Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Die Easy 2

{{B3D:N2P/NAV

|next=Die Another Way|Die Another Way

|previous=Penguins from spheres

}}

The previous ''Die Easy'' tutorial needed so many changes to adapt to Blender 2.44 that it was easier to start from scratch. This ''Die Easy 2'' tutorial is heavily based on ''Die Easy'' and ''Die Another Way'', and adds improvements.

In the following tutorial, you will use:

*polygon mesh

*face loop cutting

*subdivision surfaces

*subdivision creases

*bevel

*set smooth

*multiple materials

*extrusion

*merge vertices

==Start with a beveled cube==

Start with the [[Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro/Beginning Tips|default scene]]: Blender should be in ''Object Mode'' and in ''Top'' view, with the default cube selected.

Go to ''Edit Mode'' ('''TAB'''). All the vertices should still be selected. If you're not sure, press '''AKEY''' to deselect all (the cube goes dark), press '''AKEY''' again to select all (the whole cube is selected again).

Let's bevel the cube. Press '''WKEY''', select ''Bevel'' from the menu and click ''OK''

* In the ''Recursion: 1 OK'' dialog, Press '''ENTER''' (it will revert to the black on grey) and click on the ''OK'' button. (For Blender version 2.48 and above, skip this step)

:''Note : The recursion levels go from 1 to 4. At 1 it seems to be crude but the cube will be subdivided later, so a higher recursion level is not required.''

* Set the bevel to 0.1 by typing ''.1'' and pressing '''ENTER'''

[[Image:bevel-done.png|200px]]

==Divide the faces==

A typical die face is made of a grid with 9 possible spot positions. The gaps between the spots usually measure half a spot (a spot radius). Using the spot radius as a unit, a die face will be conveniently divided into 10 equal parts through the length (that is, four gaps and three spots each two units long).

[[Image:9 posiciones.jpg|341px]]<br>

[[Image:muescas y espacios.jpg|341px]]<br>

===First division===

Make sure you're still in ''Edit Mode'' (else hit '''TAB'''), that you're in ''Front'' view ('''NUM1'''), and that the whole cube is still selected.

To divide the faces of the cube into 10 vertical strips, press the '''KKEY''' and choose ''Knife (Multicut)'' from the popup menu.

A new popup asks: ''Number of Cuts: 2''. Change the value to ''9'':

* click on the ''of'' word and type ''9'',

* or drag from the input field ('''LMB''') until you reach ''9'',

* or use the right arrow.

Then click on ''OK''.

[[Image:Blender-Die Easy 2-Knife.png|right]]

To actually use the ''Multicut'' tool, draw one vertical cut through the cube: the knife icon traces a pink line. It doesn't have to be exactly vertical nor does it have to go through the cube center.

[[Image:front-face-9v-cuts.png|200px|left]]

Finally press '''ENTER''' and all the faces of the cube crossing the knife will be divided into 10 vertical strips.

'''''Note:''' you can have a look at all the other faces by dragging with the '''MMB'''.

'''Newbie Note:'''''When you are cutting through the cube, make sure to cut the entire cube, including the beveled part of the cube. Otherwise your cube won't divide properly.''

<div style="clear: both;"> </div>

===Remove extra cuts===

To get each spot position to be a single face rather than four contiguous faces, the second, fifth and eighth cuts must be removed.

Press the '''AKEY''' to deselect all the vertices, switch to ''Edge select mode'' and make sure ''Limit selection to visible'' is off (in Blender 2.46 and above this button is called ''Occlude background geometry'').

[[Image:select-edge-mode.png|200px|left]]

[[Image:limit-selection-to-visible.png|400px|right|The button is disabled (off)]]

<div style="clear: both;"> </div>

[[Image:second-cut-selected.png|200px|left]]

Select an edge from the second cut, and choose ''Select &rarr; Edge Loop'' from the viewport menu. This automatically selects all the edges around the cube (a loop).

'''Note:''' You can alternatively press the '''ALT''' key while selecting an edge from the second cut to select all the eges belonging to this cut around the cube.

'''For Linuxusers:''' If pressing the '''ALT''' key while selecting an edge from the chosen cut brings up a Linux menu, try hitting '''Shift'''+'''ALT''' instead.

