MY BELOVED OGRE

This model has a root in the Blender Foundation book 'The Essencial Blender' (link to Amazon.co.uk) . A tutorial about Blender's 'sculpting' and 'multi-res' abilities.
This was my first attempt at a sculpted model, and took place before I even knew how to split a single object into multiple materials!! ...so I went for the 'clay model' approach!

SCUPLTING MODE and MULTI-RES

To use Blender's sculpting mode, simply select your object, and change the menu that shows 'OBJECT MODE' and 'EDIT MODE' (under 3D-View window) , to 'SCULPT MODE'. In this mode, it is a good idea to use the in-screen NUMBER BUTTONS (press 'N' whilst the mouse is over the 3D window). In Object mode, this will give you the location, scale and rotation values of the selected object, or selected vertices etc. However, whilst in SCULPT mode, it will show the available sculpting tools and settings. Very useful.

Whilst using the Sculpting abilities of Blender, the MULTI-RES section of the EDIT BUTTONS show you the current, and maximum resolutions. They allow the user to apply dynamic Multi-Res levels (similar to multiple Sub-Surf levels) to the object; creating a higher level of detail when required.

This means that you can start with the default cube (as I did with my Ogre model), and add layers of detail using MULTI-RES, which you can then take away and put back as you like, to suit the modelling techniques you're using. For instance, you could use a high res level to add detail, such as wrinkles in skin etc. - then reduce the Multi-Res level to re-structure the broad strokes of the geometry, without such a burden on the CPU.

A common sculpting method, uses high resolution sculpting to achieve detailed surfacing and texture to the model, which you can then BAKE to a material texture, which is then applied to a lower vertex-count version of the geometry - using the scupted detail to create a NORMAL/BUMP-MAP for the texture.
This method requires other techniques, such as RETOPO (REmake TOPOlogy), and UV-MAPPING. The end product is a low-vertex-count model with a high level of detail. Superb!

..For information on...
SCULTING & MULTI-RES:
Chapter 5 of The Essencial Blender, by Roland Hess and...
Chapter 2 of Mastering Blender by Tony Mullen)
RETOPO:
Chapter 2 of Mastering Blender, by Tony Mullen)
UV-MAPPING:
Chapter 10 of The Essencial Blender, by Roland Hess, and...
Chapter 3 of Mastering Blender, by Tony Mullen)
....The book 'Introducing Character Animation' by Ton Roosendaal also covers UV-Mapping and Modelling techniques

'The Essencial Blender' (link to Amazon.co.uk)
'Mastering Blender' (link to Amazon.co.uk)
'Introducing Character Animation' (link to Amazon.co.uk)

ADDED DETAIL

As you can see, there is also a small amount of hair in our Ogre's chin, eye-brows and ears. These were made using Blender's HAIR PARTICLE modifiers (use the PHYSICS buttons - then the PARTICLE buttons)
I actually used extra mesh objects that followed the contour of the Ogre's skin, and applied the PARTICLE modifiers to them.

CHIROSCURO LIGHTING   (see OGRE_CHIRO Picture in the OGRE JPEG-IMAGES page..)

The OGRE_CHIRO render uses a fave' lighting effect of mine - HALO lamps with BUFFER-SHADOWS (see below).

THE EFFECT

The effect, which is utilised in the CHIRO pic, and many other of my scenes (see GLASS_HOOPS for multiple uses of HALO BUFFER-SHADOWS) allows the HALO lamp effect; the visibility of the lamps effect as a light-beam, to interact with the objects that are in its path - cutting the light-beam.

HOW TO DO IT

To use this effect in a scene, you just add a LAMP using SPACE-BAR (over 3D window) , choose LAMP , then SPOT from the Sub-Menu - go to MATERIAL BUTTONS , (and click the LAMP icon in header if its not already selected) - then make sure it's set to SPOT , (instead of LAMP, AREA, SUN etc.) - then... choose HALO - and BUF.SHADOW from the SHADOW and SPOT section.
This will set up the LIGHT-BEAM and the necessary SHADOW-BUFFER needed to allow it to interact with the environment.
To cause this ineraction to work to the level you require, you need to set the HALO STEP setting (also in SHADOW and SPOT ). This can be set from 12 to 1, with 12 being the lowest quality, and 1 being the highest (and most expensive) . Apparently, a setting of 3 is a reasonable compromise for an average computer.

One more useful setting in this section, which is available in most LAMP settings, (but has a minimal default setting in most other lamp-types), is the ability to soften the shadow edges, by increasing the SOFT value; this will often necessitate a higher value of SAMPLES in order to reduce the noisy, grainy effect in low sampled shadow edges. Unfortunately, high sampled shadows are expensive, but they can make a huge difference to the lighting of a scene. You will also notice a render-time increase with higher SOFT settings. Though the outcome of these parameters depend greatly on the scene content and style you want to achieve, I would advise a SAMPLE setting of 6 or 7, and a SOFT value of around 3.5 for a 'best' render, and a SAMPLE of 3 or 4 for less important lamps. Maybe you won't need shadows on all your lamps?

Higher samples where used on my WINE-GLASS_FLUID-SIM renders.

ENJOY BLENDER-3D!! IT'S ACE!!!!

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