Final rendered model of our windup clock

When approaching modeling this clock, and any other model, I first try to divide it into parts. Obviously every product has its parts, and naturally you would go model one by one. This is that kind of model where your don’t have to think about which part to model first. This is obvious, first you need a clock body, then you can go about modeling which ever part. Here I first created the body, then the back plate with screws, then the front plate without numbers, bells and hammer, legs, and then in the end made the numbers and handles for the front plate.

STEP 1

Ok, in this step we will be creating the body. Since I lost every clock I had like this, I had to model it from reference images from the internet. So, we don’t have the measures, or technical drawings, but we need to model by eye, looking at the various images and approximate the lengths, distances and so on.

I created a template for my default usage with grid extents set to 10. So, make sure you do the same with Snap command, and clicking on the Extents options and input 10.

Now, we can start modeling. Since we don’t know what the accurate dimensions are, we will need to use our old method of trial and error. We will first create three straight lines with Polyline or Line command.

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Next thing would be to connect these lines with curves, and that we will do with BlendCrv command. Make sure you use G1 for both ends, so we get tangency.

img2

Using Join command make sure those lines are all joined together. So, next thing would be to create a surface out of this section curve, and we’ll do that with Revolve command. But, before that, we need to turn on the Record History option, so we can work on the surface by simply editing the curve.

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Now, if we select our initial curve, and using PointsOn command turn on the control points and if we move those points, we will automatically update the surface as well. If we used Record History that is.

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Ok, next thing would be to adjust the curves a bit so the surface is little more accurate. Try to make something like on the image below:

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Using OffsetSrf command, we need to offset this surface to inside by 0.3 units. So, make sure you flip the direction normals when in OffsetSrf command, so they point to inside.

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Then, simply, with BlendSrf command blend the gaps and Join the four surfaces.

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Final scene

Since it that time in the year again, some of you might find it useful to learn how to create few Christmas decorations for your tree visualisations

Introduction

Well, basically what we will do here is use solids for basic shapes and cut them how we like it.Simple, eh?

Step 1

In this step we will be creating the simplest decoration.

First Decoration

Go ahead, and create a sphere using Sphere command. Center it in the origin (0,0) and use 10 units as radius. To make this even simpler, you can set your Grid options like I have them. Just run Grid command, and where it says Extents click on it and input 10. That way you will have 10 units in your grid in every direction in the viewport which was active when you run the command. To apply this setting to all viewports, just use ApplyTo setting in Grid command. Click on it so it toggles from ActiveViewport to AllViewports. Now, simply using Snap option in your status bar we will start creating this Sphere.

Image 1

Once you got your Sphere, create another one, using 7 units as radius and position its center on 8,0. That is, 8 on the x axis, and 0 on the y axis.

Image 2

Now, using BooleanDifference make a hole in the bigger Sphere.

Image 3

We need to fillet the edges of this sphere. Using FilletEdge command fillet the edge with 0.2 as radius.

Image 4

Create a Circle from Top viewport with 5.5 as radius.

Image 5

We will Project this Circle onto the Sphere. We need to do this from Top viewport. So make sure it is active, and run the Project command to do the projection of the Circle on the Sphere. You will get 3 projected curves, and we only need the top one, so you can delete other two:

Image 6

Using Split or Trim command, we need to trim the upper part of the Sphere, with projected circle.

Image 7

Next thing we need is another Circle. This time create a Circle with 1.5 units as radius. Create it from top viewport in the origin (0,0). Then you will need to move it up (from either front or right viewport) with Move command by 17 units.

Image 8

Now, using ExtrudeCrv extrude this circle up by 1 unit. Make sure you don’t have Cap set to Yes, or BothSides set to Yes. Those two options need to be set to No.

Image 9

Ok, once you’ve done this, you need to make a surface with smooth transition from the sphere to the extruded circle. You will use BlendSrf command to do just that. As for the BlendSrf options, just leave it at default settings. Meaning AutoChain set to No, and for the Blend Bulge leave it as well at default settings, which are 1,1 and all other options unchecked.

