In my slowly developing bathroom scene, I now need to create fixtures for the shower and tub.
Part One: Shower Head Nozzle Assembly.
For the first part of this tutorial, we'll be making the part of the shower head that holds the spray nozzles.
We need to create the dish-shaped face object.
1) Create a profile with the Freeform curve tool.
I'll need to make sure that the two first control points at the top, or crest of the dome shape are aligned with each other - perpendicular to the revolve axis.
This way when you revolve the profile, you'll have a dome shape that is smooth on top.
2) Revolve the profile to make a domed shaped dish.
Next, I need to make a nozzle object.
3) Draw profile.
4) Revolve.
I need some circles at the bottom of the nozzle for future use.
One will be used to cut a larger hole in the dish surface, the other to form a divot area in the surface.
5) Copy the circle at the bottom of the nozzle or make a new set.
You can see the two rings placed somewhere near the bottom of the nozzle.
Make sure that the nozzle sinks a little below the bottom ring.
I went ahead an made the bottom ring a surface.
6) Plannar.
I am going to use Flow to place copies of the nozzle set.
I need a reference plane that is revolved like the dish object, but flat.
It will have a similar internal point/framework arrangement.
7) Select the original profile curve for the dish and activate Show Points.
8) Draw a Freeform curve so that it will have the same spacing of points in relation to the
dish profile curve. Space them as if you were traveling along the side of the dish object.
I pull one of the control points a little high, so that MoI will keep the grid when I revolve it. Otherwise MoI will make a four-point flat plane to simplify the object.
9) Revolve.
Now make the reference revolved surface object flat, so that it is a planar-like disc.
You should now activate Show Points for both surfaces.
I moved the nozzle object set up to the reference surface, with the bottom planar circle in the set just a little below the surface. It does not matter where the ring which will be used to cut into the dish object is. Just close enough.
BTW, it is wise to name your different objects so you can grab them easier later.
We need to array and copy the nozzle objects.
10) Array Direction.
I want to create a nice pattern when I copy the sets, so I'll make a reference cure.
11) Freeform Curve.
12) Rotate.
Use Revolve while snapping in the center position of the disc and the nozzle set, then rotate each object set until your pointer snaps to the reference curve itself.
Here is the array that has been positioned along a curve.
You can use the Array on Curve command too.
13) Circular Array each of the sets.
I arrayed the sets to create a nice pattern.
I started off at a number of 20 for the outside ring, then went down by 5's.
Nicely arranged, but they're still arranged in a flat plane.
14) Here we'll use MoI V3-Beta's Flow command:
I select all the nozzle sets arranged.
You'll be prompted for the reference surface. Choose the flat disc.
Then you'll be asked to select the target surface. Select that, and make sure you select it in the same relative area so that MoI knows by which way to orient the results.
Select the option "Rigid"
This will keep the nozzle object sets intact and in proportion, but will orient them according to the surface normal of the target dish surface where they'll end up.
Instead of a warped or mangled surface in the middle - the center set just disappeared!
I copied one from the original set.
Here they are!
Now hide the nozzle objects sets. - Each item: the nozzle, the circles and etc should have their own name.
I needed to make holes for divots in the dish.
Take the larger circle in each set and run a 15) Boolean Difference on the dish object. They will be close enough that exact spacing will not be crucial.
Show the smaller circles, which will now be recessed according to their arrangement from the Flow tool.
Next, Blend the small circle surfaces with the holes in the dish.
16) Blend the surface edges of the small circles with the circle edges of the holes.
If the surface edge curves are cut into pieces then select them an enter the command "Merge"
If the edge curve on the other object has a seam running to it, then you'll need to match these start and end points in the non-seamed surface.
Use the Trim command, running the add points option to break that curve.
You should be able to blend each curve from each surface respectively.
17) Join all surfaces to become one object.
This is the finished arrangement for the shower head nozzle assembly.
---In Part Two: The Shower Head Handle/Body Assembly will be constructed using Network and other commands.