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Summer of Code Shrinkwrap Modifier Project

38
By on Development, Google Summer of Code

(Submitted by Chris Want) How do you ensure that your Suzanne heads stay fresh and crispy for longer? If André Susano Pinto has his way, it will be done using his Shrinkwrap modifier! André (aka jaguarandi) is developing this modifier as part of his Google Summer of Code project. Alright, maybe this modifier won't keep your Suzanne heads fresh, but it is particularly suited for shaping clothing for models, among other applications.

This blurb from André's wiki page sums up what the modifier does:

"In part shrinkwrap acts like a view-independent "retopo", since the vertices are projected along vertex normal or moved to the nearest surface point. It also doesn't gives accuracy problems as retopo, since its works on object space instead of image space. Also its possible to "keep a distance" from the target position."

The modifier can work with vertex groups, so you can for example create skirts that are snug at the waist, and that flow free at the bottom. There is also a related Shrinkwrap constraint, and André has developed the additional modifiers "SimpleDeform" and "Import Plane from Image".

To learn more about this project, please visit André's Summer of Code wiki page.

About the Author

Avatar image for Bart Veldhuizen
Bart Veldhuizen

I have a LONG history with Blender - I wrote some of the earliest Blender tutorials, worked for Not a Number and helped run the crowdfunding campaign that open sourced Blender (the first one on the internet!). I founded BlenderNation in 2006 and have been editing it every single day since then ;-) I also run the Blender Artists forum and I'm Head of Community at Sketchfab.

38 Comments

  5. MeneerDePeer on

    Wow, so not only we get a cool shrinkwrap modifier, it also comes with a new modifier for tapering, twisting and bending objects for free??

    Don't know about you guys, but this definitely brings Blender on par with 3ds Max, and I mean that in the most positive way ;)
    (the ability to non-destructively bend or taper an object can be *very* useful)

    Reply
  6. MeneerDePeer on

    Waaaaaaait a minute.. you can shrinkwrap curves as well??

    Hot damn, now that's sexy!
    (very painful to do without any help, so this comes in as a very very useful addition :D)

    Someone buy this guy a beer!

    Reply
  7. Andrew on

    Excellent idea.
    Hopefully this will cut back on the amount of Blender characters we see wearing a potato sack as clothing.

    Reply
  9. JoOngle on

    Yay!

    That´ll be pretty useful for products that needs shrink-wrapping to look like the finished product,
    I´ve modelled this by hand every time until now - Kudos!!!

    Reply
  10. Pawel on

    that's great news
    bend/taper modifier were some of the things that I missed most in Blender
    (the summer of code page won't load now so I can't check out if it's really true ;))

    And Bart is so excited about this that he can't help repeating certain words in the text ;)

    @ MeneerDePeer: yes, it's very important to stress it's about the POSITIVE aspects of Max. We wouldn't want Blender to start up for 5 minutes, have every new feature patched one on top of another (like having special separate lights for radiosity - do they still have that?), and taking up all of your system's resources ;)
    I know I'm being mean...
    :)

    Reply
  14. Toon Scheur on

    Personally, I think maybe the best use for this is to by pass retopo altogether. For example, make a model of a head with a good topology. The head itself doesn't need to look 'good'. Now sculpt a head, then shrink wrap your base model on it and you have a instant retopo. Afterward you should normal map it of course.

    For non organic modeling it is very useful too I think in that you can slap layers of details on a base model. I guess you can create intricate details on a robot with that.

    Reply
  18. invertedNormal on

    jaguarandi's wiki page has never loaded for me... i'd really like to read up on it.

    on another not, 3ds max didn't have a shrinkwrap-type modifier the last time i used it (not too long ago), so blender will exceed it's capabilities in this catagory.

    Reply
  20. wasa on

    nice, i can see this being used for anatomical modeling
    create all your bones and muscles then use this little baby to create some nice skin

    hurry up and get blender back online, i need my fix, and want to see these vids

    Reply
  28. Fire Angel on

    Fantastic stuff, the simple modifier is worth a lot, a relatively simple addition compared to the shrink-wrap but very worthwhile.

    As for the shrink-wrap, man that would make some of my work a million times easier!

    Reply
  29. dave ward on

    hmm... i'm seeing some liquid-metal flow-out-of-the-floor type of application here... and a way to put fist-shaped dents into metal and such! oh! the applications are endless.

    Reply
  37. Sanluis on

    Is there any build with an up to date version of the modifier? I searched at GraphicAll.org but the most recent windows version there is from June.

    Reply
  38. Felipe Budinich on

    I'm in awe.

    Version 2.48 of blender will make my life SO much easier... I had to model an astronaut suit and some clouds this weekend... I'M ALLOWED TO HAVE A LIFE NOW! hahaha this is amazing, I spilt my coffee this morning when i saw the features list (and began to download right away, then i went for something to clean up my monitor).

    This guys deserve more than a beer, they deserve a friggin keg.

    thanks, thanks, thanks!

    Reply

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