Course: 3D Design

Title: Box Modeling Frog

Dropbox File: frog.zip
Blender: Version 2.45
Level: Intermediate
Author: Neal Hirsig (nhirsig@tufts.edu)

Box Modeling – Frog

In this tutorial, we will use common box modeling techniques to model a frog.

This tutorial is divided into 5 parts. Although the modeling is covered in text and image
format within this document, you can also view a series of videos describing each
section. You can view these video demos in either streaming Real Media format or
streaming Flash format.

To view the streaming Real Media Video, RIGHT_CLICK Click on the icon
and choose to open in your web browser.

To view streaming Flash Video, RIGHT_CLICK on the icon and choose to open in
your web browser.
NOTE: On some systems you must have your web browser open in advance of right-
clicking on the link.

Part 1: Introduction and Modeling Frog Object Base

Box Modeling Frog Part 1:

1- Open a new Blender file

2- Split your 3D display window into 2 separate windows. Set the left window to TOP
VIEW (NUM-7) and set the right window to SIDE VIEW (NUM-3).

3- Click on the “View” button in the Top View viewport and select “Background Image”.

4- Click on “Use Background Image” and then “Load”. Locate the

“Frog_TopView_Template.jpg” image on your computer and double-center mouse
button click it. This will place the Frog_TopView_Template.jpg in the background of
your top viewport. (Note: The image templates for this tutorial are located in the
“frog.zip” file on the course site).

5- Go to the Side View window and follow the same procedure loading the
“Frog_SideView.jpg” image to the background of the Side View window.
6- We need to make sure that the top and side images are sized and aligned properly. To
do this, go to the top view and add a cube object (space/add/mesh/cube), TAB into Object
mode and place it at the bottom of the frog image as shown below.
7- Tab into edit mode and box select the upper half vertices and move them to the tail tip
of the frog image as shown below.

8- Notice in the right side viewport, the side image of the frog is a bit larger than the top
image of the frog.
9- Set the “Size” of the frog sideview template image to 4.5. This will make both
background images appear as in the same scale.

10- Next we need to adjust the positioning of the frog sideview template image to align
with the frog topview template image. Adjust the “X Offset” and “Y Offset” controls on
the Background image panel until the image alignment looks like shown below.
11- Now that the background images are aligned and scaled, tab back into object mode
and delete the box object (DELETE).

12- In the top view, add a new cube (space/add/mesh/cube). While in edit mode,
subdivide it once (mesh tools panel). Box select all of the upper half vertices (including
the center vertices) as shown below.

13- Delete these vertices (delete/vertices). This leaves us with just one side of the cube
having 4 faces.

14- Tab into object mode and in the mesh panel click on “Center New”. This will align
the center point of the object to the center of our single (subdivided) cube side.
15- Grab and move the object and position it at the very tip of the frog’s mouth as shown
below. Note that this should also line up as shown in the side view.

16- Tab into Edit mode. In the side viewport box select all of the object’s vertices. Press
the EKEY and extrude the region to just in front of the frog eyes as shown below.
17- Using the transform manipulator widget, move the extruded vertices downward so
that the center is in the center of that part of the side view image as shown below.

Note: all of these early rough box modeling transformations are done with the transform
manipulator widget to ensure that vertices remain along the X, Y and Z axes.

18- Now box select the top set of vertices and (with the widget) move them down to meet
the drawing as shown below.

19- Sill in side view, box select each of the other 3 groupings of vertices and move them
(using the widget) to the drawing as shown below.
20- In the top view, box select the group of vertices on the top right and move them out to
the edge of the drawing as shown below.

21- Still in top view, box select each of the other 3 groupings of vertices and move them
(using the widget) to the drawing as shown.

22- In side view, box select the entire right set of vertices and extrude them (EKEY) out
to just between the eyes and front legs as shown below.
23- Using the widget, move the extruded vertices to center them in the middle of that part
of the background image as shown.

24. Just as we did before, box select each of the vertex groupings and move them to the
edges of the background drawing in both side view and then top view.
25- In side view, extrude the new set of vertices (EKEY) to just past the front leg and
center them in the drawing as shown below.

