What is the best way to produce Shingles

[pradipta]

I would like to ask you what methods do you prefer for making shingles? I generally do it by making geometry and copying it numerous times as required and adjusting the slopes near gable roof. I tried using maps but the output is not worthy. Making geometry sometimes give troubles adjusting the ends and placing the caps on top and side.

 

Would like to see some methods of how you guys tackle this

[IC]

For me the easiest way is to make a polyline profile from the side elevation in AutoCad.

Then I extrude it the length of the roof.

 

I use a bump map to seperate the tiles as this keeps the poly count down.

[pradipta]

IC, that's a way I used. But bump map does not work always. It gives not-s0-good quality output when it comes to proper lighting and shadowing. How do you manage that?

[IC]

I use LightWave for rendering and it has a 'bump displacement' feature which is just what it says really-it takes your bump map and affects the geometry with it.

 

I'm sure all the other apps have similar displacement tools and I think V-Ray in particular has excellent features for this.

[ecastillor]

for animations I use a texture with bump map....

for close up still images theres no other way but to model the shingles for an ok result....

 

theres a nice tutorial here somewhere...look for spanish roof or something like that

[ecastillor]

here it is

 

http://www.robeccaproductions.com/Spanish_Tile_toot.htm

[pradipta]

thanks ecastillor for the link. i saw sometime before. nicely done.

not the modeling but trimming around the corner and gabble roof edge is a tough and time taking task. so, may be mapping can be an option when rendered from a considerable distance otherwise for close-up making geometry seems the only way.

[Sirkus]

hey pradipta,

 

i use vray and use its vray displacement to make the barrel for the roof... i'll show you a pic on how i used it on my recent render. though its not as good as a render used with modeled tegula roofing but i guess its for people like me who are lazy to model in max. hehehe:D

[pradipta]

thanks Sirkus, nice looking render. i saw it before in some other forums. yes, using vRay displacement map it'll be lot easier to make the shingles without actually modeling it