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This tutorial was based on XSI 1.5. Some features have changed since then although the core principles and elements discussed below remain essentially the same.

The labrador tutorial will get you through modelling basics in XSI and introduce you to subdivision surfaces.

THE HEAD

Now we got something good with the body, we are going to start refining the head.

ORGANIZING THE SCENE

As we are going to have more objects in the scene and you are going to make some render to better appreciate your work, let's do some modifications:

1. For the moment you have been working with the default layer. Switch to XSI default layout, we need some more tools. Pass to 4 viewports and set a view to Property Editor. Now select the Subdivided mesh and from the layers panel select Layers > new layer ( The selection is automatically moved to the new layer). No new editor appears, instead the Layer properties are displayed in the docked property view. Change the name to Subdivision, rendervisibility to show, and selectability to do not allow. The subdivided mesh turn gray, it's unselectable.

2. Press 6, the layer control panel appears. You can toggle states from every layer. Experiment on your own. Set the default layer rendervisibility to off. Press Q and drag a region onto the dog, only the subdivided one is shown. Also now you can only select the Low poly ones to work.

3. XSI works in a cascading way with elements that takes precedence over others etc...Once you understood that, you have a great control over this raw power. The hierarchy :

- Passes

- Partitions

- Layers

- Groups

- Root object

- Property

- Parameter

4. To clearly see this, pinpoint the docked property editor with the right up icon. Now select the Subdivided dog and press Group (Ctrl + G) on the edit panel. A new floating property editor appears, this is because we have locked the docked one so the content stays. Name the group subdivision, and try to "not allow" render visibility. It has no effects on the render because Layer has priority.

5. Leave the values to default and Close the group property editor. Toggle the docked property editor to recyclable and select the 2 half dogs and the merged one and Create a group. Leave the default values. From the Property tab on the left choose Display. Set all states to wireframe. This way all Low poly will be displayed in wire.

6. Click the Scene button on the selct panel, a list of the scene elements appears. Expand the group node you just created, you can see a display property. You can add properties to groups, layers, passes...Organize the scene as you like.

FOCUS ON THE HEAD

1. Select the polygons on the first dog half as shown. Return to object mode. Duplicate the dog half. Name it Left head. Now in polygon mode it has kept the polys selected.

Choose Select > invert using filter. Delete the polys of the body.

2. You are still in polygon mode, In the selection text box, enter the name of the first half dog. You are now in object mode with the first half selected. Pass in polygon and delete the head polygons. The subdivided mesh has been updated , so are the instantiate half and the merged one.

3. Hide the body. just keep the Head half visible. Instantiate, mirror, merge and subdivide to have the same modeling method as for the body.

THE NOSE

1. Subdivide a little to make a rough outline of the shape of the nose. Select the polygon and extrude.

2. Delete the inner side to get a proper merge.

3. Select the caping polygon and from the context menu subdivide polygon. Choose X type.

4. Select the corner edges and press the Del key to dissolve them.

5. Select the 2 upper points. Toggle to translation mode. Press right mouse button over the Ref button on the transform panel. Choose Pick edge reference and select the 2 edges to whom the points are connected by passing over them and relax. A center computed from the 2 edges placement is displayed and used for the points. This enable to move without altering the shape.

6. Translate the points outward. Now select the edges that lie on top of the nose. Choose split edges (with split control), let the ratio to 50 and close. Refine end with add edge in object mode.

7. Select the outer edges of the nose and make an outline with split control edges and a ratio of 80 to mark the outline.

8. To make the nostrils, draw a shape on the front part of the nose and select those polygons. Extrude along axis with a length of -0.2 . Collapse edges or add if necessary.

9. You should now have something like this.