WIP: European Back Alley

smokinbakin · 19 Jul 2009, 14:41

Here is and update, including a reference photo which a am mostly modeling after, but I will change a few things to my liking.

sepo · 19 Jul 2009, 14:48

Exactly...arch is same thickness all around, otherwise it would collapse.

smokinbakin · 19 Jul 2009, 15:00

@sepo said:

Exactly...arch is same thickness all around, otherwise it would collapse.

I think I will just make all the little stones near the top bigger, and just ignore the fact that my arch would collapse in real life

sepo · 19 Jul 2009, 15:13

Part of believeable render is that it resembles real and correct. If your arch does not read correct it will always poke you in the eye...

smokinbakin · 19 Jul 2009, 16:34

@sepo said:

Part of believeable render is that it resembles real and correct. If your arch does not read correct it will always poke you in the eye...

Well I will do what I can to fix the problem, If you want to have a go fixing the problem, here is the Arch.

the arch

artysmedia · 21 Jul 2009, 06:52

I would like to be able to make something similar to this someday...
I want to see more!

smokinbakin · 24 Jul 2009, 02:58

Here is part of the model I have textured, I rendered it in V-Ray attempting a evening look. I have included the visopt settings at the bottom, renamed as a ruby script.

Evening render settings

marked001 · 24 Jul 2009, 04:16

looking awesome so far...

artysmedia · 24 Jul 2009, 06:00

Good job with light and textures... waiting for more more more

smokinbakin · 24 Jul 2009, 12:22

Thanks for the comments! Here is another render, I tried to make it a bit brighter.

olishea · 24 Jul 2009, 14:45

it looks real, nice texturing. I enjoy looking at this post. although I would reduce the opacity of your vignette layer

brodie · 24 Jul 2009, 19:48

I agree, it's looking really promising! Fun thread to follow along with as more comes out

I'm with olishea on the rendering but then again I hate it when people start nitpicking my WIP so I won't say anything about that

-Brodie

cadmunkey · 24 Jul 2009, 20:04

nice model, I look forward to more progress.

massimo · 24 Jul 2009, 20:13

Very nice model so far. But comparing your model with the real photo i can say:

The proportion between the width of the alley and the height of the buildings is wrong and very improbable in a medieval city. The right side building has to be higher and the alley tighter;
You have a strange, and quite impossible, floor join in the right side building: the backline of the door-window of the first floor is under the top edge of the door on the ground floor;
The left side building has, in the reference photo, a crooked front that ideally converge towards the arch. The same for the building of the right side: his front is aligned with the arch;
The real alley has no sidewalks.
I understand that your model in not intended to be “real”, but when you design a street or a square, proportions and relationships between the open spaces and buildings are really important to represent a place, even an imaginary one.
Sorry, i know, i’m a boring european architect

smokinbakin · 24 Jul 2009, 21:20

@massimo said:

Very nice model so far. But comparing your model with the real photo i can say:

The proportion between the width of the alley and the height of the buildings is wrong and very improbable in a medieval city. The right side building has to be higher and the alley tighter;

You have a strange, and quite impossible, floor join in the right side building: the backline of the door-window of the first floor is under the top edge of the door on the ground floor;

The left side building has, in the reference photo, a crooked front that ideally converge towards the arch. The same for the building of the right side: his front is aligned with the arch;

The real alley has no sidewalks.
I understand that your model in not intended to be “real”, but when you design a street or a square, proportions and relationships between the open spaces and buildings are really important to represent a place, even an imaginary one.
Sorry, i know, i’m a boring european architect

I appreciate the help, but I am not trying to exactly model the photo, It was just use as a basis for my model. As for the impossible floor join, I am hoping one in a thousand people will actually notice it. But thanks for the help

Edson · 25 Jul 2009, 13:09

@solo said:

It's free:

An Ivy Generator

(graphics.uni-konstanz.de)

have you played with that? i wonder how sketchup would deal with the polys involved in those ivies.

solo · 25 Jul 2009, 13:20

Edson, I certainly have and really like it, but I do not import the final .obj into SU as SU cannot handle the polys, I export my model and Ivy into a 3rd party render app instead.

Edson · 26 Jul 2009, 10:26

@solo said:

Edson, I certainly have and really like it, but I do not import the final .obj into SU as SU cannot handle the polys, I export my model and Ivy into a 3rd party render app instead.

i imagined that. thanks for the info.

smokinbakin · 12 Aug 2009, 01:33

Update, this render is very experimental as you can tell from the lighting,( I probably need to add more photons) comments on textures and modeling welcome.
BTW- Does anyone know how to un smooth something after it has already been smoothed? I want to fix the infamous impossible arch.

olishea · 12 Aug 2009, 09:59

can't you triple click the arch/stones and then open the soften edges window and turn the soft edges off? or have u subsmoothed it?

looking awesome. the texturing looks fantastic. all u need now is a bit more dirt on the road/paving. I can imagine getting mugged in this back alley!