Simple Skirt Tutorial Hexagon2

by Aine

This is a very simple skirt box modeled in Hexagon 2.
The skirt is created with an eye on creating clothing for Poser/Daz Models and stepped out for beginners to both Hexagon and Modeling.

This is to teach modeling clothes and not intended to teach the process of bring in your base model parts or how to UV, paint or export.

This is only one method. There are as many different styles of modeling as there are people working them. There are however a few golden rules of which I can only hope to remember while doing this. (I am not perfect nor all knowing!)

Bring in one of your favorite models, it will not matter which one you choose. If I have the full model, then I mask off all areas where I will not be working. Less distraction or working around.

To mask off areas, use the transparency icon, face the model Transparency will allow you to select polys regardless of their location
(front/back/sides)
Marquee select uses a box to define what is to be highlighted
Click on the Translate Manipulator
Click on the figure's listing in the Scene tree panel
Click on 'Select by Face'
Right click hold and drag your mouse across the areas you will not be working with.
Click on the Hide.

Click on Transparency icon to turn it off.

Tip: You can select and add more to your selections (as in legs and arms), by holding down the shift key to select or marquee select more.

Waistband

Now that you have your model set
1. Make sure you have the Translate Manipulator selected.
2. Click on 'Select by Object'
3. Click on the Box icon on the Primitives tab
4. Click where you want to start your box, then move the mouse and click where you want the box to stop.

5. Go to the Properties panel and make sure your box has the same X and Z values as your base model. In this case, mine had an offset on the Z of .001

Tip: Properties box values require you type in what value you want then press enter.

Click anywhere in the room not on the model.

Setting the 4 points of your waistband

6. Click on the Universal icon
7. Click on 'Select by Object'
8. Click on the little yellow square in the middle of the manipulator and drag it to reduce the box.

Centering
9. Click on the green arrow on the manipulator to move it up and down.
10. Click on the Blue arrow to move it forward and back You should not need to use the red arrow, since the box should stay centered on that axis for now.

Once you have your four corner points good close to the model
11. Use 'select by Face'
12. Click on the bottom face and bring it up or down with the green arrow.
13. Same with the top face.

14. Click on Symmetry (set it for X if it isn't already)
15. Click on 'Select by Edge'
16. Click on the front lower edge
17. Click the 'Ring' icon
18. Click on the Connect icon

Note: Instead of clicking on connect icon you can also press X on the keyboard which would use the slice function and would work in the same manner in this case.

Now we need to grab the edge we have just created in the center, but it is under the model frame being used. So, we can turn off the base model so it can not be seen without using 'hide'

Go to the Scene tree panel on the right hand side 19. Click on the little eye icon next to the listing of your model base.

20. The dot will disappear in the eye, and your base model will be unseen as well. When you want it back in view, you need only click on the eye again and it will be there as it was before. Think of it like an eye opening and closing.

21. Base model is unseen, we can now click and select on the center edge in the front of the box.

22. Click on the little eye to bring your base model back into view.
23. Click on the Blue arrow and drag it forward till it is outside of the base model.
(Do the same in the back center if needed.)

We will repeat the process for the sides.
Since the top and bottom faces will be removed later.
24. Click on the top and bottom edge on the Left side (as you are facing it)
Remember: if you use Press and hold down the Shift key on the keyboard while you are selecting, you can add more selections to the one you make.

25. Notice!! that the Right side is also highlighted in slightly a different color. This is what Symmetry does for you! It will mirror the moves you make on one side while you work on the other.

26. Click on the Connect icon
Go to the Scene tree panel on the right hand side
27. Click on the little eye icon next to the listing of your model base.
With Select by Edge still in use
28. Click on the edge to Select the newly created edge on the Left center
Go to the Scene tree panel on the right hand side
29. Click on the little eye icon next to the listing of your model base.
30. Click on the red arrow to move the edge outside of your base model.

31. Click on 'Select by face'
32. Click on the right or left poly
33. Press Delete (Del key on the Mac)
34. Do the same for the bottom and it should look like this.

Forming the top fold on the waistband:

35. Click on 'Select by Edge'
36. Click on one of the top edges
37. Click on the 'Loop' button
38. Click on the 'Fast Extrude' in the 'Vertex modeling' tab
39. Click on the Yellow box on the Manipulator
Drag it slightly so that you have a line forming inside your edge and let it go.
40. Click on 'Fast Extrude' again

41. click and hold down on the green arrow on the manipulator and pull it down slightly. Let it go.
42. It should now look something like this. Deselect all (click anywhere in the room off the model)

Testing Size of Waistband:

Now we need to run a little test to see how close we came to getting the size correct for the waistband and make corrections if needed.

