Dog Modeling Tutorial ( Bolt )

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Bolt The Movie is the latest animation movie created by Pixar for Disney in 2008. Appealing character from this movie is a young canine dog, named Bolt (voice actor by JohnTravolta) In this tutorial you will learn to create 3D dog model based on Bolt The Movie charater. You will be amazed to know how easy to create the 3D dog model in 3ds max. Of course, you will create low poly version of this character. But I'm sure you will learn a lot from this tutorial. You can use techniques described in this tutorial to create many models similar to dog, like wolf, fox, or any animal with four legs.
Image below show what you will create from this tutorial

1.First, you need to download 3dsmax file used in this tutorial (rar) . Open 3ds max file. In this scene there is a simple plane textured with an image of dog. You can use this plane as blueprint. Bitmap material also included in the rar file

If you want to know more about blueprint and how to create textured blueprint read our Modeling Using Blueprint tutorial. I recommend that you read this tutorial before you go further. I will not explain much about this in this tutorial.

2. Let's begin. Create a sphere in Left viewport. Use Segments=8. You will use this sphere to create head. Apply this sphere with semi transparent material so you can see blueprint behind. Use any Diffuse Color you want.

3. Convert sphere into Editable Poly (right click sphere and choose Convert To>Convert To Editable Poly). Go to Modify tab. Activate Vertex selection. Move some vertices position like image below .

4. Change to Polygon selection. Select 2 polygons like image below, and in Edit Polygons rollout click Bevel button. Click and drag in selected polygons to create beveled polygons.

5. Move selected polygons based on blueprint behind. Make sure they are still selected. In Edit Polygons, click Extrude button. Click and drag at selected polygons twice. Change to Vertex selection and modiy some vertices position. You also need to scale along X axis to narrow its snout.

6. Image below shows the finished dog head so far. It's only a basic head shape. You will modify and add more details in the next tutorial.

 

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In page 1 tutorial you have created basic dog head shape based on Bolt The Movie character. Now it's time to add some details. In this tutorial you will create a mouth.

7.Continue previous tutorial. Activate Edge selection. Select edges like image below. In Edit Edges rollout click Connect button to divide the edges. Change to Vertex selection and modify some vertices position..

8. In Perspective viewport, rotate view until you can see the bottom of the head. Select two edges like image below. In Edit Edges rollout, click Split button. This option will break the edges connection. Change to Vertex selection. Click one vertex shown in white arrow (Just select one vertex). Because of Split usage you will have 2 vertices in that area. Move one vertex above like image below.

9. Next, you need to fill the gap with polygons. Activate Polygon selecton. Turn on 3D Snap Toggle to help you precisely selecting vertex later. In Edit Geometry rollout click Create button. Click in order to create two new polygons (from 1-2-3-1 and 2-4-3-2)

10. Change to Edge selection. Select one edge at the bottom of head. In Edit Edges click Chamfer button. Click and drag in selected edge. You need to lower chanfered edges position in Left viewport.

11. Next, select three polygons like image below. Use Bevel to create mouth..

 

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In page 2 tutorial you have created mouth. Let's continue modeling the head. Next, you will create eyes and ears

12.Because ears and eyes are symmetrical, you only need to create them on one side of the head. First, we are going to create ear. Rotate view until you can see the top of the head. Select two polygons like image below. In Edit Polygons rollout, click Inset. Click and drag in selected polygons.

13. Activate 3D Snap Toggle. In Edit Geometry rollout, click Cut button. Cut from point 1 to point 2.
Cutting process may create un-necessary new vertex, so we need to remove them. Change to Vertex selection. Use region/window selection to select vertices at point 1 or 2. If you see "2 Vertices Selected" under Selection rollout, click Weld Settings button in Edit Vertices rollout. Just click OK to combine 2 vertices into 1.

14. Select two polygons like image below. Use Extrude, move up, and use Scale tool to create pointy ear.

15. Select all vertical edges in ear. Use Connect to divide them. Then use Scale tool to widen the ear. Change selection to Vertex and move vertex position if needed..

16. Next, select polygons like image below. Use Inset and Bevel to create hollow area in ear. Move polygons when necessary.