Image 10

Next we will create a cap and a little wire to hang our decoration somewhere. So, using OffsetSrf offset the little cylinder surface outwards by 0.1 units.

Image 11

Now, using ExtendSrf command we will extend the upper edge of the offset surface up by 0.1

Image 12

Using Cap command we will close this surface into solid.

Image 13

Create another Circle, from Top viewport and use 0.5 units as radius. You should get your circle like on the image below:

Image 14

Now, using ExtrudeCrv command set the Cap setting to Yes, and extrude it up by 20 units, just so it goes through the cap:

Image 15

Using BooleanDifference command make a hole with this cylinder in the cap:

Image 16

Using FilletEdge fillet the edges of the tip with 0.1 as radius:

Image 17

Create another Circle with 2 units as radius, and position it like on the image below. Just make sure you create your circle from Front viewport. You can start Circle command, input in the command line when it asks you for the center 0,20 for the center, and then just 2 for the radius. You should get exactly the curve like on the image:

Image 18

We need a Curve starting from the circle. Using InterpCrv command we will create such curve from Front viewport: (you can start using OSnap if you haven’t already – Near would come in handy here)

Image 19

Using Mirror command we need to mirror this curve to the other side.

Image 20

Using Trim command we need to trim the Circle:

Image 21

I have almost perfectly hit the curve direction and smoothness and actually the curve is visually tangent to the circle. In reality that isn’t the case, so we need to fix it. We will match our curve onto the circle with Match command:

Image 22

Here you can see the black curve on the left, this is how the curve will be adjusted to match the tangency. So, now you see I didn’t actually hit the tangency manually. Do this same step for the right curve as well, and join all three into one:

Image 23

If necessary, using PointsOn you can change your curve a bit. But you will see if this is necessary after you make a surface. Using Pipe command we need to create a pipe surface. Use 0.2 as radius:

Image 24

Here you see this needs some adjustments. So, first, try moving it up a bit to see if this can fix it. If not, using PointsOn you will need to adjust the curve itself.

Image 25

For the purposes of this course, just moving this wire will do.

INTRODUCTION

Ok, this tutorial is pretty simple modeling wise, and probably doesn’t bring you anything newer than the previous tutorials, but none the less it is a good practice. Again, in this tutorial we’re not designing but rather just sharpening our modeling skills in Rhino. And by wide range of different models to model through these tutorials, you just simply learn to model. So, lets begin with this one.

This is the model you will create:

Final

STEP 1

We will start out from Top viewport with couple of Circles. It is always good practice to start modeling your model from origin. Usually things are symmetric and this way you are able to control your model even more, not to mention model one half if the other is the same.

Go ahead, and create two Circles with Circle command using 12 units and 8.75 as radii.

img1

Then you need to move the smaller Circle up on the Z axis by 4 units. Do it either from Front or Right viewport.

img2

Now, you need to Copy that Circle and move it up by 44.5 units.

img3

Using ExtrudeCrv command, and with Cap option set to YES, you should extrude bottom (bigger) circle up by 4 units. To do that without measuring and typing in the command prompt the values, you could easily just use Object Snap (OSnap) with Near option turned on.

tap4

Do the same for the smaller circle. Using the bottom one extrude it, all the way up to the upper one.

img5

Now, with Point command, create a point from Front viewport with x,y as -18,31 (x=-18, y=31).

From that Point, working in Right viewport create another Circle with radius of 8.45. If you turn on the OSnap “Point” option you will snap with center on the point.

img6

Using that Circle, we will create another extrusion. Using ExtrudeCrv command again we will extrude that Circle by 18 units. Just to the y axis.

img7

Using BooleanUnion command, join the three surfaces to form one. Then with FilletEdge command, you will create filleted edge.

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Ok, before you go and create a FilletEdge with default 1 unit as radius, you just need to start the command and select the edge like on the image above. Now, click on the AddHandle option to add handles. We are not going to have the same radius. We are going to have 4 handles, where we already have one. So using Quad OSnap option (it would be good to turn off the others) we will add 3 more handles on quad sections. Then, clicking on the handles dots you can input the radius for each one. So, for the upper and lower we will set 0.5, and left and right 2 units.

