 A simple way to make a rain of leaves using the combination particles / dupliverts. We can get a clean result even with the Blender internal render.
Hello folks!
Another day I was thinking how to make a "rain of leaves". After think a little, I found that an easy way it's to model a leaf, and after, make them drop around like duplivert-particles.
The idea is simple, so let's go.
Building the leaf
The first thing is model the leaf. We don't need to use any bitmapped pictures to do that.
Erase the default cube from the top vision and add a plane.
The new plane
Press A one time to de-select all vertices, press B, and drag a retangle around the two left most vertices to select them. After that, press X to delete and press ENTER confirm.
The plane with the vertices erased
Now, right-click the upper vertice, hold CTRL and right-click on the center of the screen, to squares above the vertice. Repeat this to the bottom vertice, but right-click only one square bellow.
The result will be like this.
The leaf begin to birth...
Now right-click the upper vertice, hold SHIFT, and right-click the bottom vertice, press F. This will close the edge.
After close the edge, press W and choose Subdivide Multi and Number of Cuts: 2.
Finally you have:
Choose this
And get this
Well, we have the format of a leaf's half.
To model a perfect leaf, we will use the mirror and subsurf modifiers.
Mirror will grant that the two halves are of the same size, and subsurf will give to us the curves of the leaf.
Press TAB to get in object mode, press F9 to get to the Editing menu, and add two modifiers clicking on the Add Modifier button.
First, choose mirror, and click the X button.
After, click subsurf and choose Levels: 2.
Look what you get.
The configuration
The result
Now press A twice to select all vertices, press K, choose Knife (Exact), and draw the cut with the left-mouse-button as in the picture bellow.
 
The knife's cut and the result
We have to build the faces now. To do that, right-click one vertice, hold SHIFT, and right-click another one, in pairs, as in the picture below. To each pair selected, press F, and after, A twice do unselect all vertices to be able to select the next pair.
To build the faces, select the vertices in groups of three or four to get the result bellow.
The selected vertices, the edges, and the faces
It's almost done. We have to "curve" the leaf, and give it a gree color.
To the work.
Finishing the leaf
Press A twice to select all vertices, press K, choose loop cut, and make the cuts as in the picture below.
 
Where to do the loop cut, do it twice, on the red lines
Now to build the curve format of the leaf, select the edges (holding SHIFT and then right-clicking on the right vertices) and move them up or down.
Change to the front view pressing 1 on the keypad and 7 to change to the top view.
If you have a middle button in your mouse, hold SHIFT and press it, moving the mouse around to get the leaf in a position that you like to work.
Move the edges up and down, right-click the edges, press G, press Z and move the mouse up or down, press left-mouse-button when done.
Press Z to see the result.
Pay attention in what you have to do
Our result
Ok, let's finish the leaf put a green color on it.
Right-click the lower vertice of the leaf, press X, exclude it.
Press A once, press B, select the down vertices, press E, and extrude the last part of the leaf.
Finishing the leaf
Finally, press F5, click Add New to create a new material, and create a green one.
The color configuration
Now let's animate all the thing!
The animationChange to the top view, add a cube.
Right-click the leaf, hold SHIFT, and right click the cube. Press Ctrl+P and choose make parent.
If all is right, you will see something like that:
The parent is right
Change to camera view, put the cube above the image move the leaf away from the vision.
Right-click the cube, press F7 and choose the phisics button.
Click New and finally, make these configurations:
 
The final particles configurations
Press the up-arrow on the keyboard to see the leaves fly around. If you wanna a better result, put a texture on the leaves and after, a background.
You could use this picture as background:
Ok, I hope you liked the tutorial, and here is a complete render with textures and a background:
Thanks for today and cya blenderheads!
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