43. Click on Symmetry to turn it off. (gray is off)
44. Click on 'Select by Object'
45. Click one time on the Smooth(+) tool located in the 'Vertex Modeling' tab

Several things will happen.
a. Smooth button will turn blue
b. Highlight will come off your object in Scene Tree panel
c. Dynamic Geometry will gain an entry
d. You object will look less blocky
46. Here we have come a little short so will need to pull it out just a bit.
Since we have it on 'Select by Object' in use, and the front and back were fine. We only need to resize the sides a bit.

47. Click hold and pull out on the little red box on your Manipulator.
48. Let it go when the waistband is at the proper places on the sides.
This was the only adjustment needed on this object, so I can now bring smoothing back down and continue to model.

49. Click on Smooth (-) icon (one time).
Since this will only pull Smoothing to Zero, but not turn it off.
50. Click on the little lightening bolt in Dynamic Geometry.

Creating the Skirt:

We will start out by forming the bottom most edge for our skirt line.

51. Click on 'Select by Edge'
52. Click one of the lower edges of your waistband
53. Click the 'loop' button
54. Click the Fast Extrude icon on the Vertex Modeling tab
55. Click on the Green Arrow on your manipulator and drag it down to where you want the skirt's hem to be and let it go.
56. Click the little red box on the Manipulator and pull it out just passed the natural fall line of the hip.

57. Click the little 'eye' icon for the base model listing in the right side pullout, 'Scene Tree'. To make the base model invisible.
58. Select the two middle back lower edges of the hem edge
59. Click again on the little 'eye' icon, in the Scene tree, to make the base model visible.
60. Click the Blue Arrow on your Manipulator and pull it back to just passed the natural fall line of the model's bottom.
61. (not shown)Then click on the Red box on the manipulator to resize the edges. You are looking to make the edges from mid-way back to the back all equal distant/equal length. You don't have to be perfect, but do you have to make sure you are keeping everything on the right the same as the left.

Filling out the Skirt:

a. Hide your base model again with the little eye icon in the Scene Tree.
62. Click on 'Select by point'
63. Click the very back middle point
64. Click on the Blue Arrow on the Manipulator and pull it back slightly to round the back edge of the skirt then let it go.
a. Click the little eye in the Scene Tree to show your base model again.
65. Click 'Select by line'
66. Select one of the Edges running up and down on the Skirt.
67. Click the 'Ring' button
68. Click the Connect icon in the Vertex Modeling tab
You'll see it has created a new edge midway in your skirt running perpendicular to the edges we had selected.
69. Click on any one of the newly created edges.
70. Click the 'Loop' button
71. Click the Red box on the Manipulator and pull it out so that the edges just pass the hips(right to left). Then click on the Blue box and resize slightly so the front is edges are lined up just passed the base model.
72. Select the two back edges in the middle
73. Click and drag the Blue Arrow on the Manipulator and pull out till the edges just pass the base model's bottom.
74. (not shown)Use the Red box on the Manipulator and pull it out to resize right and left on the back edge.

Adding in 2 more edge loops to the skirt

75. Click 'Select by edge'
76. Click 1 of the upper edges of the skirt running top to bottom
77. Click 'Ring' button
78. Click the Connect icon
79. Click on one of the newly formed edges
80. Click 'Loop' button

Use the Red and Blue boxes on the Manipulator to resize the edges so your points are outside of the base model. Then work the back 2 edges so that those points also stand outside of the base model. You can use the steps which were defined out in the prior post for reference.

81. You're object should look something like this.

You will now do the same with the lower half.
82. Click on 'Select by Edge'
83. Click on 1 of the lower edges of the skirt running top to bottom
84. Click on 'Ring' button
85. Click the Connect icon
86. Click on one of the newly formed edges
87. Click on 'Loop'

Use the Red and Blue boxes on the Manipulator to resize the edges so your points are outside of the base model. Then work the back 2 edges so that those points also stand outside of the base model. You can use the steps which were defined out in the prior post for reference.

88. You're object should look something like this.

Adding in the bottom hem

We are now ready to form the bottom hem. It will be done much the way you did the upper edge of the waistband.

89. Click 'Select by Edge'
90. Click on the lowest edge of the skirt
91. Click on 'Loop'
92. Click on 'Fast Extrude' icon found in the Vertex Modeling tab
93. Click on the little yellow box on your manipulator and pull in place a new line slightly inside the other.
(do not unselect)
94. Click 'Fast Extrude' icon again
95. Click on the green arrow on the manipulator and pull up slightly (about twice the distance of your extrude surface)Let it go

We built this using very few polys since it is easier to move those around than the dozens and dozens which could have be created at this point. It is now time to start increasing the polys so the cloth will flow and bend correctly. This will also take off all the blocky look it has now.

