Help needed: please suggest technique for modelling this

Help needed: please suggest technique for modelling this

Hi all.

I have just spent best part of half a day exploring all the different possible technques I could discern from playing with the program and reading the docs in order to accurately model the basin in the scene shown below.

I have figured a couple of pathways to get the result I need visually - which is basically a stretched cube with a boolean chunk taken out and ALL the edges bevelled... but hell, either the polygon count goes through the roof or the time involved is disproportionate or both.

Has anyone got a fast, low poly technique for modelling the basin (not the tapware)? (I photochopped the basin from the original into the scene).

basin01.jpg


Martin:
I read your comments regarding bevelling controls for objects... all I can say is... please hurry!
 
Hi,
start with a box. Than use the ring cut and the extrude tool to build the mesh seen in image 1. Now apply two subdivision steps and you are done.

The mesh above took me less than two minute. :D

I hope that helps.

By,
Martin
 

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My goodness things seem simple when someone points it out to you.

Thank you!

I will add though, that I simply would not have thought of using ring-cut and extrude to get my internal shape for instance. Doesn't seem terribly intuitive. Maybe that's just my 'newbness' showing though.
 
Martin:
to follow up on the previous problem...

the "Ring Cut" tool is all fine and well when creating the object in Cheetah. But the Ring Cut tool doesn't allow (again, I may be wrong) precision placement of cuts etc.

So if the need arises that one has to be dimensionally correct and is forced to create the model in another program that allows precision placement, such as the model shown that was created in SketchUp, how would you resolve the bevelling?

All I can figure to do is apply the subdivision modifier and use the linear subdivide tool. That's when the polys get out of control.

The reason why I ask is because I cant seem to be able to import the model without triangulation. The Ring Cut tool does not work on this model.

Imported .3ds from SketchUp

basin_import.jpg


+ subdivide modifier and tool applied

basin_import02.jpg
[/img]
 
Hi,
Cheetah3D was originally planed as a tool for organic modelling where exact messures arn't that important. So I have to care about the feature afterwards.

The .3ds format can only contain triangles. That's why every ngons has to be tesselated before they will be saved into a .3ds file.
But the .obj file format can handle ngons. Maybe you try the .obj file format for transfering data.

Subdivision surfaces generally won't work very well on triangles. But the Stam-Loop algorithm handle them better. But in your case it won't work to well too. In SDS modelling quads are always desired.


By,
Martin
 
Martin said:
Hi,
Cheetah3D was originally planed as a tool for organic modelling where exact messures arn't that important. So I have to care about the feature afterwards.
I see. I'll be looking out for developments with this in the future. It will make your great program even better.

The .3ds format can only contain triangles. That's why every ngons has to be tesselated before they will be saved into a .3ds file.
But the .obj file format can handle ngons. Maybe you try the .obj file format for transfering data.
Tried .obj and it is marginally better in that it can handle rectangles but it triangulates planar surfaces that contain more than 4 points.

Funny thing is though, that when I try to remove the triangles by selecting them, deleting them and then using "Fill Hole" tool, it works right up until the last surface which refuses to fill!!! Why is this?

(NOW can you see why I spent half a day on this?) *grin*
 
Sliding the ringcut point along an edge between the bounding points before releasing the mouse button displays a percentage of the distance between these points which works great for precision in organic modeling.

For measured offsets from a bounding point, I wonder if it would be possible to modify the program so that, if Quantatize had a value other than zero, one could slide the ringcut point to a chosen endpoint, hit a hot-key to set a zero value at that point, and then slide back a measured distance from that point similar to the operation of the extrude function.

It would be great if Scalpel and Jigsaw had this ability also.

I'm just learning how simply this program does work and hope it doesn't lose that character as it evolves.

John R
 
Yes, displaying linear distance from a user defined origin point would broaden the modelling abilities without changing the nature of the program. Good suggestion.
 
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