Introduction

Hello!! I'm Ichinoyonjo, and I mainly offer 3D pose materials on CLIP STUDIO ASSETS.

Since I posted my last TIPS, CLIP STUDIO PAINT has had several updates to its 3D functions, making it more convenient and versatile to use.

I'm particularly excited about the 3D Paint function, the highlight of this update in Ver. 4.0!!

If you draw directly on a 3D drawing doll or 3D primitives, you can use it to sketch out a full-body image, including complex clothing, and it makes it much easier to create textures for 3D primitives...

If you get the hang of it, you can easily create a scene in which a fairy is emitting holy beams, as shown in the image above.

 

-- These are some ways to use it, but I'll leave the explanation of those techniques to others.

 

 

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Have you ever felt this way?

I want 3D materials for non-humans that have more of an animalistic or deformed feel, not ones with a complete human skeleton!

 

The materials on ASSETS are great, but I don't want to use them to recreate my own characters, and more than anything, I want something that I can easily apply 3D pose materials to!

 

That dream can come true with the 3D Paint function.

 

In other words, this TIPS is not about the basics of how to use the 3D Paint function, but rather an introduction to some niche, applied uses.

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◆① Prepare a sketch

Even when you start working mainly with 3D functions, it's better to first establish a concrete image of what you want to create, rather than trying to complete it solely using 3D functions.

Understanding the anatomy of the body structure of the character you are trying to create will make your poses much more convincing.

Some non-human characters' body structures can be recreated using the human skeleton, but not others.

Parts that are similar to the structure of vertebrates with four limbs can be easily developed from the human skeleton. The techniques introduced here are suitable for characters with skeletons similar to those of quadrupeds.

 

What are the proportions of a bird's wing skeleton compared to the human arm skeleton?

 

What would the legs of a digitigrade animal be like in a plantigrade human?

 

It's a good idea to keep in mind the skeletal contrasts between animals and humans when designing.

 

However, since this TIPS is mainly an introduction to 3D functions, we will omit detailed anatomical explanations.

 

If you would like to know more about basic drawing techniques, please refer to other people's TIPS as well. If you carefully select from past "TIPS of the Month", the ones with the tags "FantasyRaces" and "HybridDesigns" will be helpful!!

I happened to find a front view of a character in a convenient location, so I'll use this as a basis for creating a pose model.

An illustration to use as a rough sketch should be a front view or a similar composition, with the character standing upright.

You can use any canvas size and resolution to create the sketch itself.

However, since you will be creating a pose model from now on, we recommend enlarging it to a size larger than you normally use for illustrations.

The size and resolution you specify here will affect the clarity of the drawing applied when 3D Painting.

Also, if you change the settings so that the centre of the grid is displayed in the centre of the sketch, later work will be easier and more intuitive.

◆② Adjust the shape of the 3D drawing doll

Once the sketch is ready, it's time to move on to 3D work.

Apply a 3D drawing figure to the canvas from the "3D" → "Body" tab in the "Material" palette.

At this time, the 3D drawing figure will be placed in the center of the canvas, which will also be the reference point for the camera in the 3D layer. If this reference point is firmly on the midline of the sketch, it will be easier to make adjustments, including 3D painting.

If the sketch is not at the center of the canvas, you will need to move either the sketch or the 3D layer, but if you use the 3D layer's "Object Operation" to move the camera or 3D drawing figure to adjust their position, the reference point will no longer match the center of the sketch, making subsequent work a little difficult.

So in such a case, leave the 3D layer operations untouched and use "Move Layer" to adjust the center of the 3D drawing figure and the center of the sketch so that they match. At this time, it's a good idea to also review the grid settings.

Edit the pose and change the body shape to make the 3D drawing figure match the sketch.

If you want to view the 3D drawing figure from a different angle to edit the pose, we recommend that you lock the initial camera for checking the front view before operating the camera, and use a separate duplicate camera for editing.

 

Also, the object origin of the 3D drawing figure is set to the position between the legs when they are stretched out straight, so if you change the length of the legs or torso, the positions of other parts will also move accordingly.

