Final Renders

Texturing & Materials

Unfortunately the texturing has taken a backseat as my time management of this project has been less than stellar. However, with my observation research and the little time I have left of the project I will be able to showcase some basic texturing to give the assets alittle more life.

Original Textures Reference

Brick Texture Original

http://www.cgtextures.com/texview.php?id=2635&PHPSESSID=sphdsdcl6s39lfbq5cqme56421

Checker Floor Original
http://www.cgtextures.com/texview.php?id=96500&PHPSESSID=sphdsdcl6s39lfbq5cqme56421

Glass Images
http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=Ely+Cathedral+window&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go&uselang=en

Testing Modular Design

So now the majority of the model is complete, I have gone over the assets and test them for any alignment issues, overlapping faces or gaps.

Thanks to a very methodical work habit and having prior experience with modular assets, I know some of the common mistakes to avoid or fix. Also the prior research into the subject before i started making the assets helped greatly.

Unfortunately due to time constrains I will not be able to create more variations of the assets which I was hoping would really bring life to the models. Its also the main reason why I had broken up each section into smaller objects, so I can switch and move around assets to help create more subtle changes and variations of the same modular section.

Clerestory

Moving onto the clerestory, which is the last piece before i got back on the mesh's and fix some issues I've spotted along the way and then move into texturing them.

The purpose of the clerestory is to get as much light in the building as possible as well as let air / smoke rise and cycle out of the cathedral.

 The general shape of the clerestory is fairly basic but the arch is smaller than the rest of the assets so I am forced to create it from scratch. I'll also have to make sure that I have mirrored over the pier and column correctly and that everything aligns the same as the Triforium level and aisle prior.

 

The models are coming along nicely atm and I will have to start looking at the materials I need to help showcase the assets and aswell and think about going back on older sections and adjust some geometry.

As far as I can tell, I've kept the pier and column running from top to bottom in alignment and everything is aligning nicely to create a very clean and polished look. I'll have to be careful when texturing to make sure no seams will be showing up as that will make the assets look very messy and take away from environment.

Triforium / Gallery Continued!

After looking back on my observations and reference images, I decided to go back and change a few details on the arcading pillar, the scale and width was slightly wrong and was making the openings of the arch either side very small.

I've also started on adding the back wall and window on this level. The window is of very similar if not exactly the same size as the aisle windows. Its hard to tell from images and each cathedral seems slightly different so I kept them the same to keep and the mesh simple at this stage.

I then added the roof to this level which gave a really nice look to the assets and started to make the collection of assets look like it could be one whole piece.

Walls & Triforium / Gallery

Creating back walls and the pillar was fairly simple. The pillars were the same style as the ones I had already created so it was a case of copying them over and putting them in the right place so that the columns and there deractive thin pillars were still visible aswell as making sure the groin vault edging aligned with the back pillars aswell.

As for the window, I had collected reference images of multiple windows and even some aisle that had alters or a stone tomb / coffin. I opted for creating the simple window version to begin with as I didn't want to over complicate the models to early as they were still prototype assets.
.

Triforium / Arcading

Now I have a good base for the aisle, I'm looking at moving into the triforium tier, also known as the gallery.

Unfortunately Ely cathedral won't let you go up there to take pictures from above but I got some reference images from below which are OK. My main focus for this section is to get the arcading in front of the arch opening correct as well as make sure that the pier and standard column mirror and align correctly with the ground level.

I'm happy with how the arcading turned out. It took a few attempts at different way I could make it but I ended up using the already made arch and scaling it down and removing some unnecessary geometry.

The arcading is actual separate from the main mesh but joined to the object group. I've kept it this was so it would be easy to change or alter later on, say if I want to add a broken / damaged pillar in its place.

I believe I've translated the look and style of the front triforuim well, based on the reference images that I collected.

Groin Vault

This part of the model was going to be difficult to achieve. Not only did it have to look correct but it also had to fit perfectly within the spare assigned to the aisle on as I was aiming to keep everything within a standardized grid size.

When going to Ely Cathedral I noticed that most of the aisles were groin vault but the later aisle, closer to the end near the choir had ribbed vault. This was due to the construction of the lady chapel and they added ribbed decorative pieces to the ceilings when they joined the chapel and the main cathedral together.

In my attempts at creating the ground vault ceiling, I came across a very handle technique that made it very easy to get the perfect size and aesthetic for the asset.

First I created a Cylinder at the same width as the size I needed to ceiling (same width as the arch), I then cut half the cylinder away and set the pivot to its center and cutting a loop through the center. I think used the symmetry modifier to cop it from the center and rotated the coy 90o, I think did this again on top of the first and rotated it 90o the other way.

The result was perfect, granted this took some time to understand and first create but I now have a very simple and fast way of creating ceilings if I need to again.

