BAT Modeling Tutorial by SimFox Part II

[SimFox]

Part 2

In Part I we have formed basic volume of standard floor and although it is possible to continue the process with same objects I personally would prefer to take it in a bit different direction. Model what we have now is great for overall volume planning- you can array it needed number of levels up and see how you building would look with 5 or 50 storey. You can put together a little or large block of buildings of, say, varying height etc. This is very handy in order to critically evaluate your design before you gone too far and sped days modeling something that doesn’t look right when it reaching it full size.  Part I makes for a LOOONG reading, but once you get comfortable with tools described there you can make that much in about 5 or less minutes –good time for a sketch.
Once you satisfied with overall volumes distribution we can use different technique to make actual model. Do not fear, your work wouldn’t be wasted as we’ll use existing stuff as a template what will greatly help as speed and precision wise.
So if you have followed the part I you should have something along these lines now:


but these are several object comprised of even more elements. There is no good reason why it should be that way for the next step – making actual outer wall. Unlike in real life in 3D such a structural component should preferably be ONE object and ONE element at that.
Now I’ll show you how to make new wall based on what we have in 1 minute tops!



Activate your top viewport.
In create panel(1) open Shapes(2) and select Line (3)
Make sure that snaps are on and are in 2,5D mode(4)
Start tracing by clicking at the outlining vertices of the entire floor structure(5).
Of course you can try to trace the floor plan instead but since you can’t snap to anything and the fact that those plans often aren’t terribly precise you may end up with something that would need extensive editing. While our boxes had provided us with solid and precise structure, ands as I’ve said already given some practice are VERY fast to build.
When tracing with Snaps on just move your cursor along the boxes and it will try to snap to any vertex nearby.


Make sure that you allow it to snap only to corners where you spline changing direction to keep your shape clean and simple. You can zoom in and out by rotating wheel on your mouse if you have got one and center view by pressing “i” on your keyboard. Once you came full circle back to the vertex you’ve started tracing you’ll be offered to close your spline:


accept this suggestion and now you have the clean, precise outline we gonna build our walls from.
we don’t need our Wing_1, wing_2 and Corner block anymore, but there is no need to delete them as may be later on we choose to edit something. We could just hide them. And here is another feature of 3ds Max that is extremely helpful and seems to be absolutely outside of scope of bating community, at least I never seen it been used by any of people whose work I’ve seen – LAYERS!
Anyone who is used to Photoshop knows what a god send those are! And we have then (in very similar capacity) in Max as well. Of course you can hide and unhide objects by using commands in QuadMenus but as your scene is growing you could soon be overwhelmed by long list of objects. Layers to the rescue!!
Click on this icon on you main tool bar(1) to open Layers window (2)


As you can see from the picture I already have several there , but you will have only one titled Default.
Layers Window should really be your Operations Center in project management! Forget about hide/un-hide by name, group and other relics of times long gone. Here in one window you have all same control of your scene and more. At one click you can hide or freeze as individual objects, lights, cameras as well as entire layers. I’m not going to describe each feature as I see no point to just copy and paste Max help, but please take your time and familiarize yourself with this great feature, but I’ll just mention that if you select any objects and while they are selected you create new layer all the selected objects would be automatically moved to that new layer. You can also cut and past objects from one layer to another right there in Layers window with help of right mouse context menu.
Ok now let’s move all the boxes we created in Part I of this tutorial to new layer and call it something descriptive like Part I boxes  and our outline spline (still called Line1 at this stage to new layer called MainBuilding WallStandard


now we can simply hide all layers we don’t need for the moment eg all but MainBuilding WallStandard.
And here is our spline in its gorgeous elegant simplicity:


Now we have a choice what our building be like. Should it have interior of be solid object? Both methods have their pluses and minuses. but for now let’s assume we want interior if for nothing else than at least for me being able to demonstrate you fem more modeling techniques I believe worth your while.
So in this case our walls should have thickness and we’ll need floor plate. When I been making original boxes I sort of planed for that and as you remember by an large those stayed inside of the floor plan. so our wall will be expanding out. And this present spline would make us a floor plane as well.
So to proceed we would need 2 copies of it.  Right click on spline and from quad menu select clone (1) make sure that those will be copies and not instances(2) and name new copy something appropriate :


