Help with Terrain modeling
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Hello,
for my current landscape arch project I'm designing a skatepark which I have drawn out in sketchup, I'm now undertaking the task of adding it to terrain and building up supporting topography but the few sections I have done so far using the pencil tool to build layers look awful and I don't think really work they all appear too flat and don't really seem to portray anything at all.This is my first real time using sketchup and basic tools I'm fine with but I don't really know how to go about this next stage, I read about sandbox and intended to use that but I can't seem to get it to work.
I've attached a copy of what I'm working on to show what I mean. If anyone has any useful pointers I'd be ever grateful.Thank you in advance,
Gareth.
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Gareth, Wow! If this is your first use of Sketchup, I see great things in your future.
Sandbox would have been a waste of time for this particuliar project in my opinion.
Not sure why you had 7 endpoints selected? I used Soften/Smooth edges and the Eraser Tool+Ctrl to hide a lot of the triangles and smooth things out. I also tried to orient all the faces in the same direction.
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@sdmitch said:
Gareth, Wow! If this is your first use of Sketchup, I see great things in your future.
Sandbox would have been a waste of time for this particuliar project in my opinion.
Not sure why you had 7 endpoints selected? I used Soften/Smooth edges and the Eraser Tool+Ctrl to hide a lot of the triangles and smooth things out. I also tried to orient all the faces in the same direction.
Hey, thanks SdMitch, what you've done there is amazing! Carrying on from what you've done I'll hide as much of the remaining geometry as I can and I'll have a go at soften/smooth to see how that works for me, I made the rookie mistake of keeping on going after no-one replied with an hour, deadlines don't afford time waiting.
7end points? I didn't know I did?
Well, this is my second go if you include an hour long introduction going through the whole "this is the box tool" thing, it's been a learning on the job sort of project this one, most of it was pretty easy once I'd gotten into the swing of things, just a matter of taking my measurements from a hand drawn plan and into sketchup. I had intended to import a CAD file but it just crashes sketchup when I tried that.I've included an updated version of what I was working on with the terrain removed as I just wasn't happy with some of the angles and was struggling to make some faces become faces.
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Garuf, Go to Window>Styles. Click on the Edit tab. You will see that Endpoints is checked with the value 7. You can un-check to turn the off or enter a smaller value.
There are several plugins such ad Curviloft that can add a surface to a framework. Also there several plugins, including one of my own, that will sub-divide faces creating smaller and smaller triangles. You can then use the Sandboxes' Smoove Tool to deform them.
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@sdmitch said:
Garuf, Go to Window>Styles. Click on the Edit tab. You will see that Endpoints is checked with the value 7. You can un-check to turn the off or enter a smaller value.
There are several plugins such ad Curviloft that can add a surface to a framework. Also there several plugins, including one of my own, that will sub-divide faces creating smaller and smaller triangles. You can then use the Sandboxes' Smoove Tool to deform them.
Cheers for all the help Mitch, you've been fantastic!
I've included my as finished as I can be bothered to make it at 2:10 model, it wouldn't look half as good without your help.
Last step is to add coping to the ramps and add lighting and trees.
A lighting question, I plan on taking the model into a render engine, most likely kerkythea, is there anything I should do when I add lights to make them, well, lights?
Again, thanks for all the help!
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Garuf, Sorry I can't help you as far as rendering goes. I have no experience in that area but hopefully others who will view this thread will be able to offer some advice. Your model looks great. Well done.
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The Kerkythea website has some SKUP lights with KT light bulbs that you could insert into your lamps - it would be a starting point anyway.
Best idea I can offer is to have a go rendering, then ask of the KT forum - they are very helpful if you have made some effort yourself & have an example to work with.
Can I ask how you modeled the "bowl" that is painted blue? It's quite a complex form & is well done. -
@garuf said:
A lighting question, I plan on taking the model into a render engine, most likely kerkythea, is there anything I should do when I add lights to make them, well, lights?
Again, thanks for all the help!Before starting anything with Kerkythea, it's best to read trough getting started tutorial http://www.kerkythea.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=42&func=fileinfo&id=89 and Fast Start 4Architects http://www.kerkythea.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=63986#63986
Also browse trough the tutorials master list http://www.kerkythea.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5720 so you know where to look help when needed. -
Hello, thanks guys for the tips and help. I've had a quick few goes in Kerkythea not without a few niggles that are doubtless down to me just being a bit rubbish and learning on the job. The backsides of planes changing the materials and so on, need to get into the hang of cleaning up models I guess...?
Thanks JGA, The bowl was a pretty easy exercise, I knew all the transitions and the depths so it was a matter of drawing out the skeletal frame which would become faces then "triangulating" them. The transition between depths was done by drawing a cross section and figuring out when the transition would fall and then mapping to end points. Slow but relatively straight forward once I'd cracked the basic frame work. The bowled ends themselves were finished using follow me the dead faces being cleared out at the end.
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Garuf,
Thanks for the explanation, the site looks well.
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