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I'm trying to recreate this product for a client in Blender.

enter image description here

I really thought it would be a simple project, but I cannot figure it out!

I'm including the blend file here if it helps:

Here's how I got to this point.

enter image description here

I didn't see an easy way to create the Dodecahedron shape so I started with a circle and changed the number of vertices to 5. I fill that shape in, duplicated it and tried my best to recreate the shape, merging vertices as I went. I then used the Cast modifier to straighten out my shape and then at each vertices, I created an ico sphere.

I did try a regular sphere and also a sub-d cube, but after those attempts failed I tried an ico sphere. I then attempted to delete the faces where the bars would connect each sphere, and would try bridge loops to connect the two spheres together. But the angles I could never get right. I've also tried mirror modifiers, but it's actually kind of a difficult shape that's hard to mirror and get right.

I then thought I could use the wireframe modifier on the shape and use a boolean modifer to merge with the ico spheres, it just didn't work, or at least isn't professional enough for this project.

I need to make this look as close to the product as possible, including the seams.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

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    $\begingroup$ The shipped add-on: Add Mesh: Extra Objects gives you Math Function > Regular Solids > Dodecahedron :D $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Dec 12, 2020 at 23:43
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    $\begingroup$ blend-exchange.giantcowfilms.com $\endgroup$
    – Duarte Farrajota Ramos ♦
    Dec 13, 2020 at 0:00
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    $\begingroup$ blender.stackexchange.com/questions/28789 $\endgroup$
    – Duarte Farrajota Ramos ♦
    Dec 13, 2020 at 3:22
  • $\begingroup$ @DuarteFarrajotaRamos This addon looks very interesting and maybe just what I needed but I've just finished the model without it. If it's not good enough, I'll try using this. Thank you! $\endgroup$
    – Jeremy McCloud
    Dec 13, 2020 at 20:46
  • $\begingroup$ @DuarteFarrajotaRamos The blend exchange is exactly what I was looking for. Didn't want to keep using my onedrive. Thanks for the link! $\endgroup$
    – Jeremy McCloud
    Dec 13, 2020 at 20:47

1 Answer 1

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As @Robin Betts said, Use the addon Add Mesh: Extra Objects to create the Dodecahedron.

enter image description here

Then in edit mode select the rouge edges that you can't use and dissolve them.

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The select everything and delete only faces. Back in object mode and convert to curve. Now it is a curve object you can easily add roundness to the segments by increasing the bevel size, this is nice because you can come back later to change the size if you need to.

enter image description here

Now it's a simple matter of adding your favorite sphere shape and snapping its centre to every vertex of the dodecahedron. I recommend using ALT-D to duplicate so that if you want to change their size you can do them all at the same time.

enter image description here

For the seams, you could add a plane along where it needs to be, then use the knife tool to cut it up with some randomness and give it some slight thickness with a Solidify modifier and maybe a subsurf if it needs it.

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    $\begingroup$ Thank you for your answer. This really helped me get the shape down, the only tricky part for me was making it look connected between the sphere and the cylinders and using the boolean union was difficult to make it look right. However, I think it might be close enough. I didn't understand your method about the seams, however, you're little trick to convert the mesh into a curve and changing the depth of the bevel worked really well to create the seams. I just selected an edge from the mesh and converted that to a curve. It turned out quit nice! Thank you for your help! $\endgroup$
    – Jeremy McCloud
    Dec 13, 2020 at 20:52

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