Model 1: Laser

My first model is the laser which is a pretty straight foreword object. Firstly I started off with a torus ring and used the array feature to create as many as I needed. This helps keep the file size to a minimum and also saves time as I would have to copy the same ring and position each one. The array feature also helps keep the objects the same width and depth apart keeping its consistency.

Next a thin cylinder which is placed in the centre of the torus rings, forming the main beam in the laser. Using the picture of the Manhattan skyline and placing it on the cylinder gives a shiny effect and brings the beam to life.

Next another cylinder is needed to form a metal harness for the laser. Using an image of a shiny metal and adding it to the cylinder makes the metal object look more realistic.

This cylinder can then be duplicated twice, the first to be added to the top part of the laser, then extended ready to form the junction between the laser and the ceiling.

The second copy will form the base of the laser where the beam will shoot. Here the bottom part of the cylinder has been converted to poly allowing the edges to be extruded down to a single point.

The last step is finding a good colour for the rings; it needs to have a glass effect yet with a solid blue colour. In the material editor under maps I selected reflection and refraction and gave each of them the raytrace map. This gave a good shiny chrome effect which is exactly what I am looking for.

overall this object was quite straight forward to model, it just required a lot of thought and testing to find exactly the right colours and effects I was looking for.