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Getting Started with Studio Modeling

Roblox Studio is unique in its use of parts. A part is the fundamental building block in Roblox Studio that can be used to create literally anything in an experience. Parts can be moved, resized, and rotated. The properties of a part, such as the color and material, can also be adjusted to affect its appearance.

In this chapter, we will be manipulating parts in many ways to develop an understanding of the use of parts in creating an experience on Roblox Studio. We will be using the basic tools provided by Roblox Studio to create various props and assets that will be used to furnish and decorate many of the scenes we will be creating in the proceeding chapters of this book. We will learn how to use the MaterialFlip plugin to properly orientate textures applied to parts, and utilize a technique called shingling to make our assets stand out in terms of quality. Finally, we will learn about the different methods of creating ladders using parts and trusses.

The following is a list of the recipes found within this chapter:

• Creating a chair
• Building cactuses
• Creating wooden crates
• Building a functional TV
• Creating a ladder
• Making your bed
• Creating a stone water well

Technical requirements

You will need the latest version of Roblox Studio downloaded. In this chapter, we will be building with primitive parts, which can be found in the build kit model located inside the Chapter 1 folder at https://packt.link/gbz/9781805121596.

Alternatively, you can use parts directly from the Part drop-down menu found in Roblox Studio.

Creating a chair

In this recipe, we will be creating a chair prop using primitive-shaped parts. We will start by boxing out the shape of the chair with a primitive part and then attach a seat, which will allow players to sit on the chair. You will see how to orientate the seat part before we apply color and wood to our chair. We will finish off this recipe by using the MaterialFlip plugin, which can be downloaded from here: roblox.com/library/166951203.

How to do it.

We will begin by creating the basic shape of the chair out of square parts. We will further render out the chair's shape by adding legs. Next, will add a seat part to the model and then detail the chair with color and the Wood material. To finish, we will correct the woodgrain of the chair using the MaterialFlip plugin.

So, to create a chair, follow these steps:

1. Insert a square part into Workspace by navigating to the Model tab in the top bar and then selecting the Part tab.
2. Next, select the part and then navigate to the Property tab. In the Size value field, change the increments to 2, 1.5, 2.25 studs.
3. Duplicate the square part and place it flush on top of the original part. Resize the duplicated part to 0.35, 2.5, 2.25 to make this the back of the chair.
4. Rescale the original part to 2, 0.2, 2.25, which will be the seat of the chair. Adjust as necessary using the Scale and Move tools.
5. Next, create four legs on each corner of the bottom of the chair using a square part scaled to 0.2, 1.3, 0.2 studs.
6. Now, in the Model tab, select the Rotate tool. In the Snap to Grid part of the Model tab, checkmark the box labeled Rotate, and then change the number in the value field box to 5 degrees.
7. Rotate each of the legs 5 degrees outward on the x and z axes. You can see a before-and-after comparison in Figure 1.1:

Figure 1.1: Rotated chair legs

1. Now, to make sure there's no gap between the legs and the chair seat, select all four legs and then use the Move tool to move the legs upward so the tops of the legs are hidden inside of the chair part.
2. Next, insert a Seat object from Toolbox or the Chapter 1 folder.
3. Next, place the Seat object onto the chair with the yellow marker facing where the player's legs will point. You can press Ctrl + R and Ctrl + T to rotate the seat or part selected:

Figure 1.2: A seat object placed on the chair

1. Change the transparency of the seat to 1 by navigating to the Appearance tab found within the seat's Properties box.
2. Change the color of the chair to (108, 88, 75).
3. Next, change the chair part Material type to Wood.
4. If your wood grain does not flow the proper way, select the MaterialFlip plugin found in the Plugin tab within the top bar and then click on the part with improper woodgrain to flip the texture's orientation:

Figure 1.3: Images of incorrect (left) and correct (right) woodgrain

1. Select all of the parts of the chair and then checkmark the Anchored box found in the Properties menu. This will cause the parts to remain in place and not be affected by physics.
2. With all of the parts still selected, click Ctrl + G to group the parts of the chair, and name the model Chair within the Workspace.

This completes this recipe for creating a chair:

Figure 1.4: Completed chair model

You now should have a basic understanding of how to manipulate parts within Roblox Studio, set transparency, and use seat parts.

Building cactuses

Creating smooth yet optimal rounded ends can sometimes be a challenge on Roblox. In the following recipe, we will build a variety of cactuses through a workflow method that allows you to line up the rounded corner edges seamlessly together. We will be working with both cylindrical and spherical parts to give the cactus a proper non-blocky shape and will then learn how to rapidly create new variants of the original model. We will complete the recipe by applying differing colors and materials to give each cactus its own distinct look.

How to do it.

We will be building the body and arms out of cylinder parts. We will then then use spheres to round the elbows on the cactus arms. Finally, we will apply color and material to the model. To begin this recipe, follow these steps:

1. Start by navigating to the Model tab and selecting the Part drop-down arrow. Next, select the Cylinder option to insert a cylinder part onto the baseplate.
2. Rescale the cylinder part to your desired height. In this example, the cylinder part being used is 12 studs tall and 2 studs wide. This will be the body of the cactus.
3. Next, duplicate the body.
4. Rotate the duplicated part 90 degrees so that, together, both parts create a t shape. This creates arms for the cactus, which you can rescale to differing lengths.
5. Next, we will be creating three spheres to fit on both ends of the arms and the top of the cactus. First, we need to get the size of each sphere. To do this, select a part on the cactus and copy the number in the Size input box within the Property tab.

   For this example, the cactus body part size is 12, 2, 2, so the sphere should be scaled 2, 2, 2, as that is the proportionate size:

Figure 1.5: Ensure there is no...