Flower Tutorial Section1 Hexagon2

by Aine

This is a basic and very in-depth tutorial for anyone that wishes to learn to model in Hexagon and does not have any modeling experience. While there are many modeling tutorials out there which teach modeling skills, there are very few which talk of creation of organic modeling without working animal or human. It is my hope to fill this gap.

The tutorial is in 3 sections and covers a great many tools used, as well as how and why they are used in the manner they are.

Section one Title: Flower Top (A)
Section Two Title: Stem and Leaf (B)
Section Three Title: Soft Selection (C,D)

Petal mesh

1. Select by Object
2. Click on the Cube icon
3. Click once in the room to set one corner
move the mouse over and click in the room to set diagonal corner.
Change the values in the Properties box:
4. Position:
x (red/pink) = 0
y (green) = 20
z (purple/blue) = 0

5. Size:
x = 3.000
y = 3.000
z = 8.000

Click back in the scene room (anywhere but on the object)

6. Click 'select by face'
7. Click on the face which is in the back (toward the wall or the one which is away from the direction the blue arrow on the manupilator is pointing.)

8. In the properties box, give it a Size value of

x = 1.500

9. Click on the top and bottom faces, in the properties box give it a size of

Y = .100

Click back in the room.

10. Click 'Select by Edge'
11. Click one of the edges shown
12. Click on the 'ring' button
13. Click on the Connect button (or press X on the keyboard)

14. Click on one of the newly created edges.
15. Click on the 'loop' button
In the Properties box change the value
16. Position:
z = 1.000

17. Size:
z = 9.000

This will move your center line back and lengthen it to form the curve of the petal

18. Click 'Select by Face'
19. Click on the smaller two smaller faces in the back.
Remember: you can use the shift key when selecting in order to select more than one point/edge/face. Click on something you wanted to select, then press the shift key down and hold while clicking on others.

20. Press the Delete key (Del key for Mac) on the keyboard to deleted them.

21. Click on 'Select by Edge'
22. Click on all edges of this new opening.
23. Click on the 'Fast Extrude' icon.
24. Click on the 'blue arrow' and pull it back toward the wall.

While this area is still selected, in the Properties box:
25. Position:
z = -4.500

26. Size:
x = 1.5
y = .600

Tip: You may find it easier when using negative values to type in the value first, then click back in to add the negative sign.

Support frame

Now we will construct a frame with which to lay the petals on.

With the room camera facing the floor
27. Click 'Select by object'
28. Click on 'Circle by Center'

29. Click in the middle of the room
30. Pull the mouse out and click when you see the radius about 4.00 in the Properties box.
Property box will change to define number of points.
31. Type in 16
32. Click Apply
33. Click Validate.

34. Go back to the properties box, and change the value of X and Z to 8.000.

35. Click on the Green Arrow and move the newly created circle up to just under your petal.

Applying the Petal to the Frame

First we need to align the petal object with the newly created Circle Frame.

36. Click 'Select by Object'
37. Click your Petal Object
38. Click on the Align/snap icon (Utilities tab)
Your select by setting will auto change to 'select by point'
39. Click on the point at the bottom-center of the open area on your petal
40. Click on the outside point on the circle close to the end of your petal.
41. The petal will jump and now be in this location.

41. Click 'Select by object'
42. Select your Petal object
43. Click on the 'copy to support' icon (in the Utilities tab)

In the Properties box
44. Click on the Circled 5
45. Click to turn on 'Clone'
invert should be as shown
Scaling needs no attention
46. Change Rotation to -20.000

47. Click on your circle line
Now you will see the petals form a ring around the circle framework.

Your cursor will turn into a + - with a little backwards C connecting them.
This means you can adjust the size of the copies you are making.

48. In this case, I pressed (-) on the number pad, on the keyboard one time to produce about the right amount of spacing. You want to have as little space as possible between each petal. (They should not be touching)

49. Press enter (return for the Mac) on the keyboard to apply and validate.

In the Scene panel
We need to get rid of the original frames we used to build this group.
50. Click on the 'C' next to your original petal to turn off Clone
(never delete an object marked as a clone, always turn off clone before deleting)

51. Click 'Select by Object'
52. Click the Original Petal form and Press the Delete key (Del on the Mac)
53. Click on your original curve listing and Press the Delete key (Del on the Mac)

Combining the petals

54. Click on the group arrow, to see the different listings.

55. You'll notice they were all marked with a 'C' for Clone. This is what we want so we can make any adjustments before combining. Anything you do to one, will change the others in the same manner.

56. Click on 'Select by object'
57. Select the closest petal on a straight axis.
The one straight out the red (x axis)

58. Click on 'Select by Edge'
59. Click on the two edges there on either side of the opening.

60. Click on the blue resize box on the manipulator and pull it out till the top and bottom of those edges are as close as they can be. (some overlapping is okay in order to average the top and bottom points.)

61. Click the 'c' on each listing to turn off clone.

62. Click on 'Select by Object'
63. Click on your group entry (which will highlight all listings under it)
64. Click on 'Ungroup' icon found on the Utilities tab

65. Click 'Select by Object'
66. Right click and drag to select all of your objects.
67. Click on the Average Weld icon, found on the Vertex Modeling tab, to make them a single object.

