3D Deformers

In this 3D session, we’re going over nonlinear deformers in Maya. These are used to quickly distort surfaces, by bending, twisting, flaring and even squashing them, which greatly speeds up tasks that would otherwise require multiple CV selections, rotations, scales and transformations. Each deformer alters the surface in a different way depending on its name.

 

 

We then got to try them out in Maya. Firstly, we created a cube, added 20 x 20 x 20 subdivisions and stretched it out vertically. With it selected, we were told to go to the ‘Deform’ section at the top and scroll down to ‘Nonlinear’. It’s important to note that this was the one with the little arrow next to it, as I almost clicked the other ‘Nonlinear’, which had a checkbox and was a bit further down. Hovering over the correct one should make a side box pop up with all of the nonlinear deformers, which is what we used throughout the entirety of the lesson.

The first option was ‘Bend’. When we clicked this, our attention was drawn to the white line that appeared in the centre of the shape. This was the controller and is what the poly object parents to in order for the deformation to occur. In the attribute editor, we were able to see properties particular to the bend deformer. We were able to curve the cube using the first slider and control the top and bottom using lowbound and highbound, allowing for more specific shapes.

 

 

 

Of course, the possibilities become even more complex when you take into consideration that rotation, scale and move can be applied, further still with different aspects of a shape (verts, faces, edges), extrusion and animation. I find that it is a very useful tool for quick bends.

 

 

 

 

• Other examples of what can be made with this tool: headphones, railings, decorative art or art statues, interesting architecture, objects from a children’s playground, giant letters for a sign and other ornaments.

After going through the first deformer together, we were told to continue exploring by ourselves, testing out what each of the nonlinear choices could do and how they affect the same shape differently. Going down the list, I applied ‘Flare’ after hitting control + z until the initial deformer disappeared. Flare was a very interesting one, it allowed me to add a curve from any axis along the shape.

 

 

It took some getting used to, as the different controllers meant different combinations with each, depending on how high or low the value was and where the controller was moved. I enjoyed inflating the cube from the centre and messing around with the other settings and a lot of objects came to mind whilst I was experimenting. I think this is one of the more versatile tools since it could be applied to so many different things and therefore used for a wider multitude of scenes.

 

 

 

 

• Other examples of what can be made with this tool: vases, wooden staircase decor, table legs, balconies/bannisters, perfume, potions or other oddly shaped containers, lamps, candlesticks and curved flat panes for different walls.

Next was ‘Sine’, which took me by surprise. At first, I struggled with coming up with potential ideas and uses, but after messing with the values, I started seeing some creative applications. The deformer added edges up and down along the stretched-out cube which could be exaggerated into a folder-like or stair pattern. This, of course, can then be stretched out or scaled up/down and even rotated, so that a curl is created instead.

 

 

 

 

• Other examples of what can be made with this tool: slides such as the ones seen in children’s playgrounds, rollercoaster tracks, branches or strangely twisted trees?

The next two deformers were ‘Squash’ and ‘Twist’. I followed the same pattern with these as the previous couple, playing around with basic settings at first and then moving on to further experimentation with Maya’s basic functions. Squash wasn’t exactly as expected based on the name, to my surprise. Instead of simply compressing the shape, it expanded and stretched it into something similar to a black hole or space tunnel. There were two flat areas and a long thin part connecting them, and as much as I changed the values in the editor, this shape didn’t change much.

 

 

For this reason, I had trouble seeing how I could apply this deformed to my work. The only examples I could think of for this tool were a futuristic alien structure, evil tower or explosion of some sort, although the last would be pretty hard to make using just this, so it would probably only be used in pre-vis.

 

 

The twist deformer was much more interesting to work with. Exactly as the name implies, it twists the shape in varying levels, allowing you to make a ringlet in seconds. Other objects include coils, pasta, rope, other food, propeller blade, DNA (the double helix), a spring, scarf and even earrings.

 

 

The propeller example came to me when I applied a subtle bend to the cube and was reminded of a similar situation when modeling the blade of a propeller. To form that slight twist, we used the move/rotate options within soft select, but I can see that a deformer also could have been applied. I don’t know if it would have saved any time or not however since deformers seem to be for more generalised, quick deformations, whilst soft select gives you more control and can be used to precise and specific moulding.

 

 

For the last deformer, it was recommended to us to delete our cubes and apply them to a poly plane instead. So I generated a plane and scaled it up before going into ‘nonlinear’ and clicking on the final option in the side box, which was ‘Wave’. Based on some of the example images we were shown, the fact that we were using a plane instead of a cube and the name, I predicted that this deformer acted in a similar way to nCloth. This was right to an extent since a ripple effect was created on the object and this could yet again, be made more subtle, such as a slight curve on the edges. I could also bunch it up and add a lot of waves if I wished. Overall, the nCloth function is definitely more versatile though, since the deformer only let me do one type of shape, whereas, with nCloth, I had a range of presets which could then be further customised by adding and moving points on the graphs.

