hi everyone, today we will learn how to use cut and tesselate tools, to add details to a simple hand model.

create simple hand model

1. in top view, create box with length,width,height of 8, 14, 3 respectively, and with 4 and 3 for length segments and width segments, respectively

2. convert box to editable poly

3. select edge subobject mode

4. press W, to select move tool

5. in top view, select edges at the upper left and lower right corner, and drag these edges slightly to right

6. repeat step 5 for the next inner two edges, so the left side of the object has a slight curve (this is so ‘fingers’ created from polygons at the left side of the object will ’splay’ out in an arc when they are extruded)

7. select polygon subobject mode

8. in left view, ctrl + click on the four polygons on the left side of the object

9. right-click selected polygons, and select Extrude settings

10. change extrude height to 4, and click apply

11. next, change extrude height to 3, and click apply

12. next, change extrude height to 2, and click ok (the four ‘fingers’ should now be created)

13. in perspective view, click ‘lower’ center polygon (this polygon will be extruded out to form the ‘thumb’)

14. right-click selected polygons, and select Extrude settings

15. change extrude height to 3, and click apply

16. next, change extrude height to 2, and click apply

17. next, change extrude height to 1, and click ok (the four ‘fingers’ should now be created)

18. select vertex subobject mode

19. select and move appropriate vertices of the ‘thumb’, to shape it to look more like a thumb

add knuckles at first finger segment with cut tool

1. select edge subobject mode

2. in modify panel, click cut button

3. move cursor over edge after first ‘finger’ block’s edge, to add vertice on edge, and move to the opposite edge, and click again, to set the next vertice, and also create an edge joining the new vertices, then right-click to indicate you will now create a new edge (instead of continuing to create connecting edges)

4. move cursor over edge before first ‘finger’ block’s edge, to add vertice on edge, and move to the opposite edge, and click again, to set the next vertice, and also create an edge joining the new vertices, then right-click to indicate you will now create a new edge (you should now have a pair of new edges surrounding the first ‘finger’ block’s edge)

5. repeat steps 3 to 4, for each of the four fingers (these extra edges are needed, so you can create extra detail on the ‘fingers’, such as ‘knuckles’)

6. in top view, ctrl + click on the ‘middle’ edges of the first finger block for each of the fingers

7. press W, to select move tool

8. in front view, drag upward slightly, to raise the edges, to form ‘knuckles’

add knuckles at base of fingers with tesselate tool

1. select vertex subobject mode

2. move the middle three vertices near the base of the fingers, so the vertices will also form a similar ‘curve’ towards the fingers, this also helps make the polygons have edges which are more ‘parallel’ or aligned with each other

3. select polygon subobject mode

4. ctrl + click the four polygons at the base of the ‘fingers’

5. in modify panel, click Tesselate Settings, then select Type of edge, and click OK

note: for tesselate type of edge, the new edges perpendicular to the original edges of the selected polygons will be created (looks like a window in original polygons)

note: for tesselate type of face, the new edges perpendicular to the ‘faces’ of the selected polygons will be created (looks like a big X in original polygons)

6. select vertex subobject mode

7. in top view, select all four vertices at the center of the newly created edges of the polygons

8. press W, to select move tool

9. in front view, click and drag the vertices slightly upwards, to form the ‘knuckles’ at the base of the fingers

smoothen and add more edges and vertices for model

1. in modify panel, under subdivision surface rollout, check Use NURMS Subdivision, to ’smoothened’ object, so it looks lessly blockly and more ‘organic’

2. uncheck Isoline Display, so you also see all the new edges created by checking Use NURMS Subdivision checkbox