Lofting the Receiver

Load a start file:

• Continue from the previous lesson, Creating the Shapes for the Receiver, or open telephone_receiver.max from the \tutorials\intro_to_modeling folder.

Create the loft path:

The receiver is going to be symmetrical, so you only have to draw half the path. Symmetry is something to watch for in design sketches. It can greatly decrease the time it takes to build a model.

1. Right-click the Front viewport to make it active.

   If the grid is not visible in the Front viewport, right-click the Front viewport label and choose Show Grid. Also, you might want to zoom in to get a clearer view of the grid squares, as seen in the illustrations below.

2. Open the Create panel. If Shapes is not already on, click it to turn it on.

3. Click Line to turn it on.

4. On the Creation Method rollout, choose Smooth as the Drag Type.

5. Using the grid lines as a guide, click near an intersection and drag to the left to start creating the loft path.

   Important: It is important that you draw the line from right to left. Otherwise, the Path values given in the steps that follow won't be correct.

   Try to obtain a curve that looks like the illustration. If the initial version isn't quite the same, don't worry. You can adjust it later.

   

   Note: The overall top surface of the telephone base is about 40 units wide, so make sure you drag at least 25 units away from the first point before you click to place the second point. This will give you the necessary clearance after the receiver is lofted.

6. Release the mouse button and click-drag again to place the second point of the path.

   As you drag away from the second point, notice that the previous segment continues to curve in order to blend with the next curve segment.

7. Release the mouse button again and click-drag away from the second point, not too far, to place the last point of the loft path.

   Note: If you drag too far away from the second point before releasing the mouse button, you'll add some quirky distortions to the second curved segment. Again, you can edit this later.

8. Click and release to set the last point on the path, and then right-click to exit the Line tool.

   Tip: If you want to adjust your path, go to the Modify panel and access the line's Vertex sub-object level.

9. Go to the Modify panel, and turn on the Vertex sub-object level.

10. Select the first vertex (the one on the right). Right-click and choose Smooth from the Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant of the quad menu.

11. Move the other three vertices until the spline looks like the illustration previously shown.

(Optional) Use the sample path that has already been drawn:

If you are using telephone_receiver.max, you have the option of using the receiver loft path that is saved with the scene.

1. Open the Display panel and choose Unhide By Name.

   The Unhide Objects dialog appears.

2. From the list, select Receiver Path and then click Unhide.

Lofting the receiver:

Unlike the telephone base, you're not going to use side or top profiles to constrain the shape of the receiver. You'll add the shapes to the path and then sculpt the 3D model by adjusting different Deformation values.

1. Press Alt+W to display all four viewports.

2. Right-click the Perspective viewport and select the loft path for the receiver, if it's not already selected.

3. On the Create panel, click the Geometry button.

4. Click the down-arrow next to Standard Primitives and choose Compound Objects from the drop-down list.

5. Click Loft to turn it on, then on the Creation Method rollout, turn on Get Shape.

6. In a viewport, pick the Receiver-Middle shape.

   This produces a lofted handle shape.

   Tip: Don't worry if the orientation of the shape is incorrect. You'll fix that later.

   

7. On the Path Parameters rollout, make sure Percentage is chosen, and then enter 100 in the Path field.

   This places the 'x' marker at the opposite end of the path, or 100 percent of the way along it.

8. Click Get Shape again and pick the Receiver-End shape.

   The receiver begins to take shape.

   

9. Enter 60 in the Path field and pick the Receiver-Bend cross-section.

   

Use Twist deformation on the handle:

Twist deformation adjusts the angle of a shape around the circumference of the loft path.

1. Go to the Modify panel and then open the Deformations rollout.

   First you'll properly orient the handle shape.

2. On the Deformations rollout, click Twist to open the Twist Deformation graph.

   

3. Click the black control point at the zero (left) end of the graph.

   It turns white.

   

4. Move Control Point is already active, so drag the control point up toward 100.

   Don't worry about getting it right on. You'll fine-tune it next.

5. At the bottom of the graph, you'll see two text entry fields. Enter 90 in the second field.

   

   The first, left-hand field represents the distance along the loft path. The second, right-hand field represents the rotation angle.

6. Click to select the control point at the opposite end of the path.

   Notice that the first field at the bottom now reads 100.

7. Enter 90 in the second text entry field.

   

   The handle of the receiver looks much better.

