Doc:Tutorials/Modelling/Meshes/A Tennis Ball

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[edit] Basic Shape: Way One

[edit] Modeling the foundation

TODO: Write step-by-step text.

<span id="uv01"/>(1)	<span id="uv02"/>(2)	<span id="uv03"/>(3)
<span id="uv04"/>(4)	<span id="uv05"/>(5)	<span id="uv06"/>(6)

[edit] .blend file so far

You can download the geometry that has been made above here: Tutorial tennisball uv merged spheres.blend

This file is a bit more clean up that the original 'smooth rotated' one .... I've fixed the asymetrical edgeloops that results there.

[edit] Approximate the Cassini oval shape

<span id="uv07"/>(7)

<span id="uv08"/>(8)

[edit] .blend file so far

You can download the geometry that has been made above here: Tutorial tennisball uv cassini.blend

[edit] Create the grease

TODO

[edit] Basic Shape: Way Two

[edit] Modeling the foundation

TODO: write step-by-step text.

<span id="cyl01"/>(1)	<span id="cyl02"/>(2)	<span id="cyl03"/>(3)
<span id="cyl04"/>(4)	<span id="cyl05"/>(5)	<span id="cyl06"/>(6)
<span id="cyl07"/>(7)	<span id="cyl08"/>(8)	<span id="cyl09"/>(9)
<span id="cyl10"/>(10)	<span id="cyl11"/>(11)

[edit] .blend file so far

You can download the geometry that has been made above here: Tutorial tennisball basic shape.blend

[edit] Make it into a sphere

TODO: write step-by-step text.

<span id="12"/>(12)

<span id="13"/>(13)

<span id="14"/>(14)

[edit] .blend file so far

You can download the geometry that has been made above here: Tutorial tennisball to sphere.blend

[edit] Approximate the Cassini oval shape

TODO

[edit] Create the grease

TODO

[edit] Basic Shape: Way Three

[edit] Introduction

Here is a tutorial to model the tennis ball, transcripted for blender from this maya tutorial.

Before we get started, I have to warn you that this is probably not the most optimized way to achieve this. I intended to make it the same way as the original tutorial, but do it under blender. Also, I like the topology made this way.

<span id="maya01"/>(1)

I'll often switch between the selection modes, from vert to edge to face. I'll tell when I change, but won't repeat how to do it. The selection mode buttons are at the bottom header of the 3D view (edit mode only).

The first one from left is Vertice selection, the second edges selection, the third faces selection. (notice : you can do it all only with vertice selection, but it's sometimes quicker to switch)

The alternative way to switch the select mode is to hit Shift TAB and then choose the wanted entry in the popup list.

Now let's get to it.

[edit] Modeling the parts of the ball

<span id="maya02"/>(2)

• Start with an empty scene
  • Delete the cube (X) in the default scene).
  • Hit Shift C to get the 3D cursor to coordinates 0,0,0. It should stay here. Anytime you move it unpurposely, hit Shift C to get it to center again.

<span id="maya03"/>(3)

• Switch to top view (NumPad 7).
• Press Space -> Add -> Mesh -> UVsphere

<span id="maya04"/>(4)

• Give it 8 segments and 8 rings. You should get this.

<span id="maya05"/>(5)

• Move the camera a bit down.
• Press A twice to get sure all verts are selected.
• Switch to face select mode.
• Unselect the faces as shown (Shift RMB ).

<span id="maya06"/>(6)

• Press X -> Faces to get rid of those unwanted faces.

<span id="maya07"/>(7)

• Switch to edge selection.
• Select the edges as shown in white.

<span id="maya08"/>(8)

• Delete those edges with X -> Edges to get this.
• Back to Vertices Selection mode
• Select vertices by twos to create edges (F) as shown.

<span id="maya09"/>(9)

• Delete the shown vertex (X).

<span id="maya10"/>(10)

• Make an edgeloop where shown (Ctrl R).

<span id="maya11"/>(11)

• Select vertices by 4 and make faces (F).
• Add two edgeloops as shown.

<span id="maya12"/>(12)

<span id="maya13"/>(13)

• Switch to side view (NumPad 3).
• First move the backmost vertices so as they are arranged as a quarter circle.

<span id="maya14"/>(14)

• Do the same thing in top view (NumPad 7) with the selected vertices.

<span id="maya15"/>(15)

• Now the tedious part : arrange the vertices so as they look like the picture below.
• From time to time, you can hit the To Sphere button in the Mesh Tools panel (Editing set, F9), to get everything match to a sphere.

[edit] Putting the parts together

<span id="maya16"/>(16)

• We're going to duplicate this eighth, then mirror it.
• Hit Shift C to ensure the 3D cursor is at center.
• Make the pivot the 3D Cursor in the pivot menu.

<span id="maya17"/>(17)

• Now in Edit Mode, select all, hit Shift D to duplicate, then immediatly hit Esc not to move the mesh part.
• Ctrl M to invoke the Mirror menu, select X Global.
• Select all again, Shift D, ESC, Ctrl M, Y Global.
• You now have half a sphere.

<span id="maya18"/>(18)

• Duplicate this half again, and mirror it along Z Global.
• Now, do not deselect this half, hit R to rotate, Z to constrain rotation around Z axis.
• Rotate the half sphere 90°.
• Use Ctrl to make 5° shifts in rotation (watch the leftmost bottommost corner of 3D view to see the amount of rotation).
• The vertices should match with the other half. If not begin again or try to move them a bit.
• Hit Rem Doub to remove double (Mesh Tools)

[edit] Creating the grease

<span id="maya19"/>(19)

• Now switch to top view (NumPad 7) and make loop cuts (Ctrl R) as shown.

<span id="maya20"/>(20)

• Look at the upper left quarter of the ball, still in top view.
• Select the vertices as selected on the screenshot.

<span id="maya21"/>(21)

• Hit Ctrl E -> Edge Ring Select.
• The "seam" loop is selected! (Does this feature exist before Blender v2.42?)
• Press S and apply a slight scaling down.

<span id="maya22"/>(22)

• Select all the vertices, hit Ctrl N to recalculate all normals outside (this will prevent some strange cuts in the ball).
• In Modifiers, add a Subsurf entry (Catmull)
• Under the Link and Materials panel, select Set Smooth.

[edit] .blend file so far

You can download the geometry that has been made above here: Tutorial tennisball maya.blend

And here's a second version using mirror and array modifiers so you only need to edit one eighth of the mesh for modifications: : Tutorial tennisball maya modifiers.blend

[edit] Apply Materials

[edit] Links

• "modeling a tennis ball" thread in the blenderartists forums.
• Cassini oval entry at wikipedia.org
• Tennis ball tutorial for Maya