When changing the body shape, it is easy to edit from bottom to top: legs → waist → torso → shoulders → arms → head. If you change from the head to the feet, the position of the sketch and the 3D drawing figure will easily shift significantly, and you will have to adjust the position of the 3D drawing figure each time.

Also, uncheck "Adjust body proportions to height." If the body shape you want to create does not fit well within the parameters of the body shape change, changing the body proportions may work.

The above techniques can be used to cover most of the applicable parts of the human skeleton, but larger limbs or parts that don't exist in humans, such as wings or horns, cannot be reproduced well using just a 3D drawing doll.

So from here, we'll start making use of 3D primitives to create them.

◆③Attach 3D primitives to the 3D drawing figure

Before that, let's briefly explain the properties of 3D primitives.

Before diving into the steps, let's briefly review the properties of 3D primitives.

By understanding the characteristics of each 3D primitive, you can choose the appropriate 3D primitive for the part you want to add.

There are six types of 3D primitives: "polygon," "plane," "cube," "sphere," "prism," and "pyramid." Each type has different types of faces that can be increased or decreased by manipulating the number of divisions, and different object origins that serve as the basis for movement and rotation. These differences have a significant impact on the operation of 3D primitives.

For example... the default "Plane" and a "Polygon" with the X division number set to 4 both function as square, planar shapes. However, the object origin is located on an edge of a "Plane," while it is at a vertex of a "Polygon," so their behavior is completely different when zooming in/out or using the rotation manipulator.

 

It is easier to use a "Plane" for parts that are expected to rotate around an axis, such as the wings of a bird or insect, and a "Polygon" for parts that are fixed at a single point and move relatively freely, such as antennae or swinging accessories.

Furthermore, by reducing the number of divisions of a "sphere," you can create shapes like crystals or pyramids made up of two combined parts. In particular, you can use it as a regular octahedron by setting the number of divisions in X to 4 and the number of divisions in Y to 2.

While the object origin of a "pyramid" is at the center of the base, the object origin of a "sphere" is at the vertex where the meridians intersect. If you want to recreate a shape that spreads out toward the end, it may be easier to operate intuitively by using a "sphere" with fewer divisions, rather than using a "pyramid" as is.

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Keeping the above features in mind, add the 3D primitives you want to use to the 3D layer and attach them to the 3D drawing figure.

If the character is symmetrical, it's much easier to create half the body and then duplicate it, so start by creating one half of the body.

By changing the number of divisions of the 3D primitive, enlarging or reducing it with the scale manipulator, adjusting the angle, etc., you can get as close as possible to reproducing the character's parts.

3D primitives can also be made transparent by applying textures, so if you can't find an exact shape, the trick is to choose one with a similar curved surface and apply it at a slightly larger size.

Alternatively, you can attach additional 3D primitives to the 3D primitive to create a closer shape.

Open the "Object List" and click and drag the 3D primitive to the 3D drawing figure to attach it.

Once attached, you will be able to select the "attachment location", so specify the location you want to link it to.

At this time, the base position of the 3D primitive will move. The angle will remain the same, so use the movement manipulator to reposition it until it is in the right position.

◆④ Use 3D Paint to create textures for 3D primitives

Now, this is where Ver.4.0 really shines.

 

Select the 3D primitive you want to draw from "Object Operation" or "Object List" and select a drawing tool such as the pen.

You will then be able to draw on the selected 3D primitive.

Fill in the 3D primitive with the pen, as if carving out the shape you envisioned. At this stage, you will be using it as a rough sketch, so it's fine to be rough.

If it's hard to tell whether it's been painted or not because it's in shadow, uncheck it so it's not affected by the light source. You can enable/disable the influence of the light source all at once by selecting multiple 3D drawing figures or 3D primitives from the "Object List" and checking them.

 

Once you have roughly drawn the shape, go to the "Primitive" menu in "Tool Properties" and click "Export" under "Expanded View". A save screen will open in a separate window, so save it with a name that makes it easy to tell which part of the figure it is.

