A UFO Model in Blender

1. Introduction: Hey guys, in this class, we'll be modeling a basic. You have a model in Blender. Here's what the final version of the model is going to look like. I'll be using the 3 version of Blender. In particular, we'll be doing the following. First would be modeling the body of a flying saucer, and next it's cockpit. We're gonna use some basic tools and modeling techniques to do that, like the subdivision surface modifier, similar shading, vertex groups extruding anymore. When we're done modeling, we'll add two materials to our model. These are going to be very basic materials that practically only differ in color. The UFO model with the materials will look pretty decent. But if you decide to use it outside the blender, like for example, in a game engine, will probably be disappointed because the model weren't lived. I did. This is because we need a texture to be attached to the model. I'm gonna create a class on that too. So stay tuned. Anyway, what do you need to start? Well, just a blank blender project, so create one and save it with a name like UFO dead blend. Now before you start, here's some info for you. 2. Model the Body of the Flying Saucer: Let's get started. Here's our blank blender file, saved as CFO to blend. Now, select the default cube. If it's not selected, it should be selected by default and delete it. So x, Delete. Then create a UV sphere. Shift a under Mesh, select UV sphere and scale it up. Five, Enter to confirm. Then scale it down on the z-axis only so that it's flatter to do that, hate S, z, 0.1 end or you can type 0.1. This will do. Here's our flying saucer, the body. Now rename this fear body in the outliner. Double-click and type Body, enter. This name is more appropriate. We're gonna need more geometry. Let's add some. Go to the Modifier Tab, which is over here with the wrench. And add a subdivision surface modifier. So add modifier, subdivision surface, both viewport and render levels to two. It is two here already. Now we can apply the modifier to do that, click on the arrow over here and select Apply. Now, our model has more geometry. Finally, let's shade smooth. Right-click on the model and select Shade Smooth. Alternatively, you could go to the Object menu over here and select the shade smooth option over here. 3. Model the Cockpit: Now, there were aliens inside the UFO. Unless they are flat, they need some room to feel comfortable. Let's create the cockpit. Add another UV sphere. Shift a mesh UV sphere, and scale it up 1.5 and rename it cockpit in the outliner double-click cockpit. Just like with the body at a subdivision surface modifier. Modifier. Subdivision surface, said viewport and render levels to two like before. And apply the modifier. And also shade a sphere smooth. Right-click. Shade Smooth. Good. Now we don't need the lower part of this sphere. Let's remove it. Go to front you to do that, click one on your numpad. Edit mode, hit Tab, you're in edit mode now. Wireframe shedding here. Now de-select all. To do that. Hold down out and press a box, select the vertices in the lower part of this fear. To do that, hit B and select the vertices on the lower part. These are the vertices we don't need. Hit X. Select vertices to delete the selected vertices. Good. Now go back to solid shading object mode. So tab and deselect all old a. This is what our flying saucer looks like. Now we're pretty much done with the basic shape of the model. Now let's add some pizzazz to it so that it doesn't look so boring. 4. Model the Lights: We're going to add some lights on both sides of the UFO. These aren't going to be realized though. We just add a different lighter color to some areas to make them look like lights. Let's start with the top. Select the body, this part, and go to Edit Mode, tab and top view. So hit seven on your numpad, you are in top view now. The lights would the inside special grooves that we have to model. Let's talk by selecting some phases. So make sure to switch to face select mode. Here we have the face select mode. Let's select a ring around the cockpit. First. Let's deselect all. Now, hold down Alt and click on one of the phases in the ring. To make our life easier, we'll create a vertex group that will contain all the vertices that we want to act as lives. This way we'll be able to select all of them quickly later when we need them. So with the ring of faces selected, go to the Object Data tab, which is over here. An under vertex groups, hit the plus button. Verdicts groups plus. To add a new vertex group. Rename it lights. So double-click light, enter. Hate the Assign button over here. To actually assign the selected phases to the group. Let's now see how to quickly select faces that belonged to a verdict group. Deselect all in the 3D view port. So ALT a. Now all this de-selected. Now select the lights vertex group here and hit the Select button. This will select all the faces that belongs to the group. Now, let's add some more phases to the vertex group. It's actually up to you. Where are you on the lights to be? Let's start with the top of the UFO model. Here are the phases that I selected. This is where the light will be situated. Don't forget to hit the Assigned button to actually assign these phases to the group. Otherwise, they wouldn't be edited the vertex group and you will lose them after you deselect them. Now let's check it out. Really in the group a to deselect all. Now, with these groups