Maya Lesson 6 Screwdriver Notes & Assessment Save a new file as: Lesson 6 Screwdriver YourNameInitial Save in your Computer Animation folder. Screwdriver Handle Base Using CVs Create a polygon cylinder on the x-axis with 30 subdivisions around axis, 5 subdivisions along height, and 32 subdivisions on the caps. The radius is 1 unit and the length is 6 units. Name it HandleBase. Work in the front view, using the Control Vertices, and select the two middle spans. Scale them down by selecting the scale tool. Be sure to scale in all directions by using the center (yellow) square, until so you get this: Select the third row of vertices, and move them left to get this Select the first set of vertices and move them right to get this: Continue scaling and moving your screwdriver handle until it looks something like this. Yours can look a little different, but keep the right two and the left two vertex rows parallel.
Select HandleBase. Select the Polygon tab, and select Polygon>Smooth. Click it twice to achieve a rounded handle. Boolean Shapes to Cut Material Out Create a sphere with a radius of 1 on the Y axis, with 30 subdivisions around the axis, and 30 subdivisions along the height. Name it Boolean1 and translate it above the HandleBase. Work in front view. Select the right half of the CVs then zoom far out. Drag the right half out approximately 25 units. Scale this 20% on all axes. Move it only in the x and y axes to place it into the screwdriver like this. Look in the attribute editor to see how far up the y-axis this has been translated. Use this number, duplicate boolean1 and translate it the twice that amount in the negative y direction. You should get an exact copy located underneath the screwdriver. Group these.
You need two move sets of these, rotated around the handle. Determine the number of degrees of rotation and the correct axis of rotation, and do this. Select all 6 Booleans, and in the Polygon tab, select Combine. (This allows you to use all 6 in the next process.) To subtract the shape of the Booleans from the HandleBase, you must select the object you are subtracting from first. So select the HandleBase, then select the Booleans. Check that you are in the Polygons menu set. Select Mesh>Booleans>Difference. Wait while Maya does the subtraction. You get this: Create the shaft of the screwdriver using a polygonal cylinder with 4 spans. You select the remaining inputs and translation to achieve this: Move the 2 nd and 3 rd spans to the left, then select the 1 st & 2 nd spans.
Scale these spans on the z-axis to stretch the end. Create a cube 1x1x1, and position it so that it will press down the end of the screwdriver. Be sure that it does not go through the middle of the cylinder. Duplicate the cube, keeping the copy right where the original is. Select the screwdriver shaft, then one of the cubes (it doesn t matter which one), and use the Boolean difference to remove part of the shaft. Rotate the shaft so the flat part is now facing down, and repeat the Boolean difference. You can scale the end using CVs to stretch along the x-axis if you need to. Assigning Materials Select the Render Tab. Create a ground and color it. Raise the screwdriver and set it on the ground. Select the screwdriver shaft, and assign new material. Select dgs_material. Keep the settings as they are. Assign new material to the Handle, selecting Dielectic, and giving it a color.
In the Render tab, select Ambient Light. Make your selections in the settings. You can move the light just like any object. You can rotate the light to direct it (think flashlight). Try different light(s) until you get an effect you like. Render the view. When you have a view you like, Render and Export the file as Lesson6yourname. Assessment: 7 points: A screwdriver with standard Boolean cut-outs in the handle and applied appropriate material is apparent. 8 points: As above, with Boolean cutouts in the screwdriver tip. 9 points: As above, plus added materials and lights. 10 points: As above, with materials and lights that glow and shine.