17. Next step, eye. Select one polygon in eye area like image below. Use Inset. Change to Edge selection. Set Constraints to Edge. Then select vertical edge (red color) one at a time and move them closer to each other. You will get square shape. Edge constraint will enable you to move edges without ruining the head shape. When finished, change Constraints to None again.

18. Select 4 edges like image below. In Edit Edges rollout, click Extrude Settings button. Enter Extrusion values like image below. Click OK

19. Final step for head model, turn off all sub-object selection and add Symmetry modifier. Use Mirror Axis=Z. The head model is now finished.

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After you finished dog head model in page 3 tutorial, now it's time to model body. You may wonder how hart could this be. I tell you, it's really really simple. I used the simplest and fastest techniques to create the body.

20.Create 5 segments plane like image below. Apply this plane with semi transparent material.

21. Convert plane into Editable Poly. Modify vertices position based on blueprint behind.

22. Change selection to Edge. Select one edge near the leg. Hold Shift while moving the edge down. As result you have new polygon created. Don't deselect anything yet. In Edit Geometry rollout, click Y button right next to Make Planar. Edge is now parallel to horizontal axis.

23. Repeat above process. Shift+drag edge to create more polygons. Modify vertices position when necessary. .

24. Image below show finished modified plane.

25. Make sure plane is still selected. Turn off all sub-object selection. Apply Shell modifer with Outer Amount =20. After that move object away from center. Look at image below

26. Make sure object still selected. Right click and choose Convert To>Convert To Editable Poly. In Perspective viewport, rotate view until you can see all inner side polygons. Select all those polygons (5 polygons constructing the body). Use Extrude, make sure you extrude long enough passing through the center.

27. Turn off all sub-object selection. Apply Symmetry modifier, use Mirror Axis=Z. In Modifier Stack, click plus sign left of Symmetry. Highlight Mirror. Activate Select And Move Tool, and enter X=0 in coordinate input box at the bottom of the screen. You will have basic body of the dog, symmetrical from center (X=0)

 

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This is the last tutorial of dog modeling. After you've created basic dog body in page 4 tutorial, this time you will modify the body.

28.Select body object. In Modifier stack, select Editable Poly row. Activate Edge selection. Select edges at the outer side of the body (look at image below). Move them down. Now, body object is more rounded.

29. Change to Vertex Selection. In Top viewport, modify vertices position until you get slimmer rear body.

30. Next, we will modify foot to create three dog finger. Select one polygon like image below. Using Scale tool, scale this polygon along X axis so you have narrow polygon.

31. Select one polygon at foot side. Click Hinge From Edge Settings button. In opened window, click button right next to Pick Hinge. In viewport, click edge shown in white arrow. After that click OK. Repeat the same process to the other side

32. Select three polygons like image below. Click Bevel Settings button. In opened window, activate By Polygon. Use Height=5 and Outline Amount=-1. Using By Polygon option will make each polygon has its own bevel..

33. Change selection to Vertex. Move several vertices to make the foot more rounded. Don't forget to modify rear foot also.

34. Next, select all vertical edges constructing the foot. Click Connect Settings button. In opened window, enter Slide values until horizontal edges created near the bottom. By adding this horizontal edges, the foot will have flat sole when you apply Turbosmooth later

35. Turn off all sub-object selection. Convert body object into Editable Poly. In Edit Geometry rollout, click Attach button. Click head object in viewport. Head and body will be combined into one object.

36. Next, connect head and body. Change to Polygon selection. Select polygons like image below. In Edit Polygons click Bridge button. Voila!

37. Next step, the tail. Rotate view until you can see the rear body. Select 2 polygons like image below. Use Inset. Use Scale to modiy selected polygons into square shape. Use Bevel three times to create tail.

38. Modify vertices position in tail to make the bended tail. Congrats you've finished Dog Modeling Tutorial! You may wonder why the tail is different from original Bolt. That's OK. I intent to use this model in ANIMAL FUR TUTORIAL later.
Last step, add Turbosmooth modifier. Image below shows finished 3D dog model rendering. Download finished Dog From Bolt The Movie 3D model here.

This tutorial is written by
Didik Wijaya
http://www.tutorialshine.com