 

 

For quick examples, the wave deformer is quite useful, such as a landscape or volcano, a stingray, carpet, napkin or ripple. With enough experimentation, you can take it even further. From a random combination of the initial deformer attributes, I threw in some rotation, scaling, repositioning and extrusion. I didn’t have anything specific in mind, but I kept flicking back and forth between the tools and doing what felt and looked right, and eventually, my object started looking like a spaceship.

 

 

There weren’t any small details and not a lot of conventional design elements, but you could recognise it was some sort of spaceship, perhaps a very futuristic, alienesque model. It was fun to do and shows that even with a deformer and some playing around, you could make a rough version of a complex idea within minutes.

 

A quick tip I learned

Hitting control + z to undo my deformations quickly became tedious and annoying, so I asked a friend how I could go about getting my cube to its original shape faster. She gave me the useful method of going into ‘Edit’, ‘delete all by type’ and then ‘history’. Doing this leaves just the object with no deformers.

 

– Task –

 

Using our new skills on how reformers work and can be used, we were asked to model a lamp of any type. Here are the examples I picked out and used as inspiration/reference for my models.

 

 

For the first one, I generated a cube and added 20 subdivisions to each box, like before. I automatically went to the flare deformed, since I remember how versatile the curvature which was added was. I could inflate and round the cube along any axis, which helped when I was making the lamp base. I wasn’t following the reference exactly, because I created my own shape, but there is some resemblance.

 

 

To make it more realistic as a lamp, I extruded a small section of the centre faces at the top, where the lampshade and the base would connect. This took about one minute because I wasn’t being too meticulous and just wanted a likeness. I also used the flare deformed for the lampshade but gave it a wider, more flat bottom, following the stereotypical design most of the shades have.

 

 

My first lamp was done super quickly; I was amazed at how much time I had left! Seeing the reformers in action and how much they really speed up the workflow made me understand why they’re such a popular option for background assets, pre-visualisation and even main models. Even though I wanted to use other reformers, I came back to ‘Flare’ because it worked so well and there was more I could do with it. For example, I added some rotation with my second lamp base and it made it look really interesting and artistic. With a couple of extra steps, you can create something more abstract or strange, and this could be used in much more particular scenes (a crazy inventor’s house perhaps, or some other creative individual? A scene with bizarre furniture?).

 

 

Looking back at my references, I realised that I still hadn’t modeled the lamp with the thin stand. I chose it because once I saw it, I knew exactly which deformed I would use. Like before, I created a cube, added the subdivisions and stretched it out. Next, I went into ‘Deform’, ‘Nonlinear’ and then ‘Bend’. The first deformed was ideal for this type of lamp since I could add a bend to the top and keep the bottom straight using the lowbound and highbound sliders.

 

 

I finished modeling the lamps but didn’t get time to add materials or render. It was a great task to see how the reformers aided in more efficient modeling though, and I will be using them in the future as much as possible. Anytime that I begin to plan/model a new object, I will first think about what reformers I could possibly apply that could put me a couple of steps further in the process with a basic shape or bend.

In summary, deformers are like templates that you can apply to a poly object in order to quickly change its shape in a more specific way. The settings for each allow for more in-depth modeling. In my opinion, they are brilliant for fast, simple changes and therefore speed up the modeling workflow considerably. Especially in pre-vis or even background objects that don’t require as much detail, deformers are ideal for creating objects that can add to a scene or be used as rough designs. Even for hero assets, I can see deformers being incredibly useful. I would use one, or a combination or more than one, as a launching point; roughly changing the shape to what I need it to be and using that as a base to then apply more detail on-top with tools such as soft select and extrusion.

 

– Room with a View –

 

For the second part of our 3D session, we were given a larger task, once that would span over two lessons. We are to design a room of our choice with at least one wall missing and no less than two walls. Our aim is to use deformers, nCloth, extruding along a path, and any other previously learned skills that could be useful to make a fully-furnished room. I was very excited once I had this task and started thinking of numerous ideas for decor and style. There were so many possibilities that I had trouble even picking what kind of room to create. After some brainstorming and scrolling through the internet, I settled on designing my dream bedroom, or at least one that I find super cool and would be incredibly happy to have one day.

 

 

I collected some images that inspire me and give me ideas for what kinds of things I could possibly include in my roo. For example, I love the design of the wall of the room in the top right and hope to make my walls a bit more interesting if I have the time. There are a lot of examples of beds because I find that is one of the first things a person looks at when viewing a room, and is (usually) one of the largest and most noticeable elements of a bedroom. The bottom right image has a few appealing characteristics which I hope to mimic with my design, such as the rounded chairs and piece of art on the wall. I think that it is a brilliant example of how to fill up a space professionally but make it look inviting and stylish too.