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Again, using FilletEdge fillet the edges like on the image below (use 0.2 as radius):

img11

Now we will create two more circles. You can use the existing one to Copy it and make two more instances 0.8 units and 10.3 units left of the original circle looking from the top viewport.

img12

Using the same original circle like on the image above, we will Offset it by 2 units inwards.

img13

We will extrude that offset circle by -3.8 (the minus sign means it will extrude to the left, rather than the default right – towards positive).

img14

Using BooleanUnion join that cylinder with the rest of the tap body. Now, using FilletEdge and 0.2 as fillet radius fillet the edges like on the image below:

img15

Using the two single circles we created earlier, make a solid with ExtrudeCrv command:

img16

Now, isolate the cylinder you just created and the circles on the edges of that cylinder. You can use Hide and UnHide commands, or just use Layers and put them in different layers. Either way you need to isolate your objects you’re working on.

img17

Using Offset command again, we will offset the Circle which is near the tap body. The right one looking from Front viewport. The offset distance will be 1.2 units towards inside.

img18

Using Split command we will split the cylinder object with inner circle. Then the surface which is left inside the circle needs to be moved by 2 units left looking from Front viewport.

img19

Now, using Loft command we will fill in the gap between the surfaces.

img20

Join all surfaces and using FilletEdge with 0.2 as radius fillet these edges:

img21

When you unhide everything, you should have something like this:

img22

Now, we will edit a little this cylinder we worked on. Using MoveFace we will move left face of it like on the image below. The distance is not very important:

img23

If you done all the measurements like I stated, then you should make a Point next. From any viewport this time, because we will define all three axis values. So, go make a Point with -26.35,0,74 (x,y,z).

After you’ve done the point, copy it using Copy command and move it down by 31.5 units:

img24

Next we need another Circle. This time with a radius of 1.7 units, and a center in the lower point. You can easily do that by starting the Circle command then snapping to the point (use OSnap Point option) and clicking to set the center of the circle, then move to Top viewport (make it active) and input 1.7 units as radius.

img25

Do the same for the upper Point, but create a circle there with radius of 2 units.

img26

INTRODUCTION

I really liked modeling this model, it turned out really good, and I must say that it was pretty easy to model it too. However, there is fairly enough playing with Osnap, but then again, when do we not use Osnap frequently? Anyway, to get you started, you first need to download some kind of blueprints I made for you out of this model. You just gotta love that Make2D command!!!

Blueprints reference

STEP 1

First things first, we need to setup our blueprints. Not only import them into Rhino, but also position and scale to fit the dimensions marked on them. First, go to Front viewport. You can expand it by double clicking it. Next, using PictureFrame command browse for blueprints you previously saved to your computer. Now, you don’t need to worry about how to position or how big you should make it. We will fix that in a bit, but just make sure your blueprints are not tilted. For that you can use Snap, or even better Ortho.

PictureFrame

Move from blade tip

Scaled blueprints to fit the line length

Another line

pic

RESOURCES

STEP 1

We will start from the bottom up. So, first we will model the bottom plate. Create two circles from the top viewport, one 11.9cm in diameter (if you see a diameter option in Circle command, click it so it turns into Radius – that means the diameter is on) and other 11.5cm.

Then we will need three more circles (you can make them anywhere, just make them concentric). Make them 0.3cm, 0.6cm and 0.8cm in diameter.

Now, using Mid, Quad and Cen options in Osnap, position these three little circles on the End (or Quad) point on the outer bigger circle. And move those three from right to left by 0.85cm.

Now we need three more groups of those 3 circles. So, we will use Arraypolar, and array them 4 times around the center of bigger circles (in my case that is 0,0 as I usually have my models in the origin).

