3D Modeling Special Interest Group – April 2017

In this session, we wanted to look at how we could create a 3D model for the Tizio lamp, a classic table lamp designed by Richard Sapper in 1972. Creating a model from a known object will allow us to look at how we can start with a complex shape and break it up into simple chunks. Breaking up your 3D object into simple manageable chunks is an important skill in 3D modeling.

• 00:15    We started out by looking at the lamp that we want to model. There are several pictures of this lamp on the Internet.
• 01:14    The first step in modeling this lamp is to break the model into simple chunks. The first and easiest chunk to make is the base. The base is nothing more than a simple cylinder. There is a lot of detail in the original object, and we discussed whether it is important to put all this detail into your 3D model. Generally, if the detail is small, it will not be seen in the overall design. It is not often that this lamp will be so close to the viewer that the detail will be visible. Therefore, it is easier to create the base without all of the detail.
• 03:28    The next step is to create the uprights that rise from the base to support the counterweights. Again, the actual object has quite a lot of detail, but it will be easier for us to simplify this. If we simplify it, we can create these uprights by using simple extrusions and simple solid modeling.
• 08:07    The next step is to create the first counterbalanced structure. We will again use the technique of simplifying our model. Using simple shapes and solid modeling, we can create the first counterbalanced object. The counterbalance weight is a curved object. There is more than one way to create this, but we chose to create it as a straight object and then to bend it using the deform tool.
• 20:17    We can build the next part of the structure by using the same techniques that we used for creating the first counterbalanced part. The second counterbalance object is similar to the first one but smaller.
• 30:06    The final piece of this lamp is the part that contains the lamp. The strategy with this part is to model it as if it was solid and then to subtract the part for the lamp. When we simplify the shape, it is easy to create using polygons and extrusions. We used the Shell Solid tool to cut out the volume for the lamp.
• 38:45    The next step is to put in the Vectorworks light. For this light, the spotlight would be ideal. The spotlight allows you to change the width of the beam.
• 40:56    The final step is to turn the object into a symbol. Once the object is a symbol, it can be stored in your library and used on any project. Before you make the object into a symbol, it is worth looking at the rotation of the object; the origin of the object when it is made into a symbol will affect its insertion when used on other projects. I prefer to rotate my objects so that they have zero angle when I place them in a project.
• 44:55    Now that we have created our symbol, we can export it to a library, use it on other projects, and create a duplicate symbol and change its texture. This is a quick method for creating different lamps. I finished up the session with one lamp that had a black texture and another that had a chrome texture. We also looked at how to import this plan into a project.

3D Modeling April 2017 am
[ms-protect-content id=”34491,34492,34493, 34494, 34495, 34496, 344927″]

[/ms-protect-content]