(Blender) Creating A Model Start To Finish (Fast & Easy)

Introduction

This tutorial provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide on creating a 3D model in Blender, from setting up your scene to merging various elements like the body, head, hair, and clothing. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this guide will equip you with the essential techniques to create your model efficiently.

Chapter 1: Setting up scene

1. Open Blender: Start a new general project.
2. Clear the default scene:
   • Press A to select everything.
   • Press Del or X and click Delete.
3. Set up lighting:
   • Go to the top bar and click on the circle beside the full view.
   • Select a cube map for a better background.
   • Adjust World opacity to 50%.
4. Enable rendering settings:
   • Click on the camera icon.
   • Enable Bloom and Ambient Occlusion.
   • Uncheck Bent Normals and Approximate Bounces.

Chapter 2: Importing Body

1. Import your model:
   • Use the Cats addon to import FBX files (or go to File > Import if not using Cats).
   • Locate and select your model file, then click Import.
2. Fix textures:
   • If the texture appears pink or incorrect, select the mesh.
   • Go to the material tab and remove the current surface. Then re-add it.
   • For transparent materials, change Blend Mode to Opaque in the settings.
   • Click on the yellow dot under Base Color, choose Image Texture, and load your texture file.

Chapter 3: Importing Head and Adjusting

1. Import the head model:
   • Repeat the import process for the head model.
2. Adjust the head position:
   • Right-click the head and select Set Origin > Center of Mass.
   • Use the middle mouse button to rotate the view and position the head correctly.
   • Ensure the neck line fits inside the head.
   • Use S to scale as needed, and confirm with the left-click.

Chapter 4: Merging Head to Body

1. Merge the head and body:
   • Ensure all merge options are unchecked (especially for bones).
   • Select both the head and body armatures.
   • Click Merge Armatures.
2. Check bone parenting:
   • If the head bone is not attached correctly to the neck, go to Edit Mode and change the parent of the head bone to the neck.

Chapter 5: Importing Hair and Adjustments

1. Import hair:
   • Import the hair model using the same method.
2. Adjust hair position:
   • Set the origin of the hair to Center of Mass.
   • Switch the bone display to Wire in the viewport settings.
   • Position the hair correctly on the head.
3. Fix hair textures:
   • In the material tab, ensure the correct texture is applied and adjust the transparency settings.

Chapter 6: Importing Clothing and Texture Fixes

1. Import clothing:
   • Import your clothing model.
2. Adjust clothing position:
   • Use sculpt mode if necessary to fit the clothing to the model.
3. Fix clothing textures:
   • Adjust the materials to ensure they are not overly shiny.
   • Set metallics to zero and increase roughness for a matte finish.

Chapter 7: Weight Painting Clothing

1. Weight paint the clothing:
   • Select the clothing mesh and the body armature.
   • Press Ctrl + P and select With Empty Groups.
2. Check and adjust weight paints:
   • Use the weight paint mode to smooth out any unwanted weights.
   • Ensure that clothing weights do not affect the wrong body parts, especially the head.

Chapter 8: Checking for Clipping

1. Test poses:
   • Pose the model in extreme positions to check for clipping issues.
2. Adjust weights as necessary:
   • Use the blur tool to smooth out any problematic areas.

Chapter 9: Creating Blendshapes

1. Create blend shapes to avoid clipping:
   • Select the body mesh and navigate to shape keys.
   • Create a new blend shape for each clothing item.
   • Sculpt adjustments as needed to ensure no body parts are visible through clothing.

Chapter 10: Adding Final Accessories

1. Import shoes and accessories:
   • Follow the same import steps for any additional items.
2. Adjust and weight paint:
   • Make sure accessories are positioned correctly and weight painted to the appropriate bones.

Conclusion

You have now created a model in Blender, merging various components while ensuring everything is well-fitted and weight-painted. Remember to check for clipping and adjust weights as necessary. Once satisfied, you can either export your model using Cats or through the File menu. Don't hesitate to join Blender communities for further learning and support!