How to Make a Glass Bowl with a Napkin in Blender

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Be sure to switch to the Cycles rendering engine.

   In the default Blender interface, you should be able to switch from the default "Blender Internal" rendering engine to the "Cycles" engine through a drop-down menu on the top right.
2. 2

   Step 2: If you don't have the default cube on your screen

   , Select the cube by right clicking it, and press "X" to delete it., This will put a sphere in the middle of your screen.,, To do this:
   Go to Object Mode >> Edit Mode.
   
   This will turn the sphere orange.
   
   Choose the 3D view that you want.
   
   It is the icon directly beside the Object Mode button.
   
   Change the perspective to orthographic.
   
   Go to View >> Persp/Ortho.
   
   This will change it to orthographic and make it easier to work with.
   
   Pressing the 5 on your number pad will change the perspective as well.
   
   Change the way you see it by pressing the 1 on your number keypad.
   
   You can change your view by pressing any of the keys shown here.
   
   Deselect the sphere by pressing A.
   
   Press the B key.
   
   This will bring up the selection pointer.
   
   Select the top few gridlines at the top of the sphere.
   
   From your perspective, it will appear to be three gridlines.
   
   In actuality, there is a 4th one at the very top that you can't see.
   
   Delete the vertices.
   
   Do this by selecting X and then Vertices.
   
   If something happens and you don't get all of the vertices, just repeat until the top of your sphere is leveled off. , Press B and select the bottom few gridlines.
   
   Then select Scale in your Mesh Tools.
   
   Press Z.
   
   This will make it so that it can only be changed on the Z axis.
   
   Press 0 and then press Enter.
   
   B > Make selection > Scale > Z > 0 > Enter (It's that quick! A repeat of the prior two lines.) ,,,, Add a Modifier.
   
   Select Solidify. ,, This will give it a much smoother appearance.
   
   Add a Modifier.
   
   Select Subdivision Surface.
   
   Go to the Subdivision Surface (SubSurf) window.
   
   Change View and Render to
   2.
   
   In your Object Tools, select Shading >> Smooth. , This is what it should look like now. , Click on the Material Modifier icon., This will open up the Material Modifier dialog box.
   
   If the dialog box doesn't look like this, go to the Render button and change it to Cycles Render.
   
   Then it will look like this. ,,, Then press
   1.
   
   This will enlarge the surface and give you a front view so that you can move it to the right place on the cup.
   
   Move your image around to see if there are any gaps.,, Be sure the Material Modifier is selected, then press New.
   
   You can make any changes that you want.
   
   For the purposes of this tutorial, the default Diffused BSDF and the color white are selected. ,,, This will enlarge the napkin but not as large as the table., This will turn it diagonally to the bowl.,,,,, Since the napkin will be draped over the bowl, this will make it so that that corner falls inside of it. , Click on the Material Modifier >> Add.
   
   Then change Diffused BSDF to Glossy BSDF.
   
   Set the Roughness to
   1.
   
   Choose the color.
   
   It can be whatever color you want.
   
   If you want to change your current view of the napkin, instead of waiting for the render, go to Settings >> Viewport color and change its color.
   
   Otherwise, just wait for the render. , Go from Object Mode to Edit mode.
   
   Be sure that your napkin is selected by pressing A.
   
   You will know it is selected if it is orange.
   
   Select Subdivide.
   
   Go to the Cuts option then 50 >> Enter.
   
   Go back to Object Mode.
   
   Add Modifiers.
   
   The order is very important.
   
   Click on the Wrench again >> Add Modifier >> Cloth.
   
   Add Modifier >> Solidify.
   
   Be sure the thickness is set to
   0.01.
   
   Add Modifier >> Subdivision Surface.
   
   Set both of the View and Render values to
   2.
   
   Go to Mesh Tools (on the left) >> Shading >> Smooth.
   
   Start making the adjustments for the cloth modifier. , If you don't see it, then make the modifier panel wider., Select the Cotton Preset.
   
   Change the Steps to
   10.
   
   Be sure that Cloth Collision is checked.
   
   This allows the cloth to interact with the bowl.
   
   Open up the Cloth Collision section and make sure that Self Collision is also marked.
   
   This allows the cloth to interact with itself. , Look at the panel on the right (you should still be in the Physics Modifier panel).
   
   Select Collision. ,, It will take a little while.,, Zoom away until you can see the lamp.
   
   Right click on it to select it.
   
   Select View >> 1 (Keypad).
   
   This will give you a front view.
   
   Using the RED arrow, move the lamp so that it is centered over the bowl.
   
   Using the blue arrow, lower the lamp so that it is closer to the bowl.
   
   Change to a side view.
   
   Using the green arrow, move it so that it is just a little in front of the bowl. , Click on the Object Data button.
   
   Select Point.
   
   It should be the default.
   
   Change the Size to
   5.
   
