Product Visualisation: Rendering a Wedding Band

In this post I'm just going to take you through a few advanced modelling techniques I used to create this wedding ring/band, and again highlight some of the processes I used to generate a render for this product visualisation. 

Fig.1 The Final Render.

Before rushing into modelling it's good to look at reference images to work out how you can minimise your workflow and start to think about what techniques you will deploy throughout the creation of the object to ensure you are working in an optimal workflow. 

Fig.2 Creating a Repeating Segment.

One of the first features I noticed in rings/wedding bands were repeating sections. An easy way to minmise and enhance control over your workflow is to build repeating sections of the band and then deform them into the specific shapes. 

In my case I used the a square socket shape for the diamond sections of the rings to create a repeating shape from.
This involved me creating reference objects and then deforming them along a spline path using the 'Path Deform' modifier. Reference objects allowed me to control the entirety of the diamond repeat sections by modifier just one portion. I.e you can then apply UV mapping or any modifier to the original to effect the references.

Fig.3 Setting up splines as deformation pathways for repeating references.

The next step of the process was creating a diamond that actually looked realistic. To do this I had to look at how jewelers cut diamonds in reality and then attempt to make a similar geometric structure. Ironically I found this easiest to start with a six sided cube and then to use the 'Cut' modelling tool in the appropriate places.

Fig.4 Sculpting the Geometry of the Diamond (Side).

Fig.5 Sculpting the Geometry of the Diamond (Top).

In order to create a sharp edge on the diamond geometry I simply used the auto smooth function at a degree of 1 over the entire object in the edit poly modifier settings. See Fig.6

Fig.6 Creating Hard edges on the Diamond. 

As described above the next step was then to add the diamond to the repeating socket section, simply by attaching it via an edit poly on the original repeating socket section and then to UV the original, diamond and socket together. The result was that every section was updated simultaneously across each specified curve of the ring.

Fig.7 Repeating Diamond socket with UVs 

Here are the results before the final texturing and lighting... 

Fig.8 Ring GreyScale

Fig.9 Rings UVs