The next step was to plan. I felt that creating a pre-vis of the room would be beneficial because you can then replace each item with the actual model once it is finished. However, I didn’t want to take too long on the planning part, and my last pre-vis was well over an hour. The most efficient method, in this case, was drawing out the layout of the room, which is what I chose to do.

 

 

Although my sketch wasn’t super accurate, I think that I got the perspective across and you can clearly tell separate elements from each other. This was enough for me, and I felt more confident going into Maya with visualisation on paper and a plan in my head. I began with a poly plane for the ground and a sideways-scaled-out cube, which I then duplicated, for the walls. I think that a third wall would make it difficult to see all of the detail and I am happy to leave my room with just the two main ones.

 

 

The first things that I decided to work on within the room itself were the library shelves/cabinets since they are substantial aspects of the bedroom and take up a large amount of space. I also figured it would be best to start where I am comfortable, as a hard-surface model with a rectangular shape is far easier to construct than an egg chair for example, which is also something I want in the room. Using a cube, I created the main shape of the cabinet, thinking about how long and tall I wanted it, since the scaling in my sketch isn’t exact, and is put to me to decide on the spot. I also moved the pivot point using ‘D’ to enter edit-pivot-mode and ‘V’ to move it exactly to the bottom left corner, clicking ‘D’ again to save it. I did this so that I could snap the entire object to the ground, and one of the walls. This level of accuracy wasn’t sustainable, however, and I stopped using the pivot points for some of the objects later on.

 

 

Once I had positioned the poly cube where I wanted it, however, I realised that I needed a reference. I wanted to be able to look at an image for guidance, even when the object seemed fairly simple to make, as this would make my furniture and decor more realistic. So, once again, I went to Google to find an image or two that could give me a pointer as to how to make the shelves and storage areas etc.

 

 

These two images will also be useful later on since they have objects and decorations on them, which give me ideas and references for what to model when I also reach that stage. In a way, it’s like interior design – starting with the main parts and moving onto smaller aspects such as decorations further down the line. For my cabinet, I selected the entire front face and extruded it inwards, almost fully to the back to create the open space. I then stretched out and flattened a cube, to make the first shelf. Using ctrl + d, I made the other two and moved them downwards into place. Initially, I had planned for there to be only shelves for books and trinkets, but after finding the first reference image, I decided to add some drawers at the bottom for interest and functionality. These were done once again, by scaling a cube to my desired size, sliding it in place, duplicating and doing the same with the copy.

 

 

I left a gap in the middle for more books or some sort of decorative object (to be decided at a later stage). Following my plan, since I wanted two of these, I combined all of the individual elements, selected the cabinet and duplicated. It was then a matter of moving the copy across and changing certain parts for interest. Initially, I thought that they would be the same, but I wanted some variety in the shelving, especially after seeing the design of the second reference cabinet. So, with the object selected, I went to ‘Mesh’, ‘Separate’ to make all of the objects’ mesh’ individual again. Next, I deleted the two cubes at the bottom and moved the panels to widen the centre space, where I then added two smaller walls, to break up the long area.

 

 

You may also notice, if you refer back to my sketch, that there is a gap between these two cabinets, where I have placed a window and a cosy reading nook (I have always wanted one of those). I did this after finishing the two objects above although I forgot to take a screenshot. It was built in a similar fashion as the cabinets, with an elongated cube, and still isn’t completely finished yet, as I need to add a seating area on top and drawers underneath.

I jumped to another part of the room which I was excited about, which was the bed. There was another change of plan when I thought it would be cool to have a round bed. I have heard of and even seen a few of these, and they’ve always felt like the ultimate luxe to me since you would need a spacious room in the first place, and it would have to be massive to be comfortable to sleep on fully stretched out. I thought that it would be awesome to have that in my room instead of a generic rectangular one, plus it would make it much more unique. I could also stick to my original plan of having an aquarium around it (that’s what you see in my notebook), built into the wall and ground – it would just have to be round.

 

 

Those are some examples that I really like and took as inspiration. My plan is to merge both designs by having a circular base like the bed on the left, but instead of a vertical headboard, the bed itself will be the rounded, modern shape like the bed on the right. I’m excited to reach that stage, but for now, all I have done is flattened a cylinder and altered it slightly for the curved edges.

I did this by adding an edge loop around the middle of the rounded sides, pulling this out, and then hitting ‘3’ for the smooth mesh preview to be applied.

 

 

 

This may still need some tweaking, but for now, I am satisfied with where I am up to. It looks quite similar to the base in the picture and will be much cooler with the duplicate on top that I will shape into the main bed frame.