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Creating a Magnum Mecha Character in Maya: Part 5

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Soni Kumari
Read Time: 7 min
Final product imageFinal product imageFinal product image
What You'll Be Creating

1. Creating Palm

Step 1

Open Maya. Import the file which was saved in the last part of the tutorial.

Open MayaOpen MayaOpen Maya
Open Maya

Step 2

Create a pipe polygon geometry primitive on perspective grid and set the value of Subdivisions Axis to 12 as shown in the following image.

Create a pipe polygon geometry primitiveCreate a pipe polygon geometry primitiveCreate a pipe polygon geometry primitive
Create a pipe polygon geometry primitive

Step 3

Place the pipe mesh according to the reference images.

Place the pipe meshPlace the pipe meshPlace the pipe mesh
Place the pipe mesh

Step 4

The rendered frame looks like the following image.

The rendered frame looks like the following imageThe rendered frame looks like the following imageThe rendered frame looks like the following image
The rendered frame looks like the following image

Step 5

To add details to the mesh, insert several edge loops and edit the shape of the mesh as shown in the following image.

Insert several edge loops Insert several edge loops Insert several edge loops
Insert several edge loops 

Step 6

Being in the face selection mode, select all internal faces of the mesh and delete them. 

Select all internal facesSelect all internal facesSelect all internal faces
Select all internal faces

Step 7

With the mesh selected, go to Mesh Tools > Multi Cut tool.

Mesh Tools Multi CutMesh Tools Multi CutMesh Tools Multi Cut
Mesh Tools > Multi Cut

Step 8

With the help of Multi Cut tool, insert the indicated edges as shown in the following image. 

Multi Cut toolMulti Cut toolMulti Cut tool
Multi Cut tool

Step 9

Select the undercut faces and delete them.

Select the undercut facesSelect the undercut facesSelect the undercut faces
Select the undercut faces

Step 10

Since the thickness of the mesh is not required, so select and delete all indicated faces as shown in the following image. 

Delete the inner facesDelete the inner facesDelete the inner faces
Delete the inner faces

Step 11

To make the shape symmetrical, delete the half part of the mesh as shown in the following image.  

Delete the half part of the mesh Delete the half part of the mesh Delete the half part of the mesh
Delete the half part of the mesh 

Step 12

With the rest palm mesh selected, apply Duplicate Special command. 

In the Duplicate Special Options box, turn on Instance radio button and set the value of Scale in Z axis to -1.0. 

Duplicate Special commandDuplicate Special commandDuplicate Special command
Duplicate Special command

Step 13

Insert several edges and edit the mesh topology to make it look like as shown in the following image.

Insert several edgesInsert several edgesInsert several edges
Insert several edges

Step 14

Go to Mesh Tool > Append to Polygon and then generate the polygon faces as shown in the following image.

Mesh Tool Append to PolygonMesh Tool Append to PolygonMesh Tool Append to Polygon
Mesh Tool > Append to Polygon

Step 15

With the indicated faces selected, go to Edit Mesh > Extract command to detach the selected faces. 

Edit Mesh ExtractEdit Mesh ExtractEdit Mesh Extract
Edit Mesh > Extract

Step 16

The mesh has been extracted into two parts. Due to this, the mirrored mesh has been also  deleted. So, you need to apply the Duplicate Special command once again. 

Duplicate SpecialDuplicate SpecialDuplicate Special
Duplicate Special

Step 17

With the help of Multi Cut Tool, insert indicated edge loops as shown in the following  image.

Multi Cut ToolMulti Cut ToolMulti Cut Tool
Multi Cut Tool

Step 18

In this way, you have edited the mesh as per the palm shape.

Palm shapePalm shapePalm shape
Palm shape

Step 19

With the indicated border edges selected, apply Extrude command to have some thickness.

Extrude commandExtrude commandExtrude command
Extrude command

Step 20

In the fly out settings box, change the value of Local Translate Z to  -0.025. 

Local Translate ZLocal Translate ZLocal Translate Z
Local Translate Z

Step 21

Following the same way, extrude the lower mesh also. Press 3 key on the keyboard to check the smoothness value of the meshes. 

Extrude the lower meshExtrude the lower meshExtrude the lower mesh
Extrude the lower mesh

Step 22

Insert edge loops at each corner for creating hard surface edges.

