Follow this step-by-step tutorial to create a 3D Nintendo Switch model that you can use in video games or graphic design and illustration projects whilst learning Cinema 4D quickly.
Some of the skills you'll learn in this tutorial include creating basic 3D modelling, importing reference images, adding lighting to the scene, and basic rendering techniques.
In this, the first part of the two-part tutorial, I'll show you:
- how to import reference images
- how to prepare for modelling
- how to model the Switch
1. How to Import Reference Images
Step 1
To use the reference image in this tutorial, you will need to switch your viewport to the Front View.
Use the middle mouse button to click anywhere on the viewport. This will display all four views—by default this will be perspective, top, right, and front. From there, use the middle mouse button to select the Front View.
Step 2
In the Attributes tab, select Mode > View Settings.
Step 3
In Viewport [Right], select the Back button and click on the button next to Image.
Step 4
Select the reference image from the finder and open it. In this tutorial I'll use the front view of a Nintendo Switch to help me.
Step 5
Once the image is displayed in the background of the viewport, you can change the transparency of the image to your liking. This sometimes makes it easier to model from the reference image.
You can also change the position and size of your reference image from here using Offset X, Offset Y, Size X, and Size Y.
Note that the reference image will only appear when selecting the front view from the viewport.
2. How to Create the Base Model
Step 1
To start modelling the main body of the Nintendo Switch, select the Cube object from the top menu bar. This will spawn a cube in the viewport.
Step 2
Use the reference image of the Nintendo Switch in the Front View to help adjust the cube.
Use the Scale Tool to make the shape of the cube match up with the shape of the Nintendo Switch in the image.
Ensure that you use the other views—front, left, right, perspective, etc.—to check that the shape looks correct from every angle.
Step 3
The shape of the cube should roughly fit the shape of the Nintendo Switch background image at this stage.
Select the Move Tool. To duplicate this shape, you'll need to hold the Control button on the keyboard and then click and drag one of the arrows using the mouse. In this case, I've used the red arrow to drag the new object along the x-axis.
Step 4
Use the Scale Tool to adjust the shape of the cube to match up with the shape of the blue Joy-Con in the reference image.
Step 5
Use the Perspective View to move around the objects and make sure that the base objects all have the correct overall thickness. In the example below, the objects are too thick, so the Scale Tool is used to reduce the thickness (click and drag along the z-axis).
3. How to Curve the Joy-Con Corners
Step 1
Ensure you have the object selected, and then click on the Make Editable button to make the object editable. Select the Edge Selection button.
Step 2
Select the two left corners of the Joy-Con using the selection tool. The selected edges will be highlighted in orange.
Step 3
Once the edges have been selected, use the mouse to right-click on the selected edges. In the menu that appears, find Bevel and select it.
Step 4
In the adjustment window (usually located in the bottom right of the screen), play around with the following:
- Bevel Mode: Chamfer
- Offset Mode: Fixed Distance
- Offset: 50 cm
- Subdivision: 20
- Depth: 100%
Feel free to adjust the sliders and values until you are satisfied with the object's appearance. You can also use the Front View and adjust the corners to fit the reference image.
Step 5
To make visualising the Joy-Con in the viewport easier, switch off the screen object by clicking on the small, round, grey button (until it turns red). This is located to the right of the screen object in the object manager list view.
Click on the button until it turns green (or grey) to make the object reappear again.
Step 6
With the screen object hidden from view, it makes navigating around the Joy-Con a lot easier. Use the reference image in the front view to check the shape of the object.
Step 7
Select the final two corners of the Joy-Con using the Edge Selection tool.
Step 8
Once the edges have been selected, use the mouse to right-click on the selected edges. In the menu that appears, find Bevel and select it. Use the Bevel tool to curve the two remaining corners of the Joy-Con.
- Bevel Mode: Chamfer
- Offset Mode: Fixed Distance
- Offset: 10 cm
- Subdivision: 10
- Depth: 100%
4. How to Curve the Screen
Step 1
Select the screen object and click on the Make Editable button followed by the Edge Selection button.
Ensure that the screen object is no longer hidden by clicking on the small, round button in the object manager list view.
Step 2
To make visualising the screen object in the viewport easier, switch off the Joy-Con object by clicking on the small, round, grey button (until it turns red).
This is located to the right of the Joy-Con object in the object manager list view.
Step 3
Once you click on the small, round, grey button, the Joy-Con object should disappear from the viewport.
Click on the button until it turns green (or grey) to make the object reappear again.
Step 4
Use the Edge Selection tool to select all four corners of the screen object.