selected, hit, Select. You can see all these phases are selected again. Good. Let's save. Now let's go to bottom view. Hold down control and hit seven on your numpad. I'll select the faces where you want the lights to be. I'm gonna select some rings. Just remember to select the ring. You hold down the Alt key and hit on one of the phases in the ring. So here are the faces of the die selected. Just don't forget to hit the Assign button to actually assign these phases to the group as well. So here are the phases on the bottom. Now, they are now de-selected on the top. But if we select this group and hit the Select button, all faces that belonged to the light vertex group will be selected. Now let's create the groups. Now, all the faces that belonged to the lights vertex group are selected. But we want to start with top. So this select the faces at the bottom to do that. Just orbit so that you can see these phases. Or you can go to bottom view by hitting Control plus seven on your numpad. Now, you can hit C to activate the circle select tool. You can make it larger by scrolling your mouse wheel. And now just press the mouse wheel to deselect all. And then click your right mouse button to get out of this circle select tool. Now, the phases on the top sheet is still selected. This is what we want to create the groups, Let's extrude the faces inward on the z-axis. Head E minus 0.05. Enter. Using then you will see these little grooves here and here. Now deselect all. Select the lights verdicts group faces again. This time deselect the phases at the top part. We could use the circle select tool as well. Let's try it out. So go to top view by having 700 numpad. Hit C to activate the circle select tool and press your middle mouse button. And then right-click to get rid of the tool. But if you look closer, zoom in a bit, you will see that some of the phases over here, over here, and so on are still selected. So this doesn't work perfectly. Now to make sure all the vertices on the top part are de-selected, go to front view. So hit one on your numpad. Then go to wireframe shading. So over here, you can see that some of the phases in the top part are still selected. Now activate the circle select tool by hitting C again. Scroll your mouse wheel to make the circle smaller. Now, manually disliked the vertices in the upper half. To do that, hold down the mouse wheel and just drag over these phases. In the top part of the F0. Right-click to deactivate the circle select tool. Now if you orbit insane, you will see that just the phases and the bottom are selected. Good. Now you can go back to solid shading. Fine. With just the phases on the bottom part selected. Hit E minus 0.05, enter to extrude the faces on the bottom part of the UFO. Now you can see the grooves here as well. Now on both parts of the UFO model. Good, Let's save. 5. Add Materials to the UFO Model: Now we're going to add materials to the other model. Generally, we want to add a black material to most of the model, will then add a light blue material for the lights. So let's start with a body in order to see the material settings inaction, switch to material previous shading, which is over here. Then go to the Material tab, which is here. And add a new material. New, rename it body, and set its base color to black. Base color block. You're going to use a cemetery for the cockpit. But in order to select the cup, but we have to go to object mode. Hit Tab. Now select the cockpit. Now instead of adding an immaterial, just click on the down arrow over here and select the body material we just created. Now both body and the cockpit or black. You can also see the grips better now, here and here. Actually, we don't need the body and the cockpit to be two separate objects. Let's join them together. So select the cockpit, then hold down Shift and select the body. The body was selected last. This is the active object now and hit Control plus J to join the two objects together. And now rename the objects UFO in the outliner. Double-click UFO. Enter. Next. Let's add a material for the lights. It's going to be a light blue material. Go to Edit mode. The object data tab. Select the lights vertex group. Hit the Select button. This way all the vertices will be selected. We want to apply the material. Now, go to the Material tab and hit the plus sign button to add a new material slot. Then hit the new button to add a new material. Renamed the material lights. Hit the Assigned button. Now this way we assign the new material to the selected vertices here and here. Now set base color to a light shade of blue, like for example, the hex value of 0, E, D, F, F. Enter. Now you can see the material on the object. Deselect all. Now go to object mode and orbit your scene. You can deselect the object again. Now, the model is finished. Looks pretty decent. 6. Conclusion: Now we just created a decent looking UFO model with nice materials. If rendering the image of the model are using the model in a scene inside Blender is originated. You're good to go. However, if you want to be able to see the results of your work, also outside blender. And in particular in panda 3D or another game engine, you will need textures. The good news is that we can convert materials to textures that we can export from Blender along with the model. So if you want to learn how to do it, stay tuned for my next class. How to bake textures from materials in Blender. Where I'm going to explain just that.