Datasheet

52
CHAPTER 3
BUILDING BY THE NUMBERS
PRIM
TORTURE
WORKING
WITH
TINY
PRIMS
BUILDING
BY
THE
NUMBERS
TUTORIAL:
BUILDING A
STAIRCASE
■ CONSTRUCTING A DELICATE CHAIN
Let’s create the links of a very delicate
chain (Figure 3.15).
1. Rez a torus and size it down to
0.010 on all sides.
2. Set Hollow to 95 and set Profi le
Cut values to B = 0.28 and E =
0.30. We now have a very tiny
chain link that is about half a
centimeter in diameter, but let’s
not stop there.
3. Set the hole size to value X =
0.25 and Y = 0.45. You could go
even smaller, but the shape would
no longer look like a chain link.
4. Now copy and rotate the teeny
prims until you have a little chain.
5. Turn on Shiny for a pretty,
metallic look.
By now you must think you’re quite the hotshot, using movement, size, and rotation handles like
a pro. But don’t get too smug—your work is going to be sloppy until you learn one more critical
concept: building by the numbers.
The limitations of the prim handles become apparent when a project has little room for error.
When adjacent prims are not positioned perfectly against each other, you may see a subtle line
Figure 3.15: Aimee examines her miniscule new bling
bling made with hollow-cut tori.
TIP
You just learned how to make a tiny item, but after you have those skills, you can simplify
things by working on a large scale when working with small prims, then resizing the item when
it’s complete. In most cases (especially for rings), I will work at 50× scale so that no dimension
(x-, y-, or z-axis size) will be less than 0.5m. I use cuts and tapers to produce sizes smaller
than my chosen minimum. When you must work with small prims, work on top of a larger
prim with a contrasting color. It is very easy to lose tiny pieces.
When determining fi nal size of your item (at least when it’s intended to be sold or shared),
consider that other people may want it a different size than how you made it. Allow for a little
extra shrinking.
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