Hello Blenders. I hope you are all very well.
After a few of the fundamental CGC courses I have started my own projects to ramp up the learning curve. It's only been a couple of hours and I have already run into issues.
My first project is to build and animate 3 watch hands on watch dial - I am a watchmaker by trade.
The below images are screen grabs from google showing 2 sets of hands (hour, minute and centre seconds) from above and below.
The below images are screen grabs of my first attempt. I started with a circle, filled it, inset it and then extruded downwards. I then selected 10 vertices and extruded them along the Y axis. I also used Solidify and Subdivision modifiers. As you can see I quickly ran into problems.
Not great but that led me to a rethink and to the below effort. Again I started with a circle and filled it and then inset it twice to make more polygons to work with. I used a Solidify modifier and then extruded the inner vertices down along the Z axis for the collet. I modified a plane for the long piece of the hand again using a Solidify modifier and added edge loops to create more polygons (I'm learning the terms and hope they are correct and not confusing).
The pointed piece on the end was problematic at first as I tried manipulating the end of the rectangle plane but that proved to be confusing so I added another plane with the same size Solidify modifier. After scaling it I moved 2 corner vertices to the middle and merged them. I then snapped the triangle to the rectangle and joined them.
I now want to add the long pointed piece to the circular piece but am snookered. Maybe this is the wrong way to go about making the hand?
The plan is to then bevel som edges and add materials etc. Its one stage at at time and I know I will end up making this prototype many times but its a start.
Below is a screen grab of the scale I will be working on in the future but for now this is a ‘simple’ and ‘basic’ modelling exercise.
Any help would be much appreciated.
My very best,
Jason
There are many ways to do this, but, considering the size of the hands, I'd say, don't use a Subsurf Modifier, concentrate on the exterior shape of the hands and use a Boolean for the holes. Make sure, not to neglect the 'edge' along the center line, because they will influence how the light reflects. Don't try to be too exact and don't waste too many Vertices on the hands...but of course it depends on how close you are going to get to them in the Renders...
You know Jason, you probably are one of the guys that could make the most of the livestream about answering questions that we have on Discord. That could more broadly discussed there that here by text. It's cool that you are a watchmaker, I don't know why I associate that with the mad genius that will either try to take over the world or try to save it.
Also I'm thinking if you put the origin point (the yellow dot) there in your mesh and add a mirror modifier in Z, you'll get the other half for free and your with be completed.
Martin & Omar
Thank you Martin Bergwerf. I will take on board your comments and crack on and see where it takes me. The shape of the hands is all important. I've been handling hands, up close with a magnifying eyeglass, for years and am planning to model different shapes with their curved and reflective surfaces but need to get the basic modelling right in my head first. It’s easy to follow lessons and copy what's on the screen but DIY modelling is key. I've touched on the Boolean modifier in one of the lessons so will explore a little more. Thanks again.
Thank you Omar Dommenech. I’ve never heard of Discord so I will look into it. Does CG Cookie have their own ‘section’ on Discord? As for your associations with mad geniuses’ taking over or saving the world, that tickled old Earnie. There are few watchmakers now so when I tell people what I am it raises eyebrows and questions and very often requests to fix broken watches or clocks. But I'm also a Photo Artist (www.jasonwilde.com) . I’m planning to introduce myself on the platform when I get a few spare mins.
Anyway, thank you for your advice about the mirror modifier but I think there has been a little misunderstanding as to the shape of the hand in your example? Or perhaps I'm missing an important lesson?
Here is my latest version using shapes and the boolean modifier.
Ah ok Jason, I see now how the hand is structured, yeah the mirror thing doesn't apply then. But You're doing great, it is coming together fine. Next up for you is trying to make it one continuous piece instead of having all those parts separate.
The Discord channel is in the Community menu here at the top of the website. You can join us and all the other 3D artist that are there.
Thanks Omar. I will defo get involved in the discord channel once Ive worked out a few things.
