External / Internal Walls - Best Practice?

[Playdo]

Hi all,

 

I'm modeling a 2 storey building in 3ds Max, off of plans (no CAD data). What's the best practice when creating the internal and external walls across multiple floors?

 

- Model the external and internal walls of the ground floor as one, then model the external and internal walls of the first floor as one. Then join the two external walls together later?

 

- Or model the entire external wall as one. Then model the internal walls separately and float them in?

[datacrasher]

Are you using AEC or box modeling them? if you're using AEC then i would create the first floor then add it to a new layer in the layer manager name it (first floor) in the layer manager then clone the first floor and make a new layer name (second floor then move the second floor upwards in the front view

[Playdo]

I'm spline modelling directly in 3ds Max.

 

You're saying keep the 1st and 2nd floor external walls separate and float one on top of the other? And then align the external brickwork in texturing later?

[datacrasher]

Sorry Micheal i don't spline model i mostly box model or using the AEC walls, windows and door it's a lot quicker

 

that is what i would do. I would create the first layer (first floor) once you have created the first floor then add it to a new layer in the layer manager then clone the second floor add a new layer in the manager then clone it as a copy then add a new layer name it second floor

 

yes you need to keep then separated and make them in layers. If you look at a real 2 story building then you notice they are not built in one floor they are made in 2 separate floors.

 

you could do it in one floor in you want too.

 

IMO never add the texture until you have completed the build. i would use the multi/sub-object material to save on slot in the material editor

 

I don't really texture i am basically a architect

Edited February 11, 2012 by datacrasher

[Playdo]

Thanks Tony. Anyone else?

[AubreyM]

I do it both ways depending on the structure. For example an apartment building I will create the first floor then make copies of the others. An old intricate building or one where the upper levels are very dissimilar I will create the exterior then build the interior if needed. It really depends on the building.

[datacrasher]

I don't know what else advice to give you Micheal unless you ask another question

[Peter M. Gruhn]

I did some projects carefully modelling each floor separate. And eventually I ended up redoing or kludging together many of the walls every time. There'd be a lighting issue, or articulation wouldn't be on a per floor basis, or the materials, or... in the end the pure division between floors would turn out not to be so pure. So I'm trying to lean towards full height. This has to depend on the designs though. And when I get better and anticipate better I may change again.

[Playdo]

Cheers for those.

 

Ps - Tony, I just wanted to get multiple views.

Edited February 14, 2012 by Playdo

[Umesh Raut]

Dear Oliver,

I may add a few basic but often overlooked thoughts here, first - only model what you want to see/show primarily as a block and start detailing only after fixing the view/camera angles. That way you save a lot on unnecessary work time on stuff away from view. Secondly, if both the interior and exterior are to be shown, model a block of the outer surfaces first and copy them to a different file for inner model reference. Two separate INT and EXT files certainly speed things up and whenever you want to see some outside from interior camera, just place objects for that area.

These are, as stated @ the beginning, very simple but overlooked steps.

[Playdo]

Hi Umesh,

 

Yes, fixing camera angles first is a must for any CG work.

 

By having a separate int and ext file. Do you mean importing one as an XRef?

[Umesh Raut]

Not necessarily.

You develop two separate files once the form is crystallized. Like the walls, doors and windows (may be some portion of the roof too, in rare cases) are placed/modelled in one exterior file, copy that; don't need to xref because you are developing interior in the second file by inserting your furniture and fixtures, lighting, colours and textures, etc. No need to worry about trees, cars, roads, swimming pools, etc. They are placed in the first one with, may be, only the Sun lighting the scene.