[[Image:second-cut-removed.png|200px|right]]

Press the '''XKEY''' and select ''Edge Loop'' from the popup menu. The cube will look like this:

<div style="clear: both;"> </div>

Deselect all ('''AKEY''') and repeat the same actions to remove the fifth and eighth cuts:

[[Image:fifth-cut-selected.png|200px|left]]

[[Image:fifth-cut-removed.png|200px|right]]

[[Image:eighth-cut-selected.png|200px|left]]

[[Image:eighth-cut-removed.png|200px|right]]

<div style="clear: both;"> </div>

===Other divisions===

For the horizontal cuts use the same steps as above, but horizontally!

'''Noob Note:''' Make sure the whole cube is selected when cutting.

[[Image:front-face-9h-cuts.png|200px|left]]

[[Image:front-face-h-cuts-finished.png|200px|right]]

<div style="clear: both;"> </div>

Now, if you rotate the cube around, you will see that the front and back faces ('''CTRL+NUM1''' to see the back face) are divided vertically and horizontally. But the four other ones were only divided once.

To complete the divisions, go to the ''Side'' view ('''NUM3'''), select the whole cube ('''AKEY'''). Make the vertical cuts and remove the second, fifth and eighth cuts again:

[[Image:all-cuts-done.png|200px]]

==Colouring the Cube==

[[Image:shading-panel-icon.png|200px|right]]

You need to be in object mode for this step. Select the ''Shading'' group from the header in the ''Button Window'' ('''F5''').

Change the name of the material (which for example defines colours) currently linked to the cube: in the ''Links and Pipeline'' panel, under the title "Link to Object", click on "Material" in the "MA:Material" box. "Material" will now be highlighted: delete it and type "DieWhite" instead, then press '''ENTER'''.

[[Image:material-ramps-panel.png|200px|left]]

Now choose a color: go to the next panel (the one with two tabs, ''Material'' and ''Ramps''), and make sure the ''Material'' tab is selected.

[[Image:Manual-Part-I-Interface-ColorSelector-Dialog.png|200px|right]]

In the second group of buttons, click on the colour bar which is on the left of the ''Col'' button: it opens the colour selector.

Select the colour you want in the rainbow bar (bottom left of the popup), move the tiny circle in the colour window above it to adjust the shade. When done, press '''ENTER'''.

'''''Note:''' you can choose any colour. In this tutorial we selected the white colour by clicking on the corresponding box available from the sixteen predefined ones (the two vertical rows in the middle).''

<div style="clear: both;"> </div>

==Adding the spots==

[[Image:face-select-mode.png|200px|right]]

Go to the ''Front'' view ('''NUM1''') and set ''Face select mode''. Also make sure that ''Limit selection to visible'' is enabled (in Blender 2.46 and above this button is called ''Occlude background geometry'').

We will create two different kinds of spots.

<div style="clear: both;"> </div>

===First method===

[[Image:alt-m-one-spot.png|200px|left]]

This one's from the ''Die Another Way'' tutorial.

We'll make the number five on the current face. Deselect all ('''AKEY''') and select a first spot (the one in the top left corner).

Extrude the face by hitting '''EKEY''' and then '''ESC''' (do not click after hitting '''EKEY''').

Collapse this face by using '''ALT+M''' and choosing ''At Center'' from the popup menu. This merges the four corners of the extruded face into its centre. Click on the message saying ''Removed 3 Vertices''.

[[Image:alt-m-five-spots.png|200px|right]]

Repeat the same keystroke sequence on the four other spots: '''EKEY''', '''ESC''', '''ALT+M''', '''ENTER''', '''ENTER'''.

Now choose the ''Vertex select mode'' and select five vertices, one at each spot center ('''RMB''' for the first one, '''SHIFT+RMB''' for the subsequent ones). Then push the selection inwards using the '''GKEY''' and constraining the move to the Y axis ('''YKEY'''). Move by 0.17 units to get the same die as shown in the picture below.

[[Image:alt-m-five-spots-grabbed.png|200px]]

===Second method===

This method was suggested by Natume in the ''Die Easy'' tutorial and modified by another user.

Deselect all ('''AKEY''') and select the faces you want to create spots on ('''RMB''' for the first one, '''SHIFT+RMB''' for subsequent ones).

Press the '''EKEY''' to extrude them, if you selected more than one face a popup menu will give you two options: press '''ENTER''' to select ''Region'' (the choice doesn't matter), and then press '''ESC'''. Do not click after hitting '''EKEY'''.