1. Setting up Model Reference Images
Step 1
Open Maya.
Step 2
In the front view, go to View > Image Plane > Import Image command.
Step 3
In the Open window, select front sketch.jpg image file and then click on Open button. You will find the reference images attached with the tutorial.
Step 4
Following the same way, import both reference images in front and side view ports respectively as shown in the following image.
Step 5
Move and place the front image on the grid in the front panel.
Step 6
Match and align the heights of both reference images using the plane primitives created in the view port as shown in the following image.
Step 7
With the side image plane selected in the perspective view port, move it in X axis direction and check on Looking through camera radio button in the Attribute Editor.
Step 8
In this way, both reference images have been set properly in the front and side view ports as well.
Step 9
Additionally, you can slide down the Color Gain slider for less brightness as shown in the following image.
2. Creating Custom Polygon
Shape for Body
Step 1
Jump in the Modeling mode. Go to Mesh Tools > Create Polygon.
Step 2
With the Create Polygon tool selected, create the body outline according to the reference image as shown in the following figure.
Step 3
Once you are done with the body outline as shown in the following image, press Enter key to complete and finish the process.
Step 4
In the perspective view port, you will see the created body outline shape mesh. You need to split the polygon mesh to model the body of the dinosaur.
Step 5
Go to Display > Polygon > Vertices command to show the vertices of the mesh without being the mesh selected.
Step 6
You will see the vertices on the outline mesh. It is easy to split the mesh with the parallel edge loops as per the vertices.
Step 7
Go to Mesh Tools > Multi-Cut tool as shown in the following image.
Step 8
With the help of Multi-Cut tool, split the mesh with parallel edges as shown in the following image.
Step 9
Go to Display > Polygons > Vertices command to hide the vertices without the mesh getting selected.
Step 10
With all faces of the mesh selected, go to Edit Mesh > Extrude. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl-E key.
Step 11
After applying the extrude command, drag the faces a little bit in Z axis to get some thickness as shown in the following image.
Step 12
Select the inner faces and press Delete key to delete the selected faces as shown in the following image.
3. Creating Symmetry mesh
Step 1
Jump in the Modeling mode. Go to Edit > Duplicate Special and click on its option box.
Step 2
In the Duplicate Special Options window, turn on Instance radio button and set the value of Scale X axis to -1. Click on Duplicate Special button.
Step 3
You can see the duplicate symmetry mesh in the perspective view as shown in the following image.
Step 4
This is the mirrored symmetry mesh. If you edit or move left side's vertices, the opposite side's vertices will follow it.
4. Detailing Body Mesh
Step 1
Go to Mesh Tool > Insert Edge Loop tool to insert various edge loops to add details.
Step 2
With the help of Insert Edge Loop tool, insert two edge loops horizontally as indicated in the following image.
Step 3
Move the edge loops outwards to give some thickness to the mesh.
Step 4
Following the same way, edit other edge loops also to get the shape according to the dinosaur's body.
Step 5
Jump in the front view and edit the mesh to get the shape according to the dinosaur's reference image.
Step 6
Following the same way, edit the vertices also according to the front reference image.
Step 7
Insert four indicated vertical edge loops as shown in the following image.
Step 8
Edit the vertices according to the shape of the dinosaur's body.
Step 9
Insert two more horizontal edge loops to add the details to the body.
5. Creating Leg and Hand Mesh
Step 1
Create a cylinder polygon mesh in the perspective view with the values of Subdivisions Axis as 8 and Subdivisions Height as 4.
Step 2
Jump in the vertex selection mode and edit the vertices as per the leg's reference as shown in the following image.
Step 3
Jump in the front view and edit the shape according to the leg's outline reference.
Step 4
Isolate the leg mesh for a while. Select the top and bottom cap faces and then delete them. Exit from isolation mode.
Step 5
Insert three edge loops to the leg mesh as shown in the following image.
Step 6
Create another cylinder polygon mesh in the perspective view with the values of Subdivisions Axis as 8 and Subdivisions Height as 4.
Step 7
Jump in the vertex selection mode and edit the vertices as per the hand's reference as shown in the following image.
Step 8
Jump in the front view and edit the shape according to the hand's outline reference.
Step 9
In this way, the basic structure of hand and leg is ready.
6. Connecting Hand and Leg Mesh with Body Mesh
Step 1
With all mesh parts selected, go to Edit > Delete by Type > History to delete history. Alternatively, you can press Alt-Shift-D key.
Step 2
With the body mesh selected, go to Display > Polygon > Face Normal command.
Step 3
After applying Face Normal command, you can see the normal angle pins inside the body. You need to reverse the faces.
Step 4
With the body mesh selected, go to Mesh Display > Reverse command to reverse the faces.
Step 5
Once the normal faces are rectified, you need to turn its visibility off. With the body mesh selected, go to Display > Polygon > Face Normal command.
Step 6
Now you need to connect the leg with the body. With both meshes selected together, go to Mesh > Booleans > Union command.
Step 7
Following the same procedure, connect the hand with the body too. With both meshes selected together, go to Mesh > Booleans > Union command.
Step 8
All parts are connected now. But you need to edit and clean the mesh topology for the proper mesh deformation.
7. Cleaning Mesh Flow
Step 1
With the body mesh selected, go to Edit > Duplicate Special.
Step 2
With the unwanted vertices selected together, go to Edit Mesh > Merge and click on the option box.
Step 3
In the Merge Vertices Options window, keep the value of Threshold as 3.0000 and turn off Always merge for two vertices check box. Click on Merge button to merge the selected vertices as shown in the following image.
Step 4
These vertices are now merged into one vertex as shown in the following image.
Step 5
Following the same way, keep merging required vertices together to form a proper mesh flow of the mesh.
Step 6
You need to insert several more edge loops to add more details to the mesh as shown in the following image.
Step 7
Keep adding edge loops according to the need of the mesh as per the reference image.
Step 8
In this way, you have created the basic body mesh of the dinosaur with the proper mesh flow.
Conclusion
In the next part of the tutorial, I will show you how to create the head of the dinosaur.