Insert edge loops at each cornerInsert edge loops at each cornerInsert edge loops at each corner
Insert edge loops at each corner

Step 23

With both sides of the mesh selected, go to Mesh > Combine command to attach the selected parts together.

Mesh Combine commandMesh Combine commandMesh Combine command
Mesh > Combine command

Step 24

Following the same way, combine and merge the center vertices also.

Combine and merge the center verticesCombine and merge the center verticesCombine and merge the center vertices
Combine and merge the center vertices

2. Creating Thumb

Step 1

Create a sphere polygon primitive in the perspective view with the values of Subdivisions Axis as 18 and Subdivisions Height as 12. 

Create a sphere polygon primitiveCreate a sphere polygon primitiveCreate a sphere polygon primitive
Create a sphere polygon primitive

Step 2

Place the sphere around the thumb area as a thumb ball and then select the indicated faces as shown in the following image.

Place the sphere around the thumb areaPlace the sphere around the thumb areaPlace the sphere around the thumb area
Place the sphere around the thumb area

Step 3

With the faces selected, apply Extrude command and drag the faces out a bit as shown in the following image.

Extrude commandExtrude commandExtrude command
Extrude command

Step 4

Insert the supporting edge loop as shown in the following image.

Insert the supporting edge loopInsert the supporting edge loopInsert the supporting edge loop
Insert the supporting edge loop

Step 5

Create a pipe to create the thumb joint.

Create a pipeCreate a pipeCreate a pipe
Create a pipe

Step 6

Move and place the pipe mesh under the thumb ball mesh as shown in the following image. 

Move and place the pipe meshMove and place the pipe meshMove and place the pipe mesh
Move and place the pipe mesh

Step 7

Insert the indicated edge loops at both ends as shown in the following image.  

Insert the indicated edge loopsInsert the indicated edge loopsInsert the indicated edge loops
Insert the indicated edge loops

Step 8

With both side's corner edges selected, apply Bevel command as shown in the following image.

Apply Bevel commandApply Bevel commandApply Bevel command
Apply Bevel command

Step 9

Keep the pipe mesh in isolation mode. With the three indicated faces selected, apply Extrude command and then scale down uniformly as shown in the following image. 

Keep the pipe mesh in isolation modeKeep the pipe mesh in isolation modeKeep the pipe mesh in isolation mode
Keep the pipe mesh in isolation mode

Step 10

Insert an edge loop in center of the pipe mesh as shown in the following image.

Insert an edge loopInsert an edge loopInsert an edge loop
Insert an edge loop

Step 11

Edit the vertices of the mesh as shown in the following image.

Edit the vertices of the meshEdit the vertices of the meshEdit the vertices of the mesh
Edit the vertices of the mesh

Step 12

Extrude the edited faces as shown in the following image.

Extrude the edited facesExtrude the edited facesExtrude the edited faces
Extrude the edited faces

Step 13

Insert supporting edges for hard surface corners as shown in the following image. 

Insert supporting edgesInsert supporting edgesInsert supporting edges
Insert supporting edges

Step 14

Unhide all hidden meshes. Create a polygon cylinder with Subdivision Axis as 20, Subdivisions Height as 1 and Subdivisions Cap as 2. 

Put the cylinder mesh inside the pipe mesh as shown in the following image.

Unhide all hidden meshesUnhide all hidden meshesUnhide all hidden meshes
Unhide all hidden meshes

Step 15

Insert indicated edge loops as shown in the following image.

Insert indicated edge loops Insert indicated edge loops Insert indicated edge loops
Insert indicated edge loops 

Step 16

Select the indicated faces of the mesh as shown in the following image.  

Select the indicated facesSelect the indicated facesSelect the indicated faces
Select the indicated faces

Step 17

Extrude the selected faces up to the level of the pipe mesh. 

Extrude the selected facesExtrude the selected facesExtrude the selected faces
Extrude the selected faces

Step 18

With the corner edge loops selected, apply Bevel command as shown in the following image.

Apply Bevel commandApply Bevel commandApply Bevel command
Apply Bevel command

Step 19

Keep using Extrude and Insert Edge Loop commands as per need to create the structure as shown in the following image.

