# The "Utah Teapot"

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/the-utah-teapot/45767>\
**Category:** Gallery\
**Created:** [February 15, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/the-utah-teapot/45767 "2025-02-15T15:21:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![quark](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/quark/32/26_2.png) [@quark](https://discourse.processing.org/u/quark)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/the-utah-teapot/45767/1 "2025-02-15T15:21:38Z")

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The 'Utah Teapot" model was created 50 years ago and is one of the first to be modeled using Bezier curves.

Drag the mouse to rotate the teapot, use mouse wheel to zoom.

https://editor.p5js.org/quark-js/full/Ut5IFGBfA

This is a port of a Java version I created 5 years ago (see [here](https://discourse.processing.org/t/utah-teapot-using-bezier-surfaces/21243)).

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**Author:** ![shedMusic](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/shedmusic/32/601_2.png) [@shedMusic](https://discourse.processing.org/u/shedMusic)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2025, 6:51pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/the-utah-teapot/45767/2 "2025-02-15T18:51:40Z")

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Omg that I so impressive!  
I love that you can even see inside by looking down the spout 🤯

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**Author:** ![mortap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@mortap](https://discourse.processing.org/u/mortap)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 3:44am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/the-utah-teapot/45767/3 "2025-05-11T03:44:08Z")

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But how is the tea supposed to get out?

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**Author:** ![glv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/glv/32/18785_2.png) [@glv](https://discourse.processing.org/u/glv)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/the-utah-teapot/45767/4 "2025-05-11T20:34:54Z")

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> [@mortap](#):
>
> But how is the tea supposed to get out?

I asked ChatGPT this question and the response was:

> The Utah Teapot is a classic 3D computer graphics model created mainly for testing rendering and modeling techniques. In the model, the spout is designed just like a real teapot’s spout — it’s the part where the tea would flow out. However, since it’s just a 3D model and not a functional object, there’s no real “inside” or hollow path for liquid. It’s meant to _look_ correct visually, not actually function as a teapot.

Additional references:

> **[Utah teapot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_teapot)**
>
> The Utah teapot, or the Newell teapot, is one of the standard reference test models in 3D modeling and an in-joke within the computer graphics community. It is a mathematical model of an ordinary Melitta-brand teapot designed by Lieselotte Kantner \[de\] that appears solid with a nearly rotationally symmetrical body. Using a teapot model is considered the 3D equivalent of a "Hello, World!" program, a way to create an easy 3D scene with a somewhat complex model acting as the basic geometry for a ...

`:)`

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**Author:** ![quark](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/quark/32/26_2.png) [@quark](https://discourse.processing.org/u/quark)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/the-utah-teapot/45767/5 "2025-05-12T16:20:51Z")

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> [@mortap](#):
>
> But how is the tea supposed to get out?

You tilt it like this …

 ![Screenshot 2025-05-12 at 17.13.05](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/processingfoundation1/original/3X/4/6/46e360f18c99fcf42e92bc6b11482284388c861b.png)

unfortunately it is empty so you there is no tea to see LOL 😂