Claudia Herbst
Associate Professor
Pratt Institute
Department of Digital Arts



Modeling a Seahorse

This simple tutorial makes use of several basic polygonal modeling tools, including two Extrude
functions, the Wedge Face tool, the Split Polygon tool, Insert and Offset Edge Loop tools, and
the Chamfer Vertex tool.

Here is an image of the seahorse we'll use as a reference. Save it to your folder.






We'll begin by creating an Image Plane. In Maya, maximize the front view, go to View,
Image Plane, Import Image, select the seahorse image. You can create two additional
orthographic drawings for the top and side views of the creature. Alternatively, google
seahorse reference images.


With the Image Plane still selected, in the Attribute Editor, select the Display option
"looking through Camera." The image should now only be visible in the Front view.
See figure 1. Now change the setting back to "In all views."



Figure 1



Next, in the main menu, go to Create, Polygon Primitives, Cube.


This cube will be belly of the seahorse; we'll extrude it up and down to form the rest of the body
(the tail will require a couple of extra steps.)


Visualize the thickness of the horses belly--imagine a well-proportioned seahorse...and scale the cube
accordingly. See figure 2 & 3.



Figure 2 & 3



Next we'll change the subdivisions on the cube. In the Channel Box, under Inputs, click on polyCube1
to open it, and change the subdivisions as depicted in figure 4.



Figure 4.



Now, select the top faces of the cube, which we will extrude. To do so, in the side view, select the top
faces. From the main menu, select Edit Mesh, Extrude, options... (make sure to reset the tool to its
default options).


You should now see the Manipulator Tool. Using the up handle, extrude the top face. Hit "g" to repeat the last
command, extrude again, hit "g" once more and extrude... and so on. We're essentially building the body.
Note that you do not have to be exact at first. I eyeballed the extrusions and then, in the Channel Box,
selected each polyExtrudeFace and adjust it so that it aligns it nicely, using the grid as a reference.
See figure 5.



Figure 5.



Now let's select some vertices and move and scale them to create the round shape of the seahorse's
belly. Make sure that you always move and scale vertices uniformly so that what you are doing to one
side of the body, also happens to the other side. Notice that, at this point, we're only accounting for the
round/voluminous part of the belly, the flap we'll do later... (same for the "thing" on the creature's rear.)

For additional references, you may want to google seahorse images now.... Strive for exact symmetry
and nice proportions.See figure 6, and look carefully at figure 7.



Figure 6.




Figure 7.



Now, let's build the tail. We will use a curve path to extrude the face at the bottom of the horse's body.


In the main menu, got to Create, CV curve tool (make sure you're using default settings), and draw
a curve along the seahorse tail. Move the pivot point of that curve to the origin/top of the curve.
(To access the pivot point, hit the Insert key. Use the Curve snap tool to be exact when moving the
pivot point). See figure 8.



Figure 8.



Next, we will center the curve in the (exact) middle of the bottom face. In order to do this, select the
horse body and from the main menu, select Modify, Make Live (the wireframe should now be dark green).
Shift-select the curve and call up the Move tool options. On the bottom of the window is a "Snap to live
polygon" option. Select the "Face center" button. Middle-mouse button click the curve into the center of
the face. Go back to Modify, Make Live.


Right-clik, and select Face from the pop-up menu. Select the three faces, and shift-select the curve as
indicated in figure 9.



Figure 9.



In the main menu, go to Edit mesh, Extrude, options. Make sure "Use selected curve for extrusion"
is selected. Click "Extrude." Now, you probably notice, this looks weird... You need to add Divisions and
add a Taper so that the tail gets thinner at the end. To do so, in the Channel Box, scroll down and set the
extrude Divisionsto to 30, and the Taper to "0.1" -- the result should resemble figure 10.



Figure 10.



(In my case, the tail looked odd in the front view because it was too wide, resulting in a tail that was too thick.
I simply backtracked, scaled the bottom vertices, and extruded again.The shape still needs tweaking but the
general proportions are right.)


Now we are going to add an aproximation of the flappy thing on the creatures rear. It won't be exact, but
that's OK for now. On the rear, select an Edge, and two faces as indicated in figure 11. In the main menu,
go to Edit Mesh, Wedge Face.



Figure 11.



The result should look something like what you see in figure 12. In the Channel Box, experiment
with the polyWedgeFace1 attributes, Wedge Angle and Divisions. You can also move and scale
vertices to adjust the shape.



Figure 12.



As indicated in figure 13, you can extend the Wedge with another Wedge, and maybe another...
(I also adjusted the tail some by moving vertices.)



Figure 13.



To see what the seahorse would look like smoothed, go to the main menu, Mesh, Smooth.
Very nice, let's undo for now... and add a few more things.


Next we'll use the Split Polygon tool to add a few details to the back of the spine. Make sure the
body is selected, in the main menu, go to Edit Mesh, Split Polygon Tool, options. Set the options
as indicated in figure 14.


Click the first point as indicated in figure 14 by click-dragging on the first edge (the cursor will snap to
the center of that edge). Once you release the mouse button, you'll see the first point has been set.
Click-drag the second point, and all the way down the spine, as indicated in figure 14. To finalize the
operation, press enter.



Figure 14.


It should look like this (figure 15).

Figure 15.



This is a good time to go into vertex mode (right-click, Vertex) and make sure the are no floating vertices
that don't belong there. For example, look at figure 16. You'll see an extra floating point, which I've put there
accidentally. If you see something like that, make sure to pick the point and delete it.



Figure 16.



Now select the second vertex that you've inserted, go to the main menu, Edit Mesh, Chamfer Vertex.
This creates a new faces for each vertex. It should like like this (figure 17). Repeat this step along the spine.



Figure 17.



Now select the new faces and extrude and scale them as indicated in figure 18.




Figure 18.



Your model should look something like this (figure 19).



Figure 19. I


So we learned how to use the Split Polygon tool, that's important.


Question: if you wanted the type of nubs that you've created along the spine to also appear
on theback side of the tail without splitting each individual polygon first, how would you go
about doing it?


There are two ways. One would be to delete the tail and to use the Split Polygon tool on
the single edge that, once extruded, forms the backside of the tail and then re-creating the tail
bu extruding it along the path. Of course, it is best if one thinks ahead and doesn't have to
backtrack.


Another option is to use the Insert Edge Loop tool in the Edit Mesh menu. Call up the tool
and insert an Edge Loop as indicated in figure 20.



Figure 20.



Next, select every second vertex on the back of the tail and create the nub-like protusions
that you've built on the spine also on the tail. It should look something like this (figure 21).



Figure 21.



Now it's time to work on the front of the belly some more. We will use the Offset Edge Loop tool.

In the main menu, go to Edit Mesh, Offset Edge loop Tool, options. Set the options as depicted in
figure 22, and select Enter Tool. You will be promted to click the edges to define the edge loop.
Click twice as indicated in figure 22. On the second click, before releasing the mouse button,
click and drag to define the size loop. Press enter to finalize the operation. (Undo and redo the
last steps if you are not happy with the result...)


Figure 22.



Figure 23 shows the beginnings of the body flap... while the reference image shows a significant
protursion, I opted for a little one. I also smoothed the object, to see what it looks like. Your task is
to also craft a belly flap and, you guessed it, model the head using the tools explained above.

I suggest you begin by creating more extrusions and rotating them to create the bend in the neck.
In class we will use the Softmod Tool to tweak the model a bit more.

Have fun!



Figure 23.