Chapter 1. Octopus Pencil Holder

3D printing makes it easy to combine forms and functions. Why have just a pencil holder when you can have a pencil holder that looks like, say, a cute octopus? This project is an excellent starting project because it demonstrates a simple but versatile modeling technique that involves editing a simple mesh and smoothing it in order to go into more detail.

This project will involve simple selection techniques that are unique to the Edit Mode, modification commands in the edit mode, and applying modifiers to soften and combine shapes. This technique alone can be used to created unlimited cool things once mastered.

In this book, we will cover the following topics:

• Planning the project
• The first basic shape
• Smoothing the mesh with modifiers
• Bending the tentacles
• Flattening the bottom
• Renaming objects
• Adding a pencil cup
• Adding a face
• Finishing touches