Step 5
Once the edges have been selected, use the mouse to right-click on the selected edges. In the menu that appears, find Bevel and select it.
Step 6
In the adjustment window (usually located in the bottom right of the screen), play around with the following:
- Bevel Mode: Chamfer
- Offset Mode: Fixed Distance
- Offset: 15 cm
- Subdivision: 10
- Depth: 100%
Feel free to adjust the sliders and values until you are satisfied with the object's appearance.
You can also use the Front View and adjust the corners to fit the reference image.
5. How to Use the Boole Tool
Step 1
To create the top corners of the screen, use the Boole Tool. To get started with this, select the Cylinder object from the top menu bar. This will spawn a cylinder in the viewport.
Step 2
Use the Rotate Tool to rotate the cylinder 90 degrees on the z-axis.
Step 3
Use the Scale Tool to make the cylinder thinner.
Step 4
In the front view, duplicate the cylinder and use the reference image to position the cylinders in the top corners of the screen object.
Step 5
Both cylinder objects should completely cover the corners of the screen. Use the perspective view to move the cylinders into position.
Step 6
Once the cylinder objects are in position, select the Boole Tool from the top menu bar.
Step 7
In the object manager list view, select both cylinder objects and group them (Alt-G). This will create a 'Null' group containing the selected objects.
Step 8
Move both the screen object and the Null object inside the Boole Tool. Make sure that the screen is positioned above the Null group.
Step 9
Once the objects have been placed within the Boole Tool, the cylinder object will be subtracted from the screen object.
6. How to Create the Screen
Step 1
To duplicate the screen object, select it from the object list (found within the Boole Tool). Press the Control button on the keyboard and click and drag the object you want to duplicate.
Make sure that the new screen object is outside the Boole Tool.
Step 2
Use the Scale Tool to make the new screen object smaller.
Step 3
In the front view, you can use the reference image to help adjust the size of the screen.
Step 4
Once you are satisfied with the size of the screen, use the Move Tool to move the object inside and just above the surface of the original screen object.
You can also use the Scale Tool to reduce the thickness of the shape so that it becomes thinner.
7. How to Create the Joy-Con Details
Step 1
Isolate the Joy-Con object to make working in the viewport easier. One way you can do this is by clicking on the small, grey button next to the objects you wish to hide (as shown previously).
Step 2
Click on the small back arrow on the Cube button and select Cylinder from the list of options. This will spawn a cylinder in the scene.
Step 3
Rotate the new cylinder object on the x-axis using the Rotation Tool.
Step 4
Use the right view in the viewport to check the size of the cylinder. Then use the Scale Tool to reduce the size of the object so that it can easily fit within the width of the Joy-Con.
Step 5
You can also use the object properties to adjust the size of the cylinder and the number of segments it has.
- Radius: 14 cm
- Height: 200 cm
- Height Segments: 1
- Rotation Segments: 36
- Orientation: +x
Step 6
With the new cylinder object selected, click on the Make Editable button.
Step 7
Use the Move Tool and combine it with the Points Selection Tool.
Step 8
In the options window, make sure that the box for 'Only Select Visible Elements' is not selected. This will ensure that you will select all the necessary points.
Step 9
Select the bottom half of the cylinder object.
Step 10
Use the Move Tool to move the selected points down, making the object longer.
Step 11
Use the Selection Tool to select the curved corners on the right of the cylinder shape.
Step 12
Use the Move Tool to move the selected points a little bit to the right to make the object slightly wider.
Step 13
Click on the Model Mode button on the left of the screen and move the shape to the center of the Joy-Con.
Step 14
In the perspective view, use the Move Tool and the Scale Tool to adjust the shape so that it appears slightly above the side surface of the Joy-Con.
Step 15
Create three more cylinder objects and move them into position using the Scale Tool and the Move Tool.
Step 16
Adjust the bottom cylinder using the Points Tool and the Selection Tool. Select the top half of cylinder and move the points up slightly.
Step 17
Return to Model Mode and adjust the shapes so that they resemble the image below.
Step 18
Use the perspective view to move the cylinder objects into position using the Move Tool. The cylinders should be placed within and just above the surface of the Joy-Con.
8. How to Duplicate the Joy-Con
Step 1
Select all the objects related to the Joy-Con and group them (Alt-G). This will create a new 'Null Group'.
Step 2
Select the Null group containing the Joy-Con and duplicate it (hold the Control button on the keyboard and use the Move Tool).
Step 3
Rotate the new Joy-Con object 180 degrees using the Rotation Tool.
Step 4
In the front view, use the reference image to move the new Joy-Con into position (above the red Joy-Con).
