One of my Woodturning with Sketchup customers recently wanted to model detailed Christmas ornaments and wondered if it was possible.
I selected Cindy Drozda’s Sputnik Sea Urchin Ornament as the design for the modeling challenge. I figured that Cindy’s design would be a good test because of it elegant form and detail.
Here is the process I used:
- Import a photo of the ornament
- Rotate the photo and then trace the outline on the lathes grid
- Hide the image, dress up the outline/cross section
- Render the cross sections in 3D, make copies and rotate them vertically
- Create a texture taken from the sea urchin image and add it to the sphere
- Bingo ….. a close to real model…. (Note that SketchUp did not render the fine tip of the finial very well in 3D but it is in the original)
Great job! How did you import the picture? What formats will Sketchup allow you to import? Nice job on the finial shape. What tools did you use to accomplish the assymetrical curves? I’m impressed.
Steve
SketchUp will allow most standard (jpg, png) formats. I used the arch tools connected together (zoomed it up).
Normal web formats, Jpeg, Png.