Download hamapatch at hamaPatch Resources

A dingbat lamp tutorial   (Intermediate level).
Dingbats are useful in Hamapatch because they are represented as curved lines - as any other font character-. A dingbat character however, can save a lot of time. Here's a step by step "dblamp":
We will be using the character "T" in the Wingdings.ttf font in Windows.

1.-Select All.

2.- Center: The character appears in the front view.

3.-In the right view, Shift+Rotate to align the symbol with the "z" plane. In other words, the symbol will appear in the "top" view. It is still a curved line(see below).

4.- Adjust your view. Go to the Camera tab, and pan both "front" and "right" views down.

5.- Return to Patch tab.

6.- Hit "Enter' to de-select.

7.- Click the rectangle selection tool.

8.- Make a square inside the symbol, to select all nodes inside the area.

9.- Click scale and enlarge. Since it will be a lamp, it will need some space.

10.-Hit "Enter" to deselect.

11.-Select All again.
12.-Click "Extrude" button and translate all points up.

13.-Then again.
14.-Scale and reduce.
15.-Extrude again.
16.-Maybe you want to soften the screen a little. Select All and then click "round" button.
17.- There you go.

What about the base?
You can use a lathe. Add some points along a curved line in the front view. Then click on the "lathe" button.

Just remember to create (or move) it into another layer, save and export.

This lamp was made as described here. I just rotated it and added a bunch of twisted cylinders :-)

This is the "a" character in ITC Zapf Dingbats* (-please see below-) withouth the inside nodes.

*-International Typeface Corporation ~ Dixieland Corel Corporation

Rendered in POVRay w/radiosity and using this png image -made with PSP- as an image_map.

Copyright©2002,Marjorie Graterol