I found the cutest little furniture, however it is a Vue file and it is restricted use, therefore, I am making my own little bench.

I cannot find a tutorial on making the back and the sides. 

The back is part rectangle, however has a hump in the middle at the top.  So I can make the retangle and the hump.  I do not understand how to make the hole.  Do I have to do something like this in Hexagon? 

The sides are a cylinder.  The leg part turns into a squared cylinder and the arm (or peg holder) turns into a flattened, sort of curley end.

Perhaps this is too hard for me to make.  I appreciate any help you can give me.  I have searched the Carrara tutorials I can find, however making a cut-out and making the rather difficult legs are not in the tuts I have seen.

Any help is welcome.

Thank you so much,

Jan

 Edited to add, if anyone has ever made this cute little Country-Look furniture, with the little holes and the cute legs, please let me know.  An entire house of this cute little furniture that I can texture myself would be awesome.

I really don't want heart cutouts because that limits the furniture to children.  I am hoping prop/furniture makers like Sams 3D and TrekkieGirl, and the many other talented artists,  will see this. 

 

From what I see of the small image you should find it easy to do In Carrara. And a walkover in Hexagon?  Any chance of a bigger image to study the detail properly. Looks like a good exercise just to practice on for me.

Thank you so very much for answering my message!  http://www.3d-artworld.de/index2.html is the link where I found it.

I am going to upload a picture of one of Wayne Grinberg's benches which is very close.  I purchased all of his cd's.  His work is just awesome. 

You see his little arms and feet are one piece however they are more curvy.  Well, his is just as cute as can be.  It's just not the one in the pic.

You know us women...we see something...and we shop 'til we find it...or just try to make it ourselves...then ask for help...

I appreicate anything you can do.  If someone make cute little furniture parts to mix and match that have this country look, I would purchase in a New York minute....well, for a reasonable cost.

Again, I thank you so much.

Hugs, Jan

 

I am trying to upload the little bench I DO have.

Hi Jan, This is a very easy thing to do with Carrara's Spline Modeler. Just draw the outside perimeter, then using the circle tool, draw a circle,position it and combine the two shapes as a compound. Post back if you have any questions. Mark

Oh, Mark, I thank you so much, however I have been trying to do what you did since you posted and I just can't.  I am going to go through some tutorials using the Spline Modeler.  Then, I am going to try again.  All I seem to make are loops and triangles.  Wow, have I got a lot to learn.

You did this for me and I cannot even re-create it.  I am so sorry.  I DID make a Lemonade stand in Carrara and it turned out really cute.  It might have been you who showed me how.  I am not giving up.

bwtr:  Thank you so much for offering.  Yes, it is easier for someone to do it for me.  I suppose I am trying to learn too much at once.  I am doing my first scene in Poser...learning where to place plants, a house, Kiki, etc.  This is all too exciting. 

I do not understand why I couldn't get my picture to upload of Wayne's bench.  Anyway, guys, I appreciate everything.  The day I can just make any piece of furniture or whatever, that will be like a dream come true.  I guess I could go back and use those loops for a bow.:)

Please don't be upset with me for just not getting it yet. 

Jan

Since I happen to like an optimized model I'd probably build the back in the Vertex Modeler: by creating circle, outside edges, the slat-like cut-outs, then (laboriously) hand-stitch all of these together with new lines. Once I'd filled the resulting surface I could then extrude and bevel. (Of course, not sure if Carrara5 will still let me do it that way. It seems it has decided all the obvious modeling methods are "incorrect" and must not be used any more.) Those legs might be possible by a series of cross-sections and a loft. If you plan them right you can get that change from square to round. Alternately, use the Dynamic Extrusion tool and stop in a few places to edit the cross-section by hand before continuing the extrude.

nomuse:  I don't understand about the obvious modeling methods.  What does it matter how you do it?  As long as it's your own work.  Well, I looked at your musical WIP and they were awesome!  You DO know what you are doing, that is for sure.