68. You will now all your objects combined into one listed object.

69. Click on the Average Weld icon again, and use the plus or minus key on your number pad/keyboard till the points of the petals combine. (I only needed to go up (+) one time.)
70. You'll also see number values in the properties box. You can use the little arrows next to Distance to move up and down to get the points you want to combine, to do so.
Press the enter key (return key on the mac) on the keyboard when you have what you need.

Now we are going to copy and rotate the object to give a double petal look.

71. Click 'Select by Object'
72. Select your Object.

73. Click on the Edit Menu
74. Click on Copy from the drop down menu
(deselect your object by clicking anywhere off the object in the room.)
75. Click on the Edit Menu
76. Click Paste from the drop down menu

77. Use the little green arrow on the manipulator to pull it up.

Tip: If you select by edge the bottom inner ring of the upper petals, then click loop icon, and zero the value in the Size Y (properties panel), then do the same with the upper inner ring of the lower petals, it will make the process a bit easier in the next steps.

78. Click 'Select by Object'
79. Click the little yellow box on the manipulator and resize till both the lower edge of one and the upper edge of the other inner rings are as close as possible.

Save your work.

In the properties box
80. Rotation:
y = about 79.000

81. What you are doing is rotating the object so that the center of one petal falls at the edge of the lower one. When you have them aligned.

Combining the top and bottom petal rings

82. Click 'Select by Object'
83. Select both objects
84. Click on the Average Weld icon, to make them one object.

85. Click on 'Select by Object'
86. Click on your object
87. Click on the Average Weld icon again, this time watch close in the room while you adjust using either the + or - key on the numberpad to change the values and bring the two objects welded together.

88. When you have only the points where the upper and lower petals joined and nothing else
Press the Enter key (Return on the Mac) on the keyboard to validate.

89. Click 'Select by Edge'
90. Click on one of the center edges on the top edge of the petal
91. Click on 'Loop'
92. Click on 'Fast Extrude'
93. Click on the little yellow box there on your manipulator and pull in slightly.
94. Click on the Green arrow on the manipulator and pull up slightly.

95. Click on 'Fast Extrude'
96. Click on the 'Green Arrow' and pull up to form the outer rounded area of the flower center.

97. Click on 'Fast Extrude'
98. Click on the Yellow box on the manipulator and pull it in.

Closing off the center

Turn the room so you are facing the floor
99. Select 6 of the edges on the left (blue) Z axis. (as shown)
100. Click on 'Fast Extrude'
101. Pull out using the Blue arrow

102. In the Properties panel,
Size: Z = 0.000
This will make it a straight line, pull to line it up with the center of X axis which is the center of your flower.

103. Select the 6 opposing edges from the other side
104. Click 'Fast Extrude' icon
105. Pull out using the 'Blue Arrow' on the Manipulator

106. Select an edge on the top right side.
107. Press the 'W' key on the keyboard.
108. Click on the corresponding edge on the left side.
109. Repeat the process till all edges are welded.
Remember: you are wanting to weld the curved side to the already straightened aligned side.

Dividing the section

110. Click 'Select by Edge'
111. Click one of the edges running top to bottom
112. Click 'Ring' icon
113. Click the Connect icon.

114. Click 'Select by Edge'
115. Select the two Edges side by side
116. Click 'Ring'
117. Click 'Connect'

118. Then repeat for the other side.

Note: What you have seen here is that connect and ring will remember which is which when selecting multiple paths running parrallel to each other. You could have selected both sides at one time, then applied ring and connect. Went on to select one each edge of the four segments and did the same thing.

Now we will extrude and spot weld the upper and lower sections.

119. Click 'Select by Edge'
Select 6 of the center most edges on the upper X axis
120. Click on 'Fast Extrude' icon
Use the red arrow to pull out the extruded line.

121. Click on one of the newly extruded edges
123. Press the 'W' key on the keyboard
124. Click on the corresponding Edge mesh bridge we built.

Do the same down the line
Then repeat the process for the lower side x-axis
125. It should look like this

Since we need not divide the areas still open, we could just fill them in without any trouble.

126. Click 'Select by Object'
127. Click the 'Close' icon in the Vertex tools tab
128. Click on each opening.
129. After you have select the four openings, press the 'Enter' (return on the Mac), key on the keyboard to appy and validate.

Note: When you clicked on the close icon all openings were shown with a white outline. As you click each opening in turn, the outline turns red and a face is viewable. Close is one of the few tools which you need not use the shift key to keep working till all is ready.

Now we are going to extrude the little petals you will find some times ringing the center of a flower.

130. Click on 'Select by Face'
131. Select the lower faces between the center seed pod and the outer petal rings.

Tip: If you use Paint mode you can just drag the mouse around over top of the faces to select them. Simply click the paint mode icon, then click on one of the faces and drag the mouse over all the others you wish. Then let go of the mouse button.

