making this disco ball model

Support Modeling
1

http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm?id=263723
how would you go about doing this? What I love are how each tile is slightly off like a real disco ball, i could do this with textures etc but i’d love to know the steps to model it like this. :spin:

http://files.turbosquid.com/Preview/Content_on_5_14_2005_08_24_18/09.jpgf3dbd0c9-64e8-4836-ae85-3340ca30b411Large.jpg

2

Probably the best way would be to make a sphere, then a plane for one of the mirrors, then just keep duplicating it in edit mode, using the retopo tool to keep it against the sphere, then, when it’s all covered, select all faces >> extrude >> individual faces, to give the mirrors some slight depth.

3

you can make one litle mirror then apply the dupliface feature
this would put a mirrro on all faces of a sphere - just put enough face on it to make it look real

Salutations

4

He needs them to be evenly spaced, and duplifaces on a UV sphere would squash them together as they got nearer to the poles. Might cut down of some of the initial work though.

5

i tried even with a icosphere and it has triangular faces
the results is not that good and probablt lots of work before getting something nice see pic !

there is a script that makes sphere with equal area but up to how may surface i dont remember
but if remember well it’s called something like dodecaedron

with this type of sphere then it should work with rectangular small mirror and dupliface
i’ll try to relocate this script i havesdomewhere
may be somebody else can remember what the site is for this script!
Salutations

6

Well, this is how I did it. Its worth a look. I did it knowing nothing but it will work…had I put more effort into it…but it still works…“YouTube” Punch in “Blender Cindy Lou”. I’m sure yours will be better. I pulled this out of my not knowing any better attempts. But I was young at the time. Just shoots colored lights out of a ball. Cindy

7

Well you can create a quick disco ball just by using UV sphere with proper divisions (the aim is to create approximately equal polygons, for example Sphere:64x32), and then extrude all faces separatelly (Individual Faces option).
The disco ball on the reference image however is more complicated because it consists of absolutely equal pieces aranged around the surface of the sphere. It takes more time to model this but here is my try (see below)
The tools used:
Array modifier
Curve Modifier
DupliFaces
and patience :slight_smile:

The steps in brief:

  1. Create a Sphere 64x32(poles on Z axis), create a bezier circle (BC), create a mirror element (ME) from one of the sphere polygons as separate object.
  2. Align ME so its surface is viewed from the Top, apply scale and rotation if needed.
  3. Align BC and ME so they have common center. Assign BC as Array modifier and then as Curve mofifier of ME (enable CurveStretch for the BC).
  4. Scale BC in edit mode to fit the diameter of the top ring of edges of the sphere. Move both ME and BC in the same plane as the ring.
  5. In edit mode Tilt (T) the BC so ME fits the angle of the polygons of the sphere.
  6. Duplicate BC and ME and move the new duplicates at the next ring. Scale and tilt to fit the polygons of the sphere as near as possible.
  7. Repeat the above steps for the half of the sphere.
  8. Apply the mofifiers for all objects created. Then Join all Mesh objects into one (DB1) and delete BCs.
    The polygons of the objects are streched and not equal but they are the right number. So create a Cube and scale it to create new ME template.
    9 Parrent the ME to the DB1 and enable DupliFaces to the latter. Scale the ME if nescessary.
  9. When finished make DupliFaces real and join all newly created objects into one (DB2).
  10. Finally duplicate DB2 and mirror the duplicate along Z axis. Join both halves and you’re done.

Attachments

discoball.jpg800×600 51.3 KB

8

hey great guys thanks so much. yesterday I tried some of the duplifaces/duplivert things to various results, It was tough to adjust the axis alignments to get them flat along a sphere’s surface and the spacing/arrangment of the mirrors isn’t as real looking.
Syziph, looks like a good job, I’m going to give your little tutorial a shot today and see how it goes. I’ll let you know ! thx again

9

right so some of these things were new to me but i got the basic technique that you described Syziph, it’s just going to take a little more practice and patience until its what I want…but it’ll work. I’ll post the result sometime… peace thx

10

Patience and constansy :wink:

11

So here’s my disco ball thanks to Syziph’s advice. I realize its not exactly round and the spacing is off but its a start and I want it to look somewhat stylized in the end. Time to animafy it!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3287/2721349706_4f7370b8c4.jpg

12

Looks good!
I am glad you understand my explanation.
Looking forward to see the animation!