I would like to make a 3-D coin from an image/logo.
I am an intermediate user of Inventor but I'm not sure how to get that embossed affect similar to that of a quarter. Basically a quarter is what I am going for and then render an image of that coin. What tools would you suggest I use to re-produce a George Washington head type embossed/effect from an already existing image of a custom smiley face?
Thanks,
Ed
If you're just going to render it, and you don't need an actual manufacturable model, your best bet is to create a simple flat coin shape and then use a normal map for the raised parts. For example:
Rusty
You can get some decent renders with the right images to use for the color styles.
Tweaking them to get the right proportions is the tough part.
A small pile of SMILEY tokens...
That is exactly what I am looking for. What is normal map. Is that a command? The logo I am working on is on google images search Smiley Baldazar. There you will find a Smiley logo that I am working from. So I can import an image then trace the curves from there in sketch mode on top of a coin I already create, then use normal map on those sketches? I will try to post the image I am working with later.
Thanks,
Ed
A normal map is simply an image that is overlaid on your part geometry for rendering. The rendering engine uses it to displace pixels in the rendered image without having to have complex geometry to form the part.
The coin that I posted above is a simple flat disc. The red-blue image is what creates the entire surface of the coin, with all the letters, scratches, etc. You create the geometry in Inventor, send it to Showcase, and apply the normal map there. The example that I used - the British 10p piece - I downloaded from the internet, but if I was going to create one myself I'd find an image online and use GIMP with the Normal Map plugin (or Photoshop and it's version, if I could find anyone willing to pay for a license for me!).
There's a lot more to texturing / lighting / rendering than I really have time to go into here. I really recommend that you spend some time with google and the help files for Showcase, and start playing with some of the settings, figuring out how things work.
Rusty