3. 123D Creature for iPad

A great starting point on the path to 3D modeling is the free iPad application called 123D Creature. It allows anyone with an iPad to use their fingers to create creatures of all shapes and sizes on the tablet’s touchscreen.

A free copy of 123D Creature for iPad can be downloaded from http://www.123dapp.com/creature, or it can be found on the Apple App Store on your iPad.

This is a fun and easy way to create a 3D model of the monster out of your wildest imagination. When you’ve finished your masterpiece with Creature, you can export it from the iPad to print on your own 3D printer or send it to a service that will 3D print it for you.

Don’t worry if you don’t think you have any artistic ability because a large catalog of creatures is available online that you can use as a starting point and make them your own.

Let’s begin by launching the application on the iPad (see Figure 3.1).

FIGURE 3.1 123D Creature (iPad).

Create New—This lets you start from a basic skeleton model that you will embellish with your own ideas using a number of steps along the way.

My Projects—Shown in Figure 3.2, this is where you can view previously created works. You can store your creatures on the iPad or on the Autodesk servers, represented by the cloud icon on the right.

FIGURE 3.2 My Projects.

Community—Shown in Figure 3.3, this is a collection of all the publically shared Creature models that others have designed on their iPads and made freely available. Search has a number of options including popularity. Entering a keyword will filter the Community creatures by their tags.

FIGURE 3.3 Community Creatures.

The last option in the Community section is for news about the application and featured designs from Autodesk (see Figure 3.4).

FIGURE 3.4 Creature News.

When you click the Create New box for the first time, you might be presented with a set of introduction screens (see Figure 3.5). These screens give you a basic overview for using the software and the steps your creature design will go through.

FIGURE 3.5 123D Creature welcome message.

FIGURE 3.6 Creature skeleton composition.

The 123D Creature understands the relationship between bones and joints and will allow you to bend a leg. However, it will only bend as far as the joints and bones will allow, just like a person. Limbs are a grouping of the bones and joints to make it easier to move a larger segment of your creature.

Tumble—The way to rotate the model in any direction by using one finger that is not touching the model anywhere. Be sure you press down on to any area in the background, as long as it’s not your model. Doing this rotates the model in the direction you drag your finger along the touch screen.

Zoom—Allows you to zoom in or out on your model using two fingers in an expanding or a contracting action.

Pan—Requires two fingers and allows you to move the model around 3D space without rotating it.

FIGURE 3.7 Camera navigation.

FIGURE 3.8 Getting around the main sculpting window.

To simplify the design process, each creature is essentially made as a mirrored model. This means you can modify the left side and the right side will do the same thing. You can turn off this feature called Symmetry in the sculpting section on the lower-right corner (see Figure 3.9).

FIGURE 3.9 Sculpting controls.

Let’s start making something scary...or possibly just weird and creepy.

FIGURE 3.10 Sculpting controls.

If you wind up with a view that doesn’t work for you, you can press the Reset Camera button in the upper-right corner of the screen (see Figure 3.11).

FIGURE 3.11 Resetting the camera.

A number of controls listed in Table 3.1 can be used while manipulating your skeleton (see Figure 3.12).

TABLE 3.1 Skeleton Controls

FIGURE 3.12 The creature is starting to take shape.

The last icon, Bake Skeleton, will take you to the next step in the process. For now, however, use the options in Table 3.1 and let your imagination run wild (see Figure 3.13).

FIGURE 3.13 Actions are highlighted in blue.

As you activate various control options, the parts you can manipulate are highlighted in blue within your model. If that action has multiple axes that can be manipulated, you’ll see colored circles with directional arrows, as in Figure 3.14. These indicate which axis (X, Y, or Z) you are manipulating. You might want to tumble the camera to better see the movement angles.

FIGURE 3.14 Multiple axis controls.

When you’re happy with the skeleton you’ve created, press the Bake Skeleton button on the bottom right to go to the Sculpt section after the baking process (see Figure 3.15).

FIGURE 3.15 Baking your skeleton.

As shown in Figure 3.16, you’re ready to start detailing your creature.

FIGURE 3.16 Ready for detail work.

While sculpting, you can vary the size and strength of the various tools’ brushes using the blue sliders on the bottom of the screen.

Note the blue line in the middle of the creature in Figure 3.17, which is the dividing line when Symmetry is turned on. Anything done on one side of the model will be reflected on the other side as long as this is turned on.

FIGURE 3.17 Sculpting your creature.

Don’t forget to look at the back of your model as well while you’re sculpting (Figure 3.18)! This also applies to painting, which as mentioned earlier, can have little effect on your model if you’re 3D printing it in most cases.

FIGURE 3.18 Get around to all sides of your creature while painting to ensure complete coverage.

Notice in Figure 3.19 that adding backgrounds and lighting to your model has little effect on the actual 3D model. However, it can be fun to play with these options.

FIGURE 3.19 Effect of backgrounds and lighting.

There are a lot of image options to play with that can really add lots of great, if not creepy, detail to your model (see Figure 3.20). It’s easy to spend a lot of time trying the various options.

FIGURE 3.20 OMG! What have I done?

FIGURE 3.21 Sharing your creature.

You can save your creature by selecting the drop-down on the upper left of the screen (see Figure 3.22).

FIGURE 3.22 Don’t forget to save your creature.

After you save, you’ll get another menu of options to make a duplicate, export your creature as a 3D mesh, order a 3D print, or share your creature with the community (see Figure 3.23).

FIGURE 3.23 Options after saving.

You can either send your exported mesh file via email or send it to iTunes so you can retrieve the file from within iTunes (see Figure 3.24). If you choose email, it will create a compressed Zip file and launch your email program with the file as an attachment.

FIGURE 3.24 Exporting your mesh.

If you choose to order a 3D print of your creature, you’ll be taken through the steps to order from Sculpteo right within the Creatures app (see Figure 3.25).

FIGURE 3.25 Ordering a 3D print of your creature from Sculpteo.

To learn more about working with a 3D printing service like Sculpteo, go to Chapter 16, “Using a Third-Party 3D Printing Service Bureau.”

Happy creature making!