Looking for alternative ways to make this same render.
The end result of the Cryptex could have looked alot better, more detail, better shaping of the gold cylinder, texturing, etc. Feel free to critique that, but also if you have a different way in which i whent about modeling it please share.
What i did…
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CREATING LETTER RING(s)
– Created a vertical text string of the alphabet (pressed the letter on my keyboard then the enter button, next letter, enter button, etc.)
– Added a plane the same length and width, extruded or solidify (probably should have used a cube)
– Loop Cut (2x) the planes length (top to bottom) on the sides (left and right) of the letters
– Loop Cut the plane horizontally 26 time (same number of letters) and adjusted each cut to match the letter heights
– Inset Faces where the letters will be
– Booleaned the letters through the plane
– Created a BesielCircle at correct dia to shape the ring
– Curve Modifier the plane and tied to BesielCircle
– Duplicated that 5 times, rotated each ring to spell APPLE -
OUTER GOLD SHELL
– Made a cylinder, solidify
– Loop Cut the cylinder on each side of the letter ring(s), then cut so the letter rings would be inset with in the gold cylinder
– Beveled so the outer edges of the gold cylinder which where cut to inset the letter rings didn’t have sharp top corners -
LIGHTING
– Added two Area Lights in side the cylinder, Red and White
– Positioned the White light as far away from the APPLE letters
– Positioned and shaped the Red light as close to the APPLE letters
– Directly behind the red light added a plane so the Red light would only be directed forward through the APPLE letters and not contaminate the White light
– Added a smaller cylinder (inside the gold cylinder) with a purple Emission shader -
BACKGROUND
– Shinny floor plane
– Shinny curved back wall plane to change the shape of the reflection behind the Cryptex
Did all that in Eevee and then textured and rendered in Cycles.
Wanted to have the inner lights glow or Bloom out of the letters, atleast the Red lights out of APPLE letters, but could not figure out how to do that in Cycles.
Heres the texture nodes along with the scene collection and a viewpoint to show the back curved wall to get the odd back reflection.
A little animation just for fun 
Thanks for any insight…
(edit, move to different forum section)
_