Hi........Help please! building cladding causing great headache!

[k240]

(sorry about previous post...butter fingers!)

 

Hello everyone,

 

I have religously been reading this forum for a very long time now and have learned a alot from it. Firstly I would like to thank all those generous people who have given their knowledge and time to solve other peoples issues. Yeah.....you've guessed it I need help! I have been asked to model a faculty building for a competition. I am hoping someone can help me figure out a way to model the cladding pattern onto the curving building facade (files attached). I would prefer to model as opposed to using textures because i want to create a shadow gap between the triangles and extrude the triangles which will be brushed metal. I would love to know how the real professionals would get the pattern to follow the curvature.

 

Many Thanks in advance

 

Shahid.

[Tommy L]

The only way to do it and have any kind of control would be to UVW Unwrap the model. Its pretty easy when you get your head around the concept...read the max help then check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRfkBDW7VAo

Dont try to model it, you're asking for trouble.

That said, if you subdivide a model (subdivide modifier) it does create geometry that follows your patter and even offers a triangle subdivision size. You could then select all the poly's you want to extrude and perform a 'inset' at sub-object level. your inset triangles would still be selected and you could just hit extrude or bevel at sub-object. This may be a fairly heavy model after that, depending on the scale of your subdivisio. I'd keep an edit poly modifier in the stack in case you have problems later on, kind of depends on the hardware you're using though.

[k240]

Thank you Tom, I'll give it a go and post back the result!

[Simon Moir]

Try modelling the elevation flat first, then use SurfDeform (wsm) to wrap it around a curved Nurbs surface. You can use a Mesher Compound Object to collapse it to a mesh.

 

 

http://simonmoir.blogspot.com/2008/07/birds-nest.html

[k240]

Thank you too Simon, to be honest I have very little knowledge with regards to Nurbs, but judging by your birds nest tutorial the methodology looks the same. So I will be delving into the world of nurbs modelling this evening!! Unfortunately I cannot start with (or will struggle creating) a flat elevation.

[Simon Moir]

No problem Shahid. With snaps turned on, trace the top and bottom of your poly facade with point curves, then create a U loft with them, that’s about all the Nurbs you’ll need. Using referenced clones it is possible to create a 2D template of the facade to export to AutoCAD, do the pattern neatly and then bring it back into Max.

[k240]

Hi Simon,

 

We have just made our submission (I worked continuously for 30 hours to meet the deadline) and just wanted to say a big thanks for your help, your solution was spot on. I cannot post our images yet as we are not allowed to reveal our submission till after the results have been announced.

[Simon Moir]

Glad I could help, look forward to seeing it!