Sidewalks

[Josh1587140445]

I am currently working on a model and I am about to takle the site. It is a flat site (Thank god and about time). But the side walks and patios are not straight lines, and have some what of a pattern in them. Would somone be able to suggest on how I would be able to get the score lines.

 

 

The pink lines are the sidewalks.

[Josh1587140445]

[Ernest Burden III]

But the side walks and patios are not straight lines, and have some what of a pattern in them. Would somone be able to suggest on how I would be able to get the score lines.

The easiest way is a texture map. Create a poly just under your model that covers the full area of the sidewalks, plus a tiny bit. Either do a screen capture at full resolution (just like what you posted) that includes the polygon boundry...or you can render out a wireframe at higher resolution, depending on how fine you want the lines. In photoshop you now have an image map with the sidewalk lines. You can do a bump map, or add a texture for the concrete and have the lines over and just use it as a texture map. This will allow you to add some subtle variation in one 'slab' to the next, which is a plus. Just be sure its high res enough if you will be seeing it up close.

 

Back in the rendering software, get the mapping coords from that poly for a planar (plan) projection and apply them to the polys of the sidewalk.

 

If you don't feel like modeling ANY of the sidewalk you can put one plane just above the lawn level and use a map with an alpha channel to 'cut away' outside your curved lines.

 

You would crop the image map to the exact polyhon shape you made, so the map will simply fit perfectly.

 

All from the CAD plan--it wouldn't take you much longer than it has taken me to write this.

 

[ June 25, 2003, 02:05 PM: Message edited by: Ernest Burden ]

[bigcahunak]

Originally posted by Ernest Burden:

All from the CAD plan--it wouldn't take you much longer than it has taken me to write this.

LOL - thats a good one.

I used this methos a few times - it works good.

Having said that, it does look fairly easy to model, if you do want more control over the surfaces.

[mbr]

I'd just model them. It won't really add that many more polygons and you'll be sure to catch the edges with the light.

[Ernest Burden III]

I'd just model them. It won't really add that many more polygons and you'll be sure to catch the edges with the light.

You can do that in Photoshop also, by doubling the line layer, making it a lighter color and offsetting it one pixel or so up and to the side--just plan for sun angle. You can put it either over or under the darker lines. That way you build that sun-catching bevel into the bitmap or bumpmap (or both).

 

I would agree that modeling would give you more flexibility, but the question is time. The bitmap way is faster, the modeling way is more detailed and allows for you to get closer to the house.

 

For what its worth, I would usually model the sidewalk, but it would take me longer.

[ingo]

I agree that the best way is modelling, and i guess in this case even the fastest. You than could select different object of the sidewalk and give a minimal change in color/diffuse to make it look a bit more real without using dirt maps.

 

Oh and please show the rendering when ready...

[Ted Boardman]

>>Would somone be able to suggest on how I would be able to get the score lines

 

Josh,

 

Check my column from last July http://www.cgarchitect.com/upclose/article3_TB.asp

where I do some sidewalks.

 

If you loft the sidewalks you'll have good control of the mesh density and you'll be able to use the loft mapping coordinates that cause the material to follow any curvature.

 

Use a black and white Gradient Ramp set to Solid Interpolation in the Bump slot to create the scoring.

 

Ted

[Ernest Burden III]

I agree that the best way is modelling, and i guess in this case even the fastest. You than could select different object of the sidewalk and give a minimal change in color/diffuse to make it look a bit more real without using dirt maps.

Modeling it FASTEST? No way. The entire thing can be done by making ONE rectangular polygon and one bitmap by modifying a screen capture. Mapping is planar, so no UVs to set. You could model that curvy sidewalk with joints quicker than what I just described?

 

Well, you could sweep a small 'V' shape along all the lines in the CAD plan, and then do some sort of capping, but its still not faster.

[CRD]

If you are not going to get super close to the sidewalk, I've found it's quickest to make your sidewalk joints as renderable splines. So in cad, make a layer with only the control joints on it . Then in your renderer, make those lines renderable and move them slightly above the sidewalk, apply a slightly darker material to the joint than the sidewalk, and it looks like a groove.

 

In 3d, the spline actually becomes a very thin cylinder laying on the surface, but in the rendering, your eye will make the darker line a depression in the surface.

 

Colin

[John Dollus]

If it's a rendering, I would paint it. If it is an animation, model it.