Open the saved unfolded diagram separately and edit it.

The unfolded diagram is made up of four layers: "Unfolded Diagram" drawn on the exclusion layer, "Texture 2" reflecting the 3D Paint drawing, "Texture 1" reflecting the image selected and loaded from a file, and "Background Color" reflecting the primitive color.

Create a new layer and trace the shape based on the "Texture 2" layer, filling it in while referring to the "Unfolded Diagram" layer. If you fill in slightly outside the edges displayed in the "Unfolded Diagram", the flickering of the cross section when reflected in the 3D primitive will be less noticeable.

Hide unnecessary layers and save again to create a texture image that reflects transparent areas.

Returning to the pose model editing data we created earlier, load the file from the "Primitive" menu and apply the texture.

If the transparency is successful, the alpha setting will automatically become semi-transparent and the texture should be applied... but the draft prepared in 3D Paint will remain.

From this state, select a tool such as the pen and erase it with the Delete key or similar. Only the depiction of the selected 3D primitive will be erased.

If the texture image you created is not what you expected, you can add more details in 3D Paint, export it as a development diagram and edit it... and repeat this process to gradually get closer to your ideal shape.

Similarly, for other parts, go back and forth between 3D Paint and editing the development file to create textures.

For parts that are difficult to perfectly reproduce using only 3D primitives, it may be a good idea to use them as reference material and depict them in a four-sided view. To be honest, as long as you can complement the pose model well with inking, you can do anything.

◆⑤ Apply the changes to the other half

Once one half of the body is finished, let's edit the other half.

 

Editing the pose of a 3D drawing doll is very easy.

Open "Sub Tool Detail" and make the pose symmetrical from the "Basic Pose" menu.

Make sure that all parts of the body - arms, hands, and feet - are selected, and then click the button with the human icon.

Don't worry if you're creating the body from the opposite half to the example. You can also make the pose symmetrical by copying from the left half to the right half, or from the right half to the left half.

On the other hand, reflecting 3D primitives takes quite a bit of work.

First, let's duplicate the 3D primitives for each part. In the "Object List", select the 3D primitive you want to duplicate. You can select multiple parts at once by holding down the Shift key and clicking, which is convenient when you want to duplicate 3D primitives that have a parent-child relationship.

The duplicated 3D primitive will be added to the bottom of the "Object List" and will be in an detached state. Click and drag it onto the 3D drawing figure again and attach it to the other part.

If you just do this, the angle will remain the same, so you'll need to adjust this as well...

It is relatively easy and accurate to adjust the angle by opening the "Placement" menu from "Sub Tool Detail" and manually entering the values.

Referring to the position of the 3D primitive to be duplicated and the XYZ values of the overall angle, try swapping +-, or entering values by subtracting those values from 180 or -180...try and error until you get it symmetrical somehow.

The reason is that the position and rotation values are not linked to the rotation axis displayed on the manipulator, and are affected by the part to which they are attached and will each behave differently, so you cannot say with certainty that "if you adjust these values in this way, it will move/rotate in this direction." Keep trying until you get it right.

In this example, the parts created with the 3D primitives were also symmetrical, so we were able to reflect the changes to the other half by simply duplicating them and changing the angle.

However, if you've created an asymmetrical structure, you may need to also make changes to the texture.

Paint each face separately in 3D Paint and carefully check which face corresponds to which part of the unfolded diagram, then use inversion and movement to create a new texture that works symmetrically, and apply it to the 3D primitives.

It has finally reached the stage where it can be used as a pose model.

◆⑥Add details with 3D Paint

To make the pose model easier to use, let's use 3D Paint to add details that make it easier to draw.

 

A perspective ruler is set to the 3D layer by default, but you can delete it to set a different ruler in 3D Paint.

 

The easiest to use is the "Symmetrical ruler." If you set up the grid and camera correctly following the steps introduced so far, you can add a ruler to match the grid so that it is symmetrical, and draw symmetrically in 3D Paint.

 

If you want to draw the back, you can press "Specify camera angle from preset" and then apply the preset angle for the back, and you can draw symmetrically without making any changes to the symmetrical ruler.

