Weather Icon and Sculpting

Creating a New Spline

Start your design journey by creating a new Spline. Click on the 'New' button on the top left corner of the dashboard and select 'Spline'. This will open a new canvas for you to start designing.

Setting the Background

To set the mood, we'll begin by changing the background color.

• Click anywhere on the canvas to access the 'Scene' settings in the right sidebar.
• Under the 'Background' section, enter the color code C2DCFA. This will turn the background into a soothing sky blue color.

Creating a Grid Guide

Next, let's create a grid to guide our design. Click on 'Global Settings' on the right sidebar and change the 'Grid Plane' to 'Front/Back(XY)'. This will allow you to align your design elements correctly.

Creating a Sun Icon

To create a sun icon, we'll need to combine a sphere and multiple cylinders.

Creating a Sphere

Start by adding a sphere to the canvas. Adjust the size to X: 100, Y: 100, Z: 100, and position it at X: 0, Y: 0, Z: 0.

Creating Cylinders

Next, click on the plus icon and select 'Cylinder' to add a cylinder to the canvas.

• Configure its size to X: 8, Y: 20, Z: 8, and rotate it to X: 90, Y: 0, Z: 90.
• Position it at X: -70, Y: 0, Z: 0.

Using the Cloner

To create the sun's rays, we'll utilize the 'Cloner' tool.

• Activate the 'Cloner' in the right sidebar and set the type to 'Radial'.
• Hide the 'Base' and establish a 'Count' of 8 while adjusting the 'Radius' to 70.
• Set the alignment to "Yes" and adjust the Axis to Y.

Once the cylinder has been processed with the Cloner:

• Adjust its rotation to X: 0, Y: 0, Z: 0.
• Reposition it at X: 0, Y: 0, Z: 0. 📔 For further information on the 'Cloner' tool, please refer to this section for more detailed insights.

Creating Material

To give our sun a unique look, we'll apply a custom material to it. The material's properties are as follows:

• Depth: Use radial type with colors FFB329 and 000000. Set position to local, origin to X: 20, Y: 10, Z: 20. Set near to 16 and far to 183.
• Lighting: Change the opacity to 80, and overlay.
• Matcap: Use the third option from the first column and overlay.
• Fresnel: Use default setting and overlay.

Creating a Material Asset

To ensure consistency and easily apply the material to various elements in your project, let's create a material asset.

• Click on the four dots icon in the material property section.
• Then, click the plus icon to add a new material asset.
• Give your asset a meaningful name to identify it easily.

Now, to apply this material asset:

• Select the circles or any other elements you want to apply this material to.
• Return to the material property section.
• Click on the four dots icon again to access your material assets.
• Choose the asset you just created.

Creating a Cloud

To create a cloud, we'll need to combine multiple spheres.

Creating Spheres

Start by adding three spheres to the canvas. Set the size and position as follows:

• First sphere: Adjust the size to X: 60, Y: 60, Z: 60 ans set the position to X: -90 Y: -30, Z: 60.
• Second sphere: Adjust the size to X: 80, Y: 80, Z: 80 ans set the position to X: -50, Y: -26, Z: 60.
• Third sphere: Adjust the size to X: 60, Y: 60, Z: 60 ans set the position to X: -6, Y: -30, Z: 60. After positioning the spheres correctly, select all three and go to the 'Boolean Modifier' on the right sidebar. Click on "Union," then click on "Apply & Edit.”

Creating a Cloud Material

Let's create a material to give our cloud a fluffy look. The material's properties are as follows:

• Depth: Use linear type with colors FFFFFF and 000000. Set position to local, origin to X: 0, Y: 0, Z: 0. Set near to 10 and far to 83.
• Lighting: Choose lambert with color FFFFFF. Set opacity to 100, and screen.
• Matcap: Use the second option from the second column and overlay.
• Fresnel: Set color to white, bias to 0.10, scale to 1, intensity to 2, factor to 1, and overlay. Once we have all the cloud settings configured, let's delve into sculpting 3D objects with Spline.

Sculpting 3D Objects

3D sculpting in Spline allows you to craft and manipulate 3D objects using a variety of sculpting brushes. This guide will walk you through the process of sculpting objects with ease.

• Enable "Smooth & Edit" or “Edit Mesh” Mode: After selecting your object, click on "Edit Mesh" to enable the sculpting features. You will find this option in the toolbar. If you desire finer details, consider increasing the number of Subdivisions, which results in a smoother sculpting surface.
• Enter Edit Mode: You can access the sculpting options by entering the edit mode for your object. This can be done by either selecting the object and using the right sidebar or by double-clicking the object.

Sculpting Brushes

Now that you're in edit mode, you can choose from a range of sculpting brushes to shape your object. The following brushes are at your disposal:

Grab Brush

• Function: The Grab brush elevates the surface from the starting point.
• Usage: Simply click and drag to sculpt the object. If you hold down ⌘ (or Ctrl on Windows), you can push the surface from the starting point to create depressions.

Draw Brush

• Function: The Draw brush allows you to elevate the surface along the path you draw.
• Usage: Click and drag along the surface to sculpt it upwards. Holding ⌘ (or Ctrl) while using this brush lets you push the surface.

