Blueprints For Appartment Buildings

# 1 18-12-2010 , 02:37 AM

Acid44

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Hey, along with a billion and a half other things going on ATM, Ive got to model some buildings, and then destroy them, in a Chernobyl way. As I know nothing of architectural modeling, design or uh... well... I know nothing of architecture :p But, I was wondering if anyone knew where I could get Blueprints for buildings, at least exterior ones, but interior would help too...

Along with that I was wondering if anyone had an opinion on how to Chernobyl 'em up a bit... Like, make them look abandoned. Most of this will be done with textures, but a texture can't collapse a wall, and that would be another thing I haven't got much experience with, destruction in Maya... Tends to be something I avoid user added image

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# 2 18-12-2010 , 05:33 AM

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I take it you've searched, I was looking for resources for arcitectural blueprints online a few months back but I came up with nothing so if anyone knows one it would be great.

I had a look on some arch vis forums now and these posts seem to go unanswered. My guess would be that it's because they're created by architectural firms and they don't release the original drawings for client work. My friend who's an architect told me to go to the city hall and ask for blueprints, they keep the whole city on file. Depending a bit on where you are and what it is you might even be allowed to take copies, but there's nothing stopping you from snapping a few shots with your camera user added image

If you live in rented accomodation your landlord would have the blueprints for the apartment building as well, and maybe the whole surrounding area. Another thing you can do is ask for blueprints in bars, restaurants and any commercial property, we have the blueprints for our bar as you need original drawings of the building for emergency exits and these things when you apply for licenses. Unless they think you're planning to blow them up they'll probably let you copy the blueprints for the building if you can get the owner user added image

I think accurate blueprints for a lot of things is quite a task because it's not in the public domain and you have to write to the product manufacturer to ask and again, they might be willing to give it to you and sometimes they might not. We wrote to ask for the blueprints for one of David's watches which we'll get because we have the watch but if we didn't I'm not so sure they'd give them to us.

For the architectural destruction you usually find a few good text tutorials on the large texture sites, and there's tons of stuff for max if you google both on roughing up textures and fx. It's just a bit of work to find it. There's a lot less for Maya because most people who work in this field use max, however with a bit of experimenting you are able to transfer the information between the apps even if you only use Maya.

Nilla

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# 3 18-12-2010 , 06:42 AM

Acid44

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Ah, that's pretty much the answer I was afraid of user added image

Yeh, I searched for about an hour before posting, came up with absolutely nothing. My landlord doesn't like me too much, so I doubt he'd let me copy the prints for my building user added image

Guess I'll just have to keep hunting online >_<

As for the destruction, the texturing I can handle, its more the modeling aspect of it that's got me baffled... I did a quick test last night where I made a quick building then tried to make it look demolished... Didn't go well at all user added image

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# 4 18-12-2010 , 08:32 AM

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I'm not too popular with my landlord either user added image

Maybe bullet will have something you can use when he pops up, he's a surveyor so he's got blueprints, buildings and if he's allowed to share them is a different story. But I've basically been running around with a measuring tape to get the proportions right. You can do ok though without blueprints as long as you have enough photo references and start of with a very clear idea of what you're setting out to do. In the end of the day accurate scale would be done in Autocad not in Maya. I find it very difficult to model larger areas without having a basic light set up and assigning some shaders for things like glass and water as well, just can't see it come together in all gray.

For modeling realistic destruction I think it's covered better in 3ds atm and modeling transfers over a lot easier than other things when you move between them. If I come across something useful I'll send it to you, hopefully one of the good modelers here would have a clue on how it's done.

I'm more of a shading and lighting person, so I'm looking into things like dirt maps and constructing shading networks to try masking off areas and get the destructive dirty rougher look that way instead. There's a lot on this topic if you dig a bit and it's really interesting. But I now get why you rarely see dirty socks on the floor and buildings about to fall apart in CG renders, it's just so much more difficult to do user added image

Another thing you should really watch Mike's tutorial in the free section if you haven't already it's really useful. I guess since you're moving towards games you already know all about normal mapping, but I liked his technique for modeling the arched brick wall and I picked up a few things from it. And when you get an environment light set up going, it's crucial to cut the rendering times. What's the full project you're working on btw? If you give me some details I might find something specific that's useful, I'm searching a lot on this topic right now.