I just took a long nap and I am very mad at myself.  I guess I was just frustrated.  I think I will write up all of this as "Advanced Users" tutorial.  As much as I want to be able to make the prop I want when I want it, I MUST learn what you guys are telling me.

You guys are good!!

Thank you for all of the help. 

Jan

 

I have a question for you nomuse: I am also having trouble modeling like I used to. In the vertex room, I keep getting errors trying to connect 2 empty ploygons if each is closed. If I open both, then I can connect them, but can't close them. How would you go about it now in CP5? I can't make an rectangle, empty, drop a circle in, empty, and combine the two - I tried.

The only way I found to do it was to create the shapes in vertex room and do not empty them. Off set them to make each easier to sellect, then start connecting each to the other, align, empty and add thickness. It takes a while and allow for multiple undo's. What about making the center negative shape a boolean cut out? Create the center cut out in the vertex room, save the shape ( after adding thickness, like a cookie cutter ) - save as a .obj and import again to use as to cut from the other shape.

Sorry for the second post, should have just tested first. Jan, you can do what I just tried. I made the cut out shape first - the shape you want to be the negative space. I worked in the vertex room to create the fire shapes, circles, and bars. Then I added thickness, aligned them just so, and exported or saved as .obj file. Then I imported it back in as one object. Converted it to the vertex room ( another modeler ) and used it as the subtraction for the rectangle shape. It took some playing around but it worked. Following this method, you can cut out compicated shapes. Good luck.

Yup, Ominous. In fact, I traded several emails with a tech at Eovia, and also was in discussions on this board and others. Basically, Eovia decided that connecting polylines to polygons was wrong, wrong, wrong and would no longer be permitted by their software. To add further insult to the injury, it seems Carrara now has trouble (at least on the Mac platform) in distinguishing between the two. So you might, say, start with a polygon, empty it, then try to weld some new points into it. And Carrara beeps and throws up that annoying little "This is not allowed on a polygon. Please empty before proceeding." (Or whatever the inane error message is). Sigh. I miss the old methods. And I doubly miss them since I can't really be certain when Carrara will suddenly stop in the middle of a model and refuse to do something. Like the last model I did! (Created cylinder, duplicated three polys to make a short curved section, rotated slightly and started to weld it back in along one edge. First weld, fine. Second weld, all hell broke loose. Almost lost the model completely there -- did lose all my mat zones and my UV map). I keep 4 installed, and if it weren't for some of the new toys I'd do all my modeling there,

Ominousplay and Mark made the cutest little backs for a little bench.  Now I see what nomuse meant about doing things the way they used to be done...now you can't.

You know, I see why no one builds custom stuff.  Heck, the time it takes to make that little bench up there, I would want no less than $300.  Well, gosh, I cannot pay that much, and you have no idea if anyone else would use it.

Mark, I don't know how long it took you to do what you did up there, however if you will sell me that and try to make the cute little leg arm things, I can make the other pieces and put it together.  The thing is, I just cannot pay more the $25 for a bench.   I am slowly buying all of the little country pieces of furniture Ravyne has.   IsauraS has the Porch and Country Kitchen I am going to purchase.

I just purchased the Three Little Houses by ThreeDCritter. 

Sure, I love the fanatasy, very much....I love gothic...very much, but trying to sell little digital scrapping sets, I need my little Kiki playing in the yard with cute flowers and cute little bench.

Wish I was at home....accounting is just not right for me anymore.  I am going to try to take 4 days off just to play and create in 3 weeks.

God Bless you all...If you decide to make a set of the little furniture like that, let me know how much.  You guys have been great.

