Tip: Using the Simple Deform Modifier

by Jonathan Williamson

In this quick video tip for Blender 2.5 we take a look at how to use the Simple Deform modifier for adding twists, bends, tapers, or stretching to a model. The modifier does not offer too much control but in the right situation it can be very handle.

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Discussion

42 Responses to “Tip: Using the Simple Deform Modifier”
  1. Josh
    Posts: 2

    Very nice to know. Hadn’t ever touched this modifier before.

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    1
     Mar 7, 2011 at 10:02 pm
  2. Jonathan McKnight
    Posts: 3

    Interesting because I had no real idea how the modifier was used.I’ll be playing with that modifier later. Thanks for the tip Jonathan.

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    2
     Mar 7, 2011 at 10:03 pm
  3. Raymond
    Posts: 8

    Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!! Whyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Any one know why i cant watch any of the videos anymore?
    Thy all worked a couple of days ago.

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    3
     Mar 7, 2011 at 11:53 pm
    • Stefano Marcias
      Posts: 1

      if you are on windows and you are using IE9 try the compatibility mode, i can’t even see the video without it ( i think vimeo try to use the html5 video player o something like that )

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      3.1
       Mar 10, 2011 at 5:32 pm
      • Raymond
        Posts: 8

        Thank you for your relays. The mistake was all mine. I seemed to have installed the wrong(very very old) version 2 of Chrome. The new one is 10 I think. Now back to watching the best tutorials on earth.

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        3.1.1
         Mar 16, 2011 at 10:30 am
    • Jalik
      Posts: 11

      I have problems with vimeo videos too, it’s linked with my firefox plugin “flashblock”, if I deactivate it or add a website as trusted source, the problem seems to disappear, try it if you use it or another similar plugin.

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      3.2
       Mar 15, 2011 at 1:07 pm
  4. Ron B
    Posts: 5

    Another very interesting tutorial. I really like some of your recent quick tips lately. Thank you so much!

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    4
     Mar 8, 2011 at 12:31 am
  5. Brian Lockett
    Posts: 38

    Wow, cool! I don’t touch this Modifier a lot, but I really didn’t know about that Limits part. Gonna play around with it more. Thanks, Jonathan!

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    5
     Mar 8, 2011 at 6:18 am
  6. darth_gimp
    Posts: 77

    Cool tip.. so far I am hating 2.5…. it just is so frustrating compared to 2.49.

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    6
     Mar 8, 2011 at 6:42 am
  7. comeinandburn
    Posts: 62

    great tip! especially your explanation of the range values at the end. I’d agree this would be a great way to get some interesting patterns.

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    7
     Mar 8, 2011 at 8:54 am
  8. Iseestar
    Posts: 4

    this what can i make using this modifier..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaHAYI7Bwe0

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    8
     Mar 8, 2011 at 9:51 am
  9. Max Berends
    Posts: 169

    Man, I should have known this during the 2010 training series :P
    that would have made one awsome handle for Kara’s sword.
    but then, if I had known this during the training series there would have been no need to buy it :P

    Thanks for the tip !

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    9
     Mar 8, 2011 at 10:06 am
    • Mehmet PINARCI
      Posts: 228

      March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
      This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
      thanks .

      #
      9.1
       Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  10. Ben Richter
    Posts: 12

    I believe the correct word is “handy” not “handle”. =D

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    10
     Mar 8, 2011 at 10:36 am
  11. Max Berends
    Posts: 169

    A swords hilt can also be called a handle, never heard someone calling it a handy,
    though this tutorial shows a “handy” trick to “handle” kara’s sword’s “hilt” in the 2010 training series ! :D

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    11
     Mar 8, 2011 at 12:36 pm
  12. Matthew Morris
    Posts: 91

    hey john i was wondering if you would do some more in depth texturing tutorials…. that is where my animations and models are falling a little short? if you would it would be greatly appreciated. and thanks for all the tutorials.

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    12
     Mar 9, 2011 at 12:32 am
  13. John D Smith II
    Posts: 234

    Yeah! I almost forgot… I remember a while back hearing something about maybe baking several UV maps together for nice seamless results, if enough people were interested. Perhaps you could give us the lowdown on that one. Would love to see that one myself.

