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In this exercise, you will make a rough wireframe and then use different smoothing methods on your object. You will see that this approach allows you to easily modify your shape.
The tricky part is to arrange the curves at the beginning: it requires some practice to do this, but once you get it, you will be able to design any character with Amapi 3D.
The first time you do this exercise, we recommend that you use the intermediate files corresponding to each important step. Afterward, you can do it on you own, without help!

1. Constructing half of the head

      q Tool: Drawing /Polyline
      q Do this:
      1. Select the Polyline tool
      2. Draw three closed curves, as shown in the picture.
      3. Then, turn the scene to slightlyand shift the curves in depth. They will be the vertical “slices” of your model.
      4. Now, turn around your curves with the arrow keys and draw some curves in other planes. They will help you to visualize your object. Don’t forget to press the Shift key to connect your curves together.
      5. Here we have drawn six curves.
      6. Use a Viewer to visualize your curves in space: View menu/New view/Free view.
      7. Remember, this is the hardest step of the exercise. Don’t hesitate to open the file Fourmi1 to use curves that are already drawn.
      q See the detailed explanations in the chapter:
      User Manual/Tools/Construction/Drawing/Polyline,
      User Manual/View/Viewer

Side view

      q Tool: Facet extraction
      q Open the model file: Fourmi1
      q Do this:
      Select the Facet extraction tool.
      You will create your faces one by one by clicking on the construction curves. The best way is to make quadrangular faces.
      Use a Viewer to visualize your curves in space: View menu/New view/Free view.
      If you run into problems, don’t hesitate to open the file Fourmi2.
      q See the detailed explanations in the chapter:
      User Manual/Tools/Construction/Facet extraction

      q Tool: Extrusion, Weld
      q Open the model file: Fourmi2
      q Do this:
      Select the Show tool, and click on the first curve you drew (the larger one) to display it on the main screen.
      Select the Extrusion tool and extrude this curve.
      In our picture, the surface generated by the extrusion is grayed.
      Weld the two surfaces together.
      If you run into problems, don’t hesitate to open the file Fourmi3.
      q See the detailed explanations in the chapter:
      User Manual/Modeling help tools/Control Panel/ Show - Hide
      User Manual/Tools/Construction/Extrusion
      User Manual/Tools palettes/Assembly/Weld

      q Tool: Extract curve, Extrusion, Weld
      q Open the model file: Fourmi3
      q Do this:
      Select the Extract curve tool. The cursor is the Lasso. Select the Bullseye in the Assistant Palette.
      While holding the Shift key pressed, click on each point of the eye contour (bold curve on the picture).
      Validate. You now have a closed curve that you will extrude to make the eye socket.
      You get a surface (grayed on the picture).
      Weld the two surfaces.
      If you run into problems, don’t hesitate to open the file Fourmi4.
      q See the detailed explanations in the chapter:
      User Manual/Tools/Construction/Extract curve
      User Manual/Tools/Construction/Extrusion
      User Manual/Tools/Assembly/Weld

Socket extrusion

      q Tool: Symmetry
      q Open the model file: Fourmi4
      q Do this:
      Now, turn around your object with the arrow keys so that the internal face of the model is in front of you.
      Select the Symmetry tool.
      Click on the internal face. The second half of the ant head is automatically created at the right place.
      Weld the two halves. You have finished the rough object. Now we will smooth it!
      If you run into problems, don’t hesitate to open the file Fourmi5.
      q See the detailed explanations in the chapter:
      User Manual/Tools/Assembly/Symmetry
      User Manual/Tools/Assembly/Weld

Symmetry

      q Tool: Smoothing
      q Open the model file: Fourmi5
      q Do this:
      1. Select the rough object wireframe.
      2. Select the Smooth tool.
      3. Amapi 3D allows you to chose from five smoothing methods.
      4. Bézier smoothing is the default. Validate by pressing the Return key to see the effect.
      5. Put the tool aside and launch a rendering by pressing the Return key.
      6. You should see something like the first picture.
      7. Select the Smooth tool again (to try another smoothing method).
      8. Select a different smoothing method.
      9. Modify the smoothing range (optional).
      10. Validate by pressing the Return key.
      11. Put the tool aside.
      12. Launch a rendering by pressing the Return key.
      13. Return to step 7 to try another smoothing method. When you have tried all of them, go to the next step to perform the final smoothing.
      14. Select the Smooth tool again.
      15. Select Catmull smoothing.
      16. With the “+” and “–” keys set the smoothing range to 2.
      17. Validate by pressing the Return key.
      q See the detailed explanations in the chapter:
      User Manual/Tools/Modeling/Smooth


Bézier Smoothing


Doo Smoothing


Catmull Smoothing


Loop Smoothing


Butterfly Smoothing

      q Tool: Stretch
      q Open the model file: Fourmi5bis
      q Do this:
      1. Select the Stretch tool.
      2. The Stretch tool is able to use the Dynamic Geometry properties. Your smoothed object becomes grayed while the rough object appears. By default the rough object is edited and is the control shape for your deformations.
      3. Select the point that corresponds to the cheeks of your ant. Move it away from your model to puff out its cheeks (see illustration). The smoothed object is automatically and dynamically re-computed for any action that you do.
      4. Eventually, move other points.
      5. Put the tool aside and launch a rendering by pressing the Return key.
      q See the detailed explanations in the chapter:
      User Manual/The Objects/Dynamic Geometry
      User Manual/Tools/Modeling/Stretch

      q Tool: Stretch
      q Open the model file: Fourmi5ter
      q Do this:
      Select the Stretch tool.
      The Stretch tool is able to use the Dynamic Geometry properties.
      Your smoothed object becomes grayed while the rough object appears. This time we will work on the smoothed object.

      You need to specify this by clicking on the icon corresponding to this finishing level: .
      Warning: You will not be able to come back to the level below, and your object will lose its Dynamic Geometry properties.
      Save your work in a file before doing this, so that, if needed, you can come back to it later.
      Click on the faces corresponding to the place of the nostrils and pull them inside the ant head.
      Put the tool aside.
      q See the detailed explanations in the chapter:
      User Manual/The Objects/Dynamic Geometry,
      User Manual/Tools/Modeling/Stretch

  

      q Open the model file: Fourmi7
      q Do this:
      Now that the head is finished, use the Fourmi7 model to help you to add eyes and antennas.

  

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