Modeling a network in Blender 3D

In this fast speed video tutorial we model a network with nodes in Blender 3D:

Written instructions:

In this tutorial we’ll be creating a network with nodes like this.

Let’s begin by deleting the default cube and adding an icosphere. Let’s make the mesh a bit more dense by increasing the subdivisions to three.

Now let’s tab into edit mode and use the proportional editing tool with the random falloff in order to randomize the shape a little bit.

Then we’ll do a random selection and scale it over the center point in order to create a twist in the mesh.

Now let’s tab back into object mode and add a uv-sphere in the center of the scene. We will use this shape to create our network nodes. Let’s make it a bit more low poly so that our scene doesn’t become too heavy after we duplicate these hundreds of times. Next we’ll scale it down, and hit ctrl + A, to apply the scale.

Now we are going to parent this sphere to the network by selecting it, then shift selecting the network, and hitting control “p”.

We’ll then select the network object and head over to the object tab where we can turn on the duplication verts button.

Let’s turn the duplicates into a regular object by hitting the spacebar and searching for the “make duplicates real” command.

Now it’s time to turn the mesh into a wireframe shape. Let’s head over to the modifiers and add the wireframe modifier. We can tweak the thickness a little bit.

Let’s position the camera and then add a material for the network object.

Then we’ll select a sphere object and give it the same material but make a unique copy out of it by clicking on the little number here. Let’s then change the surface tó “emission” and increase the strength a bit.

Now let’s select the rest of the spheres by going to select, linked, object data. Then we can hit ctrl + L and assign the selected spheres the same material.

Here’s a quick test render.

The nodes are still a bit big so let’s scale them down around their individual origins.

Let’s also turn on depth of field for the camera and select one of the spheres as the focus object.

Let’s just tweak the render settings a bit and get ready to render.

Here’s the final render with a little bit of camera animation added!

Thanks for watching and see you next time on FasterTutorials.com.