Difference between revisions of "Blender/Adapting Armor to Bodies with Lattices"

6.  A full copy of whatever body meshes you want to fit the armor to.

6.  A full copy of whatever body meshes you want to fit the armor to.

1.  Import the body mesh you want to use.  You'll need it for reference.

1.  Import the body mesh you want to use.  You'll need it for reference.

1.  Center on your mesh by pressing '1' or 'shift-1' on your number keypad (not the main row of keyboard numbers).  Make sure your view is set to orthographic, not perspective.  The view toolbar is on the lower left of the 3d window.

1.  Center on your mesh by pressing '1' or 'shift-1' on your number keypad (not the main row of keyboard numbers).  Make sure your view is set to orthographic, not perspective.  The view toolbar is on the lower left of the 3d window.

3.  Now you have a little four-pointed box on, near, or inside of your mesh.  Try to center it as much as possible on the upper torso.

3.  Now you have a little four-pointed box on, near, or inside of your mesh.  Try to center it as much as possible on the upper torso.

1.  The lattice needs to be big enough and complicated enough that it covers your entire mesh piece - this is why you'll want a separate one for different items (one for cuirass, one for greaves, and so on).  You want the borders of the lattice to be totally outside the borders of the mesh.  Expand your lattice just as you would a regular mesh.  You can also see, down in the edit window, a set of buttons that shows how many vertices your lattice has horizontally and vertically.  I used about 8 both ways for a cuirass.  That's a lot of vertices, but for an oblivion mesh you'll need quite a few.

1.  The lattice needs to be big enough and complicated enough that it covers your entire mesh piece - this is why you'll want a separate one for different items (one for cuirass, one for greaves, and so on).  You want the borders of the lattice to be totally outside the borders of the mesh.  Expand your lattice just as you would a regular mesh.  You can also see, down in the edit window, a set of buttons that shows how many vertices your lattice has horizontally and vertically.  I used about 8 both ways for a cuirass.  That's a lot of vertices, but for an oblivion mesh you'll need quite a few.

2.  You can choose "inside" or "outside" to have just a framework of vertices on the outside of the lattice, or all the way through.  This is up to you.  I've used both.

2.  You can choose "inside" or "outside" to have just a framework of vertices on the outside of the lattice, or all the way through.  This is up to you.  I've used both.

1.  Now click on the main part of the cuirass.  I prefer to merge cuirass pieces to make this part easier, but that's up to you.  Click through the edit window buttons until  you get to "add modifier".  Click that and choose "lattice."  You'll need to add the name of your lattice where it says "ob," but the default name in Blender is generally just "lattice."   

1.  Now click on the main part of the cuirass.  I prefer to merge cuirass pieces to make this part easier, but that's up to you.  Click through the edit window buttons until  you get to "add modifier".  Click that and choose "lattice."  You'll need to add the name of your lattice where it says "ob," but the default name in Blender is generally just "lattice."   

2.  If you keep the cuirass in more than one piece, you'll need to do this with all the pieces.

2.  If you keep the cuirass in more than one piece, you'll need to do this with all the pieces.

1.  Select just the lattice and go to edit mode, just as you would with a mesh.  Note that you can grab, drag, scale, etc. the vertices just like you would with a mesh.  What's the difference?  Now when you move parts of the lattice, the cuirass moves with it!  You can use the lattice to smoothly edit the mesh.   

1.  Select just the lattice and go to edit mode, just as you would with a mesh.  Note that you can grab, drag, scale, etc. the vertices just like you would with a mesh.  What's the difference?  Now when you move parts of the lattice, the cuirass moves with it!  You can use the lattice to smoothly edit the mesh.