Making Earth problem making a sphere from plane via cylinder


This is the vid above for ref.

I am trying to get my plane to wrap like a sphere via a cylinder as does his in the video in the screen grab.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]284498[/ATTACH]

*Note the un joined ends of sphere leaving a crack and the top not being sealed, ( a hole left in it)

Let me preface this with my challenges and these might be the reason for mine not jibing.

  1. In that video where he places his 3D cursor 1 unit below the plane before executing the Wrap command “W” in Edit mode. (3:40 in )
    I was unsure of how to position that cursor… I did “N” to launch the View > Properties and used -1 in “Z” to move down 1 unit. Right or wrong?

  2. I also noticed that when instructing the Plane to move into a Cylinder via
    Hit Shift “W” to wrap it around cursor. (4:18 in)
    Use NP (numpad) type in 180 for 180 degrees LMB to select
    Shift “W” again and wrap it 360
    ****WHY? *It mattered how the ortho view was to do this.
    (See pics) I had rotated my 180
    view so that my view was that of a side view. It is what a cylinder
    would look like laying on it’s side long ways cut in half. I then used
    the shift “W” command and typed in 360 to get my sphere. When I did not use the view described above, my Cylinder was twisted and way off being symmetrical? Why? Is not just a view?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]284499[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]284500[/ATTACH]

  1. When removing the Extra Vertices as instructed in that vid
    Via using command “W” to remove extra vertices, > remove doubles
    @ 4:39 of video he did this and removed 95 extras, Mine removed “0” ?? Why did I not have extra vertices?

I am not sure which or is it a culmination of all 3 of the above put me into a different non uniform sphere as in the vid?

Please if you are going to help me and answer, PLEASE address all 3 ?'s and why, or what is needed to achieve joy.
Thanks in advance.
NC

FWIW- I did get it to work. I am guessing that because I did not successfully join my ends is why I had no extra vertices to delete.

Still cannot figure why my view makes a diff when instructing Blender to wrap around my 3D Cursor. When I can move my view around in my 3D port and hit Render and the pan around does not have an effect on rendered view. Maybe it is the diff between Edit and Object ??

When you render a scene, you render it from the camera’s view. If you don’t move the camera, you’ll always get the same view, no matter how your viewport is oriented.

There are two things in a viewport. One is the 3D cursor, which defines a one dimensional point in 3D space. The other is the viewing plane, which defines a two dimensional plane in the same 3D space. Blender uses the 3D cursor for many things… when you add an object, for example, it is added at the cursor location. If you pivot, you can pivot around the 3D cursor. Sometimes, though, Blender needs more than a single point to carry out an operation. When you grab and drag a vertex to the left, for example, Blender needs to know how to interpret ‘left’ in 3D space, so it uses the view plane to get the additional information it needs.

I didn’t watch the video tutorial. I am not about to sit through a 14 minute tutorial, maybe more than once, to try to figure out what the author is telling you to do to try to make sense of your questions. However, chances are the wrap operation is one of those things that needs more than just a single point for Blender to do something sensible. If that’s the case, the view you are in would matter.

This is the most rediculous video ever. If you want to map a sphere, just make one and then cut 1 seam from center point to center point on one hemisphere. Then unwrap. Put earth texture on it. The end.

http://planetpixelemporium.com/earth.html

I used these maps in a commercial video for some healthcare stuff. Perfecto! For the clouds I just duplicated the sphere and used the black and white map of the clouds for transparency on a white lambert material. Oila. Earth, Clouds, and it looks ballin

“cut 1 seam from center point to center point” only. I believe will not make a good unwrap. The second time I did this warp trick above, it took less then 60 seconds. that is “ridiculous” ridiculously easy for such a nice unwrap.

What a great resource :smiley: Thanks, bullotsky

EDIT: Hmmm…there used to be a sphere UV map that would unwrap decently evenly with the triangles at the top and bottom of 2.49. You didn’t need to really do anything. I’m not finding this option in the newer blender versions. Been awhile since I unwrapped a plain old sphere. Leave it to the easiest things ever to stump me.

Edit: I was close. I spent like 2 seconds typing in my response. I shouldn’t be so lazy.

