Workshop # 1- alexl

[alexl]

My workflow is slow and sloppy :p so I'm looking forward to learning something hopefully.
I started with this thing, no idea if it actually has a name but it has screws in it.

I started modelling with a single plane and moved vertices to match the silohuette of the object from the front and side views, added edge loops to the 2 sides and bottom to keep edges sharp when turbosmoothing, cut 8 sided circles into the side and started cutting and connecting verts and edges to keep everything in quads, I then added a symmetry modifier, flattened the stack and then started messing with the other side. Once it was looking alright added a shell modifier, flattened the stack and adjusted some more.

http://alexluong.co.uk/misc/bimonthly/bi_month1_wip1.jpg

OBJ Here (http://alexluong.co.uk/misc/bimonthly/bi_month1_wip1_alexl.zip)

[Vrav]

Sexy beveling on those larger holes. Nice workflow as well; Silo needs a shell option! *envy*

[ericleekessler]

what's the best way to make those circle cuts in the mesh? booleans + cleanup? Have always wondered that (Mainly use maya, thought I'd add that in there :) )

[Ihazard]

what's the best way to make those circle cuts in the mesh? booleans + cleanup? Have always wondered that (Mainly use maya, thought I'd add that in there :) )

What I did was create the outside with plane shift-extruding, then boolean the holes out, then you can use a shell modifier with the inner amount set to the right amount, then add edge loops on the inside of the circles.

[EarthQuake]

Usually what i tend to do is this:

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/499159/circlecut.gif

A good thing to think about is the # of sides you're going to use for your cylinder, and plan that before you start.

[alexl]

Nice method Earthquake, looks like a cleaner way to start things then what I did.

what's the best way to make those circle cuts in the mesh? booleans + cleanup? Have always wondered that (Mainly use maya, thought I'd add that in there :) )

I did my circle cuts by placing an 8 sided circle spline behind the plane that I wanted a hole in, turned on snap to vertex and started cutting into the plane following the shape of the circle. Required cleaning up afterwards though.

http://alexluong.co.uk/misc/bimonthly/bi_month1_circle_cuts.jpg

Real interesting seeing all the different methods people use and what have you floating around now, good stuff.

[ericleekessler]

very interesting method EarthQuake, I like, seems quick clean and to the point :) and nice work so far alexl!

[alexl]

My update for the day, really interesting thing to model this panel, took me awhile.

http://alexluong.co.uk/misc/bimonthly/bi_month1_wip2.jpg

OBJ Here (http://alexluong.co.uk/misc/bimonthly/bi_month1_wip2_alexluong.zip)

[Stradigos]

Earthquake, I guess I never understood the difference between MeshSmooth and TurboSmooth. I see your using MeshSmooth there, but would TurboSmooth hurt at all? I think Maya just calls it Sub-D right? I've never used it before. Sub-D in Max just tesselates it.

[EarthQuake]

AFAIK in max, turbo/mesh are just different methods for the same thing, i think one may be faster than the other. Silly legacy max stuff? There are atleast 3 ways to turn on sub-d in max, so i dont really know if any of them have real differences visually.

Maya has like 3 was to turn on sub-d too, smooth preview, mesh -> smooth, and "smooth proxy".

In modo all you do is hit tab to turn it on/off. =)

[Vrav]

And in Silo it's just c and v to go up and down in sub-d levels, though there is a toggle like modo too. Never understood why Max doesn't just call it what it is...

[Andreas]

I really like yours Alex, well put together. No crits really.

[alexl]

I think I'm almost done, might do the text engravings, might not.

http://alexluong.co.uk/misc/bimonthly/bi_month1_wip3.jpg

OBJ Here (http://alexluong.co.uk/misc/bimonthly/bi_month1_wip3_alexluong.zip)

[SHEPEIRO]

AFAIK in max, turbo/mesh are just different methods for the same thing, i think one may be faster than the other. Silly legacy max stuff? There are atleast 3 ways to turn on sub-d in max, so i dont really know if any of them have real differences visually.

Maya has like 3 was to turn on sub-d too, smooth preview, mesh -> smooth, and "smooth proxy".

In modo all you do is hit tab to turn it on/off. =)

your missing out convert to sub'd there which is the most powerfull of the bunch