96. Click on the 'Smooth(+)' icon one time.
Take note of the changes in the right side pullout.

97. Tool Properties will now have Smoothing on(blue), with the '1' box blue showing we have one level of smoothing applied.
98. Scene Tree panel will no long show either item highlighted (this is normal)
99. Dynamic Geometry will have and entry which includes your form name, and a Form name control listing.
100. Looking at the skirt itself, seems this one has need of a few adjustments in order for it to fit nicely over the top of the base model.

Adjustments to make:

Now down to the business of correcting all the areas which are not formed outside of the base model.

a. Turn off your base figure by clicking on the little eye there in the Scene Tree panel
b. Click on the Transparency icon to make the object transparent.

101. Click 'Select by Face'
102. Do a Marquee select by right click and drag across the waistband faces.
Since we have the object in Transparency mode, this selection method will get all polys in front and back.

a. Turn on your base figure by clicking on the little eye there in the Scene Tree panel
b. Click on the Transparency icon to make our object sold again.

103. Use the Red box on the Manipulator to pull out the waistband. Pull it out to a little larger than the base model.
104. (not shown) Use the Blue box on the Manipulator to adjust Front and Back

a. Turn off your base figure by clicking on the little eye there in the Scene Tree panel
b. Click on the Transparency icon to make the object transparent.

105. Click on 'Select by Edge'
106. Click on one of the edges running parallel to the ground.
107. Click the 'Loop' button

a. Turn on your base figure by clicking on the little eye there in the Scene Tree panel
b. Click on the Transparency icon to make our object sold again.

108. Use the Red then the Blue box to make adjustments as you did with the waistband.
109. Click on the two middle edges in the back and use the Blue arrow to move it back enough to cover the base model's bottom.

a. Turn off your base figure by clicking on the little eye there in the Scene Tree panel
b. Click on the Transparency icon to make the object transparent.

110. Click one of the edges in the next row down
111. Click the 'Loop' button

a. Turn on your base figure by clicking on the little eye there in the Scene Tree panel
b. Click on the Transparency icon to make our object sold again.

112. (same as 108) Use the Red then the Blue box to make adjustments as you did with the waistband.
113. (same as 109)Click on the two middle edges in the back and use the Blue arrow to move it back enough to cover the base model's bottom.

a. Turn off your base figure by clicking on the little eye there in the Scene Tree panel
b. Click on the Transparency icon to make the object transparent.

114. Click 'Select by Face'
115. Do a Marquee select by right click / drag across the waistband faces.

a. Turn on your base figure by clicking on the little eye there in the Scene Tree panel
b. Click on the Transparency icon to make our object sold again.

116. Use the Red box on the Manipulator to pull out the waistband. Pull it out to a little larger than the base model.
117. (not shown) Use the Blue box on the Manipulator to adjust Front and Back

(keep smoothing on)

Almost there!

Looking at the skirt in this view. It is a is a nice little skirt, but there are two things which would set it off a bit better. One to define the bottom of the waistband a bit better. Two would be to increase the poly count a little more. Reason for increasing polys. While you want to keep low counts in some areas of clothing, the hip area really needs more if you have any hope of that skirt looking smooth when you start posing your model.

Defining the Waistband.

First we need to accept the polys which smoothing has given us. So in the Dynamic Geometry panel on the right side.
118. Click on the little Lightening bolt icon to collapse and accept the polys.

Here is things you will notice.
Properties:
119. Smoothing will gray out again.
120. Point/edge/poly counts will go up.
In the Scene Tree panel:
121. Your object form will now be highlighted again.
Dynamic Geometry panel:
122. Your form will no longer be seen in this panel.

123. Click 'Select by edge'
124. Now click on an edge for the bottom of your waistband.
125. Click the 'Loop' button
126. Click on the 'Edge Tool' in the Vertex Modeling tab
A drop down will appear.
127. Click on 'Extract Edge Around' icon
(Your highlighted edge will turn from red to blue)
128. Click anywhere on the red edges and drag down.
You will notice two dark blue lines start to follow you.
You only want to move this out enough to not touch the one you have selected. Let go of the mouse.

Finishing up:

129. Click on the little yellow box on the Manipulator and drag it so that the looped edge is reducing (shrinking inward)
130. Click on Smoothing(+) one time.
You will notice the pulled in area of the waistband as lost some of its strength. We will give that back right now.
131. Click on one of the edges, just above the one you pulled in.
132. Click on the 'Loop' button
133. Click on the Green arrow on the Manipulator and pull down enough to give back your waistband roll. Let it go.

Note: If you want to, you can add a bit of pucker or roll at this seam for the skirt too. Just follow the same directions only apply it to the edge lower than your waistband end and drag it up a bit.

Recheck to make sure you don't have an of your base mesh peeking through, then when you are happy with the outcome.
134. Click on the little Lightening icon there in the Dynamic Geometry panel to collapse.
Congrats! You have just box modeled a skirt!

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