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