 

Unlike 3D primitives, 3D drawing figures cannot be made partially transparent, so you can use 3D Paint's drawings as auxiliary lines instead.

Are you satisfied with the finished product?

 

In the example, we drew in parts that support the body shape, but there are many other areas where 3D Paint can be effectively used.

 

If the character has hair, you can draw in the hairline and the position of the whorl.

 

If the character has distinctive hair patterns or tattoos, you can draw in guides to help color them!!

◆⑦Register as a 3D image material

After all this effort spent creating a material, you'll want to be able to use it whenever you want!

By registering the 3D layer you're editing as a material as a 3D image, you can save it with all the settings applied.

Before registering it as a material, let's change some small settings to make it easier to use when you actually use it.

Clicking the rightmost checkbox in the "Object List" will disable clicks for that object. This will prevent you from having to select a limb and make fine adjustments to the joints, which can be annoying if you accidentally select a 3D primitive.

 

On the other hand, leave clicks enabled for parts that need to be moved frequently, such as wings and swaying objects.

 

It is also recommended to hide the model's shadow. If you select all objects and uncheck the checkbox in the "Light Source" menu, there will be no shadows at all.

 

Depending on the scene you want to use, the depiction of shadows can also be effective, so it depends on your personal preference...

 

You should also unlock the camera or switch the camera to an editable layer. Depending on the composition you want to draw, you may need a front view in addition to the edited camera angle, so you can leave the camera for checking the front view as it is.

 

Deleting the ruler will also reduce the accident of snapping to an unexpected part when additional depictions are required.

Once you have changed the detailed settings, click and drag the 3D layer from "Layer" to the "Material" tab. This will register the current state of the 3D layer as a material as a 3D image.

You should also change the material properties to make it easier to use.

A thumbnail is automatically generated to reflect the layer, but if you don't like it, you can apply a new one by saving the 3D layer as an image.

If you save the material to "3D" → "Body Shape", it will be saved in the same place as the 3D drawing doll, so you can easily find it when you want to use it.

If you are an expert who uses a large number of different characters, it is also effective to make use of tags. Registering tags that can be used to narrow down the characters will make it even easier to use.

 

 

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List your work on CLIP STUDIO ASSETS

What's more, the 3D images created using this method are made up of retouched and modified 3D drawing figures and 3D primitives, so they meet the requirements for listing on CLIP STUDIO ASSETS!!

 

Quoted from "Notes on listing CLIP STUDIO ASSETS materials".

• Celsys materials can only be used for 3D drawing figures, 3D heads, and 3D primitives.

The Celsys materials "3D drawing figures," "3D heads," and "3D primitives" included in CLIP STUDIO PAINT can only be distributed in the form of "3D images" (including those included in the material collection) on the ASSETS service. However, please note that they cannot be distributed without modification from the state they are included in PAINT. Please refer to the CLIP STUDIO PAINT Product License Agreement (https://www.celsys.com/information/csp/) for the rights to these materials. Celsys materials other than those listed above may only be used for thumbnails and explanatory example images. Please note that Celsys materials cannot be used for "paper texture" or "brush tips".

*Materials that consist of a single unit should be submitted in the "Body Type", "Pose", "3D Head", or "3D Primitive" formats. Materials that include layout or position information or are a combination of multiple materials should be submitted in the "3D Image" format.

If you can create a versatile pose model, it may be a good idea to submit it so that other creators can use it.

I tried creating some materials using the know-how I accumulated while working on these TIPS.

I hope you will use this as a reference when creating pose models.

◆⑧Use as a pose model

All you have to do is apply the pose model to a new canvas like a 3D drawing doll, set your preferred pose and camera work, and finish your illustration based on this!

It took a lot of time and effort, but now you can try out various compositions!

CLIP STUDIO's features, including the 3D Paint function, will continue to be updated.

There may be new features added that are easier and more convenient than the ones introduced in this TIPS.

If I get the chance, I'd like to add more TIPS to this post!