Done that, hide (from Layers Window) our newly created floor spline and let’s make some walls.
Select original spline, rename it appropriately and go to modify tab of command panel(1) Our line is created as editable splite right from the start and as such it has 3 sub-objects: Vertex, Segment and Spline. For what we are going to do next we would need Spline sub-object. Select it (2) Scroll down if needed to Geometry roll-up and find there Outline button (3). if you perss button your cursor will change into outline tool giving you possibility to freehand outline thickness, but as you probably know by now I believe architectural modeling calls for precision so no freehand for us. instead of that type in the size of outline into field next to button. You should experiment with positive or negative values as actual direction of outline will depends on direction you spline has been created in first place (CW or CCW) I personally still don’t remember which requires what so I always try and see what happens.


I suggest to make walls half a meter thick. It may sound to think but that is pretty standard wall thickness in countries with rather harsh climate like Russia or Finland – you normal wall would be 35-40cm thick place this particular building has so called ventilated façade where decorative panels (metal or stone are hang at some distance from actual wall so 50cm is very right wall thickness in this case, plus it will look good in SC  Just make sure that you outline is created OUTSIDE and not inside of original spline which will turn red once outline is created. So white should be outside and red inside.

If your situation is reversed create outline with different sign (+/-)
Return to line level. Now we have absolutely perfect shape to extrude our wall. to do so add Extrude modifier to our line and in amount type-in 4,3m – the height of our floor. And viola we have our perfect wall!


Now we need to curve windows and doors out of it. I all the time see people using Boolean for it but beware of this tricky tool. Use it ONLY then nothing else will work. It is very inaccurate and messy and often creates more problems that solves! There is absolutely NO need for Boolean here. We’ll use same poly sob-object to give us very clean and precise mesh with great control at every stage of the modeling process.
First we would need to determine how many openings each wall segment (corner to corner) have.  This is easily accomplished by simply counting them on our floor plan. I would suggest to make our wall see through  (as we made our boxes in part I – right mouse click -> Object Properties –> General Tab –> See Through).
Next, convert our wall (which now editable spline with extrude modifier on it) into Editable Poly.
Ok let’s start from left-top corner. Select Edge sub-object level(1) . Make sure that Ignore Backfacing is un-checked (2) and select (by dragging cursor over them) these edges (3) if you’ve done everything right you’ll see here (4) that you have 4 edges selected. Now click on little square next to Connect button to bring up Connect dialog and type in 2 into Segment filed (5). You’ll see immediately that two connection between all selected 4 edges has been created.

Why just 2? There should be two windows. Each has left and right end - you may say. And you’ll be quite right. In fact you can right away create 4 connections/segments. It is a matter of pretty much a matter of habit. I just think the way I’ll show you here has some advantages as it allows for more precision with less Vertex moving. We’ll turn each of those created edges/connections into 2 with precise distance apart.
So now we have 2 windows to be, but they are not crossing our wall at right angle – that is not good. At least in this particular cane it isn’t! So we shall fix it now. Select Vertex sub-object level select one of the vertices on the inner part of the wall by dragging selection marquee over it (make sure that Ignore Backfacing is unchecked) this way you are in fact selecting 2 vertices – one at the top edge of the wall and one at the bottom one.


Change to move tool, make sure that 2,5D snaps are on and that X axis is selected as a restrain and move selected vertices to the left. You’ll notice how blue cross will jump to the vertex on the outer edge of the wall aligning those you are moving perfectly with them

Do the same with vertices on second connecting line.
So now you should have something like this:


These vertical lines will turn into windows. At this stage you may go around entire length of the wall and create such connections to be later converted into windows/doors and any other openings in the wall. I’ll stop here as it is pretty repetitive.
Now we need to determine width and height of these openings. In this particular case we have two windows that are of different width. But our wall will also have doors/French windows leading to the glazed terraces. We should take this into account as well.  So our openings will be on 2 different heights – windows and doors/French windows leading to glazed terraces. At this moment precise vertical size of either isn’t really important. Later you’ll see how you can adjust it at the moment’s notice once for ALL doors or windows. What important is that we have 2 different heights. So let create them. To do so we’ll use same connect tool we used before but this time we’ll be connecting ALL vertical edges of the wall both outer and inner ones.
So first of all we would need to select ALL vertical edges. This could be quickly and easy accomplished in two ways:

First way:

Activate either of side views (front or left – it doesn’t matter)
If your wall isn’t transport like mine and you for some reason don’t want to make it so or can not make it so turn your display to Wireframe, so you’ll clearly see all edges. select edge sub-object level, make sure that Ignore Backfacing in unchecked and drag-select all the vertical edges:


Second way:

drag-select two vertical edges. One HAVE to be on outer surface of the wall and another HAVE to be on inner surface:



and press Ring button:

presto! ALL vertical edges on the entire wall are selected!!! I suggest you to read about Ring and Loop buttons in Max help – they are great time saviors!

OK, one way or another we got all the vertical edges selected. now we need connect them do so with tried and tested method – press for connect dialog and for number of segments type-in 3 (1st for lower end of doors, 2nd for lower end of windows and 3rd for top end of both):


Now we can put the lowest of those levels to the proper place – floor level. Thickness of concrete between floors is normally about 20-30cm let’s just use 30 for thickness of our floor plane and assume that it is leveled with the bottom of our wall. So in this case our doors (again assuming those are at floor level) should be 30cm above the bottom of the wall. To move entire lower connecting edge to the level we have to select it (as edge or as set of vertices), lock our selection (by pressing space) and snap-move it to level with bottom of our wall. After that done, right-click on move tool icon to get numerical input dialog and depending on the viewport you are working in type in Y (for side views) or Z if you use perspective or user viewport 0,3 and press enter. Now lower edge is 30cm above bottom of the wall. Repeat same procedure with middle one by putting it 1,3m above wall bottom and top one by putting it 0,55m below wall’s top.
Now you should have something looking like this:


If you don’t remember how to make selections and snap-move you can read about it in detail earlier on in this tutorial and in Part I, but I believe if you following it you should by now start getting used to these repeating procedures – they are cornerstone of this modeling technique.
OK now we have to determine width of our openings and are they windows, doors/French windows, or combination of both. Bu studying plans I’ve sort of deducted that narrower of these two is about 2 m wide and wider is 3 m wide. Also for the sake of tutorial let’s assume that the narrow one is just a window and the wide is a window-door combo.
So for starts let give them width. To do so select one of vertical edges of the window to be:


and press Loop button:

and oh, miracle – the entire LOOP  that is our connecting edge is selected!!

Now while it is still selected press little square (to get input dialog) next to Chamfer button and in Chamfer amount field put 1,35m. this will “open” our line 1,35m in left and right. So the distance between new edges will be 2,7m:


Select just created edges if for some reason they’ve got de-selected and from in top view move them in appropriate position. At this moment you can just eyeball it with reference of our floor plan. Anyway we can move them again anytime we’ll choose to later on:


Repeat same procedure with second “window to be” but in that case use Chamfer amount 0,9m.
so now you should have something like this:


Now let’s curve us first window!
Choose Polygon sub-object level (1). Check Ignore Backfacing (2) And select polygons covering our window opening (3)


to select second polygon without deselecting the first press Ctrl key while doing so.


Next step is to punch hole in place of these two selected polygons. This could be accomplished with Bridge command. So with those two still selected click on BRIDGE button:

and we’ve got ourselves a window opening  in a solid wall (as opposed of wall assembled from blocks as on construction site)

Ok, we have decided to make a wide one window – door combo. So that means that one part of it will be opened lower then another. So we’ll have to divide width into at least two part. This could be done in exactly same manner as we have created those two vertical connections in the first place. Only this time around you select only horizontal edges that lay in-between left and right edges of our Window/door combo:

connect them with one segment.  Select Polygons like so:


and press Bridge button. and we have ourselves first Window/Door combo opening:


so we have a wall with door and window openings – you can add as many of those as you’ll choose to. And the last step for now would be creating a floor plane. Remember in the beginning of this part of tutorial we have saved a copy of the spline we used to create the wall? Unhide it and slap onto it Extrude modifier just as we did with wall but this time extrude amount should be 0,3m. and now you have perfectly matching floor plane with NO gaps and NO intersections of volumes:


