How to Model a Compass in Blender 3D

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Welcome to the first tutorial of the Low-Poly Modeling for Beginners series. In this tutorial, we will be modeling a low-poly compass.

Blender Reference Manual – https://docs.blender.org/manual/ja/dev/index.html

Blender Hotkeys Reference – https://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.4/Reference/Hotkeys/All

HOUSING

1. Change the Renderer to Cycles
2. Go into Orthographic View (5 on the Numpad) and Front View (1 on the Numpad)
3. Select the Cube and delete it (X)
4. Add a Cylinder (SHIFT + A)
5. Resize the Cylinder along the X-Axis (S + X + 4)
6. Resize the Cylinder along the Y-Axis (S + Y + 4)
7. Go into the Top View (7 on the Numpad)
8. Tab into Edit Mode
9. Go into Face Mode (CTRL + TAB)
10. Select the top face of the Cylinder
11. Inset the face (I + 0.1)
12. Go into Front View (1 on the Numpad) and Wireframe Mode (Z)
13. Extrude the face down along the Z-Axis (E + -1)
14. Go back into Solid Mode (Z)

DECORATION

15. Add a Cube (SHIFT + A)
16. Go into the Top View (7 on the Numpad)
17. Resize the Cube along the Z-Axis (S + Z + 0.1)
18. Resize the Cube along the X-Axis (S + X + 0.3)
19. Resize the Cube along the Y-Axis (S + Y + 3)
20. Go into Edge Mode (CTRL + TAB)
21. Add a horizontal Edge Loop (CTRL + R) in the center of the Cube
22. Select the right and left top edges of the Cube
23. Merge the edges in the center (ALT + M)
24. Select the right and left bottom edges of the Cube
25. Merge the edges in the center (ALT + M)
26. Select the Cube (L) and duplicate it (SHIFT + D + ENTER)
27. Rotate the duplicated Cube around the Z-Axis 90^o (R + Z + 90)
28. Select both Cubes (L)
29. Duplicate the two Cubes (SHIFT + D + ENTER)
30. Rotate the Cubes around the Z-Axis 45^o (R + Z + 45)
31. Resize the duplicated Cubes (S + 0.8)

NEEDLE HOLDER

32. Go into the Front View (1 on the Numpad)
33. Add a Cylinder (SHIFT + A)
34. Go into Wireframe Mode (Z)
35. Resize the Cylinder along the X-Axis (S + X + 0.1)
36. Resize the Cylinder along the Y-Axis (S + Y + 0.1)
37. Resize the Cylinder along the Z-Axis (S + Z + 0.3)

DIRECTION

38. Go into Solid Mode (Z)
39. Add a Cube (SHIFT + A)
40. Resize the Cube along the Z-Axis (S + Z + 0.1)
41. Go into the Top View (7 on the Numpad)
42. Resize the Cube along the X-Axis (S + X + 0.05)
43. Resize the Cube along the Y-Axis (S + Y + 0.2)
44. Move the Cube to the top of the compass
45. Duplicate the Cube (SHIFT + D + ENTER)
46. Move the duplicated Cube to the right of the original Cube about 2/10 of a Blender Unit
47. Duplicate the Cube (SHIFT + D + ENTER)
48. Rotate the duplicated Cube around the Z-Axis 45^o (R + Z + 45)
49. Move the duplicated Cube between the two original Cubes to form the letter “N”
50. Select all three sections of the letter (L) and center them

NEEDLE

51. Go into the Top View (7 on the Numpad) and add a Cube (SHIFT + A)
52. Resize the Cube along the Z-Axis (S + Z + 0.05)
53. Resize the Cube along the X-Axis (S + X + 0.3)
54. Resize the Cube along the Y-Axis (S + Y + 3.5)
55. Move the Cube up along the Z-Axis until it is about 90% of the way up the middle Cylinder
56. Go into Edge Mode (CTRL + TAB)
57. Add a horizontal Edge Loop (CTRL + R) in the center of the Cube
58. Add a vertical Edge Loop (CTRL + R) in the center of the Cube
59. Select the right and left top edges of the Cube
60. Merge the edges in the center (ALT + M)
61. Select the right and left bottom edges of the Cube
62. Merge the edges in the center (ALT + M)
63. Select the entire Cube (L) and rotate it around the Z-Axis 10^o (R + Z + 10)

GLASS

64. Select the inner ring of the Housing (ALT + RIGHT-CLICK)
65. Fill in this section (F)
66. Separate this new face from the rest of the compass (P > SELECTION)
67. Deselect everything (A)
68. Select the new face in the Outline (Cylinder.001) and Tab back into Edit Mode
69. Go into the Materials Tab and click on the New button
70. Click on Surface (the small circle to the right of “Diffuse BSDF” and select Glass BSDF
71. Change the IOR to 1.2

LAMP

72. Tab into Object Mode
73. Select the Lamp and change it to a Sun Lamp (Lamp Tab)
74. Change the Size to 0.5
75. Move the Lamp so the center of the Lamp is above and centered over the compass

COLOR

76. Hide the glass in the Outliner (click on the eyeball next to Cylinder.001)
77. Select the compass and Tab into Edit Mode
78. Go into Face Mode (CTRL + TAB)
79. Open the Materials Tab and click on the New button
80. Assign the default material to the entire compass
81. Click the Plus Button and the New Button and change the color to a dark gray (#525252)
82. Click the Plus Button and the New Button and change the color to a lighter gray (#a0a0a0)
83. Click the Plus Button and the New Button and change the color to a light green (#70c24b)
84. Click the Plus Button and the New Button and change the color to a bright red (#e71800)
85. Click the Plus Button and the New Button and change the color to a white (#ffffff)
86. Select the top faces and the very bottom face
87. Select the dark gray material and click Assign
88. Select the rest of the housing and the needle holder
89. Select the lighter gray material and click Assign
90. Select the decorations
91. Select the light green material and click Assign
92. Select the top of the needle
93. Select the bright red and click Assign
94. Select the “N” and the bottom of the needle
95. Select the white and click Assign