Arch - Prototype

Now I had the pier and pillar in place and to the correct scaling, I was looking at the arch that joins them together and looking carefully at any differences between the pier and column arch joint that may cause me issues with creating the asset modularity.

The Pier is slightly wider than the standard pillar and the top of the pier has extra decorative details, however to accommodate the modular design I have created both of them to fit within a set area so I should be able to use the same arch end for both columns without any issues.

Fig 1

Fig 2

In Fig 1 you'll see a few blue box's. This was used in conjunction with the grid to provide me with a reference scale to 5ft  which is the scale issued with the reference images but then translated that into meters once in 3DS Max.

In Fig 2 I have added the top of the pillars and continued the outer decorative pillars on both the pier and standard column onto the arch wall face.

Starting the prototype assets - Pillar & Pier

I started with creating the 2 pillars, the Pier and the normal cylindrical pillar. I used the observations I had made to help me create the base of the pillars as closely to the Romanesque / Norman style as possible.

While creating these assets I was also debating how I could make them in such a way that they took up a set amount of space and fit in place of eachother as if we could swap them in about out of place like a modular piece.

They are both set in a set area of 4mx4m which means I can place them into position in exchange of one another as I please, which in essence is the whole purpose of the modular designs.

Overall I'm happy with how they look in comparison with the reference material and observations, I'll continue to modify them as I proceed with creating other sections of the modular asset kit.

Modular Plan for Cathedral Aisles, Nave, Clerestory - Idea , Breakdown & Issue

Looking at my observations and blueprints of Ely cathedral, I have come up with a plan that will allow me to approach creating assets in a way that will be both efficient and be capable to giving a level builder / designer as much freedom as possible with the environment they can create.

( Fig 1 )

 
The initial idea was to break down each aisle, triforium and clerestory into columns such as the (Fig 1). After studying the structual forms of the building I found it would be hard to replicate.

 Fig 2 showcases the aisle, triforium and clerestory sections from above in red, the green is the Nave which would just be flooring.

( Fig 2 )

After looking at the piers and pillar structures, I noticed that I would have to create the pillars equal each side of the modular assets which was not the case with the real architectural designs.

As you can see from Fig 3, The left and right section would not fit in the middle as the pillars are on the wrong side. This leaves me no choose but to look at how I can create a varied environment but still keep the Romanesque feature intact.

( Fig 3 )

This issues will have to be looked at once I've started to create the assets to test and see what I can adjust or re design to fit the aesthetic style I'm looking to achieve.

Observations #2

Observations #1

The aisles are a huge part of the build and take up most of its space. There's a few variations of the aisle but I'm focusing on the main structure such as the pillars, piers, vaulting and how each section of aisles joins onto the next with ribbed laying and decorative pillars.

 

  

I noticed a clear difference in decorative pillars on the pier and the standard columns. The piers are in fact structurally necessary and are square but covered with small pillars to conceal the sqaure block up thus fitting in better with the aesthetics of the building.

The aisle walls can vary, some with blind arcading as seen above, other with alters, tombs and doors leading outside or into a extension to the main building body. The aisles aside the choir area also had walls, creating a divide between the area's.

Field Research / Ely Cathedral Outing #1

Why Ely Cathedral?

I've chosen to go and research Ely cathedral as it is my home town and I know the building well. The building is in very well kept condition and I will be able to collect reference material and experience the environment first hand.

The scale of the building is impressive and to think a build of this size was build over 900 years ago is a true engineering feat. Even now it impresses me and other visitors, seemingly used to tall skyscrapers and large officer buildings but this solid, cold and hard building of faith stands tall and dominate as a symbol of the old days of worship.


Overview of The Cathedral

As with most Norman / Romanesque Churches and Cathedrals, its design is mostly symmetrical and built with sections of the Nave and Aisles being build overtime with the intent to keep the sections of the structures form and appurtenance as identical as possible.

The lady Chapel was build after the main body of the cathedral was completes and is in Gothic style architecture. I will not e creating assets for this section of the building and will be focusing on the aisles, nave, transpet, octagon and then the choir, high alter areas.

My main focus is to create a modular kit to help a environment / level build create a scene fast and have a number of assets that work in conjunction with each other.

Interior Focus

I've chosen to base my modular kit on the interior of a Romanesque / Norman cathedral as this will give me the ability to create an inclosed and confined area which a player will be able to run around and explore the area. This also keeps the asset list to a minimum and allows me to focus on key features and translating the designs into 3D.

Heres a few pictures of my trip, my next post will be more pictures and some observations on the interior designs, some modular breakdown ideas and hopefully some basic prototype assets for testing.

Octagon looking down Nave

Octagon Corner

Blind Arcading in Aisle