This concludes Second part of modeling tutorial.
See you next time when we’ll take a look and rendering previews in BAT4MAX


Fixed an image link   - jeronij-

[jeronij]

Well, finally I had the chance to follow the whole editing tutorial, and I have to say that it gives me a totally new approach to building construction. The techniques explained here are really powerful, and now I can create a any size building floor with a few clicks ( I have added some trick of my own  ).

Thanks for sharing this knowledge with the BATting community 


Btw, perhaps a tuto about windows, doors and balconies would be also really helpful, before the one related to rendering, where you will again delight us with these techniques 

[callagrafx]

Now we need to curve windows and doors out of it. I all the time see people using Boolean for it but beware of this tricky tool. Use it ONLY then nothing else will work. It is very inaccurate and messy and often creates more problems that solves! There is absolutely NO need for Boolean here.

Disagree, Boolean (and ProBoolean) are extremely useful and very quick to use if you just think about what you are doing.  Simple rule of thumb is to convert to editable mesh before the bool (and after) and problems are extremely few.  It's especially useful when creating non-square windows (arches, for example).  One method is no better than the other and whatever works best for the individual is the best method for them.  For instance, I could probably create the floor you've illustrated and punched all the windows out in the same time it took for me to read the tutorial, simply because I have a workflow and a technique that I am adept at and can produce results in seconds.

[jeronij]

Following this technique, I went into this after some practice




It is only a geometry test, but it gives me many ideas. Thanks again SF 

[SimFox]

Disagree, Boolean (and ProBoolean) are extremely useful and very quick to use if you just think about what you are doing.  Simple rule of thumb is to convert to editable mesh before the bool (and after) and problems are extremely few.  It's especially useful when creating non-square windows (arches, for example).  One method is no better than the other and whatever works best for the individual is the best method for them.  For instance, I could probably create the floor you've illustrated and punched all the windows out in the same time it took for me to read the tutorial, simply because I have a workflow and a technique that I am adept at and can produce results in seconds.

Well, as I've stated time and again there is not absolute right and wrong in 3D. And what is most important is that in different situations different solutions for same problem may be advantageous.
Bolean could be a life savior in may situations when you deal with very complex shapes/surfaces where traditional poly modeling would be just unrealistic. But general and undisputed rule is that Bolean creates DIRTY mesh. One that need cleaning - often VERY intensive one, afterwards. So even in such special circumstances Bolean is just a first step not an end of the procedure. So it's use on something plain and simple hat lends itself perfectly for polymodeling techniques is just asking for trouble.
Of course that said often old comfortable familiar ways seem much better, particularly when taken out of overall process context and all nasty side effects are not mentioned. So to put you money where you mouth is just make such a an arched window with Bolean and post here screenshot in edged mode in vertex sub-level... I believe it will be very interesting sight to see...
Of courser in the end there are many different tasks and levels of detail and precision needed. But the main point of this tutorial was to show the way of modeling that is very clean, precise and universal. It is also very expandable and lends itself perfectly for modular design. Knowing these techinques and understanding of mesh accuracy and "correctness" is also essential in understanding of Boleans, their application and necessary precaution and postprocessing.

[jeronij]

I have to agree that booleans are difficult to control. They can/must be used in some circunstances, because there is no other way to get results sometimes, but everytime I tried to make a whole structure / building with booleans, I always end with messed up meshes. The more boolean operations, the bigger mess up  .

Following this poly modelling technice, we have absolute control in every single vertex of the mesh/poly. Regardless of the complexity of that said mesh/poly.

Well, as I've stated time and again there is not absolute right and wrong in 3D. And what is most important is that in different situations different solutions for same problem may be advantageous.

This is a really big true 

 

[callagrafx]

So to put you money where you mouth is just make such a an arched window with Bolean and post here screenshot in edged mode in vertex sub-level... I believe it will be very interesting sight to see...

