I MAKE Workshop is a collaborative workshop series tailor-made for The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's School of Design (SD) 'Creative use of 3D Printing technologies' event. Participants (local secondary school students) will learn the basic Blender Modeling for 3D printing.
Workshop 6:
1. Use edges and 'Mirror' feature to form 3D geometry model 2. Use 'Bridge Edge Loops' to connect edges creating faces 3. Use 'Mirror' and 'Subdivision Surface' modifiers 4. Use 'Delete only Edges and Faces' 5. Use 'Convert to Curves' features (adv. spline modeling features) 6. Create 'Bevel' in curve mode 7. Use 'Convert to Mesh' feature 8. Use 'Solidify' and 'Bevel' modifiers * goto http://www.piegatto.com/en/pipo-chair-2/ to see ref. **Orange Coloured texts for v3.0 interface! |

Plot out the two profile edges
Use 'Right Orthographic View' and hold 'Ctrl' key to carefully insert new vertices alike the image on right hand side to portrait the profile. ("E" key to extrude vertex one by one)
Use 'Right Orthographic View' and hold 'Ctrl' key to carefully insert new vertices alike the image on right hand side to portrait the profile. ("E" key to extrude vertex one by one)

Switch to 'Front Orthographic View' to duplicate that profile edge to it's right hand side, refer to the image for reference

Return to 'Right Ortho' viewport and carefully adjust the armrest's profile alike this image
Connect edges to create faces to complete the 3D geometry
Select all the first profile's six edges, apply "Extrude Region" to create faces. Then hit "X" key once to constrain extrusion to "X Axis" (Extrude)
Select all the first profile's six edges, apply "Extrude Region" to create faces. Then hit "X" key once to constrain extrusion to "X Axis" (Extrude)
Carefully highlight the armrest profile edges. Press "Ctrl + E" and choose "Bridge Edge Loops" to complete the geometry
Unselect all edges on screen, goto 'Modifier' panel and firstly apply "Mirror", then add "Subdivision Surface" afterwards

Use Modifiers to sculpt the chair model
Refer to this screen capture image to setup modifiers' properties:-
Under 'Mirror modifier', select "Clipping" and under 'Subs panel', change 'Subdivisions View' to "2" and turn on 'Display in Edit Mode' to preview effects on screen
Refer to this screen capture image to setup modifiers' properties:-
Under 'Mirror modifier', select "Clipping" and under 'Subs panel', change 'Subdivisions View' to "2" and turn on 'Display in Edit Mode' to preview effects on screen

Carefully adjust the "vertices" to fine tune the shape of the chair and use "Loop Cut and Slide" (Ctrl + R) to create extra edges if needed to comply a good typology

("Tab" key to Object Mode) Apply (Ctrl + A) both the 'Mirror' and 'Subs' modifiers to confirm the geometry structure. Then carefully select all horizontal edges and use "Delete > Only Edges & Faces" command to produce the chair alike the image on left hand side

Use Curve features to manipulate spline handles
Switch to 'Object Mode'. (R-Click > Convert to > Curve) Hit "Alt + C" and choose "Curve from Mesh" to convert mesh to curve object
Make sure the icon inside 'Outliner' changes alike the image on right hand side
Hit "Tab" key again to use 'Edit mode' features inside curve. (Inside "Viewport Overlays > Turn on "Normal" at the bottom) Alike the images underneath. carefully highlight all the "edges" with flipped direction, then in (Segments > Switch Direction) "Tool" panel's 'Curve Tools', click once the "Switch Direction" to align all edges direction.
Alike the bottom right hand side image, firstly hit "A" to select all edges (with orange vertices highlighted). Firstly (Curves > Set Spline Type > Beizer) hit "Set Spline Type" and choose "Bezier", then (Curves > Transform > Radius. Type in "1") click "Set Curve Radius" and input "1", lastly (Control Points > Set Handle Types > Automatic) click the button "Auto" under 'Handles" to align all vertices direction
Switch to 'Object Mode'. (R-Click > Convert to > Curve) Hit "Alt + C" and choose "Curve from Mesh" to convert mesh to curve object
Make sure the icon inside 'Outliner' changes alike the image on right hand side
Hit "Tab" key again to use 'Edit mode' features inside curve. (Inside "Viewport Overlays > Turn on "Normal" at the bottom) Alike the images underneath. carefully highlight all the "edges" with flipped direction, then in (Segments > Switch Direction) "Tool" panel's 'Curve Tools', click once the "Switch Direction" to align all edges direction.
Alike the bottom right hand side image, firstly hit "A" to select all edges (with orange vertices highlighted). Firstly (Curves > Set Spline Type > Beizer) hit "Set Spline Type" and choose "Bezier", then (Curves > Transform > Radius. Type in "1") click "Set Curve Radius" and input "1", lastly (Control Points > Set Handle Types > Automatic) click the button "Auto" under 'Handles" to align all vertices direction

Setup Curve's parameters
Inside the 'Curve' panel, cut down 'Resolution's Preview U' to "2", then choose "Front" as 'Fill' type
Lastly, input some values under 'Bevel' to create thickness ("0.05" for Depth, "0" Resolution) to the stripes
Inside the 'Curve' panel, cut down 'Resolution's Preview U' to "2", then choose "Front" as 'Fill' type
Lastly, input some values under 'Bevel' to create thickness ("0.05" for Depth, "0" Resolution) to the stripes

These stripes twisted but we can fix it by changing value in the 'Mean Tilt", give "45" (Control Points > Tilt, type "45") degree value to bend them facing outwards
If you encounter the stripes are too narrow, adjust the "Set Curve Radius" under 'Curve Tools' to increase the widthness (Curve > Transform > Radius, type the value ie., 0.7)
When you see all stripes are fine (connected the next stripe). Switch to "Object Mode" and hit "Alt + C" to convert back to 'Mesh' object
Then inside 'Modifier' panel, firstly apply "Solidify" and then "Bevel" to finish the geometry modelling
If you encounter the stripes are too narrow, adjust the "Set Curve Radius" under 'Curve Tools' to increase the widthness (Curve > Transform > Radius, type the value ie., 0.7)
When you see all stripes are fine (connected the next stripe). Switch to "Object Mode" and hit "Alt + C" to convert back to 'Mesh' object
Then inside 'Modifier' panel, firstly apply "Solidify" and then "Bevel" to finish the geometry modelling

Create thickness and bevel to the stripes
Inside both modifiers' dialogue window, input values alike the image on right hand side to provide thickness to the stripes, and smooth the shape edges by adjusting the 'Bevel' value
(Ctrl + A to apply)
Inside both modifiers' dialogue window, input values alike the image on right hand side to provide thickness to the stripes, and smooth the shape edges by adjusting the 'Bevel' value
(Ctrl + A to apply)
Studio & Tutorial
Try model another chair from piegatto's website or design your own chair
Try model another chair from piegatto's website or design your own chair
Prepared by Ann/y Leung (Open Education Evangelist and Founder of OSMM.HK)
Useful websites to learn Blender:
Official tutorials - http://www.blender.org/support/tutorials/
Official Manual - http://www.blender.org/manual
BornCG Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/cgboorman
Blender Cookie - https://cgcookie.com/blender/
Official tutorials - http://www.blender.org/support/tutorials/
Official Manual - http://www.blender.org/manual
BornCG Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/cgboorman
Blender Cookie - https://cgcookie.com/blender/