Hugs to you,

Jan

Hi Jan, Learning to use Carrara's modelers saves a ton of cash so I wish you well on your three weeks off to create. For objects like the bench, I prefer the spline modler because it's so fast, creates small file sizes and remains customizable independently of poly fidelity. For simple, custom shapes, like in the bench, it's perfect. To make the whole bench would take about 20 minutes tops - seriously. Modling is a a different animal to get your head around. And "real" modeling, not the way you build models in Bryce and Vue, opens up so many possibilities. Good luck. Mark

I agree with Mark. Take your time and play with the spline modling. Before you know it, you'll find it is easy after you learn a few tricks. Then your furniture can be combined - legs, backs, seats, etc. Have fun with it. If I have time I'll try and put a bench together for you to play with.

Give the spline modeler a try. Do just as Mark said in his first post. Create the shapes - maybe working from the "front" view. Create the back board, then draw a circle, shapes, bars, etc. over the back shape. Then select all and combine under the arrange function. It will take the "inside" shapes out of the outside shape. Play with it. It is much easier than using a boolean to create the negative shape.

Ok, ominousplay, had me at select all and combine under arrange.  I thought, hey, I DO know the select all function and gee whiz, there is a tab with the word ARRANGE.   Can't I do that.  Before Mark told me about making a spline object, I had only played a little with this function.

I don't understand how to take the pen and draw what I want because there are so many variables you have to enter first.

So I just decided to make a plain ol' rectangle with the preset shapes and a plain ol' hole.

I didn't understand until today, that I could do the arrange-combine and the circle would subtract.

This certainly doesn't look like anything to you guys, however I MADE A RECTANGLE WITH A HOLE IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's everything to me, though. 

I think you guys are not using the present rectangle, of course, because you have the pretty top and it is even beveled.  I know you are using the pen.  But you are telling the pen how to draw and I must do tuts before I understand that.  Unless....Unless...somebody sweet would do a print screen of your pen settings...yes, yes...that is asking a lot...but just think....it I EVER get this made...I won't pester you guys again.....NOT!!!!

Now, have we talked about the legs? nomuse did and I am going to try that, but I think that is over my head. 

Also, the really pretty post ominousplay did several messages up and talking about the vertex objects....I want to play with that, as well.

Well, you guys are something....going to get ready for work, but please think about what a good thing you do when you help someone.

Thank you a bunch,

Jan

There is a lot more to this scene, but I was afraid the file was too large.  The cute little house is blue and I have added cherry trees and flowers, a little squirrel....that bench is going to be precious.

I just wanted ya'll to see why I want it so badly.  I, also, am using UNIFLUID and Jepe's products to make rain.

"Playing in the Rain" is the name.  My first scene...well partial scene, I have ever uploaded. 

So, you see, I am really serious about making that bench.

Hugs,

Jan

Jan, all I do is grab the pen and start clicking. First I set the background to "front" and then click away. I meet back with the first point when I'm finished, though I don't think you have to, just "Enter" and it will close. You can then select points to change them to smooth points, move verticies around, etc. Try several shapes inside the main body. I create one and copy/paste. Once your bench has the basic shape and cutouts, then highlight the front ( that was created ) and "create" so you can edit it. I used the bevel function to give the front a fun bevel. Nice image. Her movement is free and fun-loving.

Congrats! Once you've finally "clicked" and seen how to work the Spline Modeler, a lot of things prove to be quite easy to make. And as Mark pointed out, as spline models they remain editable, animatable, and you even have some control over mesh density if you export them. When I work in the Spline Modeler, my first move is to switch to a Front camera. At that point, I am looking straight at the shapes I will be extruding. Also make sure to select that as the active plane! For many objects, all you need to do is create that first cross-section (inserting pre-made shapes from the menu then editing them is fast -- plus you can duplicate and rotate stuff for even more efficiency). Then switch to either side or 3d view and extrude. For a bar, just extrude...drag the center line out till it gets to the length you need. For a pipe, add some points to the center line and bend it. For a vase, add envelope and edit the curves on that. There's a few more tricks in there, including the spiral preset, the bevel command, editing cross-sections, and filling or unfilling cross-sections, but the above is most of what you will use.