then go to Selection=>Set Selection.

Step 21: Double click on the newly created Polygon Selection Tag and name it 'eyelid-1'. Double click on the lashes Tag and choose 'Select Polygons'. Now go to Selection=>Hide Unselected.

Step 22: Switch to the Points Tool if it's not already activated and with the Live Selection Tool (Selection=>Set Selection) select the outer ring of points. To play it safe, hide the unselected points.

Step 23: Don’t deselect the selected points, it makes it easier to spot them the way they are. In the Object Manager turn the Hyper NURBS Object back on. You’re going to repeat the modeling process as done previously with the lashes selection. Only this time you will use the Magnet Tool with the settings as described in the beginning of the second Meissie tutorial. Go to the Front View (F4) and distribute the points around the eye as shown.

Step 24: When you're done change to the 2 Views Side by Side, again one in Perspective View (F1) and one in Top View (F2), just as before.

Step 25: Drag the points a bit further backwards around the eye as shown.

Step 26: You're done if your eye looks similar to the one shown.

Step 27: Switch to the Polygons Tool (Tools=>Polygons). In the Object Manager double click the eye Selection Tag and choose 'Unhide Polygons'. Next deactivate the Hyper NURBS Object. With the Live Selection Tool (Selection=>Live Selection) select the next ring of polygons and make a new Polygon Selection Tag (Selection=>Set Selection).

Step 28: Name the Polygon Selection Tag 'eyelid-2'. In the Object Manager double click the Selection Tag 'lashes' and choose 'Select Polygons'. Do the same for 'eyelid'. Now go to Selection=>Hide Unselected. Switch to the Points Tool (Tools=>Points), first unhide the previously hidden points then select the outer ring of points with the Live Selection Tool (Selection=>Live Selection).

Step 29: Activate the Magnet Tool (Structure=>Magnet) and again distribute the points around the eye in the Front View (F4). You’ll skip the hiding of the unselected points this time. You will have to drag the selected points on the upper outside of the eye a bit lower and more to the right than the points you dragged into place of eyelid-1. This will give you a nice crease in the upper eyelid later on.

Step 30: Switch to the Perspective/Top View combination and drag the points into place. Again, keep the upper points in front of the points of eyelid-1 to make sure you get a nice crease in the upper eyelid.

Step 31: Keep an eye on the Perspective View, this will give you a clue on how much you have to move the points to get a satisfying result.

Step 32: If you think you’re done, unhide the eye Polygon Selection in the Object Manager. Not perfect but at least halfway there.

Step 33: You know the drill by now. Select the last ring of polygons. Give them a Polygon Selection Tag and name it 'eyelid-3'. No need to select the other polygons first since there is nothing left you need to hide. Nor is it necessary to go into the point mode to adjust the shape. This is a fairly simple job to do in Polygons mode and the Perspective View by now. Make some further adjustments to the shape of your eye if necessary.

Step 34: Depending on the part of the eye you want to adjust, use the Polygon Selection Tags to exclude tearing up unwanted parts. That’s what they're there for. Don’t overdo adjusting now, it would be a waste of time. Hold off on the real refinement until all of the parts are in place.

If you're done, drag a copy of your head in Headbackup and save your work.

Go to part 5