Just letting everybody know that I still haven't received any news from R-rosity concerning the CD. It's been over a week since I sent it in and I'm chomping at the bit because I have lables all printed and everything (I went and bought a color inkjet just for this project, I suppose I could use it for other stuff, hmmm). Just keeping everybody informed. New submissions are open for the next disc if anybody has stuff to offer. One thing I'd like to have is a nice clear light bulb if anybody has one. I have an ok one but I can't make the base and get it to look good! Those screw threads are driving me nuts! -Kix

Hi Kix, I think it is Tammy who will handle this, right ? She's been out for the whole weekend, and isn't back yet, so i doubt she has found the time to take care of the CD yet . Do you know if they have already received it ? They need a bit of time to review it, too . Hum ... Let me see that bulb light thingy . I got an old spline thread made after some conversations with the Spline Master a while ago on this forum . I should be able to use the same technique for a bulb thread .

Of course, when i say the Spline Master, i mean Mark Bremmer ;)

Spline Master? Hmmmmm. Quite a title for someone who more realistically just smashes around with the spline modeler a little bit. There are more precise ways to do a thread but this one is a good, fast way. (this fast way doesn't seamlessly merge the thread with the base shape) This spline modeler bulb base is created in two parts: the main/base and the thread. The thread is a simple, perfect circle when I start with it. I distort it later in the process. In this example I used values of 5 turns, 3.5 to center and a distance of 5 if I remember correctly. After the spiral generates (Geometery>Extrusion Presets>Spiral) I create two more points near both ends of the spiral with the Point/Bezier tool. With each point selected I go to the Sections pull down menue and select, Make Cross Section. Why perfect circles instead of the elipse shape to begin with? For whatever reason, the cross sections rotate when the spiral extrudes in proportion to their distance from the center of rotation. (Who cares really, there is an easy fix). At this point I select the individual end cross sections on their corners with the direct select/arrow tool and scale them smaller. Next, I grab the corners of the larger, main thread cross sections and flatten them. When you first do this you'l notice that the thread becomes irregular; thicker in some parts and thinner in others. That's because the distance between the to cross sections is being rotated. To fix this, select one of the larger cross sections and copy. Next, insert a point in the middle of the spiral extrusion path and convert it to a cross section. Select that new, middle cross section and delete it. Then Paste the copied cross section in and it will replace the exact location of the cross section you just deleted. Now you can grab the Rotate tool, click on the middle cross section and spin it a little until everything is untwisted and the thread looks normal. This looks way more complicated than it is! The last step is to combine the threads and base shape, scaling the threads as needed to fit your base. Hope this helps a little. Mark

This helps a lot. When I'm done, I'll post the result. -Kix

"This looks way more complicated than it is! " Okay, but it's not simple either :( I've made this, with a section that's symetrical so its rotates around its center . And it doesn't leave a lot of seams due to its shape . To fix the rotation, the solution i used is to rotate the last section with the twist checkbox enable, and then rotate it manually to fix the seam . This trick is from the Spline Master ;) . Frankly, i would prefer that the cross-section would not rotate along its sweep path :( ... But even if it's not as easy as it should be, there are ways to make this kind of shapes in the Spline modeler . For the end of the thread that merges with the support underneath, i've added a point to the sweep path with the polyline tool, and placed it manually . Now, the rest of the bulb should be easy !

Sure enough! I fussed around with this last night and it's not a whole lot of trouble to get it to work. Just a pain to figure out if you didn't know how in the first place. -Kix

Like i said, the rest of the light has been easy ;) Here it is, hope you like it . I'll upload it to my website when i'll have the time . litst http://www.chez.com/litst

Litst, Is this another one of your bright ideas! I just couldn't resist saying that. Very nicely done. Keith

Wow Litst. That is awesome. Looks very realistic. Paul

Attached Link: http://www.chez.com/litst/eng/fs-models.htm

Thanks guys :) Just wanted you to know that i've uploaded the bulb file on my site . You can grab it from the page i'm linking to . Kix, you can take it for the second release of the CD, of course .

Great stuff, as usual. :) -Otis