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    13
     Mar 9, 2011 at 1:07 am
    • verticies
      Posts: 228

      The Dragon series covers this, adjusting the “margin” in the bake options :)

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      13.1
       Mar 9, 2011 at 11:51 am
      • John D Smith II
        Posts: 234

        oops sorry I worded that wrong I guess. It comes from the unwrapping a female character tut. Apparently you can unwrap your mesh as many separate islands in one UV map and also one or two big islands in another, then you texture the big uv unwrap and bake it out to the smaller islands which will have less stretching and then have many less seams to deal with. Get it? The Jonathan apple tut pretty much gives you all you need to know about getting rid of seams… that’s not the problem. I’m trying to avoid having to deal with the seams in the first place. Then I would only have to brush out one, or a couple of seams on even very complex models. The added benefit is that you can use larger texture files and make much better use of texture space, getting more detail without using insane amounts of memory. And not having blur lines or clone lines all over your model. Anyway, I was pretty intrigued by this and haven’t quite figured it out yet. Really not sure how to even attempt it, but Jonathan mentioned it at around 34 minutes into the tut. If anybody has any ideas that would be awesome.

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        13.1.1
         Mar 9, 2011 at 8:52 pm
  14. CGEffex
    Posts: 11

    Looks like another awesome lesser known feature tutorial :) However, I’m pressed on bandwidth usage so I can’t watch it atm :/

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    14
     Mar 9, 2011 at 9:31 am
  15. Beau Dreier Gligoor
    Posts: 37

    Thanks for the Tip.

    I got a question: when i have a parented object to a another object, and I want to remove it, I can’t?

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    15
     Mar 9, 2011 at 10:30 am
  16. spender
    Posts: 39

    Easy and perfect tutorial.
    Thank you Jonathan.
    http://vimeo.com/20837339

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    16
     Mar 9, 2011 at 10:41 am
  17. alex
    Posts: 1

    @ Beau, just shift select the tow object you have parented and press alt P to unparent them.
    Alex

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    17
     Mar 10, 2011 at 2:20 am
  18. Alex
    Posts: 1

    This is a great modifier to creat Iron Man :D

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    18
     Mar 10, 2011 at 2:31 pm
  19. David Koblesky
    Posts: 3

    Thanks Jonathan!

    I love this aspect to Blender Cookie. The long tutorials are great, but I also love these short ones that highlight a tool or function I rarely or never use.

    This is important because Blender is so rich with features that it is hard to know all the tools available to you, and when you are doing production you tend to use what you know. This helps deepen your skill and make you a better Blender artist.

    It also helps that they are short. I can usually find 10 minutes or so to watch one of these where the longer ones are a big commitment and so I do them less often.

    I look forward to more!

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    19
     Mar 12, 2011 at 6:35 am
  20. chris
    Posts: 2

    how did u get the sphere to be so smooth? when i do it, it does not come out smooth like that.

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    20
     Mar 14, 2011 at 5:18 pm
  21. Ihaaa
    Posts: 1

    I’ve got a question im new and i don’t knowe how to do this strapes on this ball can you give me some advice ?

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    21
     Mar 15, 2011 at 3:58 pm
    • Jonathan Williamson
      Posts: 2971

      Hi Ihaaa,

      The stripes are made by going into Face Select mode with CTRL + Tab, selecting the faces that make up the stripes on the original sphere, extruding them by pressing E and then immediately after extruding pressing ALT + S to scale them in along their normals. After this is done you can use the Loop Cut tool with CTRL + R to add extra loops, sharpening up the edges.

      I hope that helps!

      -Jonathan

      #
      21.1
       Mar 16, 2011 at 9:47 am
  22. Joel Godin
    Posts: 71

    I can’t seem to get this good of a render.
    Any tips?
    Here’s the best I can do so far, but it looks plasticy but an unreal plasticy.
    http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc384/onjoFilms/Blender%20Renders/XmassBall.png

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    22
     Mar 24, 2011 at 5:48 pm
  23. Jorge Enrique Calvo Hernandez
    Posts: 1

    eemm sorry, im new to all of this of Blender, and i like to know how do i can make a head, i dont know if there is another tutorial but, if you tell me or anything like that, would awesome friend, Greetings

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    23
     Feb 13, 2012 at 8:18 pm
  24. Denis S
    Posts: 3

    How do i get this UV Sphere so smooth? I dont find that option…

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    24
     Feb 18, 2012 at 10:16 am
  25. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  26. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  27. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  28. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  29. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  30. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  31. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  32. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  33. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  34. Mehmet PINARCI
    Posts: 228

    March 10 2011 at 01:01 am
    This is cool now I want to model that DNA deal :)
    thanks .

    #
    24.1
     Mar 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm
  35. Michael120 n/a
    Posts: 38

    Slow Internet connection? :S

    #
    24.1.1
     Sep 8, 2011 at 9:15 am

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