Fireplaces

[boweeb007]

Not nearly impressive as others in this forum - no caustics or fancy bump-maps, but here's my first real application of indigo. I work for a company, called Lang Stone, in the drafting department and my boss asked me to draw some of the fireplaces that we've made in 3d. Long story short, he was impressed with what I turned in (and even got a raise partly due to this). They're relatively simple scenes, but I just started using Blender in january and Indigo in march. The closest thing I knew about modelling before then is drawing in 3d in AutoCAD.

For a good background on what I went through, check out this forum I started at BlenderArtists:

http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=63919

Here's three of the fireplaces:
(the material looks different because we used different limestones)



[/img]

[OnoSendai]

cool.. very nice and clean renders.

[Kosmokrator]

how big is this fireplaces?u have a scale problem here i think...btw nice modeling...

[mzungu]

Very nice work there, boweeb007! Its nice to see another user from the CAD world (old ACADer myself) "born-again" into blender/indigo!

Some C&C on the pix: I find the size of the gaps between the stone components a little distracting. Is there intended to be grout there, or are they typically mated face-to-face? (EDIT: reading thru your blenderartists thread, I see there's meant to be grout... (?) shouldn't you model this in, as well?)

Also, a nice "refinement" would be to put very slight chamfers (or rounds if you're feeling ambitious - not really necessary, tho) on all the edges of the various parts (like <.01"). This will allow light to reflect off them slightly, adding realism.

It would likely be easier to do this in AutoCAD (assuming you modeled them in 3D there...) than in blender, but its possible to do in blender as well (just a little messier...)

Great work! Add some ritzy wallpaper and a portrait of Abe Lincoln, and you're all set!

[boweeb007]

@Ono-Sendai: Thanks

@Kosmokrater: You're right. comaparing these images side by side, you're left with no point of reference. That's partly because the ceiling isn't visible in any of the images. Part of what I was trying to do was showcase the product.

@mzungu: The gaps bug me, too. Someday I'll fill them in (I'm kind of busy right now), but in the mean time, like I said on BA, I was looking for a quick fix (which I don't think exists). Now that I have more exp under my belt, I'm a little more confident about improving the models. The bevel function in blender doesn't work too, bad. The only downside is that you can't select specific edges to bevel (although I read somewhere that that feature should be implimented soon). Also, you're right - I did model these originally in Acad. I had all the original production drawings, so it was just a process of extruding profiles and subtracting shapes from shapes (boolean). I had a lot of trouble getting from Acad to Blender. I narrowed the problem down to Acad's pitiful 3ds export. The best way I found, was to use 3ds to open the dwg and export as 3ds - the mesh resolution on curves was much better. (I had a 30-day 3ds demo).

[mzungu]

...The gaps bug me, too. Someday I'll fill them in (I'm kind of busy right now), but in the mean time, like I said on BA, I was looking for a quick fix (which I don't think exists).

Just some simple filler rectangles with a slightly different texture should suffice, I'd think...

Now that I have more exp under my belt, I'm a little more confident about improving the models. The bevel function in blender doesn't work too, bad. The only downside is that you can't select specific edges to bevel (although I read somewhere that that feature should be implimented soon).

Actually look in the scripts window under the mesh tools for a "Bevel Center" script which allows you to bevel only selected edges. Very cludgy script, tho and too often screws up your mesh (suggest making a backup mesh prior to testing.)

Also, you're right - I did model these originally in Acad. I had all the original production drawings, so it was just a process of extruding profiles and subtracting shapes from shapes (boolean).

Heh, heh... ah, the memories... Acad's 3D tools are actually a pretty good place to learn "dumb" solid modelling (ie. non-parametric). Started usin' 'em back in R13. However, if you can talk your boss into a midrange CAD package (like SolidWorks or Inventor) you could potentially shave 30-50% off your design/documentation time. Night & Day, believe me!

I had a lot of trouble getting from Acad to Blender. I narrowed the problem down to Acad's pitiful 3ds export. The best way I found, was to use 3ds to open the dwg and export as 3ds - the mesh resolution on curves was much better. (I had a 30-day 3ds demo).

You might take a peek at the FACETRES variable and crank it up to 10 before the 3DSOUT. This will boost your mesh densities nicely.

[boweeb007]

Just some simple filler rectangles with a slightly different texture should suffice, I'd think...

That would work. And just subdivide the face and "proportional edit" the vertices inwards to get the rounded channel.

Actually look in the scripts window under the mesh tools for a "Bevel Center" script which allows you to bevel only selected edges. Very cludgy script, tho and too often screws up your mesh (suggest making a backup mesh prior to testing.)

Just tested it. Very clunky but should come in handy here and there.

Heh, heh... ah, the memories... Acad's 3D tools are actually a pretty good place to learn "dumb" solid modelling (ie. non-parametric). Started usin' 'em back in R13. However, if you can talk your boss into a midrange CAD package (like SolidWorks or Inventor) you could potentially shave 30-50% off your design/documentation time. Night & Day, believe me!

I don't really do this kind of work often enough (officially) to justify buying a new product. That's what first got me into Blender. Then I became hooked. I have seen Solidworks though, and it seemed pretty powerful.

You might take a peek at the FACETRES variable and crank it up to 10 before the 3DSOUT. This will boost your mesh densities nicely.

That is EXACTLY what I've been looking for! Thanks, man!

[manitwo]

f**k! sooo clean
if i didn't know that this i a indigo render i would say it is a vray or something.
btw - weird material of the fireplaces - are they reflective?