Modeling Techniques

Box modeling is a step-by-step practice that uses a basic shape, such as cylinders, spheres, boxes, etc., to create a rough draft and refine it until the final model is all done. As the work progresses, 3D designers may subdivide an object, creating new vertices and new faces to add more details and make a character less sharp.^[1]

Have you ever wondered what makes characters from Pixar cartoons look so realistic? Subdivision surface is the technique many 3D animation artists use to create more curvy surfaces, especially when it comes to faces, body parts, or clothes. The iterative method starts with a base polygon — a rough model of a future object — and divides each region into smaller ones, providing more flexibility and control to these areas. The best tweak of the subdivision surface is that the model remains smooth even in motion.^[2] 

Non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) is a computer graphics technique for curve modeling. It's been around in the early days of the first 3D software and helped create precise and detailed illustrations and animations. However, with the rapid development of animated movies, it became more challenging to maintain smoothness for characters in motion. 

Nowadays, 3D artists use this technique for simple geometrical shapes, while such techniques as subdivision surfaces are a better fit for crafting complex organic shapes.

3D sculpting or digital sculpting is much like sculpting with real clay. Just like sculptors, 3D artists use brushes and tools to turn an unformed piece into an artwork. The process usually includes a few stages, starting from basic shapes, like head, body, and limbs, and moving to details — facial features or clothes.^[3]

3D sculpting is better suited for creating organic shapes. For angled objects, such as buildings, modeling is a faster and more efficient tool.

Back in time, the construction of architectural masterpieces such as Notre Dame Cathedral spanned over centuries and required hundreds of drafts and tons of effort. With CAD (Computer-aided design) tools, architects and engineers nowadays can automate manual drafting and documentation and visualize their ideas in 2D and 3D space. CAD involves analyzing objects from different angles, adjusting their parameters, and testing them by simulating real-world conditions.^[4]

CAD is widely popular in automotive, shipbuilding, aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics, not to mention computer design, and digital content creation.

Hard surface modeling focuses on creating artificial objects such as cars, buildings, or furniture. This type of modeling is more forgiving and flexible than organic modeling used for designing living things. Hard-surface modeling implies working with flat surfaces rather than multiple curves and folds of the human body or clothes. This modeling implies a set of techniques that allow working with flat surfaces, sharp edges, and angular shapes.

However, some designers prefer defining the hard surface model by its mesh construction; it doesn't matter whether it's human-made or organic.^[5]

A cardboard box is a hard surface object, right? What if we animate it, make it move, dance, talk, and laugh? Although some designers relate organic modeling to anything organic, there's a thin line between organic and hard surface modeling. The former type features flowing and smooth curves, and that's why while designing a cozy chair, you'd likely choose organic modeling.