Now, select the inner circle of two big, and outer circles of each three-group circles and move those circles up by 0.25cm (from front viewport):

Now, select and copy the inner circle of two bigger, and move it up by 0.55cm

Now, copy the outer circle, and move it up by 0.8cm:

Now, back to those 3-group smaller circles. Select the inner one (4 of them) and move up by 0.75cm. Then, copy those moved circles, and move the copied ones up by 0.2cm.

Now, pick one group of circles, and we’ll start making the boss. Create a surface between two smallest circles. I used extrude, but you can use Loft as well.

Now, the bottom one, I’ve extruded it to the bottom small circle (here, if you want to use loft, you need one more circle that is in the same construction plane as the bottom smaller circle).

And then, extrude the biggest circle to the upper small circle:

Now, we need to create the surfaces between inner and outer circles. We’ll do that with PlanarSrf.

Join those surfaces, and ArrayPolar like we did for the circles.

Now, we’ll make the bottom surface, so select outer circle, and 4 little ones and using PlanarSrf make a surface with 4 holes (just run PlanarSrf command and hit enter):

Repeat the same step for upper 5 circles:

Now, using the Loft command, make a surface out of outer circles (Use the straight sections in style option) :

Join those surfaces, and we’re done with the plate.Theres just one thing to do, that is fillet the edge. So, using FilletEdge and 0.1cm as radius, fillet the shown edge:

In this tutorial I will show you how to model a plastic bottle. To be more precise, this is a Domestos bottle. But the same method can be used to model any kind of bottle like shampoo bottle.

Image made by: gery

RESOURCES

TOP VIEW->180420084211.jpg

STEP 1

Ok, before I forget, the background image in top viewport is 208 units wide, and the one in Front viewport is 191 units wide. Ok, so after you set up your image references, we can start with the base of our bottle.

We will first make two lines with Polyline (or Line) command and make the second one go through the middle of the first one. You can either make the lines first, and then using Mid osnap option position the two lines in their middle, or you can make a longer line with Polyline and then using Line: From Midpoint (From lines menu) and start that line from the middle of the longer one…

The longer line is 92mm, and the shorter one is 60mm. If you use Midpoint line then input half, 30mm.

Next, create a circle of Radius 85mm anywhere in the top viewport. And then, using Quad option in Osnap move the circle to fit the end of the shorter line.

After you’ve done that, we need to mirror that circle over our longer line and then make two lines at each end and perpendicular to the longer line.

Trim the parts we don’t need, and fillet the corners with radius of 25mm.

Now make an ellipse 84mm wide and 54mm high.

STEP 2

Join all curves into one closed and extrude by 170mm upwards.

Next, make a line at the mid of our extruded ellipsoid.

With InterpCrv command make a curve and then using match command match that curve to be tangent to the line we just made:

In the Front viewport, from the start of curve make a line like on the image below and make it 50mm long, then from that line’s middle point, make another line 40mm long (it would be very helpful if you use Line: from Midpoint). Next, make another line perpendicular (use Perp option in Osnap) to those two lines, and make it long enough as the cap of this bottle is. Now move the 40mm long line along that perpendicular line so it fits the image.

Create two circles with center on the perpendicular line, and end point on the end of each line (the ones 50mm and 40mm). The easiest way to do this is from Perspective view. Mid and End options in Osnap are very helpful here.

Now on the other end make a small line as on the background image:

Now, make an interpolated curve between the upper end of this small line and bigger circle:

Using PointsOn command show the control points of that curve (that is still showing as a straight line – but not for long). Now move one of the control points to the left a little :

Fillet the curve and little line with 10mm radius.

Now, you can turn off the control points with PointsOff command.

With Sweep 2 rails (sweep2) command select two opposite curves as rails and the bigger circle and the surface edge as two cross sections:

Ok, first, sorry for delay, I’ve been meaning to write this one down for 4 days now.

