Pointwise Creation of Arbitrary Subdivision Shapes

The basic creation tools (rectangle, cube, sphere, circle) allow you to create SDS objects with most faces having four points. However, Realsoft 3D does not set any restrictions on the number of points per face. A face can include any number of points.

This tutorial demonstrates how to use the 'Subdivision' modeling tool to create subdivision objects point by point (or face by face).
 

Create a 'T' letter

The 'Subdivision' creation tool can be found from the toolbar.

'Subdivision' creation tool

1. Activate the tool. The control bar now shows you the tool specific options.

Make sure that the 'Auto Accept' checkbox is reset. This allows you to add any number of points to a face. Set 'Type' to  'Smoothen to nurbs'.

2. Now, enter eight points, which form the letter 'T, then click 'Accept'.

A face consisting of eight points

3. Select the created object, switch to the face editing mode and select the face.

4. Activate the Extrude tool. The Control Bar shows you its options.

Activate the 'Leave Floor' option

5. Check the 'Leave Floor' option and extrude the face. Our 'T' object is ready.

An object consisting of faces with four and eight points
 

Creating multiple faces

You can also use existing points with the Subdivision creation tool. This can be achieved by holding down the Alt key while entering the points. Then the entered points become snapped to the nearest existing point (new points will not be added to the object).

Let's create a head, which consists of multiple faces.

1. Activate the Subdivision creation tool and set the 'Auto Accept' option. Make sure that the 'Points per Face' field is set to '4'.

2. Create the first face by entering four points.

First face defined, four new points created

Because we activated the 'Auto Accept' mode, the face is automatically created and you can start to define the next face. Do not click 'Accept'!

3. Now, hold down the Alt key and 'snap' the two first points to the existing points. Then release the Alt key and enter the remaining two points.

Second face created, two new points inserted

4. Continue adding new faces to the mesh by repeating step 3 so that the mesh finally represents a face from the side. When done, accept the tool. We now have a planar mesh model of one half of a face.

A planar subdivision mesh representing a face

5. Reset the editing mode and create an analytic sphere behind the face. We will use collision detection to deform the face to make it a real 3D surface.

6. Activate the Transformation/Move tool and check the 'Collision Deformation' option. Then move the subdivision mesh towards the sphere to get the face deformed.

Select the mesh, activate the move tool with collision deformation and…

…move and deform the mesh against the sphere

7. Switch to the face editing mode again and take the front view.

Left side of the face

6. Click the 'Duplicate' tool in the control bar. This duplicates all the faces in the object, creates new faces, which connect the edges between the original faces and the duplicated faces, and leaves the newly created faces selected.

Create a complete head by using the duplicate tool

7. Activate the Transformation/Mirror tool and mirror the duplicated faces to the right side.

 
A complete head
 
The head is now ready.

Note: this is not the best way to model a head. The purpose was to demonstrate the Subdivision creation tool.