Workshop #1 - Vrav
polycounter lvl 11
Woohoo! First workshop underway, thanks P.I.G. and EQ for getting it started.
Here's my start, all Silo.
OBJ: WIP
Semi-new ground for me, tried a few things I'd never gotten around to experimenting with. I took a few screenshots of my process along the way if anyone wants to see what I did for any given part. First thing I did was the NV button, which was interesting; it's not perfectly smooth with the letters stitched in like that, but I felt compelled to try. For a tiny detail, it works. Despite having integrated the three buttons into the plastic frame, they are actually detached to allow for pushing if need be. The only floaters so far are the hoods, which look fine; if I were to model the "-off-" and "on--" designations, they'd probably be left floating too.
I used 24-sided cylinders for the screws and round button. This made merging with the plastic and still keeping shape a bit easier to handle. Additionally, due to the radial distribution of loops on the top of the screws, I was able to just cut in the X shape without having to do any boolean or custom stitching (as was done with the buttons). Since the screws are nestled in recessions, it isn't a problem to detach and rotate for a break in symmetry.
Here's my start, all Silo.
OBJ: WIP
Semi-new ground for me, tried a few things I'd never gotten around to experimenting with. I took a few screenshots of my process along the way if anyone wants to see what I did for any given part. First thing I did was the NV button, which was interesting; it's not perfectly smooth with the letters stitched in like that, but I felt compelled to try. For a tiny detail, it works. Despite having integrated the three buttons into the plastic frame, they are actually detached to allow for pushing if need be. The only floaters so far are the hoods, which look fine; if I were to model the "-off-" and "on--" designations, they'd probably be left floating too.
I used 24-sided cylinders for the screws and round button. This made merging with the plastic and still keeping shape a bit easier to handle. Additionally, due to the radial distribution of loops on the top of the screws, I was able to just cut in the X shape without having to do any boolean or custom stitching (as was done with the buttons). Since the screws are nestled in recessions, it isn't a problem to detach and rotate for a break in symmetry.
Replies
I tend to start pretty simple - that's basically it... here are some shots to demonstrate what was done. Didn't take any shots of the screw heads, but they are iffy anyway, definitely worth being redone with less geometry.
I hate that my thread with next to nothing in it by comparison has more posts than threads with real work in
The model looks fine, although it does seem like you may be making things a little hard on yourself unnecessarily by trying to make everyone one mesh.
It's also worth bearing in mind that a lot of the time, when things are separate objects in real life, it's also sensible to make them as separate objects when modelling - prime examples here are the screws which you seem to have connected up to the main mesh. A lot of the time if you're not careful, the smoothing of the "pit" surrounding where you connect the screw mesh to the sunken hole mesh can end up looking strange, in reality there's a solid, sharp delineation between where one surface "ends" and another "starts", but if you make it all one mesh then it can have a tendency to look a little ... I dunno, goo-ey?
It doesn't really look like that here, since the parts are so small, but I still think it's good practice to try and construct things as they would be made in reality, usually that can help with the believability of the structure and prevent unnatural-looking surface intersections.
More dinking around tonight, figured I'd post an under-construction shot while taking a break (headache)... nothing fancy or exciting, I almost feel guilty, but it's good practice, so whatever. Obj in first post updated too.
Just a few parts (and holes) left, I think, before the low.
Good job.