Creating the Main Building

Building an Architectural Model from a Concept Sketch

Creating the Second Building

 

Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials >  Modeling Tutorials > Building an Architectural Model from a Concept Sketch > 

Adding Glass and Columns

In this section you'll create lines to be used as paths with the Spacing Tool. You'll then use the Spacing Tool to create more columns around the building.

Set up the lesson:

To start from this point:

1. Continue from the previous step, or open your saved file, mybuilding_nowalls.max.
2. If you want to start the lesson from here, choose File > Open, browse to \tutorials\arch\, and open the building_nowalls.max file.

Use the Spacing Tool to add columns:

1. In the Create panel > Shapes > Object Type rollout, click Line.
2. In the Top viewport, create a line for the front wall.

   

3. In the Create panel > Name And Color rollout, enter Front Wall Glass.
4. In the Top viewport, create a second line for the left wall and rear wall.

   

5. In the Create panel > Name And Color rollout, enter Rear Wall Glass.
6. In the viewport navigation controls, click Region Zoom. Zoom in, centering the region at the spot where the Front Wall Glass meets the Rotunda.

   The illustration below gives you a rough idea of how far to zoom in.

7. When the Display Background warning appears, click No.
8. Right-click twice in the viewport; once to turn off Region Zoom, and again to exit the Line tool.
9. On the toolbar, click Select And Move.
10. Press F3 to switch to Wireframe view.
11. Click the Front Wall Glass and move its endpoint to the center of the nearest column.
    TipYou might not be able to move the line in two dimensions at first. Because you're zoomed in, you can't use the Transform Gizmo. If you find this is the case, right-click the blank area of the toolbar, and display the Axis Constraints toolbar. Then on the Constraints toolbar, click XY.

    

12. Select the column at the endpoint of the Front Wall Glass and press Delete on your keyboard.
13. In the viewport navigation controls, click Zoom Extents.
14. Press F3 to revert to Shaded view.
15. Press H and select Thin Column 01 from the list.
16. On the Tools menu choose the Spacing Tool.
17. In the Spacing Tool dialog, click the Pick Path button.
18. Press H and select Front Wall Glass from the list.
19. In the Spacing Tool dialog, set Count to 10. If you use the keyboard, be sure to press the Tab or Enter key after typing the number so the new value registers with the software.

    

20. Click Apply.

    

21. In the Spacing Tool dialog, click Pick Path.
22. Press H and select Rear Wall Glass from the list.
23. In the Spacing Tool dialog, set Count to 18. If you use the keyboard, be sure to press the Tab or Enter key after typing the number so the new value registers with the software.
24. Click Apply.

    

25. Close the Spacing Tool dialog.

Attach and clone the wall splines:

Next, you'll combine the two wall splines and clone them, as you did with the rings around the rotunda, to create horizontal steel beams.

1. Press H and select Rear Wall Glass from the list.
2. In the Modify panel > Geometry rollout, click Attach.
3. Press H and select Front Wall Glass from the list.
4. Click the Attach button again to deactivate it.
5. On the menu bar, choose Edit > Clone.
6. In the Clone Options dialog > Object group, choose Copy.
7. In the Clone Options dialog > Name group, type Steel Wall.
8. Click OK to close the dialog.
9. On the toolbar, click Select And Move if necessary.
10. In the status bar > Coordinate Display > Z field, enter 6.1m.

    This moves the Steel Wall object up 6.1 meters.

11. In the Modify panel > Rendering rollout, turn on the Enable in Renderer check box, if it's not already on.
12. In the Rendering rollout, set the Thickness to 0.61m.

    You can see the result of these settings when you render your scene or by turning on Enable in Viewport.

Array the wall splines:

1. From the Tools menu, choose Array.
2. In the Array dialog, click Reset All Parameters.
3. In the Array dialog, under Incremental, set the Move Z axis to 6.1m.
4. In the Type of Object group, choose Instance.
5. In the Array Dimensions group > 1D Count, enter 3.
6. Click OK to close the dialog.

   This creates the steel beams that will make up the horizontal detail of the atrium.

   

Create the walls:

Now you'll use Outline to give the wall some thickness, and then extrude it.

1. Press H and select Rear Wall Glass from the list.
2. In the Modify panel > Selection rollout, click Spline to access this sub-object level.
3. Press Ctrl+A to select both the splines.

   

4. In the Modify panel > Geometry rollout, enter −0.03m in the Outline amount field.

   You need not click the Outline button.

5. In the Modify panel > Selection rollout, click Spline to return to object level.
6. From the Modifiers menu > Mesh Editing category, apply an Extrude modifier. Set Amount to 12.2m.

   

7. Press H and, in the following order, select Steel Ring 02 and Steel Wall 01 from the list.
   Tip Ctrl adds to a selection.
8. On the menu bar, choose Edit > Clone.
9. In the Clone Options dialog > Object group, choose Copy, name the clone Main Roof, then click OK.

   

10. Press H and select Main Roof from the list.

    Note that the objects were cloned separately, and the Main Roof name was applied to the cloned ring; the cloned wall object was automatically named Steel Wall 03.

Complete the walls:

1. From the Modifiers menu > Patch/Spline Editing, click Edit Spline.
2. In the Modify panel > Geometry rollout, click Attach Mult.
3. Select Steel Wall 03 from the list and click Attach.
4. In the viewport, right-click and choose Hide Unselected.
5. In the Modify panel > Selection rollout, click Vertex.
6. In the Modify panel > Geometry rollout, locate the Weld button, then just below it, click the Connect button.
7. Click and drag to connect the adjacent endpoints of the splines that made up the walls.

   You'll be creating two splines: one across the rotunda, and one on the right side of the building as viewed from the top. The spline across the rotunda is necessary because you'll be cutting the rotunda shape out of the building with Boolean, which requires closed splines to work.

   

8. In the Modify panel > Selection rollout click Spline selection, then select the spline that you just connected.

   

9. In the Modify panel > Geometry rollout, choose Boolean Subtraction.
10. Click the Boolean button, and then in the Top viewport, select the Circle shape.

    The circle is subtracted from the building outline, leaving an arc-shaped cutout.

    

11. In the Modify panel > Selection rollout, click Spline to return to the object level.
12. Apply an Extrude modifier and set Amount to −0.15m.
13. In the viewport right-click and choose Unhide All.

    

Add the six large columns:

You'll finish this lesson by using Array to make six shorter copies of the Large Column object.

1. Press H and select Large Column from the list.
2. On the toolbar, choose Select and Move, if necessary.
3. In the Top viewport, hold down the Shift key and move the Large Column over the lower-left column of the sketch.

   

4. In the Clone Options dialog > Object group, click Copy, then click OK.
5. In the Modify panel > Parameters rollout, set Amount to 18.0m.
6. Open the Array dialog and click Reset All Parameters.
7. In the Array dialog, under Incremental, set X to 23.0m.
8. In the Type Of Object group, choose Instance.
9. In the Array Dimensions group, do the following:
   • Set the 1D Count to 2.
   • Click 2D and then set the 2D Count to 3.
   • Under Incremental Row Offsets, set Y to 24.0m.

     

10. Click OK to close the dialog.

    This creates a two-dimensional array of six columns, approximately where they're drawn in the sketch.

    

Save your work:

• On the menu bar, choose File > Save As. Name the file mybuilding.max.