26- Just as we did before, box select each of the vertex groupings and move them to the
edges of the background drawing in both side view and then top view.
27- In side view, extrude the new set of vertices (EKEY) to in front the front leg and
center them in the drawing as shown below.

28- Just as we did before, box select each of the vertex groupings and move them to the
edges of the background drawing in both side view and then top view.
29- In side view, extrude the new set of vertices (EKEY) and center them in the drawing
as shown below.

30- Just as we did before, box select each of the vertex groupings and move them to the
edges of the background drawing in both side view and then top view.
31- In side view, extrude the new set of vertices (EKEY) and center them in the drawing
as shown below.

32- Just as we did before, box select each of the vertex groupings and move them to the
edges of the background drawing in both side view and then top view.
33- This completes the rough box set-up. You can now remove the background images
(they are no longer needed) and join your 3D display to one window.

34- While still in edit mode, add a subsurf modifier.

35- Set the levels to “2” and turn on the “apply modifier to edit cage in edit mode”
button.

Turn on Optimal Draw.

36- Go to the Object Buttons (F7) and turn on “Wire” in the Draw panel.

37- Tab into object mode, press the Z key to enter shaded view. Go to your editing
buttons (F9) and with the object selected press “set smooth” in the Link and Materials
panel.
Your model should look as shown below.

38- We will make some initial adjustments to the rough base model. Select the top vertex
as shown below and raise it up a bit to better shape the head.
Select two top vertices as shown below and raise them up to better form the frog’s rear
thighs.

Select the two side vertices as shown below and scale them out a bit on the X axis to
better form the frog’s rear thighs.
39- We will be modeling only one-half of the frog from this point on so we will delete
one side of the frog and add a mirror modifier. Any edits done to the right side of the frog
will then be automatically mirrored on the left side of the frog. To do this, go to front
view and go into wireframe view (Z Key) and box select the entire left side of the frog’s
vertices.

Delete these vertices.

40- While still in edit mode, add a mirror modifier.

The default setting should work (mirror along the X axis). Go to shaded view (Z Key).
The object with the mirror modifier should look as shown below.
41- Save your file as Frog-Part1_complete.blend

Part 2: Modeling the Frog’s Eyes

Box Modeling Frog Part 2:

1- Open Frog-Part1_Complete.blend

2- Turn off the subsurf for the display

3- Turn off the mirror for the display

The choice to work with the subsurf and mirror off is a matter of personal preference. Try
it both ways and see which way works the best for you.
4. Tab into edit mode and go to top view. Select the bottom right 3 vertices as shown
below and move them in a little bit as shown. This will soften the roundness of the upper
part of the frog.

4- My model’s frog head is a bit too high. If yours is as well, go to side view, select the
top center “head” vertex and lower it as shown below.
5- Select the 4 vertices where the frog’s eye will be located as shown.

6- Hit the delete key and choose to delete “only faces”.

7-Hit the “EKEY” (extrusion – ONLY EDGES) followed by the “SKEY” (scale) and
scale an extrusion inward a bit as shown below.

8. Switch to top view. Select the 2 left side vertices of the new extrusion and move them
to the right a bit. (We want the eye to rest farther to the right)
9- Select all 4 vertices and go to side view and draw them up a little bit with the
transform manipulator widget as shown.

10- Extrude the vertices (ONLY EDGES) followed by the “Z-KEY” and extrude upwards
(along the “Z” axis) as shown below
11. Switch to top view. We want to distort the extrusion a bit. Select the bottom left
vertex and move it a bit to the left as shown.

Move the top left vertex a bit to the right as shown.

Move the top right vertex a bit to the left as shown.

Do the same with the remaining vertex.

12- Select all 4 top vertices and press your “FKEY” (make face) to make a top face as
shown.

13- Select the four vertices on the far right side of the eye shape. Hit the delete key and
delete “only faces” as shown below.

14- Extrude these edges inward (E + S) a bit as shown.

15- Switch to front view and pull the new vertices out a bit as shown

16- Extrude the vertices inward (E + S) as shown and then press the “F-KEY” (face) top
make a face as shown.
17 Pull these vertices out a bit as shown.

