Chapter 5: Modeling with NURBS, Subdivisions, and Deformers

As you saw in the previous chapter, NURBS are based on organic mathematics that allows you to create smooth curves and surfaces. NURBS models can be made of a single surface molded to fit, or they can be a collection of patches connected like a quilt. In any event, NURBS provide ample power for creating smooth surfaces for your models.

Now that you’ve learned the basics of creating and editing poly meshes, getting into NURBS models and more advanced modeling techniques will easily become part of your toolbox. This chapter explains how to use deformations to adjust a model, as opposed to editing the geometry directly as you did with the previous modeling methods. It also introduces subdivision surface modeling, which fully incorporates this concept.

Topics in this chapter include:

• NURBS!
• Creating polygons
• Converting a NURBS model to polygons
• Editing NURBS surfaces
• Patch modeling: the locomotive
• Sculpting NURBS
• Modeling with simple deformers
• The lattice deformer
• Animating through a lattice
• Subdivision surfaces
• Creating a starfish
• Building a teakettle