Learn how to create a simple sipral for hair meshes in easy steps. All the instuctions on how to build a simple spiral with tools using Milkshape.

Download PDF »

 

I’ve discovered a way to make simple spiral curls in Mikshape; I discovered it all by myself. So I decided to share it. In this tutorial, you will learn how to mesh a simple spiral for hair meshes, or any other uses.

First, you will need: Milkshape A Graphics editor (Photoshop, PSP)

Step 1.

Open up Milkshape, make sure in the Groups tab, Autosmooth is checked.

Step 2.

Now, let’s start off our mesh building. In the Model tab, select Cylinder. And uncheck the Close Cylinder checkbox.

Step 3.

Start making your cylinder to your desired size.

 

 

Step 4.

In the front view, select the vertexes so only 2 rows are left. Press the delete key on your keyboard to delete them.

 

 

Step 5.

You should end up with a thinner cylinder. In the top view, select any one of the vertexes and press the delete key on your keyboard

 

 

Step 6.

Now you should have a hole through your cylinder. We need to start rearrange the vertexes to make a spiral shape. To start, go to the top view again and select the vertexes being shown below:

 

 

Step 7.

In the front view, you should see the vertexes being selected. In the Model tab, click the Move button. And move the selected vertexes down by about 1.5cm.

 

 

Step 8.

Now, select the vertexes shown below and move them down 1.5cm also.

Step 9.

Now, do this for the rest of the vertexes. See below screenshot for guide.

 

 

Step 10.

Now it’s the bottom part done. We need to do the exactly same thing to the top, so repeat the steps above for the top part.

 

 

Step 11.

When you are finished with that, you should have something looking like this in the screenshot.

 

 

Step 12.

Now go to the Groups tab and click the select button. And then go to the top menu bar and click Edit >Duplicate selection.

 

 

Step 13.

Now you should have a second group. Next, go to the Model tab and rotate the duplicated so it looks like this in the screenshot. But it doesn’t have to match up perfectly.

 

 

Step 14.

Now the tricky part begins. In the Front view and move the duplicated cylinder down, and bring it to the first cylinder, and match the vertexes up slightly and overlaps the first cylinder, take a look at the screenshot below as a guide line.

 

 

Step 15.

Looking at the 3D view now, the spiral is looking good so far and starting to take shape.

 

 

Step 16.

Now, as you can see in the 3d view, the spiral looks quite messed up, so we need to fix it up a bit. Here comes the tricky part. Go to the Front view and move the vertexes so it matches up exactly with the first cylinder. This is extremely tricky and doing this needs some time and practice. For better details, see the screenshots below.

 

 

Step 17.

Go to the groups tab and select all of the groups by clicking the select button, and then click the Regroup button.

 

 

Step 18.

Next, go to the top menu and duplicate the group.

 

Step 19.

You should have a duplicated group of the spiral. Now, move it down so it matches up with the first one.

 

 

Step 20.

Same as before, now match up the messy vertexes.

 

 

Step 21.

You know how to join up the spirals, you can now join more if you want to make it longer, but remember to regroup all of them when you are done.

 

 

AND YOU ARE FINISHED! Scale your spiral if you want to, (I scaled mine to thin and small.) You are now ready to use it on any mesh. Export the spiral as an .obj file.