Mesh Modeling and Positioning the Details

In this chapter, we are going to add details to our house figurine by modeling the windows. The skills involved will include the following:

• Performing multiple cuts at once with Loop Cut and Slide
• Using the Subdivision tool to divide up existing faces and edges
• Dissolving unnecessary edges
• Using the Inset tool to create borders
• Renaming objects in the Outliner for better organization
• Positioning objects with the Snap during transform icon

Modeling windows

As I embark on adding details to the house, I do have some options for how to attack the modeling. Let's take the example of a window. I could continue to use the Loop Cut and Slide and Extrude tools to slice up new edges on the existing cube and make the windows part of the already existing mesh.

All my work would be contained in a single object, the cube:

The existing cube could be cut up and the details, such as windows, could be modeled as part of the same mesh

Looking ahead, however, I can see that this particular window is a common element of the house. I can see it repeated not only on the front of the house but the other sides as well:

The same window is repeated throughout the house.

If I modeled the windows as a direct part of the existing cube, I would have to repeat my modeling steps for each window. That would not only add to my modeling time...

Renaming and copying windows

Once satisfied with the window, we can make copies to apply to the rest of the house. As we continue to add details to the project, the Outliner window is going to get quite a few objects in it. Blender assigns default names to each object based on what it is. For example, my project currently has two cubes named Cube and Cube.001:

The Outliner window with the default names of each object

It is helpful, particularly in large endeavors, to assign more meaningful names. It'll make it easier to select objects through the Outliner window and hide ones we don't want to see. The steps to rename an object are as follows:

1. In the Outliner window at the top right of the screen, right-click on the name you wish to update. A pop-up menu displays. Select Rename. Alternatively, you can double-click on the object's name:

Asking Blender to rename...

Perfecting the positioning with Snap

As with the text on the coordinate bracelet, we do not want to cause confusion with overlapping geometry. We want our windows to line up exactly and lay flush to the house itself. In Chapter 7, Customizing with Text, we typed in the exact location coordinate to line the text up. You can still do that with the windows. The only catch is you'll first want to change the Object Origin to a specific vertex as we did in Chapter 5, Building a Base with Standard Meshes and a Mirror. Specifically, you want to move the Object Origin from the center of the window to a point you want to lie directly on the house. Once that is done, you match up the applicable coordinates. In the following example, I make sure the X coordinate of the window matches the X coordinate of a point on the left side of the house:

Windows can be lined up by changing the Object...

Summary

In this chapter, you got hands-on practice with mesh modeling techniques. You learned how to make multiple cuts with Loop Cut and Slide. You learned how to dissolve unnecessary edges. You used the Subdivide and Inset tools to emphasize your details. You got more practice extruding, duplicating, and rotating. You learned how to organize your work by renaming objects in the Outliner window. Finally, you learned about the Snap during transform icon and how it can expedite lining your objects up.

In the Chapter 10, Making Textures with the Array Modifier and Scalable Vector Graphics, you are going to learn two techniques to model textures. You'll learn about the Array Modifier for brickwork and how to import Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) files to make stonework.