Hi George
* On a conceptual level, the cardiovascular system (arteries, veins) is a closed system comprised of binary trees connected "at the bottom". Ignoring the biological purpose of it, you can parse this into:
*
NODES
1 root node = heart
2 intermediate nodes = bifurcations
3 terminal nodes = organs, muscles, brain
*
EDGES
4 connectors = arteries / veins proper and arterioles, capillaries and venoles
* This
conceptual binary tree can also be seen as a set of individual subtrees (carotids, upper extremities, kidneys, …) which service individual bodily regions / organs. I am ignoring pulmonary circulation here as it is detached from the somatic circuit, even when it is controlled by the same root node, the heart.
* The primary challenge in this (and any other project related to biological modelling) is to turn concepts into geometry. Preferably, such geometry should be flexible to permit editing and animation.
* Biological modelling seems to be an arcane niche industry. There is surprisingly little material on the web to study and learn. What stuff there is is often academic and paywalled.
* Conventional mesh modelling is largely useless in this area. You will require a fair amount of creative lateral thinking (and cope with some frustration) to get anywhere.
* Basically, it depends how far you want to proceed in biological modelling. For a simple generic model, sticking splines / sweeps together will suffice. If you plan to model the flow of blood cells & nutrients or the complex processes inside a specific organ you will have to deal with more tricky 3D matters to achieve a professional result.
* My recommendations:
* Research
* Build a reference library of 3D models you like
* Analyse samples
* Conduct extensive experiments
* Accumulate your own library of building blocks
*
Much of the modelling will be spline based, so investigate the available tools in some detail and practice a suitable work-flow / modus operandi. As mentioned by Swizl, spline manipulation is a bit tricky.
Enjoy the project and ask questions whenever needed.