Before marking the seams like I mentioned you have to delete both center points because it messes up the unwrap. Seriously, making a plane for a simple sphere is not what you want to do. Beginners need to learn to properly uv unwrap than spend time with things that won’t work with more complex things. This would probably take 30 seconds to do even though the video is 3 minutes or something like that. It’s good to learn unwrapping and ushers beginners into uv unwrapping more complex shapes.

I use the default sphere, delete the pole verts and the extrude the remaining loop near the poles inward twice leaving a tiny hole at each pole. Then select all verts, and mesh>transform>to sphere a couple times to round it back out. Then in front orthographic view, I unwrap using cylinder projection.

Thanks for the advice y’all. -I am new to this and unfortunately as discouraging as it is…There is no outlined resource I have found that is available to learn Blender. Without Blundering through videos on youtube.

Remember when you first started out, what seems elementary was a bit confusing. From someone showing a successful Globe as in that vid, to you guys stating “it is a 30 second move”, via Rich33584;
“I use the default sphere, delete the pole verts and the extrude the remaining loop near the poles inward twice leaving a tiny hole at each pole. Then select all verts, and mesh>transform>to sphere a couple times to round it back out. Then in front orthographic view, I unwrap using cylinder projection.”

Which is about the most detailed of responses and yet I will still need to (understand the “delete the pole verts”) to start with. I am sure in a few weeks this will all be clear, but for now…

I started with the blender basics tuts, but that is all they are, basic tuts. The Tuts I found are of older versions of Blender for one and not in a concise step by step learning of Blender. Just a hodge podge of random videos doing certain modeling, which as in this case I was watching the long/wrong way to do it.

IGE: After Effects was quite daunting when I picked it up a year ago, but with a 100 dollar subscription via Classondemand. I had a concise resource that took me through all it’s editors and engines 101,201,301 with exams and so forth. Within a year I can create anything in AE that is 2d. School is important, but the right classes even more so.
There is a Citizen subscription which I am wondering if it is yet another array of tutorials that has no hierarchy of 101,201,301, Blender Render, Cycles Render, Materials, Text, camera moves etc…Or is it a how to ‘jump-around’ and learn how to do specific things?

The Forum and your comments are about the only thing that helps me get thru this software.

Ikarishiji,

Thanks for the upbeat condolence. However once this software is sold to Adobe,Cinema 4d or Corel, etc. Then we will see a comprehensive training service.
IGE: Starting with one panel at the beginning and go from there type of class. A resource that takes one from the beginning with baby steps to more advanced type of animations. Projects from basic to advanced. No matter the final animation. Be it a ball with a soccer map or the earth map. Be it bouncing or spinning for an animation.

Like in After Effects, one of the Hotrod moderators told me an animation could not be done in the version I have CS6. He told me I need the cloud subscription with Cinema 4d well guess what? Because I watched and learned all the tools in the box I faked it and made it happen. Not because of, it was a tut covered for a direction I chose. But because each tool was explained coherently and precisely to understand the parameters of a particular tool.

All that aside, I watched Rich’s solution of beginner tuts, (as mentioned in the 2nd paragraph) of where some of the tools are and how they end, just as they get started.
Like Citizen sub, why would I pay for it? I watched some of it (The free ones) and to be honest he rips thru areas that could use some slowing down, as well as uses slang and skips over basics. In a basic video! Not worth the money at that point. IMO

There is some good money to be made setting up good tutorials with an articulate, concise, hierarchy. Was and is my point.

So thanks anyways Rich, for the link I have been there, done that and (no offense) your quick run down of how to do it is worthless to me. As I try and decode what you are trying to share. Let me expound.

When I started over at Adobe AE I got responses like Rich, and would explain to them how I can rebuild a 5 speed mesh tranny for a Harley. If I told you it is a cinch, just make sure you place the large gear set before placing the smaller gear set at the same time you engage the kanuder valve makes complete sense to me.
Now how about a guy in there the first time? Although that is the ‘skinny on it’ I think it could be explained a bit better…And if you do not want to, then do not ‘hop in’. No harm no foul amigo. (smile)

Do not get me wrong here I am not being brash or lashing out, only trying to explain with a smile on my face, what is going on here. With your above average computer guy who knows other detailed software and sees the potential.

Thanks for your input and direction. Bare in mind a picture is worth a thousand words. IGE: Screen grab, edit with grease pencil…label and explain. Again it is appreciated.

Peace and Love
NC