Hello - I’m new to C4D so learning the ropes I’m trying to re-create the solid in the attached photo and thought of starting with the dodecahedron platonic and then using the bevel deformer to create the “spikes” as seen in the photo.
This is where things go awry. When I view the platonic with Gouraud Shading and Lines, why does each polygon of the dodecahedron have extra lines going through each face? To re-produce, simply drop in a new platonic, change the shape to dodecahedron and turn on Gouraud Shading and Lines. Can you see these lines?
When extruding the polygons these extra lines cause some funny deformations. So I guess I have two questions:
1. How to remove the line (which creates extra polygons) that goes through each face so that each face of the dodecahedron is just a pentagonal face.
2. If you have any suggestion on how to re-create the shape in the photo I’d love to hear your steps.
In the screen capture you will see that a copy is created, then U~O (optimize) is used – to melt all the points in the tips into one point per tip.
In the scene file you will find as well an alternative to this. Both ways work.
The extra line is removed by using N-Gons for a moment, created via Un-triangulate.. With is a normal way during modeling.
Let me know if there is another question, I’m happy to look into it.
All the best
P.S.: If MoGraph is not available, the Mesh> Create Tools> Matrix Extrude, will work as well. Apply it and while the tool is active, adjustments can be made. (Reactivating the tool later, for adjustments, will not work).
The tip-points would not create a nice solution while using the Bevel tool. So, I use the “U~Shift+O” to merge those; Guessing first – then in the second run they get them merged as wanted.
David, Those are short cuts. The ~ sign indicates that the keys have to be pressed without any other action between the two. No mouse-clicks, etc.
M~W calls up the Mesh> Create Tools> Extrude Inner
U~O calls up the Mesh> Commands> Optimize
Those short cuts are mentioned after the command/function in the menu, if the Preferences are set in that way. Edit> Preferences (Cmd+E)> Interface>Show Short Cuts in Menu (checked on).
The polygons of just the Platonic (-star) were selected (while in Polygon mode) and then Select> Set Selection (name the selection wisely!)
This Selection Tag goes then into the Attribute Manager>> Texture Tag> Tag> Selection.
The material/texture tag with the selection should sit on the most right side, while the material/texture tag without should sit left sided from it.
If the image from the initial post is the target, (transparency) you might need to use the Object Manger> Objects> Current State To Object. On the new object: double click the selection tag to select the polygons in question, where the glass would sit (must be in Polygon Mode) and press the delete button. Now use the Cmd+A while the object is active and the mouse indicator is in the editor view.
Use the Extrude short cut M~T and click in the Attribute Manger the Create Caps. Offset to around 2cm. This should give you a good frame work. (Create Caps shouldn’t be on for any further step!)
https://labs.maxon.net/?p=3158
The Plain Effector is set as a deformer, and with a falloff that reaches only to the centers of each “face”, the spikes can be lifted.
As a side note, I love to share more than one way, as there is often not the “one and only way” to do things. To know as many options to get something done sets your creativity free, or, at least allows to work with something that fits to your ideas of modeling.
Wow, I love this! That scene file is beautiful and even the glass has that bumpy look, so real looking.
Just making this simple shape has spawned many thought processes and I agree there seems many ways to get to the same outcome. Thank you for sharing the many ways to achieve this.
I’ve taken a beginners course on C4D and watched some YouTube videos. But if you know of any tutorials that focus on the manipulations you have displayed I’d love to know which ones.
To further refine the face of each polygon in the star, can each face be bevelled (like cut glass look) so it looks like the attached photo?
Yes this is my first name, and as well the name I use as artist since long, e.g., for exhibitions or my movies. My last name is just too long, and mostly mispronounced
Yes, this thread shows now many ways, but that is the beauty of a forum, it will be (hopefully) useful for others as well. I might not share always that much, but if a theme seems to illustrate an idea with many options, I love to dive in a little bit deeper.
The best way is certain just explore things, try to stretch them or go beyond - like one would break them. On the end there is no failure, only gained experience.
However, perhaps that might push your options a little bit: https://www.cineversity.com/vidplaytut/cineversity_live_2012-03-21
Never stop checking out other tools, functions or commands, some might be labeled as Character Animation tools, etc., but on the end, if they can provide any support for your targets, use them.
The magic starts by combination anything in C4D. I guess no one has ever seen or tired all possibilities. There is a lot of room to be the first somewhere!
To your last question, yes, if we talk about the polygon model, that’s not difficult, showcased here with one side and the other one flat, but both sides could be treaded that way.
Screen capture and scene file: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/N0oLgkctjjMsSsjMqYZUeJGvIelWqq83ZIT2qkesbBE
Perhaps always store the selection tags, so you could even apply different materials to those areas, the main glass with bump, the “frame” with plain glass, etc.
In your scene file I can see the polygon representing the glass is bevelled but we have lost the frame. How can we bring back the bevel that creates the frame, and then use the bevel again on the polygons for the glass? I hope that makes sense…
Yes, to have kept a copy could have been very helpful. (Cmd+drag produces a copy.)
I have attached two files, one with a copy from a previous version of the file (always save early, save often). …_42.c4d—I guess that doesn’t need more explanation.
(The only way, if not saved, Cmd+z uncounted times, then copy the object, and Cmd+Y same amount of times to get back. Then paste the object in, sounds horrible, so: only for emergencies)
In the second file I have used what was left in the scene, as if I have had no “Back-Up”, just to discuss this as well. Here we will use the Polygon selection. With the Shift Key down, while the selection is active (polygons are highlighted), klick on the Edge Mode icon, and the selection will be transferred. To get something useful from it, as in - the edges that should build the frame, we need to Select> Grow Selection. U~Y. Now it seems even less useful, until the Selection> Invert Selection U~I is used. Selection> Save Selection!
Now, press shift again and click on the Point Mode, to get the areas where we might need some Spheres, to get nicer connection points. Save that selection as well.
This might sound like a lot of work so far, but if you have that in your muscle memory, it will take only a few seconds. Done.
Now we can use the Star Object in a MoGraph Cloner, and limit the clones to a selection. Please explore the file …_51.c4d.
I’ve been exploring the techniques you showed in this thread and its created further questions I hope you could help me with.
1. After modifying an object, is there a way to redistribute and equalise all the polygons over the whole object?
2. In the polygon star shape we have been playing with. What is the correct command to select all the polygons (where the glass would be) and then delete them so just the frame (made by the bevel) remains?
3. Once the frame is left, how can we make the frame edges to be square tubes. So it looks like an atom array but instead of the cylinders being round they are square or even triangular in shape (cross-section).
I’m trying to re-create the solid in the attached photo and thought of starting with the dodecahedron platonic and then using the bevel deformer to create the “spikes” as seen in the photo.