Extrude and Insert Edge Loop commandsExtrude and Insert Edge Loop commandsExtrude and Insert Edge Loop commands
Extrude and Insert Edge Loop commands

Step 20

In this way, the thumb's mechanism is completed. You can check the mesh flow in the wire-frame shaded mode as shown in the following image. 

Thumbs mechanism is completedThumbs mechanism is completedThumbs mechanism is completed
Thumb's mechanism is completed

Step 21

To create the thumb's joint, create a cube in the perspective view port.

Create a cube in the perspective view portCreate a cube in the perspective view portCreate a cube in the perspective view port
Create a cube in the perspective view port

Step 22

Move and place the cube around the thumb joint area as shown in the following image. 

Move and place the cube around the thumb joint areaMove and place the cube around the thumb joint areaMove and place the cube around the thumb joint area
Move and place the cube around the thumb joint area

Step 23

With the cube selected, insert indicated edge loops and use Bevel command on the corner edges as shown in the following image.

Bevel command Bevel command Bevel command
Bevel command 

Step 24

Delete the cap faces of the cube to make it hollow as shown in the following image. 

Delete the cap facesDelete the cap facesDelete the cap faces
Delete the cap faces

Step 25

Jump in the vertex selection mode and reshape the mesh as shown in the following image. 

Jump in the vertex selection modeJump in the vertex selection modeJump in the vertex selection mode
Jump in the vertex selection mode

Step 26

With the top and bottom border edge loops selected, drag them inside a little bit in Z axis to get some thickness as shown in the following image.

Select top and bottom border edge loops Select top and bottom border edge loops Select top and bottom border edge loops
Select top and bottom border edge loops 

Step 27

Insert the indicated edge loops at the corners for hard surfaced shape.

Insert the indicated edge loopsInsert the indicated edge loopsInsert the indicated edge loops
Insert the indicated edge loops

Step 28

Make a duplicate copy of the thumb joint and for the next finger.

Make a duplicate copy of the thumbMake a duplicate copy of the thumbMake a duplicate copy of the thumb
Make a duplicate copy of the thumb

Step 29

Create a polygon cube with Subdivisions Width as 4, Subdivisions Height as 2 and Subdivisions Depth as 4. 

Create a polygon cubeCreate a polygon cubeCreate a polygon cube
Create a polygon cube

Step 30

Jump in the vertex selection mode and reshape the mesh as shown in the following image.

Jump in the vertex selection modeJump in the vertex selection modeJump in the vertex selection mode
Jump in the vertex selection mode

Step 31

In this way, the thumb tip is completed as shown in the following image.

Thumb tip is completed Thumb tip is completed Thumb tip is completed
Thumb tip is completed 

Step 32

To create rest of the fingers' joints, make duplicate copies of the thumb joint wheel.

Make duplicate copies of the thumb joint wheelMake duplicate copies of the thumb joint wheelMake duplicate copies of the thumb joint wheel
Make duplicate copies of the thumb joint wheel

Step 33

In this way, you have three more joint wheels as per the reference images.

Three more joint wheelsThree more joint wheelsThree more joint wheels
Three more joint wheels

Step 34

Following the same way, create three more copies of the finger joints also as shown in the following image. 

Three more finger jointsThree more finger jointsThree more finger joints
Three more finger joints

Step 35

Following the same way, make three more copies of joint wheels as shown in the following image.

Make three more copies of joint wheelsMake three more copies of joint wheelsMake three more copies of joint wheels
Make three more copies of joint wheels

Step 36

In this way, the fingers and joints are completed as per the given reference images.

Fingers and joints are completedFingers and joints are completedFingers and joints are completed
Fingers and joints are completed

Step 37

To make the fingers dynamic, modify the position and rotation of the fingers and joints as shown in the following image.

Rotate the fingersRotate the fingersRotate the fingers
Rotate the fingers

Step 38

With all finger elements and palm selected, press Ctrl-G to make a group. 

Rename the group as HandGrp. Make a copy of the group for the opposite hand too.

Make a groupMake a groupMake a group
Make a group

Step 39

In this way, the modeling of hand and fingers is done.

Final structureFinal structureFinal structure
Final structure

Conclusion

In the next part of the tutorial, I'll show you how to create the head of the character.

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Soni Kumari
Soni Kumari
My name is Soni and I am a CG artist from India.
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