Exercise 1.5.2: Modifying a Family Definition
In this exercise, students will learn how to:
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Student Exercise
- Edit the family of the floor lamp near the sofa in the living room of the residence to create a new one with a mid-century modern look.
- Modify the lamp shade form:
- Save the component family using a new name to avoid overwriting the original. Name the new component Floor Lamp – Modern.
- Delete the center pole element, which is defined as an extrusion
- Select the lamp shade, which is defined as a revolve
- Open the front elevation view, and edit the revolve. Change the sketch of the boundary lines to create a funnel shape as shown in Figure 1.5.5.
Figure 1.5.5 - Updated boundary sketch and revolved form for lamp shade
- Modify the lamp base form:
- Select the lamp base, which is also defined as a revolve.
- Open the front elevation view again, and edit the revolve. Change the sketch of the boundary lines to create a cylinder shape as shown in Figure 1.5.6.
Figure 1.5.6 - Updated boundary sketch and revolved form for lamp base
- Add three legs to support the lamp shade:
- Open the front elevation view again, and create a new solid extrusion.
- Sketch boundary lines that meet the sides of the lamp shade and lamp base as shown in Figure 1.5.7.
- Set the extrusion start to -1/2" and the extrusion end to 1/2" to create a 1" thick leg.
- Finish the extrusion.
- Open plan view and use the Array tool to create a radial array of 3 legs spaced evenly around the center of the lamp (with a rotation of 120 degrees between the elements).
Figure 1.5.7 - Boundary sketch for leg extrusion and radial array of 3 legs supporting lamp shade
- Modify the light source definition to match the new lamp shape:
- Select the current light source definition, which is also defined as a hemisphere.
- Open the Light Source Definition tool and choose to emit light using the line shape and the spherical light distribution pattern.
- Open the front elevation view again, and select the light source element.
- Unlock the constraints on the light source, and rotate it 90 degrees. Then move the center of the light source down 2' as shown in Figure 1.5.8.
Figure 1.5.8 - Updated shape and placement of light source
- Assign materials for the lamp shade, base, and legs:
- Open the Materials dialog box, and duplicate the Default material. Name this new material Modern Lamp Base, and assign a brown color as the shading to represent wood.
- Duplicate the Glass – Frosted material and name the new material Modern Lamp Shade.
- Open the 3D view and select each of these elements to assign their materials in the Properties palette.
- If the leg elements are in a group (created during the array operation), select one leg and edit the group. The material assigned to one leg will automatically be used by all legs.
- Save your work and use the Load into Project tool to load the new component into your project.
Figure 1.5.9 - Completed modern lamp component