18- Turn on subsurfing display. Turn on mirror display. Tab into Object mode and click
once on the “set smooth” button in the Link and material panel to set the faces smooth
again.
19- Tab back into edit mode. Pull up the “head” vertex so that the head bump is about in
the middle of the eye level as shown below.

20- Save your file as Frog-Part2_Complete.blend

Part 3: Modeling the Frog’s Front Legs

Box Modeling Frog Part 3:

1- Open the Frog-Part2_Complete.blend file

2- Select the frog object, TAB into edit mode and turn off the subsurf modifier display
and the mirror image.

3- Select the 4 vertices that will indicate the location of the frog’s front leg as shown
below.

4- Add to this selection the 2 vertices forming the under side face of the frog as shown
below.
5- Switch to side view and move these vertices up as shown below.

6- Go to front view and deselect the 2 bottom vertices leaving only the 4 vertices selected
upon which the leg will be extruded.
7- Press your RKEY (rotate) followed by your YKEY (constrain rotation to the Y axis)
and rotate the face about 20 degrees as shown below.

8- Go to side view and rotate the same vertices along the Z axis about 5 degrees as
shown.
9- Go to front view and extrude (EKEY) the face (region) a bit as shown below.

10- Select just the 2 bottom vertices of the face and move them (GKEY) a bit in as shown
below.
11- Select the top 2 vertices and move them down a bit as shown below.

12- Select all 4 vertices of the face and extrude region as shown below.
13- We need next to make the frog’s front leg elbow so that the leg can curve a bit toward
the frog’s underbody. Extrude the face (region) a small bit as shown below.

14- Select the 2 bottom vertices of this new face and move them inward close to the
originals as shown.
15- Select the top 2 vertices and move them down a bit as shown.

16- Select all 4 of the face vertices and scale (SKEY) them down a bit as shown.

17- Extrude another whole segment and adjust the vertices as shown below
18- This should complete the elbow. Now we will work on the bottom part of the frog’s
front leg. Extrude the face again as shown.

19- Scale the face up a bit as shown.

20- Extrude the face again and scale the face down a bit as shown.

21- We need to create a straight and flat face to model the frog’s foot so we will create a
bit of an ankle joint. Go to side view and extrude the face a slight bit as shown.
22. Select the top 2 vertices and move them down as shown.

23- We need to create a flat even plain at the bottom of this extrusion so we can create
the foot. Checking from front and side views, move the bottom 4 vertices so they form a
flat square surface. Side view:
Front view:

24- Go to side view and extrude the flat square bottom plain down a bit as shown.

25- Select the front vertices and extrude them out a bit as shown. This is the start of the
foot.
26- Select the 4 inside vertices and extrude them out as shown. This will form one of the
frog’s toes.

27- Extrude the front vertices and scale them down along the X axis a bit as shown

28- Extrude those faces out to form another toe.

29- Select the 4 vertices that make up one of the sides and then press the KEY
(Knife/Cut), select “multicut -2”, left-click drag your knife cursor across the upper and
lower edges, hit enter. This will add two additional edges to the face,

30- Select the center 4 vertices and extrude them out to make a toe.

31- Do the same process to the other side of the foot forming a fourth toe.
32- Select the 4 outward vertices of each toe and scale them down a bit as shown.

33- Turn on the subsurf display, go to wireframe (ZKEY), front view and select the
whole foot as shown

34- Scale it up just a bit overall then scale it up a bit more in the Z direction and position
it as shown (in side view).
35- You may have to scale up a few of the frog’s leg loops to achieve a better look as
shown.

36- Tab out of edit mode, turn back on the mirror modifier to the display and save your
file as Frog-Part3_Complete.blend
Part 4: Modeling the Frog’s Upper Rear Legs

Box Modeling Frog Part 4:

Part 5: Modeling the Frog’s Lower Rear Legs

Box Modeling Frog Part 5:

1- Now that we have completed the front leg portion of the frog model we will work on
the back legs. To give you some experience modeling with the subsurf display “on” we
will model the rear legs while in subsurf.

The directions for this become very difficult to explain in words and images as there are
many steps. Refer to the Real Media or Flash video links above for step by step
instructions for modeling the rear legs of the frog.

Any files you may need are located in the frog.zip file on our course site.