Creating a Lantern

Lower Base Details

Okay, lets get on with the details on the Lower Base. We will have the small knob that controls the kerosene flow, and a small opening where you refill the kerosene. Lets start with the small opening. As the modeler looks now, Layers 1 till 8 are taken up by the Main Lantern body, and for the following procedures we will need a complete new Layer Group. Switch to Layer Group 2 now; picture 78 shows before and after the switch.



Okay so we have 10 new Layers now to work with, and even though the correct names of these Layers would be 11 to 20, I will refer to them as Layer 1 to 10. Open up the Display Options Panel by pressing “d” on the keyboard, then move to the Backdrop Tab and use the settings shown in picture 79.


Click OK to apply the changes.

Use the Pen Tool to trace the outlines of this backdrop image, like we did in the beginning of this Tutorial. I used a total of 41 points for this section, shown in picture 80.



You can remove the backdrop once you’re done. Activate the Lathe Tool, bring up the Numeric Panel and set the amount of Sides to 16. Leave the rest to the default settings and close down the Numeric Panel, then press “Space” to perform the operation.

If the polygons are facing inwards after the Lathe, then just flip them by pressing “f” on the keyboard. Press “Tab” to turn it into a subpatch and apply the “Metal” Surface.

We’re done with this Layer for now, so switch to Layer 2 and open up the Display Options Panel again. Go to the backdrop Tab and use the settings shown in picture 82.


Working in the Bottom Left Viewport, use the Pen Tool as before and trace the outlines.

We don’t need so many points for this section; I used 16, shown in picture 83.


And without the backdrop image the shape should look something like picture 84.


Activate the Lathe Tool and bring up the Numeric Panel, then enter 20 for sides and leave the rest to the default values, close down the Panel and press Space to perform the operation.

If the Polygons are facing inwards after the Lathe operation, then just flip them by pressing “f”. Activate the Move Tool and move this object upwards on the Y-axis 58mm, you can use the Numeric Panel if you want to.

Switch to Layer 3 and activate the Box Tool, then use the settings shown in picture 85.


In the Bottom Right Viewport, select the two points on the bottom left side of this box, like in picture 86.



Activate the Set Value Tool by pressing “ctrl+v” on the keyboard, then set the axis to Z and the value to –2mm, click OK and the points should change position.

Deselect the points and do the same with the other side of the box, only this time set the value to 2mm on the Z-axis. The box should look like the one in picture 87 when you’re done.


Now switch to Layer 2 and put 3 in the background. First of all we are going to smooth this object out a bit. Press “Shift+D” to activate the Subdivide Tool, then use the Metaform function and click OK. Layer 2 with Layer 3 in the background should look something like picture 88.


Activate the Boolean Tool by pressing “Shift+B” on the keyboard and use the Subtract function in the panel that comes up, then click OK to perform the operation.

Switch to Layer 3 and delete the box now, we don’t need it anymore. Go back to Layer 2, then in the Perspective View, select the 3 polygons that were subtracted into the object, like in picture 89.



Activate the Smooth Shift Tool by pressing “Shift+F”, then right click once in one of the Viewports with your mouse. Activate the Stretch Tool by pressing “h” on the keyboard and bring up the Numeric Panel, then use the settings shown in picture 90.


When you’ve entered the settings, click Apply to perform the operation, then close down the Numeric Panel. Keep the polygons selected and activate the Smooth Shift Tool again, then right click in one of the Viewports to duplicate the points. Activate the Move Tool and move these polygons downwards on the Y-axis about -1mm, you can use the Numeric Panel if you want. Once you’ve moved the selected polygons, press “Delete” on your keyboard to delete them, we don’t need them anymore.

Now we need to make this object into a Subpatch object, but since we used the Boolean Tool earlier we will have a few polygons that carry more than 4 points, and we all know that Subpatches only works with Polygons that carry either 3 or 4 points. So we need to select these polygons and triple them before we can turn it into a subpatch object.

Keep everything unselected and make sure you’re in Polygon Mode, then bring up the Polygon Statistics Panel by pressing “w” on your keyboard. Picture 91 shows the Statistics Panel, and you’ll notice the section I’ve marked with red, these are the polygons we need to select, so click the “+” next to the line that says “>4 Vertices”.


Close down the Statistics Panel now. 28 polygons should be selected, looking something like picture 92 in the Perspective View.


With these polygons selected, press “Shift+T” on your keyboard to triple them, then deselect everything. Copy this object by pressing “c” on the keyboard, then press “f” to flip all the polygons. Once they’re flipped, press “v” to paste the object back in.

Turn this object into a subpatch now by pressing “Tab” on the keyboard, then give it the “Metal” surface. This object should look something like picture 93 in the Perspective View.