As requested...Hardly a dirty mesh, is it?


And with a texture, to show there are no normals issues...



You see, I never claim something I'm not sure of.  As I said, it's not hard to manage, as long as you can think in 3 dimensions.  I would hope that you won't be as dismissive in future, simply because it doesn't behave as expected for you.

Edit:  Just in case you are wondering, the technique also works for operands that have been created using attached polys...  The arch shape was an extruded spline, copied and scaled then converted to editable mesh.  I then attached the copies to it and did a Proboolean subtraction from the box.  End result?  Still a clean mesh.

[autoVino]

Awesome tutorial, I knew that layers existed, but I never though of using them. 
I also think that proBoolean tool has its usefulness.  It is pretty clean and easy to use, edit, etc, but I find that it has a tendancy to cause messy problems when working with more complex objects. I usually use the proboolean tool on simple objects to start modelling with and finish it off with polyediting.

[vester]

I use Boolean as well, but a lot of times, just as a step to get out a shape, that else would take a lot of calculations to get to.
(Do enough geometry calculations in my work  )
If its is possible, I redraw the shape with splines afterwards and add an extrude to it.

Just reorganizing the model I am working on with layers. Didn't know they existed in MAX. Have worked with layer in AutoCAD, so I know the value of using them. Thanks for telling that they existed in MAX too.

[tragicomicus1]

Thanks for this tutorial. I will be employing these techniques in my future projects. I saw a similar technique demonstrated on the CitiesXL website. But there was no explanation or details. I think this is a very useful method. One thing I am curious about though is how would you use this technique to create an arched window?
Maybe I will figure that out on my own

tragicomicus1

[SimFox]

Well, CallagraFX had show one... although I would strongly advise not to use it...
Boolean tend to create dirty mesh, large number of pointless vertecies, irregular polygons etc.

Same arched window is perfectly achievable with Method I've show in the first message in this thread.

As a first step you would need to decide on how smooth the arch should be. The main consideration here would be the scale of the window in question. the bigger it would be the more steps the arch would need to have to look smooth (if that is what you are going for, naturally). Another consideration is should it be odd or even number of steps.  Even number is preferable if you gonna make a lock stone at the summit of the arch...

Let's assume you've made this decision and let's assume that this number is 10.
Now we need a wall that would hold our window. It is preferable although not necessary (by any means) to cut arched windows (or may be even any window) into the "flat wall"  eg before you would apply a shell modifier to it.
In keeping with this idea here is our wall - a simple polygon:


Next, using Connect tool create the place for the rectangular part of the window, like this:


To make placement and sizing precise and easy you would need to turn snapping on (2,5D) and to make sure that you would create the Ngon from the edge:


Set your Ngon to have 18 sides (9x2) and snap-create it:


If you wish you can remove unnecessary vertecies (at the bottom arch) but this is absolutely optional and practical only when you have too mcy of the stuff going on on your screen. Since this is obviously not a case in this instance we can skip it.
Now we'll be cutting the arch into the wall polygon. to do it you would need to select the wall and it's vertex sub-level and choose the cut tool (found in Edit Geomentry Roll-out):


Make sure that you're still 2,5D snapped:


Once you're finished with the arched part:


you can delete the Ngon... You now have clean and perfectly controlled geometry... well almost...

Although it is certainly bettwer than Bolloea (if for no other reasons then for the total luck of all sorts of possible problem that comes with boolean and being quicker as you have cut at least 2 operations from "to do list") this approach still have a minor problem. Making our arch we have created irregular (not 4 sided) polygons. This issue is of importans it any smoothing be applied to the model. Particularly bad are 3 sided polygons but any non 4 sided should be avoided.

To keep it all kosher we can create our arch in following way. We know that we need to create 8 vertecies and arrange them along the ones of the Ngon, but to keep all polygons 4 sided we shall create 8 new segment inside of the "window" with connect tool. Select ALL the edges of the "window" and use connect tool setting number of segments to 8:


Now you can snap-move the needed vertecies into position snapping them to the ones of the NGon:


Although this result looks a bit screwed, it is, in fact, the most "clean" from the point of view of 3ds Max.