I must say that I’m pretty happy with this one, it turned out very accurate and great. I really like it! And it is pretty easy to model it. So check it out:

RESOURCES

1042008419.jpg

STEP 1

Ok, first things first, so lets start with tubular part. The part where the motor and heater is. I’ve measured 120mm the length and make a line with Polyline or Line command (the length of our reference image is 190mm). We will make three circles two on the start and end of line, and one 30 or 40mm from the left circle. You need to offset them by 2mm, or simply make another circle. I made another circle, so in the end I ended up with 6 circles. Far two right circles are in radius 26 and 28mm. The far left two are 34 and 36mm, and the inner two are 35 and 37mm.

Using InterpCrv command make a line connecting three outer circles. (use Quad option in Osnap for easier snapping). Next, do the same step for 3 inner circles.

Using Sweep2 for first and second rail select outer two circles, and for cross section curve select Curve we made earlier.

Make an ellipse and position it like on the image below:

Next, from Front viewport use Project command to project that ellipse onto our tubular surface. You will get two curves on the surface, and we need only the front one. Using it, we will trim the surface and make a hole:

Now, we’ll move onto handle. I like jumping from one part to another, I guess you already found that out

From top viewport using reference image, outline outer edges with InterpCrv. Just to make sure, I made a straight horizontal line in Top viewport (using Ortho) and trimmed off the two curves. Now, we are sure those two curves has endings in the same cplane.

Create another ellipse, this time one radius 15mm and other 13mm. Using End and Quad options in Osnap, position the ellipse between two curves, first move it to the end of one curve, and using PointsOn command, stretch the ellipse to fit the other curve’s end.

Copy that ellipse, and position it like on the image below. You also need to stretch it with moving control points so it touches both curves. I have also made this ellipse 4 points higher. So, select upper three control points and move them 4 units up, and then move lower three control points and move them by 4 units (mm) down.

Next, using that second bigger ellipsoid and two handle curves, we will make a sweep2.

Using DupBorder we will duplicate border of newly created surface. We will get two closed curves, and we need the little one only, as we already have the bigger one. So, now, delete the surface, and again create sweep2 rail between two rail curves, and using now three closed curves:

And now, we have a handle! Next, we will blend the two surfaces, so use BlendSrf command. Note that we need to check the Same height shapes option:

Hopefully you got something like on the image below:

Resources

Blueprints (required registration, but I think it is worth!)

STEP 1

Again, in this tutorial I have also skipped the blueprints setup.

First, create 3 outline curves in Front viewport with InterpCrv and bridge two upper with one line using polyline (good to have osnap Near option turned on)

Next, split those two bridged curves with that created line (bridge).

Create using InterpCrv outline for the handle section, and offset by 1 inside.

Trim the two curves and split outline curves.

Then, from right viewport, create three lines, and Fillet the corners with 1 unit. Offset that curve by 1 unit inside, and you will create another instance of this curve, but this one won’t have filleted corners.

Extrude those two curves and trim two newly created surfaces with the curves in Front viewport.

The two curves for handle section need to be positioned on the center of your base surfaces. I’ve done that by first creating the surface with Surface from 3 or 4 Corner Points command (SrfPt) and I positioned that surface on the middle of my model. I’ll use that surface for future centerings (I hide it when not needed).

When you moved those two curves to the center, extrude them according to image below:

Here, I’ve used BothSides option in Extrude command. Notice the Top viewport to see the extrusion distance.

Blend the edges of coresponding surfaces, check image below for reference…

Connect blend curves with lines on the mid

Using Network Surface command create surface out of two blend curves and one line.

Do this step for 3 other parts, and join the surfaces. Next, we need to blend the inner and outer surface… I used 0.5 for both sides blend bulge.

In the picture above you can see that I didn’t use blend for connecting the two network surfaces, instead I used Sweep2. Do that 3 more times for other surfaces.

And for the little 3 curved surface corners I used Sweep1:

As you might notice, all these tutorials are pretty much the same. This is the method I use, and find very good. First, make the shape of the model, and then cut the details.

Well, this time we I won’t be showing you how to set the reference images in the background, as I think you have learned that from previous tutorials (I’ll add in tips & tricks section how to insert these, for future reference).

