Desk lamp - Untextured - first tries.

For my Desk lamp, as one of the five untextured or lit, non-organic objects, it was better to go with a simpler model, which I could then begin to model, shape and smooth out.

 Further research helped me locate this picture online, it is simplistic, I can give it a higher resolution without overly complicating the model, and I can make it by using two cylinders for the base, a revolved, or extruded curve for the metallic neck, and then work with spheres, namely, inverting one sphere and extrude the back faces, to create the head piece without the support to the neck, and without the bulb. This would need to have more subdivisions to accomplish this, however through this, it will enable the head to be modelled out of one spherical shape.

So far the base plate seems to come in two pieces, this would need two cylindrical shapes, the bottom part having more width than the top, the top however having more height.

Using extra subdivisions helped smooth the bottom plate as the object begins to take on the form of the base of the lamp in the picture above:

 

So far, using the smoothing tool for the outside and first inside edges helped to make the shape take on a more circular form, as you can see from the picture below however, it still requires refinement and merging between the two cylinders.  

 So far this desk lamp has proven to be easier to model than the originally one found, however this allows for a lot more time to focus on refining the object,  to make sure it looks as real as possible, the other desk lamp would be a good thing to make, but it would require more time to do, and with many different shapes required to be made, the more simple you can make an object, but refine to be made real, the better your final result may possibly be (unless said item to be made is cast-iron in its choice of model and shape).

Post-creation thoughts on the non-textured models in Maya.

1. Cordless Drill with Drill bit - Modern.
For the cordless drill I went for the 'Bosch' model. This was the most proliffic when I went searching for it, it is green, but most of all, the varietys all have similariities for the main drill.

I decided I may make it in four sections, the battery pack, the grip, the drill part, and the gearbox. If I do this, I will not only simplify the model by making it four different shapes, such as, a rectangle, two cylinders and a cone, but I can also concentrate on making them a higher resolution. Start strong, so it will make the finer detail easier to handle.


2. Steam Iron - Modern

Much like the patio table and games console, these will be items I possess (The table being my families), so photo's shall follow after this post. My steam iron is comprised of the metalic iron on the base, riddled with hole, the handle, and the main piece of plastic, holding the internals of the iron together.

There are also buttons and allsorts on the iron itself, such as where to fill it up with water, the nossle it sprays from and the buttons to turn it on, off, or for the spray.
I may make this into three parts, The base, the water tank, and the handle. Once these have been constructed I will focus on the minor buttons and misc objects.

3. Patio Table with Umbrella - Any era
Yet to recieve a photo of my families Patio table, but as of the moment I may construct the table and legs seperately, then the umbrella itself, making it three parts like the Iron, unless the table has extra detail on the inside that is paramount to its look and feel, in that case I shall change it as I progress through its creation.

4. Desk Lamp - Any era

For the Desk lamp I have found a 'Type 75 Desk Lamp' in silver. There are many photo's of this online, and not only far away shots, on one website ,(http://authenticlighting.co.uk/anglepoise-type-75-desk-lamp-silver/)

I found various close up shots of the different parts of this lamp, which will be incredibly handy when I wish to add a lot of detail into the creation.
As of the moment, I am still figuring out how I am going to piece this all together, and what parrts I shall start from.

5. Games Console - Any era

As with the Patio table and steam iron, I am yet to take close up photo's of my playstation three. It is an odd design, very similar to an oval, but with certain parts cut away and given the logo, or slots for various input devices.

After viewing it close up, I can see already that I shall split this into two halves, work on both, making sure to keep them of equal width and length, then at the end, slot them together and work on the detail.  It was either this, or find what parts both halves have in common, make that on one, then mirror, for time and accuracy sake. I am yet to find out if I am to make the console wires and controllers alongside this.