Let's Make A Musicbox





I take absolutely no credit for this tutorial. I just improvised making it a little smaller and just changing the way I myself found it easier for me to make what I wanted to accomplish. This basic tutorial is made by Mrs.K (kosh46)~~Mrs.K's Tute~~Thanks Mrs.K. You sure gave me another project I've been wanting to make.

My numbers will be slightly smaller so I am going to show how I made this box.


1. Use a clear gif of 200x200For Printers convenience: http;//www.wtv-zone.com/MsLee/Gifs2/clear.gif
Clear gif
Draw - Ellipse - numbers: 80,80 65,10 0,360 Fill White (no need for SW color or width at this point.

2. Draw - Ellipse 80,140 65,10 0,360 Same for fill etc.

3. Draw - LINE 15,83 15,140 Fill - White Stroke Width 3

4. Draw - LINE - right side: 143,83 143,140 same fill etc.

5. Now you have a box that is colorless in the center but we will fill that in a minute.

http://www.wtv-zone.com/MsLee/Musicboxes/whitetemplate.gif


Now you will fill in using the Fill in Method (under Composite Misc (or IN) and put in an url that you want your box to be. Now the center is still clear so next, you have to fill in that empty part of the box so go to (Paint) COLOR - REPLACE and put in white and click the arrow in that part of the box that is clear. You will see it also painted around the outside. Don't panic. Now just click on MATTE - FLOODFILL, put your arrow on the outside of the box and the white is now gone. Composite your url of your background again and the box is all filled in. I know, it doesn't look like a box but it will, trust me. LOL
http://www.wtv-zone.com/MsLee/Musicboxes/orchbasetemp.gif


Now you want to get a trim around the edge. Go back to Draw - Ellipse (using first figures and NONE in FILL color Put in a Stroke Color - Stroke Width 3. I used a gold #93823D -- Voila, you have a ridge around your box. Now you want it to be put around the bottom of the box? Sure you do. Just stay with Ellipse again and put in these numbers: 80,140 65,10 0,180 (NOTE: it's 180 not 360 on the bottom ellipse for this trim) Now click on and you have the bottom trimmed.

http://www.wtv-zone.com/MsLee/Musicboxes/orchtrimtempl.gif

Go to Transform - TRIM. Now save this base box either by cc&p or save to your file.(NOTE: If you want the inside of the box a solid color, you can do that at the same time you are putting on the trim by putting in a solid color for fill. It will color right over the filled in color you had there. (see my sample below of the butterfly one.)

Now you want a back lid? Easy as pie. Put in a clear gif again. Now go to DRAW - CIRCLE - 90,90 50,50 Fill - White. Now composite a background url you want or if you want it a solid color you can just put a color in the box instead of white. You have your lid colored now? Okay, how about trimming it around the edge? Just leave your numbers in the box, just change the Fill to NONE - Stroke color and Width is 3. Can't believe you did this? Sure you did. Now Transform and Trim and save.

Let me give you a hint of what I do. Before I make my lid, I put in a clear gif and in this version of mine I size the clear gif to the size my finished box will be so it's 135x197! (don't forget that exclamation point) When I made the base of the box after it was trimmed and I cc&p the url, I then composited to the above clear gif using SOUTH. So now I can go right to it using my back button to get back to finishing putting the parts together. So after my lid is done I can now go back and composite the lid North. Now you can decorate or add an animated doll etc.

Hope this is clear enough and once you've made one, it gets easier.

I will be making a page of these boxes so check back to my websites.

Here's another version you can make a box for:



I've added this to my tutorial page and check it out, there are other projects I've made tutes for.

Lee's Tutorials

Lee's Varieties

July 2, 2002