Santa buttons

S

SantaStephen

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Santa buttons

Newbie to forum and Cheetah 3D

Is this something we could do with Cheetah 3D?
Probably create output for a 3D printer for a wax model for molding in brass (maybe Gold Plated) or a plastic model for creating molds for multiple units?

We have 5 buttons with similar design, but the reindeer names change.
Rope style exterior ring with light lofting, snowflakes and names lofted and reindeer center lofted on a light curved elevation. Diameter 1.375-inches
Design nearly complete in AI except proper candy cane (rope) ring(s).

PS-button.jpg


Advice from you experts will be appreciated.
 
Frank
Thanks for the lead. We envisioned it too by 3D printing, maybe iMaterialize or such and then produce a brass version, depending on cost.

I'm willing to try to learn, but I'm thinking it would probably be more expedient and perhaps better to hire a 3D pro to produce the STL files? I will probably have other projects, again depending on cost, like belt buckles and a Santa signet ring.
 
Frank, again - thank you. I'm pretty good with AI and PS, but at a loss on any experience with 3D. Is there a particularly good lesson plan/book targeting beginners (how to move around an object, camera manipulation, object creation, material use, etc) that you would suggest?
 
If you can provide some example (vector) file or a portion of it I can put a step-by-step together (next morning as it is towards 1.00 am already) to let you get started. ;)

Cheers
Frank
 
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I think this is what you meant. The AI file converted to a 2D SVG file.
Thanks
 

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Hopefully this will be helpful:
Here are the steps:
A. Export your vectors to PDF or simply print to PDF
B. Open with Photoshop: 2048x2048 px• Mode: Grayscale • Bit depth: 16bit
C. Flatten image to get rid of Alpha mask • add Gaussian Blur of 2 pixels to get nice shoulders in 3d • Save as PNG
in Cheetah3d
D. Take a "Disc object" - adjust segments: corners: 48 - segments radius: 44 - Shading: Phong
E. Add a "Subdivision Modifier" set to 4 Iterations (means you have around 500K polygons right now
F. Add a "Displacement-Modifier" to the disc as well
G. Load the 16bit PNG at the texture loader - adjust "Offset" to say to -0,015
That´s it so far for the relief. To get thickness with a blank bottom part:
H. Select the outer edge loop (bit tricky at the moment: make a ring select first then hit shift+cmd+X to expand the selection then hit shift+cmd+D 2times to be left with the outer edge loop)
I. "Cover" the edge loop - means extrude the edges - then drag the loop down for the thickness
J. Use "Close polygon hole"
K. export as "stl" - file will be 53MB heavy and 21,5MB when zipped.
Displacements.jpeg

Cheers
Frank
 
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Frank
Amazingly powerful program, and you make it seem so easy ;-))
I got stuck at the select loop stage, but I want to read more in the help.

If I wished to curve the top face, whether the entire thing or just a center portion, would I add another object (scalpel applied to sphere?) onto the top of the disc?

Here's where I got (although it doesn't render - only to all black in 2.5 seconds).
 

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Yeah - selecting an open edge loop is in the works for the next update - so this was my workaround. :redface:

Curving the to face can be done with the spherify-modifier - have an eye on the order of the hierarchy:
SpherifyModifier.jpeg

Cheers
Frank
 
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If it renders to black, that's probably because it's a metal (reflective) texture and there's nothing for it to reflect in your scene. Try adding an HDRI tag & image.
 
Frank, would another route to thickness be to create another disk with the same diameter and same number of corners, move it down a little, flip normals, import as child and bridge? I'm assuming you had to make editable before extruding the edge loop.

Bill in MN
 
Frank
Still not able to find a way to extrude, but I'm learning. Got this far on a more realistic render (thanks to maruchan on the hints). Still no sheen (reflection of the metal surface) to the gold button. Also, tried the spherify, but I seem to lose the graphic.

Regardless, sure is a neat program.
 

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Sweet on the render.
Using a cube, as in your example, when I follow the directions (using EDGE mode, you didn't say) for capturing the edge of the cube, I get the first two screens, but on the second Shift-Command-D, the edge also disappears. I beginning to think I must be stupid.
 
SantaStephen said:
Sweet on the render.
Using a cube, as in your example, when I follow the directions (using EDGE mode, you didn't say) for capturing the edge of the cube, I get the first two screens, but on the second Shift-Command-D, the edge also disappears. I beginning to think I must be stupid.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure your cube is just a basic box and has no iterations - right?
Edge loops=Edge mode! No?
Follow me:
A. go in edge mode
B. activate ring select
C. select an the edge ring nearest the outer boundary
D. hit&hold down shift+cmd keys and in addition
E. hit now "X" once (To expand selection and then) "D" twice (to reduce selection)
and you will be left with an outer edge loop of edges. ;)

Cheers
Frank
 
You´re not in edge-mode and there´s no opening:

Cheers
Frank
 

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