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Softimage XSI Digital Sets / Environments:
Masterlock Exercise 1: Modeling
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This exercise is designed to get you familiar with the interface and some of the modeling tools in xsi.
First locate the Masterlock_Exercise_xsi_database / scenes / and find the scene titled "LockBuild_Start_01a". Under a few nulls named "Build_Elements / curves_build, locate the curve named "crvlist_lock_body". This is a profile of the body of the lock. |
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With this curve selected go to Create / Poly.Mesh / Extrusion along Axis. | ![]() |
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Set the length to 7 units, subdivisions in Y to 2, and set the extrusion axis to Y. | ![]() |
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Under the transform menu on the right translate the new polymesh -3.58 units in the y axis. It should now line up to the rotoscoped template in the Front viewport. | ![]() |
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With the new polymesh selected, in the camera view select the text in the purple area that says camera, click and scroll down and select "User". | ![]() |
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With the same polymesh selected click on the camera icon and select isolate selection. This hides everything else in the scene. | ![]() |
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Expand the User view. With the polymesh selected select the "n" key to go into add polygon mode. Orbit the model around and begin to add a polygon to the top closing the top of the geometry. If you start in the wrong direction xsi will prompt you, select cancel and start in the other direction. Do the same for the bottom of the polymesh. | ![]() |
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With the object selected hit the "e" key. You are now in "Edge" mode. If you alt +shift / middle-click on one of the edges on the top and bottom perimeter your model should look like the image on the left. | ![]() |
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With the top and bottom perimeters selected go to Modify / Poly.Mesh / Bevel Components. | ![]() |
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Set the bevel distance to 0.45 in the general tab. Set the Number of subdivisions to 2 under the rounding tab. |
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Using the \ key you can add an edge to your model along the shorter distance. Along the longer distance you can select the ] and middle click adding a new edge along the side, you will need to use the \ to add a few edges. Let's make sure the center of your model is bisected by two lines in the center as shown on the right. Now let's FreezeM (freeze the modeling operator stack), this removes the operator history so that it uses less ram and there can be no accidents later on. Rename the polymesh to "Lock_Body". |
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Now we will build the U shaped bolt for the lock. We will use a very simple operation called "Extrude Along Curve". In the User view find the camera icon and deselect "Isolate Selection", you should see the other unhidden elements in your scene. Under "Build_Elements / curves_build" you will see two curves named U_Path and U_Source. We will extrude the source shape along the path shape. Select the U_Source curve and select "Create / Poly.Mesh / Extrusion along Curve". The subdivisions should be set to U=2, V=3. In the user view switch the display mode from wireframe to Hidden line removal. Let's now hide the U_Path, U_source, and Lock Body. Select the new polymesh and FreezM (freeze modeling). Rename it to U_Bolt.
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With only the U_Bolt visible hit the u key to switch to polygon selection mode. Select Shift / Alt and middle click one of the polys on the bottom edge, select another poly on the same row and it should select every poly in that particular row. With those polys selected go to "Create / Polymesh / Extract Polygons Keep". This creates a new polygon from the previously selected polys named "polymsh_extracted". With this selected, isolate selection in the user view and hit the "F" key to fit the object into the view. |
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Using the "N" key again add a polygon to the top of the object. Select the "E" key to switch to Edge Mode and Shift / Alt middle click to to select the top perimeter edge as shown to the left. | ![]() |
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With the perimeter edges selected go to "Modify / Polymesh / Bevel Components". This adds a bevel operator to the object. In the general tab leave the bevel distance to 0.5, in the Rounding tab set the number of subdivisions to 2. With the ] key add another edge at the bottom of the object, just above the last existing row of edges. We are going thru these steps because we are going to adjust the geometry approximation (smooth) on these objects. Now hit the space bar to return to object mode and hit the + key once on the numeric keypad. |
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We will now need to scale the object, but before we can do that we will need to reset the center of the object. Select the new poly mesh, select the "E" key (edge mode) and alt / shift middle click the bottom edge to select the bottom perimeter. In the upper right go to "Select / Adjacent / Points". This selects the points along the bottom of the object. With bottom points selected selected go to "Transform / Move Center to Vertices". Undo Isolate Selection under the camera icon. Now you can scale the object. Set the scaling to 1.15 in X and Z, and 1.85 in Y. Hit the spacebar to return to object mode and rename the object to "Gromet_1". Go to the transform tab on the right and select freeze all transforms, and FreezeM to collapse the operator stack. Duplicate the object and scale the new object "Gromet_2" to -1 in x. This places it in the correct spot since our model is symmetrical. Now Freeze all transforms again and FreezeM on "Gromet_2".
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Now let's hide Gromet_1, Gromet_2, Lock Body and U_Bolt. Go to the "curves_build" null, "curves_top_detail" null and unhide the crvlist_top_detail" null. Select it and translate it to 4 in Y. Then go to "Create / Polymesh / Curves to Mesh". Isolate the selection in the User view. In the Curve to Mesh Converter property box, under the Extrude tab, set the extrusion length to 0.5. Under the Bevel Tab set the bevel depth to 0.1, and under the Profile Curve, set the Sampling step to 1. With the \ key connect the points along the top of the new poly mesh. The blue line on the top indicates a "hard-edge" and we will cover that in class. Rotate the object over, select the "U" key (polygon mode), and select the polygon on the bottom and delete it. Select the "E" (edge mode) Shift / Alt / middle click the bottom edge, in the upper right "Select / Adjacent Points". With the points on the bottom selected select "Transform / Move Center to Vertices". Just as we did in the beginning of step 16. Now freeze the translations, freeze the modeling and rename the object to "Bridge".
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With the bridge model selected, go to "Get / Primitive / Lattice". Set your lattice subdivision parameters to X=6, Y=1, Z=1. Hit the "T" Key to change to "Tag Point" mode. Select the desired points and move them in the "Y"axis to shape the "Bridge" element. Select FreezeM when you are finished and freeze all transforms. Create a small bevel at the bottom of the of the bridge by selecting the bottom perimeter edge, Create / Curve / Extract from Edges and extruding a small circle along this path. We will cover this in class. Name this object "Bridge_Bevel". Select the "Q" key click and drag to create a render region. |
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Under the Nulls "Build_Elements / curves_build, unhide the crvlist_lock_body and crvlist_rubber_grom" nulls. Select crvlist_rubber_grom and go to "Create / Polymesh / Extrusion Along Curve". Set the subdivisions to 3 in both U and V. Translate the object down (Approx.)to -2.25 in Y and scale to 1.02 in x and z, and 1.146 in Y. Freeze all translations and freeze modeling now. Rename the object to Rubber_Grom. |
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Create a sphere with 12 Subdivisions in U and V. The Radius should be 0.5 and change the Start V parameter to 80. Using the roto Template in the top and front views, duplicate and place these to create the rivets that hold the lock together. If you move the center of vertices to the bottom of the edge (remember from step 16), you can snap to faces and place this directly on top of the lock (we will cover this in class). Copy, paste and merge into one group for the top and one group for the bottom. |
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