Whatever method you've chosen you can simply delete the non-needed polygons now and have you arched window:




to give the wall 3D appearance just apply Shell modifier to it as shown in teh first post and you'll get this:

a perfect arched window.

[tragicomicus1]

I found this tutorial very useful. I learned quite a bit about keeping my poly counts down. I have been trying these techniques but I still need some practice. There are a lot of tools I was unaware of (connect, chamfer, ring, loop, bridge to name a few). I have been dong things the hard way. I now have to basically relearn the right way to do things. Better late than never I guess. Thanks SimFox for this informative tutorial.
Rob

[callagrafx]

Well, CallagraFX had show one... although I would strongly advise not to use it...
Boolean tend to create dirty mesh, large number of pointless vertecies, irregular polygons etc.

*sigh.....As I illustrated above, if used properly, Boolean operations work perfectly, WITHOUT creating a "dirty" mesh.....and it takes a tenth of the time...and is manipuable too....and is animatable......need I go on? 

Oh, and it's hardly a "perfect" arched window, with such few steps in the arc 

[SimFox]

If you think that you DON'T need to go on, why do you always DO?

as for a clean mesh... well, I didn't want to go on with this the first time around, but now since you insist...:


what are those?

Also, how vertecies of the "hole" are connected to outer frame? Don't tell me it doesn't matter... Or do you really think it doesn't matter?

Tragicomicus1:
actually the polygon count should be bothering you all that much. This is prime concern for the LIVE 3d geometry in games. And since in case of SC4 we don't use such in game ... Modern rendering solutions can comfortably devour tens, even hundreds of millions of polygon. Billions of them!
For success and efficiency of the render number of polygons as such isn't as important as the fact that those are the right type of polygons...
This doesn't mean that you should be sloppy in modeling - quite an opposite, but that means that numbers aren't the main concern!

[callagrafx]

With a Proboolean, it DOESN'T matter, as the render proves 

Also, how vertecies of the "hole" are connected to outer frame? Don't tell me it doesn't matter... Or do you really think it doesn't matter?

To answer this, I'll quote from the Autodesk help file....ever read it?

The ProBoolean compound object takes a 3ds Max mesh and adds extra intelligence to it prior to performing Boolean operations. First it combines the topologies, then it determines coplanar triangles and removes incident edges. The Booleans are then performed not on triangles but N-sided polygons. Once the Boolean operations are completed, the result is retriangulated and sent back into 3ds Max with coplanar edges hidden. The result of this extra work is twofold: The reliability of the Boolean object is extremely high, and the resulting output is much cleaner in terms of having fewer small edges and triangles.

Whatever method you prefer, don't dismiss other methods that work equally well. 

[6underground]

Callagrafx, does have a point to be honest Simfox. It is about personal preference in my experience.

But let's not get abit pedantic. 

[tragicomicus1]

Man,
This is entertaining. Cal and Fox should meet IRL and duke it out!! LOL. If I only knew half of what you guys were talking about I might throw in my two cents, But, alas, I am lucky to be able to make a box with a couple of windows. Then I can't even render it to an sc4model file. I know, fox, read the tutorial again and read carefully. I'm still stupified by the whole thing. I kinda like making stuff in MAX and just rendering it to see what it looks like. I don't even know what a FSH file is.

Check this out.....



Water with raytraced reflections, bump mapping and specular highlights. Sadly, trapped in 3dsMax and probably will be until I get off my duff and really try to figure it all out. If I had any hair I'd be pulling it out. 

You guys should really kiss and make up though. I hate to see talented people at odds with one another.You should agree to disagree and move on. You guys are both very talented modelers and have a lot to teach noobs like me...... If only I could learn to.... ahhh anyway.

Off to bed for a couple hours. To your corners gentlemen!!!!!

HA

Rob

[jeronij]

Come on gentlemen, please, focus on the technical side of the discussion, keep it civilizated and avoid off topic comments, or stop the discussion. Thank you

[callagrafx]

keep it civilizated

Is "civilizated" a word? 

[Highrise99]

Some of the functions are imposible in gmax.
Is there anything I can do?  (Connect, Bridge, ect.)