   Change the Strength to
   2000. (This can be altered, depending on your desired look). , To do that, click on the World button.
   
   Change the background color by changing this color.
   
   You will notice that your options are darker than your normal color options.
   
   For the purposes of this tutorial, black will be used. , You want to be able to see into the bowl., You want it to fade to black in the final image.
   
   Increasing the size will do this.
   
   Be sure the surface is selected, then select Scale >> 20 >> Enter. , Go to View >> Camera.
   
   As you can see here, the view is not what it should be. , This will allow you to change what you see through that particular view.
   
   Go to View >> Properties.
   
   In the panel that comes up, select Lock Camera to View.
   
   Click on View >> Properties again, to hide the panel.
   
   From this viewpoint, move the bowl and napkin around until the surface that the bowl is on first appears on the horizon.
   
   From there, move the bowl and napkin the way you want it. , It's always a good idea to save your work before rendering, in case something goes wrong., Render with the default settings for now.
   
   This will take a while, so start it, and maybe take a break.,, The number was changed to 2000 in this instance.
   
   The higher the number, the better the result.
   
   However, it will also take longer. , This particular one took about 45 minutes on a laptop computer.
3. 3

   Step 3: go to File >> New >> Reload Start-Up File (CTRL N).

4. 4

   Step 4: Be sure the cube is selected and delete it.

5. 5

   Step 5: Go to Add >> Mesh >> UV Sphere.

6. 6

   Step 6: Zoom in closer using your scroll wheel.

7. 7

   Step 7: Cut off the top of the sphere.

8. 8

   Step 8: Flatten the bottom of your bowl.

9. 9

   Step 9: Check your progress.

10. 10

    Step 10: Change the 3D view back to Solid and and then the Edit Mode back to Object Mode.

11. 11

    Step 11: Using your scroll key

12. 12

    Step 12: press it down and swivel the bowl so that you can see in the top.

13. 13

    Step 13: Select the Object Modifier Button (the wrench).

14. 14

    Step 14: Change the thickness to 0.07.

15. 15

    Step 15: Increase the number of subdivisions in your bowl.

16. 16

    Step 16: Check your progress.

17. 17

    Step 17: Change the material of the glass.

18. 18

    Step 18: Select the New bar that you see.

19. 19

    Step 19: Go the Surface section >> Add Nodes >> Diffuse BSDF >> Glass BSDF.

20. 20

    Step 20: Select Add >> Mesh >> Plane.

21. 21

    Step 21: Press Scale >> 5 (on the keypad) >> Enter.

22. 22

    Step 22: Click on the blue arrow and move the plane to just below the bowl.

23. 23

    Step 23: Set the material for the plane.

24. 24

    Step 24: Be sure to save your project if you haven't already.

25. 25

    Step 25: Select Add >> Mesh >> Plane.

26. 26

    Step 26: Press Scale >> 3 >> Enter.

27. 27

    Step 27: Press Rotate >> Z (restricting the movement to the Z axis)

28. 28

    Step 28: 45 (on the keypad) >> Enter.

29. 29

    Step 29: Press Rotate >> X (X axis) >> 70 >> Enter.

30. 30

    Step 30: Press 5 to change the view.

31. 31

    Step 31: Position the napkin over the cup.

32. 32

    Step 32: Turn your project sideways by pressing 3.

33. 33

    Step 33: Use the green arrow to move the corner of the napkin just to the inside of the left lip of the bowl

34. 34

    Step 34: as seen here.

35. 35

    Step 35: Set the material of the napkin.

36. 36

    Step 36: Start bending your cloth.

37. 37

    Step 37: Select the Physics Modifier button.

38. 38

    Step 38: Start modifying the properties of the napkin.

39. 39

    Step 39: Right click on the bowl.

40. 40

    Step 40: Repeat the above process for the table surface.

41. 41

    Step 41: Select the right arrow in the animation toolbar and watch your napkin as it falls to the table.

42. 42

    Step 42: Once it has completed

43. 43

    Step 43: go through the animations

44. 44

    Step 44: slide by slide

45. 45

    Step 45: until you find an image that you like.

46. 46

    Step 46: Set up the light source.

47. 47

    Step 47: Set up the options for the light source.

48. 48

    Step 48: Select the background color.

49. 49

    Step 49: Rotate the scene so that you can see it better.

50. 50

    Step 50: Increase the size of the surface/table.

51. 51

    Step 51: Set up the camera view.

52. 52

    Step 52: Change the camera view properties.

53. 53

    Step 53: Save your work.

54. 54

    Step 54: Select the Render icon.

55. 55

    Step 55: Once 'complete'

56. 56

    Step 56: check out your first render and make sure it looks like you want it to.

57. 57

    Step 57: Go to Samples

58. 58

    Step 58: under Sampling and change it to a higher number.

59. 59

    Step 59: Press render and allow it to render for the final result.

Detailed Guide

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