Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4.16
Several vases quickly created from a cylinder primitive.
●
Add a mesh tube, and go into Edit mode (Tab key).
●
Select and delete the vertex in the center of each end, making the cylinder into a hollow tube. You
could also disable Cap Ends in the Tweak Panel after adding the tube.
●
Switch to Edge select mode (no vertices!) and B-key border select across the tube to grab the vertical
edges. Make sure not to select the edges that run along the top and bottom.
●
Use the Subdivide tool from the tool shelf or W-key Specials menu.
●
Use the Tweak Panel to change the number of cuts to ten.
You'll end up with a subdivided tube like the one in
Figure 4.16
. From here, you can use B-key border
select to select a whole horizontal row of vertices at a time, then scale them with Proportional Edit Falloff
until you are happy with the final shape.
Figure 4.16
also shows several outcomes for this process.
Web
Each step of this exercise can be seen in Chapter 4's Web Bucket.
You'd probably want to use the Smooth shading tool and a Subdivision Surface modifier, as with the
flower, to complete it. If you were just knocking out a generic vase, this process would be fine. However,
if you were trying to create a specific vase with a specific profile, or just to have more exacting control
over the outcome, there is another way.
The Spin tool—found in the Modeling section of the tool shelf or Alt-R in the 3D view—takes a flat
mesh profile and extrudes and rotates it around a central point. It lets you easily turn the edge-and-vertex
profile on the left of
Figure 4.17
into the surfaced object on the right. This process is sometimes referred
to as
lathing
.
Begin by opening the file that has your flower and adding a mesh plane primitive (Shift-A > Mesh >
Plane). Make sure that you're not in Edit mode on the flower and that the 3D cursor is somewhere away
from it, so new work won't overlap. Use the Tab key to enter Edit mode and delete (X key) all four
vertices. Get used to doing this when modeling, as it is the standard way to begin a model “from scratch.”
Use Numpad-1 to go into a front view. Then, use Ctrl-LMB to draw the profile of the vase, just like we
did with the petal in the previous section.
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