Odd Blender Mirroring problem

[Nacy Nightfire]

I'm currently just starting to use Blender 2.59 and I'm trying to work with the mirroring modifier on the x axis, but the work isn't even placed on the center line.  Anyone else experiencing this or have a solution (besides using another version of Blender, which I'm getting ready to do).

[Poenald Palen]

I think if you go into edit mode and select the whole mesh you can scoot it over (g for grab and then x to constran) and place it in the middle. Now, I guess you could zoom ini really really close and then press A to select and then G to grab and eyeball it. since I work on this stuff with a sort of arts/crafts perspective I don't use the precision stuff to much. BUT, there is a book on precision modelling in blender and you can also snap stuff and use the magnet and so on. So, maybe the magnet might work out better for you. I sort of don't use them as often.

 

EDIT: I mean, I say use g and zoom, because when you get really close to the line you want as center on the grid backdrop you will not be able to see the mesh any more lol.

You could also add a row of faces after you are done and have applied the mirror modifier. Just select each loop on each side and then hit f. But, there might be undesired effects with this and you would obviously model with a row/loop going down and work with that last row of quad faces in mind.

To get more precise line up, hold shift when you are moving stuff around up close tothe gridline.

[Jacki Silverfall]

I might not know what the heck I'm talking about but the original doesn't go to the line either. Is the left side the original? anyway, it looks like the drawing isn't centered completely.  I would think that the original side would have to be centered before the mirror can be.

How did you get yours to be purple?

Also, I tried tonight to do a mirror and had to duplicated the original first. I must have done something wrong.

[Nacy Nightfire]

I'm trying to keep an even gap in the middle because I don't want a seam down the center, so I was hoping not to align the mesh right to the centerline.   I don't think that an offset should matter as mirror should take what's on the mesh side and equally space and  mirror it over on the other side even if it's offset.

Thank you both for your assistance, I appreciate it.

 

[Jacki Silverfall]

Have you tried asking at  blenderartists.org? Maybe they can give you better answers. The jass primstar group in world might help too.

Sorry couldn't help more.

[Nacy Nightfire]

The purple color is an applied material, which I added to give some contrast to the photograph, since grey on grey isn't very effective .

By mirror, did you mean you tried to use a mirror  modifier?  You shouldn't neet to have to duplicate the original.  If you are starting from a primitive, just line it  up and delete the verts on one side at the center line and apply the mirror modifier, selecting the proper mirroring axis. If you don't see it, be sure to make sure the little eye on them modifier button is pressed.

Edited to add:  I forced the backround image off center to compensate for the problem I was having.  Jacki, try watching vids on mirroring in Blender on Youtube.  They have some really great ones that are a really quick watch.

[Nacy Nightfire]

Poenald, you were "right on" with your answer, thanks!  I just wasn't getting it at first.  I now see I need to start at the center, then apply the modifier and leave clipping off so I can drag it away to the side and have an even gap on the other side.

Just randomly setting up the modifier doesn't line it up automagicallly.  I love learning new things .

[Ashasekayi Ra]

Make sure that the pivot (center) point of your model is at 0,0,0.

1) Shift + C to center the 3D cursor.

2) Select your item then go into edit mode.

3) If your toolshelf isn't open, hit "T". (The toolshelf is the sidebar on left side of the screen)

4) Click the "Origin" button in the toolshelf.

5) Pick "Origin to 3D Cursor"

6) Now, you can add the mirror modifier.

[Nacy Nightfire]

Thanks Ashasekayi!  (you are my personal Blender hero!).  That tip is helpful for just about everything, especially since I'm getting my feet wet here with 2.59.  I have been sticking to 2.49 and it's high time I bravely moved on. .

[Ashasekayi Ra]

Yessah! It felt good today to hang up my Blender 2.49 hat. I really love the 2.5x so much more.

Just to save myself headaches, I *always* hit Shift+C before I begin doing anything because most options in Blender do whatever they do based on the location of the 3D cursor. And also, it usually saves you headaches to start off with your model zeroed in object mode as well (zero rotation, zero loaction and scale at 100%).

[Jacki Silverfall]

I'd really like to see hoe it came out. Could post a picture?

[Gaia Clary]

For completeness and clarification: The mirror modifier mirrors at the object origin (the purple dot). So it usually is sufficient to move the original vertices to the right or to the left of the object origin. Only when you want your right side and left side to touch (no gap) then the object origin should be exactly on the mirror plane:

top row: THe meshes without the mirror modifier. watch the origins...
bottom row: Mirror modifier added to the objects

When you want to have no gap, then enable "merge" and "clipping":

[Nacy Nightfire]

Thanks everyone, so much, for helping with this.  And Gaia thanks for chiming in and providing an excellent diagram.  I think this fundamental mini tutorial will be a great help or refresher for beginners who are scratching their heads over a bad start to their models.

I'll be working on this for a while, but here's where I'm at so far.  It's just at the template stage and has a long way to go: 

Also I want to point out to beginners to 3D that I have no prior training in 3d modeling and before joining SL I had no concept of 3d and how it was accomplished.  I'm self-taught via the forum, youtube videos, searching the web for info youtube, specific 3d forums, etc.  So it might seem initially to be a huge hurdle to catch up to the "experts" , but this should not deter you from jumping right in and having fun with it, even as a raw beginner.  I've had no advantages of prior schooling in 3d or animation, or access to experts via my employment.  If I can do it, anyone else can, as well.

[Jacki Silverfall]

OMG! That's fantastic! Your SO good! /me jealous lol Keep up the great work Nacy!

I wish I would have seen Gaia's post before I did my mirroring. Well, I know now.

Here is a picture of my carriage. Got a lot of more work to do on it but it's coming along.

 

[Nacy Nightfire]

Excellent and impressive job on that carriage, Jacki!  I hope you will repost a pic when you've textured it.

I'm twiddling my thumbs until things straighten out a bit more and then I'll go back to working on perfecting the rigging and weight painting my cat avatar, but I don't want to put alot of work into it until they fix the problem with a few rougue verts getting incorrectly calculated but the uploader .

So I'm doing another avie and mostly challenged about the topology puzzle of it, keeping it all quads with proper edgeflow, etc.  Only a short while ago that kind of project seemed impossible for me to tackle.  The face, which I've only gotten started with, its just the beginning of a long road ahead.

Edited because I lost a good part of a sentance somehow...