RESOURCES

STEP 1

We’ll make a rough outline trace for the speaker from Front viewport. Using polyline create 4 lines and position them using rotate like on the image below:

Then, using Trim command, trim off the parts we don’t need, so we have a closed curve. Fillet the left upper and lower edges with 12 units (I have set the resource image width to 83 units, just for the aspect ratio reference).

From top viewport, adjust the closed curve so it matches the angle as on the reference background.

Next, from the upper left corner (in top viewport) make a straight line 80 units in length. Using PointsOn turn on the control points for the closed curve, and using RemoveKnot command, remove two outer fillet knots on each round part.

And mirror that closed curve using this straight line’s mid point and Ortho option.

Using these two closed curves, create a surface with Loft command.

Close the objects both left and right sides with planar surface command (PlanarSrf) and join those three surfaces in one object.

Next, we need to make the back side curvy, so lets create a curve with Interpolated points (InterpCrv) like on the image:

Extrude the line (you can use Bothsides option to make sure it goes outside your object). Also, you will probably have to adjust the direction of extrusion, and you can do that by clicking on Direction option of Extrude command.

Trim off the parts of both extruded surface, and that object. After that, join the object.

Now, we will create a curve for splitting the base model. We are using the same method as for creating the rough outline trace as on the beginning of this tutorial…

We do this step again for top curve:

Using filletedge command fillet the two edges where our new curvy surface touches the flat surfaces.

From frot viewport, project the curve on the base model. You should get this:

Do the same for the top curve, but Project the curve on the object from Top viewport.

Copy the main object with Copy command, and paste it with Paste command (CTRL+C and CTRL+V works here). It is better to first copy, then trim the base object with one (either top or front curve) then paste that copied object and do the trimming with other (if you first trimmed with front curve, then now trim with top curve) curve.

Using earlier projected curves we will create cross sections between them with polyline command.

Mid and Perp options in Osnap toolbar are very helpful here. Near option is also needed here. Proceed with creating cross section lines until you get something like this (please not those lines need to be perpendicular to the curves).

Using sweep 2 rails (sweep2) command and set the yellow two curves from upper image as two rails, and other lines as cross sections. And tick the Closed Sweep option.

Unhide all the other parts, and join this surface with other two.

Now, you can explode that as we will be offsetting (offsetsrf – I have offset by 0.5 units) the main two surfaces and we’ll again create the cross section…

Using Duplicate border on the offset surfaces create the rail curves.

This is the same way of creating the object as few steps before, but this one is by 0.5 units smaller. I believe we could simply scale down the bigger part, but hey, this is me, and I’m making this…

Ok, so we made an alternative to non-existing shell command in Rhino3D v4 (rumor is that in v5 there will be shell command-yey!).

RESOURCES

STEP 1

First things first, we need to insert the reference image in the top viewport, as always. So using BackgroundBitmap command, insert the image (I made the background 67 units wide).

When you got the background in the right position, we now need a straight line in the middle of brush on the image. So, using polyline create the line. After that, we need to create left edge, you can do that using circle command. Then, using polyline command, create a line, and using Curve:Interpolate points (InterpCrv) create a curve as on the image below:

Using all those curves, trim off the parts you don’t need, and there where two trimmed circles are, fillet using fillet command by 2 points (if you made your background image 67 points wide).

From your front viewport, using Copy command, copy your newly created closed curve by 3 points on y axis upwards.

Next, using InterpCrv command, create (by clicking only twice – start and end point) a curve between those two closed curves. You might find very helpful using end or mid option in Osnap. (find where your curve’s end is, an alternative way is to use int option, and click on the intersection of your first polyline (for mirroring) and bottom closed curve, and then using Perp, go up to the upper closed curve perpendicular)

Using PointsOn command, show the control points of this curve, and if you used perpcrv as I said, not polyline or line, then you should get two control points inside your curve. Move those to the right (from Front viewport) by 1.2 units.

Next, using two closed curves, and this profile curve, create connecting surface. We’ll do that using Sweep2 command.

Ok, next, using PlanarSrf command, create top and bottom caps of your base model.