Second Life Forums Archive - Advice on building a guitar shape

Rowlish Costello

Registered User

Join date: 21 May 2005

Posts: 3

08-07-2005 11:29

Can anyone give any advice on building the shape of a guitar please? Its driving me crazy, I just can't seem to build anything that closely resembles a guitar!

Siobhan Taylor

Nemesis

Join date: 13 Aug 2003

Posts: 5,476

08-07-2005 11:49

Take 2 cylinders, one slightly larger than the other, and mostly flat... you can make them circular or ovoid. Offset one from the other to make the base of the unit... then use a stretched box for the neck, and shape the top as you wish.

_____________________

http://siobhantaylor.wordpress.com/

William Withnail

Gentleman Adventurer

Join date: 11 Sep 2004

Posts: 154

Building Anything

08-07-2005 11:52

Here's my advice for building _Anything_.

Get an image from the real world. Google image searches are wonderful for that.

Upload the image into SL.

Put the image on the face of a prim.
Size the prim to the size you need the object to be.

Build the object beside, or right on top of the image you uploaded.

Hold your thumb up if you have to.

----

Now, as to the specific task of guitar building, I think it's just a couple of squashed cylinders jammed together and a long skinny cube for the neck.
For bonus points, you can taper the neck by setting the top to 1.0x, 0.2y

For additional bonus points, you can create a texture for strings and frets and upload it onto your neck.

Siobhan Taylor

Nemesis

Join date: 13 Aug 2003

Posts: 5,476

08-07-2005 11:56

From: William Withnail

Now, as to the specific task of guitar building, I think it's just a couple of squashed cylinders jammed together and a long skinny cube for the neck.

More or less what I said, lol...

Basically, make a vague shape and use textures for detail...

Of course, William and I both assumed a spanish guitar (or at least some kind of accoustic)... a flying v would be completely different, lol

_____________________

http://siobhantaylor.wordpress.com/

Phoenix Psaltery

Ninja Wizard

Join date: 25 Feb 2005

Posts: 2,599

08-07-2005 13:13

Or the more elegant (to me) and prim-saving method would be to simply apply an image of a guitar body to a rectangular or oval prim and use an alpha layer to make the "cutout" parts transparent... or, as in the case of some existing instruments in SL, even the entire guitar.

P2

Aliasi Stonebender

Return of Catbread

Join date: 30 Jan 2005

Posts: 1,858

08-07-2005 13:39

From: Phoenix Psaltery

Or the more elegant (to me) and prim-saving method would be to simply apply an image of a guitar body to a rectangular or oval prim and use an alpha layer to make the "cutout" parts transparent... or, as in the case of some existing instruments in SL, even the entire guitar.

P2

Alpha textures have their limits, though. Aside from the alpha wonkiness everyone is familiar with, that guitar will look quite two-dimensional.

_____________________

Red Mary says, softly, “How a man grows aggressive when his enemy displays propriety. He thinks: I will use this good behavior to enforce my advantage over her. Is it any wonder people hold good behavior in such disregard?”
Anything Surplus Home to the "Nuke the Crap Out of..." series of games and other stuff

Ben Bacon

Registered User

Join date: 14 Jul 2005

Posts: 809

08-08-2005 05:29

Use two cylinders, as Siobhan and William suggested, then take a third cylinder (same thickness), hollow it out quite a bit (with a circle) and cut it heavily.

-- attempt at ascii art
/\_/\
\__/

use the inner curve to smooth the transition between the large and small cylinders. you will have to position it quite carefully to get a smooth transition.
duplicate and flip it for the bottom.

Advice on building a guitar shape
Rowlish Costello Registered User Join date: 21 May 2005 Posts: 3	08-07-2005 11:29 Can anyone give any advice on building the shape of a guitar please? Its driving me crazy, I just can't seem to build anything that closely resembles a guitar!
Siobhan Taylor Nemesis Join date: 13 Aug 2003 Posts: 5,476	08-07-2005 11:49 Take 2 cylinders, one slightly larger than the other, and mostly flat... you can make them circular or ovoid. Offset one from the other to make the base of the unit... then use a stretched box for the neck, and shape the top as you wish. _____________________ http://siobhantaylor.wordpress.com/
William Withnail Gentleman Adventurer Join date: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 154	Building Anything 08-07-2005 11:52 Here's my advice for building _Anything_. Get an image from the real world. Google image searches are wonderful for that. Upload the image into SL. Put the image on the face of a prim. Size the prim to the size you need the object to be. Build the object beside, or right on top of the image you uploaded. Hold your thumb up if you have to. ---- Now, as to the specific task of guitar building, I think it's just a couple of squashed cylinders jammed together and a long skinny cube for the neck. For bonus points, you can taper the neck by setting the top to 1.0x, 0.2y For additional bonus points, you can create a texture for strings and frets and upload it onto your neck.
Siobhan Taylor Nemesis Join date: 13 Aug 2003 Posts: 5,476	08-07-2005 11:56 From: William Withnail Now, as to the specific task of guitar building, I think it's just a couple of squashed cylinders jammed together and a long skinny cube for the neck. More or less what I said, lol... Basically, make a vague shape and use textures for detail... Of course, William and I both assumed a spanish guitar (or at least some kind of accoustic)... a flying v would be completely different, lol _____________________ http://siobhantaylor.wordpress.com/
Phoenix Psaltery Ninja Wizard Join date: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 2,599	08-07-2005 13:13 Or the more elegant (to me) and prim-saving method would be to simply apply an image of a guitar body to a rectangular or oval prim and use an alpha layer to make the "cutout" parts transparent... or, as in the case of some existing instruments in SL, even the entire guitar. P2
Aliasi Stonebender Return of Catbread Join date: 30 Jan 2005 Posts: 1,858	08-07-2005 13:39 From: Phoenix Psaltery Or the more elegant (to me) and prim-saving method would be to simply apply an image of a guitar body to a rectangular or oval prim and use an alpha layer to make the "cutout" parts transparent... or, as in the case of some existing instruments in SL, even the entire guitar. P2 Alpha textures have their limits, though. Aside from the alpha wonkiness everyone is familiar with, that guitar will look quite two-dimensional. _____________________ Red Mary says, softly, “How a man grows aggressive when his enemy displays propriety. He thinks: I will use this good behavior to enforce my advantage over her. Is it any wonder people hold good behavior in such disregard?” Anything Surplus Home to the "Nuke the Crap Out of..." series of games and other stuff
Ben Bacon Registered User Join date: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 809	08-08-2005 05:29 Use two cylinders, as Siobhan and William suggested, then take a third cylinder (same thickness), hollow it out quite a bit (with a circle) and cut it heavily. -- attempt at ascii art /\_/\ \__/ use the inner curve to smooth the transition between the large and small cylinders. you will have to position it quite carefully to get a smooth transition. duplicate and flip it for the bottom.

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Advice on building a guitar shape