Introduction to Maya - Rendering in Arnold
This course will look at the fundamentals of rendering in Arnold. We'll go through the different light types available, cameras, shaders, Arnold's render settings and finally how to split an image into render passes (AOV's), before we then reassemble it i
# 1 23-03-2009 , 05:15 AM
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Creating Talons or Teeth

This is probably a very newbie question, but for the life of me I feel like there has got to be a simpler way to create a rounded cap cone as you would for shark teeth/monster teeth, or talons that are "not so pointy sharp".

Basically I'm trying to create a cone that has a rounded cap as you would see in Candy Corn.

I have tried polygon cone, then cut faces tool 3 or 4 times on the top, scale each level and using the move tool, then finally adjust the top most vertex to complete the roundness.

However, it still look kind of weird, so I would have to use the smooth tool twice, and it still look slightly off/blocky.

There has got to be a simpler way to do this, and it will look clean every time I create it.

# 2 23-03-2009 , 06:14 AM
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screenshot?

i made teeth recently for my WIP they were made using a lattice on a cube.

# 3 23-03-2009 , 09:55 AM
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Try just creating a cube, scaling it so it is stretched vertically, then apply a smooth node, and model from there.

I think this is often better than using a cone/sphere to start, since you don't get all those edges connecting onto one vertex at the bottom or top.

cheers

gubar

# 4 23-03-2009 , 03:57 PM
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gubar - I've tried your method, it still comes up too "pointy".

Here's the screen cap. I had to smooth it twice in order to bring a rounded cap, but I won't always get the cut faces tool in the right spots. As you can see, the bottom has become wonky, I do not want that.

Basically I'm asking how to make a cone like a Candy Corn.

It's silly that they have the option for "rounded cap", but on the opposite end!

user added image

EDIT:

I figured out how to avoid the wonky bottom part by just not selecting that face.

However, I still want an easier way to make a rounded top cap without using the smooth tool twice as it add way too many polygons, suppose I have to edit it down the road? It starts off as 380 faces (without selecting the bottom face) and ends up 6080 faces after smoothing twice. Way too much.


Last edited by LadySekhmet; 23-03-2009 at 04:05 PM.
# 5 23-03-2009 , 04:47 PM
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Originally posted by hammer.horror
screenshot?

i made teeth recently for my WIP they were made using a lattice on a cube.

errrm... yeah a lattice on a cube with some subdivisions might work!

# 6 23-03-2009 , 05:16 PM
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I never used a lattice before.

For now, I will do it the way I did, project is due on Wednesday, so I will just do what I know (I only have to do one, then duplicate..no big deal).

But - still, teach me how to do the lattice. :-) It may come out better the next time I need to create something like talons, teeth, claws, etc.

# 7 23-03-2009 , 08:44 PM
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spheres are pretty round you know...

you could join a cone and half a sphere and you've avoided using the smooth function and saved yourself the polycount and still get the same results as the smooth

or you could start with NURBS, infinite curves are great

or do Hammer's way... i might try that at some stage on something




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