MASTER BAKER.

 As I mentioned it is birthday video season. I thought I'd try modelling a cup cake with a candle.

Here is version number one. The paper case is far too sharp but I suspect if I play with textures and use it in a video it will do the job. I also forgot the plastic candle holder, they are like a flower with a hole in one end and a spike on the other, no bother but time consuming. Should it become too much of a problem then I'll ban it to save the planet. The candle flame looks okay, I nicked it from Google images so it's only 2D but if the camera pans I can lock it to the camera. I can also make it flicker a bit. There's more to this 3D malarkey than I ever thought. The observant will see the candle light does percolate through the candle at the top. I used a sub surface colour for that and it's the first time. I have seen it but never knew what it was for. I looked it up and it does a proper job on candles. The flame isn't emitting light, I faked that with a point light. The reflection gives it away. I doubt many would have noticed.

That's about it for today. The new tyres are just brilliant, it's been snowy and very icy but I have superb grip, no slip slidey, end in a ditchy for me. The new Golf has a processor driven anti-skid which works far better than any I have used before, far superior to the Honda Civic I had and considering it's two wheel drive on a par with the posh Range Rover I used to drive. It's easy to forget it's winter. It's only the semi-skilled driving at five miles per hour that remind one the road surface may not be offering optimum grip.

As an aside, when we were young most of us had a knackered motorbike or the use of one. Learning to drive on a bike, I suspect, makes one far more aware of other road users and road conditions. Driving heavy goods or busses is the same one has to be constantly aware. We have two new cars in the glen and both were stuck yesterday. One a baby Kia and the other it's Nissan sister. Neither driver had thought to screw the towing eye in, amazingly, neither knew they had one or where it was or went. Why should free towers have to get cold hands popping tow eyes in? Jen pulled one out with her Quad, I got the other, it was in a ditch and so she ran me back to get a tractor. She made the bloke do his but I was so thrilled to be riding pillion behind Jen's behind on a quad I did the other one. They were both master bakers.

Have fun.