Another neat feature of paint mode. You can deselect in the same fashion which can make unselecting mistakes much faster!
(nothing will help you make mistakes faster than a cat wanting lap time... and not much stops them!)

Once you have selected your ring of faces
132. Click the Extrude Surface tool on the vertex modeling tab
(don't worry if it looks like your screen is going to blow up! The tool is auto-mouse position aware)

In the Properties panel on the right side pullout.
133. Make sure the 3rd from the left icon is highlighted on the top row
134. Make sure the 1st from the left icon is highlighted on the bottom row.
Now move your mouse (without clicking) to where you can get something like this.
135. Then when you are happy with where and how the extrude looks, click the left mouse button.
136. Since we don't want another extrude, Press 'Enter' (return on the mac) on your keyboard to apply and validate and end your tool.

Base of the flower

We have several objectives here.
-to build a rounded / spherical base for the flower
-to build in the flower bud casings
-to reduce down the mesh (edge count) to make ready for the stem.

Turn so you can see the bottom of your flower
137. Click 'Select by Edge'
138. Select any edge at the base
139. Click on the 'loop' button
140. Click on the 'Fast Extrude' icon
141. Click on the yellow box on your manipulator and pull in.

142. You want the extruded edge to stop about the same distance (diameter) as your flower center mesh. (like so if viewed from the bottom)

143. While the edges are still selected
click on 'Fast Extrude' icon
144. Pull down using the 'Green Arrow' on the manipulator to about there.
145. Then select one of the Edges running up and down
146. Click 'ring' button
147. Click on the 'Connect' icon

We are going to start work on some of the condensing.
148. Select one of the Edges in the bottom half of your newly created split region.
149. Press the 'W' key on the keyboard
150. Click on the edge to the right of it.

151. Select the edge on the other side of the now welded edges
152. Press the 'W' key on the keyboard
153. Click on the prior welded edge.

You now have 3 edges which converge to one.

Skip one edge, and do the same pattern.
3 to 1 - skip 1.

154. You're pattern should look like this.
Last to clean up the 3-sided polys
155. Select each of the center edges in the triangles
(remember: you can press the shift key and hold it while you multi-select)
156. Once you have them all selected, Press the Backspace key (Delete key on the Mac) to have them disappear. It will leave the face intact.

Building the bud casings

157. Click a bottom edge of your flower object
158. Click on 'Loop'
159. Click on 'Fast Extrude' icon
160. Pull the 'Green Arrow' on your manipulator down just a bit to form the casings.
Remember: Casing leaves like flower petals are not very thick, so don't make it too big.

161. Click 'Select by Face'
162. Select all of your newly lower faces
(use either paint mode or marquee select but remember that marquee select works better if you are facing right at your selection target and are using transparency)

163. Click on Extrude Faces icon
In the Properties panel on the right side pullout.
164. Make sure the 3rd from the left icon is highlighted on the top row
165. Make sure the 1st from the left icon is highlighted on the bottom row.
166. Now move your mouse (without clicking) to where you can get something like this.
Then when you are happy with where and how the extrude looks, click the left mouse button.

167. Move the mouse again till you have a pattern something close to this and click again.

168. Since that is all we are going to do with extrude, Press Enter key (return on the mac) on the keyboard to apply and validate.

Building the rounded base

169. Click on one of the lowest edges (center) of the flower object
170. Click on 'Loop' button
171. Click on 'Fast Extrude' icon
172. Pull down with the 'Green Arrow' on the manipulator

173. With that ring still selected
174. Click on 'Fast Extrude' icon
175. Pull down with the 'Green Arrow' on the manipulator
176. Resize it smaller in diameter with the yellow box on the manipulator.

Edges still selected
177. Click on 'Fast Extrude' icon
178. Pull slightly down with the 'Green Arrow' on the manipulator
179. Resize it smaller in diameter with the yellow box on the manipulator
180. Your object bottom should look something like this now.

We are going to condense down again in polys
181. As you can see, we are going to use the 3 to 1 and skip one method - as marked.

This time however, we are going to spot weld using points.
Using the viewable grid pattern from the flower top as a guide for which edges to leave.

182. Click on 'Select by Point'
183. Select a point
184. Press the 'W' key on the keyboard
185. Select the point on the other side
(repeat from the other side)
186. Skip a point, and repeat the process 3 more times.

187. It will look like this when done.

188. Click 'Select by Edge'
189. Click on one of the edges in the inner opening
190. Click the 'Loop' button
191. Click 'Fast Extrude'
192. Click on the yellow box and pull in slightly (as so)

Clean up the Triangles by dissolving them.

193. Select your edges in the middle of each Triangle
194. Press the Backspace key (Delete key on the Mac) to dissolve

Starting a edge for the stem

Add in one last extrude to link up later with the stem

195. Click 'Select by Edge'
196. Click on the Edges which make up the opening
197. Click on the 'Loop' button
198. Click on 'Fast Extrude' icon
199. Click on the 'Green Arrow' and pull it down a bit.

That ends the flower building portion of this tutorial.
Next we will work on the stem in Section 2. --------
Part 2