   

8. On the Deformations rollout, click the Twist button to close the Deformation graph.

Use Teeter deformation to clean up the receiver:

Teeter deformation adjusts the angle of a shape along the length of the loft path.

1. Click the Teeter button to open the Teeter Deformation graph.

   

2. Right-click the Front viewport and maximize it by clicking Min/Max Toggle or pressing Alt+W.

   

   Both ends of the receiver look a little crooked. The end should be horizontal, and the middle cross-section should be vertical.

3. On the Teeter Deformation graph, turn off Make Symmetrical and then click to select the first control point.

4. Enter -3 in the second entry field to straighten out the narrow end of the receiver.

   If you're using your own loft path, you might have to change this value slightly.

   

5. Click the control point at the opposite end of the graph and enter 2 in the second field.

   

   Now that the ends are fixed, you have to smooth the creasing going on at the bend.

6. On the Path Parameters rollout, set the path to 60. This is where the Receiver-Bend cross-section is located.

   

7. On the Teeter Deformation graph, click Insert Corner Point, and then click the graph around 60.

   

8. After placing the control point, enter 60 in the first entry field to precisely place the control point 60 percent along the loft path, and enter 15 in the second field to set the teeter angle.

   

9. On the Deformations rollout, click the Teeter button to close the Deformation graph.

   

   Just a little more sculpting and you'll be ready to finish the receiver.

Use Scale deformation to round end of receiver:

Scale deformation adjusts the scale of a shape on the loft path.

1. On the Deformations rollout, click Scale to open the Scale Deformation graph.

   

2. On the Scale Deformation graph, click Insert Corner Point and add two new control points around 90 and 95.

   

3. Click Move Control Point to turn it on again. Select the control point at 100, and change the second entry field value to 80.

   The end of the receiver tapers.

   

4. Select the next control point to the left and set the first field value to 99 and the second field value to 94.

   The end of the receiver continues to be refined.

   

5. Select the next control point and set the first field value to 97 and the second field value to 100.

   The end of the receiver is rounded off.

   

Use Scale deformation to sculpt the receiver along the X axis:

1. On the Scale Deformation graph, turn off Make Symmetrical.

   Tip: Some of these adjustments aren't visible in the Front viewport, so click the Min/Max Toggle or press Alt+W to make all four viewports visible again. Clicking Zoom Extents All might also help see the geometry you're editing.

2. Place your cursor over Insert Corner Point. Click and hold until the flyout opens so you can choose Insert Bezier Point.

3. On the red X-axis line, add two points: one at around 60 and the other around 70.

   

4. Click Move Control Point to turn it on, then change the values of the second new point to 70 and 81.

   

5. Move the cursor over the handle extending to the right and drag it so it matches the following illustration.

   

6. Select the first of the two new points and set its field values to 61 and 56.

   

7. Move your cursor over the handle extending to the left and move it to match the following illustration.

   

   The sculpting of the X axis is done.

   

Use Scale deformation to sculpt the receiver along the Y axis:

1. Click Display Y Axis to turn it on.

2. Click Insert Bezier Point and add two new control points around 60 and 75 on the green Y-axis line.

   

3. Click Move Control Point to turn it on, then change the values of the second new point to 76 and 82.

   

4. Move the cursor over the handle extending to the right and drag it to match the following illustration.

   

5. Select the first of the two new points and set its field values to 60 and 69.

   

6. Move your cursor over the handle extending to the left and move it to match the following illustration.

   

   The sculpting of the Y axis is done.

   

7. On the Deformations rollout, click the Scale button to close the Deformation graph.

Create the other half:

Now that the sculpting is done, you're ready to make the other end of the receiver. You'll do that with a Symmetry modifier.

1. On the Modify panel, click the down-arrow next to Modifier List.

2. Scroll down the List and choose Symmetry.

   You'll see the Mirror gizmo at the base point of the handset and half of the receiver disappears. This is because the base point is not at the end of the receiver but centered along the receiver's length.

   

3. Click the '+' symbol next to Symmetry in the modifier stack to view its hierarchy and access the Mirror sub-object level.

   

4. On the Parameters rollout, turn on Flip from the Mirror Axis group.

   The result is something like a receiver.

   

5. Turn on Select And Move, and click Mirror in the modifier stack.

6. Drag the Mirror gizmo to the right to generate the other half.

   You can let the two halves overlap a little. It should still fit on the telephone base.

7. In the Name field, change the object's name from Loft01 to Receiver.

8. Save your scene as my_phone04.max.