Keyboard Helix

[allaboutkeys]

http://www.allaboutkeys.com/lightwave/helix_kb_01.jpg

[riki]

That looks better. What's it for?

[allaboutkeys]

Nothing special. I'm kinda obsessed by keyboards. ;) When I started to use LW a few weeks ago one of the first things I modeled were black and white keys.

[Zarathustra]

I can honestly say I haven't seen that before.
Have you used any other 3d program before LW?

So, are you gonna build the rest of the piano?

[trentonia]

Dude,
I'm standing at the computers at Siggraph checking out your stuff. It's not actually a helix. A helix would be a spiral. It looks like your keyboard is just two sine waves 180 degrees out of phase. I'm going to the newtek party tomorrow.

[allaboutkeys]

Originally posted by trentonia
It's not actually a helix.

Oh... I hope the mods will not ban me for that. ;)

[allaboutkeys]

Originally posted by Zarathustra
Have you used any other 3d program before LW?
So, are you gonna build the rest of the piano?

I have been using Swift 3d, Bryce, Poser and Wings - all the hobbyist stuff (Wings is the only software that has some powerful modeling tools). But finally I decided to become serious about 3d and went for Newtek Europe's summer special (999,- EUR).

Well, I'm not sure about the rest of the piano. Right now I feel like doing some more surreal scenes.

[drclare]

I like all of your keyboards experiments. Nice concepts.

[KissMyGrits]

All of your keyboard scenes have great environments and are wonderfully rendered. I don't know how anyone could make a more realistic image of keys in a helix formation (or close to it), except maybe a less obvious use of the twist tool. It might make for a better effect to not have the keys deformed by the twist tool, instead just rotated in position. But on the other hand the deformation makes the keys seem more connected, and it adds to the surreal feel of the image.