Draw Clay Brush

• Function: Similar to the Draw brush, but it features a flat base based on the set radius for the brush.
• Usage: Click and drag to sculpt the object, and holding ⌘ (or Ctrl) will push the surface.

Smooth Brush

• Function: The Smooth brush is handy for refining and evening out rough sculpting.
• Usage: Simply apply the brush to the object to make the surface more even and smooth. It's great for achieving that polished look.

Customizing Sculpting Brushes

To enhance your sculpting experience, you can adjust the Radius and Strength of your sculpting brush from the right sidebar. Fine-tuning these settings allows you to cater the sculpting process to your specific needs.

With the flexibility of these sculpting brushes and the ability to adjust their properties, you can create intricate 3D models and achieve the desired level of detail in your Spline projects. Happy sculpting!

Adjust the brush settings and sculpt the clouds until you are satisfied with their shape. Once you are content with the results, we can move on to the next step for the raindrop.

📔 Please note that your result may differ from mine.

Creating Raindrops

Let's start by adding raindrops to our scene. Access the toolbar and choose the cylinder tool. Adjust the dimensions and position of the raindrops under the cloud formation

Cylinder Shape

• Size: X10, Y30, Z10
• Rotation: X0, Y0, Z0
• Position it under the cloud for now: X-90, Y-80, Z70

Now, let’s duplicate it 3 times and set the distance between them to 40 units. Select the 4 cylinders and rotate them around the Z axis by 40 degrees.

Apply Material

To give those raindrops the right look, we'll apply a material from the Spline library. You can choose from a variety of options to achieve the desired visual effect. Don't hesitate to explore different textures to find the perfect fit for your raindrops.

• Go to the Material panel and click the four dots icon in the Material Properties section.
• Choose Spline Library from the dropdown box.
• Select a material from the available categories or search for a specific one. For example, "Glass Color Pattern 02."
• Apply the material by clicking on it.

Edit the material for the raindrop with depth layers and settings:

• Depth: Change colors to 32A9D0 and 217BE8. Type: radial, position: local, origin: X0, Y19, Z0, near: 5, far: 24. Move the layer under lighting.
• Lighting: Adjust lighting to 90 opacity, multiply.
• Glass: Set refraction to 1.60 and opacity to 60 percent with overlay.
• Matcap: Apply MATCAP with 60 percent opacity and overlay.
• Use Fresnel with colors: 505F90, bias: 0.14, scale: 1, intensity: 2, factor: 1, and 60 percent opacity with screen.
• MATCAP with 70 percent opacity and overlay.

Adding a Background Card

To enhance the 3D icon, add a rectangle shape with the following settings:

• Add a rectangle shape with the size 250 units wide and 340 units tall.
• Set the corner value to 44 to create a rounded corner.
• Adjust the extrusion value to 10 and the bevel value to 8.
• Set the bevel sides value to 8 for a more rounded appearance.

Apply a gradient material

• From the Spline library, choose Gradient Saturation Shiny 06.
• Set the base color as 2D86A9 and the secondary color as 306DDD.

Grouping and Positioning

• Rename the layers. Change the cylinder layer's name to "raindrop" and the rectangle layer to "card".
• Group the layers. Click on the first layer you want in the group, hold shift and click on the others you want to include. Press on command G to create a group containing all the selected layers.
• Set the group's position. With the new group selected, go to the transform panel on the right side. Set X, Y, and Z to 0 to center the group on the canvas.

Adjusting Lighting and Shadows

Optimize the lighting in the scene to create a more visually striking and immersive environment. Customize the directional light and point light settings for a balanced and well-lit scene.

• Select the directional light. Set the direction values to X -415, Y 414, and Z 300. Adjust the intensity of the light to 0.60 to soften the shadow. Set the blur value to 2 for a more gradual shadow. Change the penumbra value to 6.
• Add a point light source. Click on the point light tool in the toolbar. In the right sidebar panel, set the position to X0, Y-30, Z160. Change intensity to 0.80, set distance to around 3000 and adjust decay to 2
• Ensure that this light does not cast a shadow by selecting 'No' to disable it.

Adding Text for Temperature and Weather conditions

Incorporate informative text elements to provide context and details. Add temperature and weather condition text, adjusting their sizes, positions, and styles to complement the overall scene aesthetic.

Add temperature text

• Click on the T icon to add text.
• Adjust the size of the text to be X130 and Y70.
• Use the font type ‘Inter,’ set the weight to ‘Semibold,’ and adjust the font size to 70.
• Type in the temperature degree.
• Position the text at coordinates X0, Y73, and Z15.
• Change the color to white and hide the lighting.

Add text for the weather conditions

• Duplicate the temperature text.
• Adjust the font size to 24, text size to X100 and Y30, and position to Y130, Z15.
• Change the content to "showers", and set the opacity to 60.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've successfully created a 3D weather icon with Spline. Remember, the key to mastering any software is practice, so don't hesitate to experiment with different designs, shapes, and materials. Happy designing!