9. How to Create the Buttons
Step 1
Select the Cylinder from the top menu.
Step 2
This will spawn a new cylinder object in the viewport. Use the Scale Tool to reduce the size of the cylinder so that it is the same size as the buttons shown in the reference image.
Step 3
Use the reference image to move the cylinder object into position. Then duplicate the cylinder object to create the other three buttons.
Step 4
Use the perspective view to move the buttons into position. The cylinders should be placed within and just above the surface of the Joy-Con.
Step 5
Group the buttons together (Alt-G) and duplicate the new Null object. Use the front view and use the reference image to move the new buttons into a new position above the red Joy-Con.
Step 6
Duplicate one of the cylinder buttons and place it into the Home Button position for the red Joy-Con. Once all the buttons have been placed correctly, unhide the red Joy-Con.
10. How to Create the Joystick
Step 1
Click on the small back arrow on the Cube button and select Cylinder from the list of options. This spawns a cylinder in the scene.
Step 2
Use the Scale Tool to reduce the size of the cylinder so that it matches the size of the joystick.
Step 3
Use the Move Tool to move the cylinder into position (use the background reference image in the front view to help with this).
Step 4
In the perspective view, use the Scale Tool to reduce the thickness of the cylinder object (click and drag along the z-axis).
Step 5
Duplicate the cylinder object and use the Scale Tool to reduce the size.
Step 6
Once you are happy with the reduced size of the cylinder, use the Scale Tool to increase the length of the cylinder on the z-axis.
Step 7
Move both cylinder objects into position above the surface of the Joy-Con. Once the joystick is in position, select the top cylinder and duplicate it.
Step 8
Move the new cylinder object into position just above the surface of the Joy-Con. This will act as the base of the joystick.
Step 9
Duplicate one of the cylinders again and use the Scale Tool to reduce its size. Place the smaller cylinder just above the top of the joystick.
Step 10
Use the Boolean Tool to create a cutaway using the two top cylinder objects. Ensure the smaller cylinder is placed below the larger cylinder when viewed in the object manager list view.
11. How to Create Extra Joy-Con Buttons
Step 1
In the top menu bar, select the Cube to spawn a cube into the scene.
Step 2
Use the Scale Tool to adjust the cube to the same size as the Capture Button (use the reference image in the front view to help with this).
Then use the Move Tool to move the cube into position.
Step 3
Curve the corners of the cube using the Bevel Tool.
Step 4
Use the Move Tool to place the cube object just above the surface of the Joy-Con.
Step 5
Create a new cube object and curve the corners using the Bevel Tool. Click and drag using the mouse to adjust the size of the curve so that it almost resembles a circle.
Step 6
Use the Selection Tool to select half of the object and move it to the left to create the '- button'.
Step 7
In the perspective view, use the Move Tool to move the '- button' into position just above the surface of the Joy-Con.
Step 8
With all the buttons and the joystick in place, the Joy-Con should resemble the image shown below.
12. How to Duplicate the Joystick
Step 1
Group the objects that make up the joystick by selecting them and pressing Alt-G on the keyboard. This will create a new 'Null Object'.
Then duplicate the new 'Null Object' by holding the Control button on the keyboard and dragging with the mouse using the Move Tool.
Step 2
Move the new joystick into position using the reference image in the front view.
13. How to Create the Plus Button
Step 1
Duplicate the '- button' and move it into position.
Step 2
Duplicate the button and use the Rotate Tool and the Move Tool to create a cross shape for the '+ button'.
Step 3
Unhide the screen object. With all the buttons and both joysticks in place, the Nintendo Switch should finally be taking shape.
14. How to Create the Bottom Screen Details
Step 1
Duplicate the objects on the side of the Joy-Con and rotate it on the z-axis by 90 degrees.
Step 2
Move the group of objects to the bottom of the screen just above the surface. Once the 'Null Object' is in position, duplicate the group.
Step 3
Select the new group and rotate it 180 degrees.
Step 4
Group both objects together and position them in the centre of the screen.
15. How to Pose the Nintendo Switch
Step 1
Select all the objects associated with each Joy-Con and create separate groups for them: one group for the left Joy-Con and one group for the right Joy-Con.
Use the Move Tool to move each Joy-Con away from the screen slightly, as shown in the image below.
Step 2
Move the right Joy-Con up the y-axis slightly to create an interesting composition. Try out different positions by using the move tool and moving the camera around.
Coming Next...
In the second part of the tutorial series, I'll show you how to:
- create coloured materials
- colour in the Nintendo Switch model
- render the Nintendo Switch model
