Help with order of operations

[Anonymous]

I'm a new user and want to model a few items for my hobby.  Ive watched hours of beginner tutorials.  I'd like to design a bromleliad leaf to 3d print.  Ive spent 2 days trying to figure out how to model it but I'm still having problems.    I'll attach a picture of the basic shape I'm trying to make.  Can someone help me with what steps I need to perform to get it modeled

[davebYYPCU]

Like this ?  Totally not sure what it is  - but a compound curve.

Sketch the Centre Line of the leaf (side view curve)

Create > Form

Extrude the line, Symmetric for one  face each side of the line.  I used default settings.

Make the centreline the line of Symmetry.

Delete the tip corner point/s.

Select the outside edges, but not the base lines, rotate the selection up from the tip.

Finish Form supplies the Surface Body to thicken if required.

Might help....

[Anonymous]

Yes, that's helpful.  I got to a similar place though not as eloquently as you.  The other problem I had was that want the base of the leaf to be enclosed to create a "cup" that would hold water.  I haven't figured out how to do that yet.   I breed poision dart frogs that use water held in the base of bromeliad leaves to raise their tadpoles so I want to try to create an artifical alternative.

[davebYYPCU]

Just one leaf per cup? 

Like the 3d print in that pic?

[Anonymous]

Yes. 

[davebYYPCU]

Ok, more like this, 1.2mm thick, so far.

Started with ellipse, pulled the top two edges out, and shaped, again delete the outside corner points, 

Edit form to change the shape to suit you, 

Let you decide how deep, and 

let me know if you wanted a supporting frame or your right with that.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your help. Took a couple days of figuring out how tsplines work but I've go it now I think.