Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Illustrative Example: Model a Wine Glass
Lets start with a classic spin tool model. Here we go step by step in making a wine glass... or any other latheable models... using the spin tool.
Model half the outline
Using what you have learned earlier, create a simple outline of the wine glass. Just the half part and leave the center part open. As a recap, go first to front view. Select the cube (or if you have no object create one) and press Tab to go to edit mode. Delete all vertices of the object, then using Ctrl+ LMB, add connected vertices. Keep holding Ctrl and clicking until finished. Adjust vertices as required.
|Finished wineglass outline|
Spinning the outline
Remember to align the two end points in the open side. Select the two vertices and scale at the x-axis to zero (Skey->Xkey->0key). Move the 3d cursor to the center by snapping to the selection (Shift+S -> 4key). Then select all vertices by hitting Akey twice.
|Wineglass outline in preparation for spinning|
Now go to top view (Num7). Select the editing button (F9Key) and find the mesh tools tab. Change Degr to 360 for a complete turn and change steps to 20 or higher to form a much rounded shape.
|Parameter settings for the project|
Press the Spin button.
|Wineglass result seen in front view|
Cleaning up the Mesh
Select all vertices by pressing Akey twice then apply remove doubles operation (WKey->6Key/Remove doubles). Now the model is finished. Make it shade smooth using set smooth (Wkey -> set smooth). If you like, add a Subsurf modifier to the object to make it geometrically smoother. If dark bands appear, recalculate normals outside (Ctrl+N), to eliminate them.
|Finished wineglass rendered with no textures|