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# 5 18-12-2010 , 10:35 AM

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Is this the kind of stuff you are looking for acid???? Im afraid you will have problems with copyright mate. Every set of plans I get for roads/pipelines etc are usually copyright and are covered by those laws. If you do get some you will more than likely have to engage them and ask for permission to use them.

https://www.google.com.au/images?hl=e...w=1440&bih=683

I have given you links to my dropbox....one is a PDF with no such copyright on it (though it may still be) and a plan with the copyright on it so you know what to look for. Be aware even though there may be no copyright warning on it mate...it may well still have it...so this might be a grey area. Designers basically are like artists and their work is usually protected. I will have a scout around and see what I can find in the meantime mate.

cheers bullet

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4090628/5990..._copyright.pdf

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4090628/C300..._copyright.pdf

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 6 18-12-2010 , 10:43 AM

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here is another acid...again watch the copyright...I know these are freely available in Google images but Im sure will still be covered...

https://www.google.com.au/images?hl=e...w=1440&bih=683

and another one

https://www.google.com.au/images?um=1...=&oq=&gs_rfai=

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

Last edited by bullet1968; 18-12-2010 at 10:44 AM. Reason: addenda

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# 7 18-12-2010 , 10:48 AM

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and some more, note that building plans are usually called "floor plans" or "building elevations"....the word blueprint isnt usually used.

https://www.google.com.au/images?um=1...=&oq=&gs_rfai=

https://www.google.com.au/images?um=1...=&oq=&gs_rfai=

hope I have helped thus far mate

cheers bullet

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 8 18-12-2010 , 10:57 AM

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sorry for so many posts..I will add there are so many different types of plans for buildings too mate...some are as follows

structural : all things to do with the concrete/steel/components used
architectural : as above but usually contain the fittings and artistic section
electrical : conduits etc
plumbing : speaks for itself
floor plans : the layout of the floors (interior) and dimensions of the building
building elevations : the exterior dimensions and 'look' of the external refs

there are many more but this will give you and idea I hope...or confuse the hell out of you LOL

cheers bullet

EDIT: Nilla is right...if you want accuracy you would need to use ACAD first then import the DWG into Maya...I have dabbled with this a bit with terrain modelling etc and for the layout of roads...its not hard but sometimes Maya doesnt open them well. I am doing my bosses house on the side as a test project...sadly a lot of designers when they give you the plans purposly leave out dimensions...so you cant use the plans..LOL sneaky

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

Last edited by bullet1968; 18-12-2010 at 12:02 PM.

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# 9 18-12-2010 , 01:33 PM

Acid44

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Holy crap, thanks a bunch dude. The first link is what I'm looking for (floor plans), I'm not too worried about copyrights, I'll mainly be using any prints I can find for inspiration to make my own I think...

The basic plan for me at the moment is to get an idea of what goes into designing these things... Kinda just learn the trade as fast as I can, and then I'll be making a few different designs of buildings/houses with a program I've got called "3D Home Architect Design Suite". From there the floor plans would go into Maya where they would be modeled using refs from the 3D view of that program.

I'm just finding it really hard to put it all together, I mean, I can get an idea of how I want the house to look in my head, but then once I draw it out in the program it ends up looking like half dead farm animals... Everything ends up all over the place, and doesn't quite fit together... Or it just looks like it wouldn't make any sense to someone to actually walk around the house user added image

I'll give a thorough read to what you've posted once my eyes adjust to the screen a bit user added image

Thanks a lot dude user added image

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# 10 18-12-2010 , 02:10 PM

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LOL no worries mate...thought it might be a little too much.

First up.....place your idea down on paper...thats where to start. Once you have it..the floor plan comes next and try to use some sort of scaling to get to thing to be proportional. I havent heard of the program you mentioned but it sounds cool...I will look it up.

Once you have the floor plan it isnt relly hard.....just making walls and placing doors and windows might knock you around a bit...hence the need to scale it.

Have fun....just post if you need more info and if I can help I will.

cheers bullet

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 11 18-12-2010 , 02:25 PM

Acid44

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Thanks man, I made a little ranch house thing with that program now... Came out ok, but I'm having troubles with the placement of... Everything user added image

... I can't seem to be able to get the doors/windows in proper looking places... Always just kinda look thrown in at the last second user added image

The program exports as 3DS so Ill attach that so you can have a peek around at it. Oh and when you import to Maya, go to Edit>select all, then scale it down to about 0.01... The scaling on export is insanely huge user added image

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House.zip (80.1 KB, 326 views)

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# 12 18-12-2010 , 02:54 PM

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cant open it mate...dont have the plug in....going to bed so I will have a look tomorrow.

cheers bullet

remember scales man....otherwise it will come out funny. Just as a basic...internal floor to roof is approx 2.4m...doors are around 2.1...windows are usually 0.8 from floor and range in size depending on the house. walls are (if brick and double brick house) about 0.25 thick...

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 13 18-12-2010 , 03:31 PM

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Haha bullet, can never be too much. I love how incredibly helpful people are to eachother here. Gonna have a look as well, cheers user added image

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# 14 18-12-2010 , 04:20 PM

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Hey acid...can you export as fbx? too much bulldust to get the plug in for the bonus tools....

cheers bullet

bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

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# 15 18-12-2010 , 04:46 PM

Acid44

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I love how incredibly helpful people are to eachother here.

Originally Posted by Miss_Nova

We come for the free tuts and stay for the community user added image

Attached zip file of the house as .mb, I added the roof to a layer and hid it so you can see the floor layout properly, forgot to make a ceiling though so the walls look pretty retarded user added image

Attached Files

House.zip (183.6 KB, 324 views)

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Blueprints For Appartment Buildings

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