Object Constructor filter-- ideas needed

I am considering putting together a filter that you can use to construct complex objects with in multiple passes along the line of:



Building something one element at a time, such as this teapot from five different basic elements, combining bump maps, which represents the height of the final object:



Which would have textures applied to it as well.

Now, the basic concept I have is to make (at least) two filters, one that constructs the object (Simple filter) and one that creates the shaded dimensional object (Surface filter -- or a simulation surface filter done as Simple filter).

What I am mainly talking about right now is the constructor filter, call it "Object Constructor."

I wanna have some basic primitives -- sphere, cube, cylinder, pyramid, cone, torus -- as the basic building blocks and use envelope distorts -- skew, taper, bend, bulge, wave, etc. -- as the the main building method.

What I am asking for some help on is ideas for different basic distortions that you can make to an object in a 3D program. Not the fancier "effect" ones like "melt," but the most basic ones that are useful for constructing an object. (Preferably with an image showing what it looks like in case I don't know it.)

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ThreeDee wrote: the most basic ones that are useful for constructing an object.

I'm not sure if I'm quite following you.....Booleans would be the first ones to come to mind.....blending of the surfaces to each other so that the parts look more continuous as one object.....pinch/pull.....metal, glass, ceramic textures......etc....

If you mean different objects that can most easily be made from the base.....flasks/vases with handles, ornamental protrusions, flanges.....

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StevieJ wrote: I'm not sure if I'm quite following you.....

By envelope distortions, I mean things like this:



The original object, seen at top left, is a box (or a cylinder) in this case, and the derivative shapes would be done with different distortions; bend, arch, bulge, etc. The original object could be any primitive, like a box, ball, cylinder, pyramid, etc. The distortions in this image are from Illustrator, but I'm sure there are others commonly used in 3D programs that I don't know about.

So I am asking: what other distortions are there that 3D program users find useful?

(Preferably with a screen capture to show what it looks like.)