Alright, let me walk you through what I did today, tinkering around with some CG stuff.
I decided I wanted to make something simple, just for practice. You know, keep the skills sharp. Didn’t have a big plan, just felt like modeling something.
Getting Started
First thing, I needed an idea. Scrolled through some pictures online, just looking for basic objects. Settled on a kinda stylized, old-fashioned radio. Something blocky but with a few details.
Found a few reference images. Didn’t need blueprints or anything fancy, just enough to get the basic shape and feel. Saved those to a folder so I could glance at them easily.
The Modeling Part
Opened up my 3D software. Good old reliable tool.
Started with a basic cube. That’s usually how it goes, right? Scaled it to the rough proportions of the radio body. Then I started adding loops, cutting edges to define the main shapes. Used the extrude tool quite a bit for things like the speaker grill area and the handle on top.
- Blocked out the main box shape.
- Added edges for the tuner display window cutout.
- Modeled a simple handle – just a bent shape, nothing complex.
- Made some basic knobs using cylinders.
- For the speaker grill, I just indented a section and planned to use a texture for the holes later. Kept the geometry simple.
Didn’t go crazy with details. The point was speed and practice, not making a masterpiece. Focused on getting the form right.
Adding Some Color and Light
Once the shape felt okay, I moved on to basic materials. Didn’t unwrap UVs or anything complicated today. Just assigned simple colors.
Picked a sort of retro cream color for the main body. Made the knobs and handle a darker brown. Assigned a dark grey to the speaker area. Super basic stuff.
Then, lighting. Dropped in a simple three-point light setup. A key light, a fill light, and a backlight. Messed with the positions a bit until the shadows looked decent and the shape was clear. Didn’t spend ages on it, just enough to make it look like something.
Quick Render
Finally, I hit the render button. Used the standard settings, nothing fancy. Let it cook for a few minutes.
The result? Well, it looked like a simple 3D radio. The shapes were there, the colors were basic. It wasn’t amazing, but it was exactly what I set out to do: a quick practice run, going through the motions from start to finish.
It’s good to just build stuff sometimes, even simple things. Keeps your head in the game.
