Maya Project One - Modeling Complex Objects: The Classic Steam Locomotive

   Due date:  Wednesday, September 24th...

   Pages 126-132 of the Dariush Derakhshani Introducing Maya 2008 textbook
 
   Note:  The schematic printout of the final model is shown on page 127.
            It really was not necessary to look at the sourceimages folder
            version, as it is exactly the same as that shown very nicely
            in the Derakhshani textbook on page 127.

          I wish they had Figure 4.29 available to view from the textbook
            CD-ROM sourceimages or whatever folder, because that is almost
            impossible to see.

   The Boiler Engine - pages 127-128

   Boiler Front Cap  - pages 129-130

   Adding Details    - pages 131-132

   We will NOT tackle "The Undercarriage" or the Chimneys or anything 
      after page 132 for this first assignment.

   REQUIRED CHANGES for the Adding Details section (pages 131-132).
                            --------------

   a. Your boiler bolts will be made using a Polygon Primitive Cylinder
      instead of a Polygon Primitive Sphere.

   Step #1 page 131

      Create -> Polygon Primitives -> Cylinder

   Step #2 page 131

      Move the Cylinder bolt to the boiler cap and place it anywhere
      on the boiler cap (it does NOT have to be on the left side of
      the boiler cap).

      "Move the (Cylinder) bolt to the boiler cap, and place it on
       the left side (or anywhere, say top or right side or bottom)
       of the boiler cap, (NOT) halfway into the surface."

      (We want it so the bolt that is a Cylinder polygon primitive sticks 
       out and can be seen on both sides of the boiler cap.  In other 
       words, it goes ALL THE WAY THROUGH the boiler cap surface.)

   Step #3 page 131 - exactly the same insructions with this new
                      type of bolt to place the Pivot Point.

   Step #4 page 131-132

        Modify the number of bolts that go around the boiler cap.

        Instead of having 20 bolts, we will have a total of 36 bolts.

        In the option box, set Number of Copies to 35 
        and set a value of 10 (10 degrees) for Rotate Z.

        There will be a total of 36 bolts, each placed at 10 degree
        intervals around the boiler place.

  Step #6 page 132

        "In the Outliner, select the 36 bolts and choose Edit -> Group
         to group them.  Call the new group boiler_cylinder_bolts or
         something similar to keep organized.  Center the pivot on the
         new boiler_cylinder_bolts group by choosing 
                                                 Modify -> Center Pivot.

   Step #7 page 132

         This step should be the same instructions for the 
         polygon cylinder bolts as it would be for the polygon sphere
         bolts.

 Suggestions:

   1. Do the exercise several times as described in the textbook, if you
      need to, BEFORE attempting to do it with the Polygon Primitive 
      Cylinder 36 bolts.
                                              _
   2. Practice the Edit -> Duplicate Special | | all by itself
                                              -

      with some Polygon Primitive Cube or Cone that has a Pivot Point
      at the origin (0, 0, 0) and is translated out to 

      See the examples of what can be done just playing with 
      Edit -> Duplicate Special option box - (screen snapshots) 
      at the following URL:           

           http://www.cs.uni.edu/~jacobson/maya/train

   3. Practice with the Monday, September 15th handout with 
      Profile Curves (PC = Profile Curves) and Revolve Surfaces.
      
      Maya help menu... Tutorials command

        Help -> Tutorials
            Getting Started with Maya
                NURBS Modeling
                      Lesson 1 Revolving a curve to create a surface
                               Introduction
                               Creating a profile curve
                               Creating a revolve surface
                               Editing a revolve surface

       Separate practice with this tutorial on your own will
          help you master and understand the Boiler Front Cap task 
          on pages 129 and 130.

  Due date:  Wednesday, September 24th...