December 2014 Video Tutorial -- Making a Polygonal Tree

[Barbara B]

December 2014 Video Tutorial -- Making a Polygonal Tree



There’s 3D that moves, and there’s 3D that looks so real, you want to reach out and touch it. This month, Gary takes you from beginning to a finished origami, polygonal-shaped dimensional tree that looks dimensional enough that you’d expect it to rotate. It’s all in using star shapes in combination with the Mould tool in Default Perspective mode, a little knowledge of perspective, and how to build panels by connecting control points. It’s a real Xara workout, you’d learn oodles of techniques, and be able to draw a forest in no time with Xara’s drop a copy feature.

See it here.

Show us your take on polygonal trees or even forests in this thread.

[Crow Haven]

Here's one. Fun tute! I added an additional top tier and a few decorations. I wasn't using a Xara version that had 3D extrude ability so I drew different planks for the tree stand and trunk.

[stygg2003]

Maybe no 3D extrude Maya but that tree looks pretty good to me

Stygg

[Rik]

I can't afford a forest, Gary.

So, I hope just one Tree-D is acceptable?!

I think this is a great way of getting the perspective correct and seeing where the panels should be drawn.

[Rik]

That's a great tree, Maya.
I like the shadow.

[Crow Haven]

Many thanks Stygg and Rik! Rik I like the lighting you used on your tree too!
Here's another one, this time trying for more of a paper/cardboard look in the tree, and so I made a folded cardboard deer to go with it too.

[Gare]

That is way beautiful, Maya. Your instincts, as usual, served you correctly. Your concept and my approach to the "origami" tree as so compatible, it's just a Tree-mendous scene.


I'm so happy everyone jumped right into this. I wanted to get the video up on the 15th or earlier, but we have a 7 year-old motherboard and I think it's a dual core that you can toast cheese sandwiches on now, but not much else. We (and the bank) are treating ourselves to a new server so hopefully we're not out of communications and can do the heavy-lifting to get videos up (this one was 278MB MPEG-4; the version I edited on was 88GB) faster.

But that's neither here nor there. I'm glad you got something out of the principle of "moving" a star shape in 3D (changing the perspective and unevenly scaling it) to then "connect the dots" and get a cone shape made out of panels as the result. I have a new hat (as you saw), we got the tree up and I'm working on our card this year, so life is good.

And I'm delighted that this month has drawn out so much participation!

It's a fun time of the year, in addition to a somber one, eh?

My Best,

Gary

[Crow Haven]

I changed the fractal cloud transparency around some to try and avoid the pixilation that was bothering me. Glad you liked the design, Gare.

[csehz]

Thanks for the tutorial Gare, I like at the end of the video that trick how to do a 3D star to the top of the tree with simply bevelling a quick shape star

[Rik]

Your Reindeer got me thinking, Maya.

So, I thought I'd create a scene with a Reindeer as well.

All 3D in this image.