Tutorial 2_spider joint_ continued

Now that the bolt is finished we can begin the geometry for the base and arms. First to align our images select the top camera and in the Attribute editor under the ImagePlane1 tab_PlacementExtras_Center put in -4.25 for the z value. Your images should be aligned like below. If you cannot see the images in perspective then for each camera go to the imagePlane tab and under the ImagePlaneAttributes_Display make sure “in all views” is checked.


Next create a polygon cylinder and rotate by 90 in the X direction. Radius 3 and Height 2.2. Move into place so it aligns im both views.

MESH_OFFSET EDGE LOOP on the top and bottom of the cylinder.

Select the faces in the center on the top of the base. Extrude the faces in to align with the inner circle. Press g and extrude again to make the pocket.

Insert an edge loop at the top and bottom of the pocket like below. Toggle between 1 and 3 to see how it looks in subD approximation mode.

Select the three faces on the side of the base that the arm will project from. EDIT MESHS_ADD DIVISIONS. In the Channel Box under Inputs make the divisions 1.

Select the faces that the arm will project from and delete.

To make the piece at the end of the arm create another polygon Cylinder give it a radius of 2, height .6, rotate X 90. Position so it aligns in both view.

Offset edge loops both at the top and bottom of the cylinder, and insert an additional loop on the side and on the top, like below.

Offset edge loops both at the top and bottom of the cylinder, and insert an additional loop on the side and on the top, like below.

Select the SoftMod tool. This will put a handel on the verticies that we selected allowing us to make changes with a gradient effect on our geometry. To change the center of the gizmo click the little circle outside and at the bottom of the softMod gizmo.

Snap (holding v) the gizmo to the vertex at the top of the disk and aligned with the center of the arm like below, and then click on the little blue circle again to get out of the gizmo mode.

In the top view move the softMod up until it aligns with the top of the lip.

Next change the Falloff Radius in the channel box editor under outputs until it aligns with the image. I used 3.2.

Select the inner loop on top of the disk and use the EDIT MESH_CREASE TOOL to harden the edge. Use a value of 2.

Next select the faces and edges like in the image below and use the EDIT MESH_WEDGE TOOL . Use a wedge angle of -30, and divisions 1.

With the faces still selected, scale them 1D by dragging the green box in until the surface appears flat. Also insert a new edge loop on the inside and near the bottom of the lip.

Delete the faces where the arm will attach.

Select both the base and the disk and make them one object MESH_COMBINE. Use SELECT_BORDER EDGE TOOL and select the edges on both of the openings we created. Make the geometry of the arm by using EDIT MESH_BRIDGE.

Go into face mode and delete all the faces of the base so that we are left with only ¼ of the spider joint.

To finish bring up the menu for MESH_MIRROR GEOMETRY. It seems to work better when you uncheck Merge with original. Mirror in the –X, and then in +Y. After select all of your verticies and EDIT MESH_MERGE to make the geometry clean.