Adventures in 3D Modeling...

I am happy to say that--although absent from my blog--I have been very, very busy these last two weeks.  

Getting over being sick?  Check.  Making silmarils?  Check.  Making 20 new pairs of hairsticks to post?  Check.  Working diligently on a few custom orders?  Check.  Going to the park and soaking in the sun?  Check.  Doing lots of paperwork and grown-up things?  Check.

Of course, there have been a few... different... activities as well.  

Trying to make laser sounds using a metal slinky and a plastic cup?  Check.  Making magnets out of Tangled stickers?  Check.  Learning how to do a 3-racks in StarCraft 2?  Check.

And, as of last night, 3D modeling can go on that list as well.

I have only tried 3D modeling once before--and it did not go well.  I started with a cube, and ended with... a cube.  So, when my husband asked if I wanted to try it again, I was dubious.  Still, I found a tutorial and once more plunged into creating virtual objects--this time using an open source program called Blender.

Approximately 8 hours later, this is what I have to show for myself:

Yes, indeed, it is a balloon!

It might not look like much, but I am very proud of that simple balloon.  After all, not only does it look like a balloon from the front, it looks like a balloon from the back:

And even up close!

Since I am just learning, it took about 5 hours to work on the string alone.  (And I am probably going to have to re-do the string, simply because I can't get it to animate the way I currently have it...  Ah well.  It's all part of the learning process, right?) 


...I also made it a bit more complicated than the tutorial required.  The tutorial called for using simple shapes, and not that many structure points.


Heh.


This is what my balloon looks like in the wire-frame view...

...and the smooth, surface view!

Do I have a long way still to go?  Of course. 


Am I happy with my progress?  Definitely.


Today, a balloon...  Sometime, in the next 10 years, the world!