Introduction
NOTE: This is a hypertext document. Where a word is highlighted we have graphically indicated a link to much more information on that highlighted word or concept. It is anticipated that you will follow these links to learn in full rich detail all that may be found about it. To put it all into this document would have detracted from the flow of the basic description of the exercise itself.
You are to build a computer model of a simple building in all three of the following programs. The building you do for each will be of a different character, suited to demonstrating the capabilities of each of the computer programs.
You will also submit the exercise on a personal web page that you create as part of this course. You will learn how to use Notepad to produce Hypertext linked pages of information on which to display your rendered images using mental ray & lightstudio within Autodesk Max 9 or 2009.
To learn how to use these packages, use the tutorials provided.
You are to produce high quality renderings of the building with each package that you use. The building you construct with AutoCAD is to be the form and external windows of one wing of the Vontz Center at the University of Cincinnati, designed by Frank O. Gehry and Associates. The building you construct with ArchiCAD is to be a Mario Botta house. And the building you construct with REVIT is to be the Villa Savoye by le Corbusier.
The computer models of these buildings will be able to be viewed from any external direction. All the walls should be represented by surfaces, not lines at their extremities. These surfaces should have textures or materials assigned to them in the rendering method - mental ray or lightstudio.
You should render within each CAD package an external view showing the pieces you have constructed. You will submit each CAD model to the directory where your web page of the images is submitted.
You will convert your buildings into Light Studio and Mental Ray Max files. Then you will render the following representations of your three models:
- a minimum of ten rendered images from different viewpoints and with different selected "finishes" in total (9 rendered, 1 interactive file)
- applied materials to the external and internal faces, including the glass in all models
- one exterior and one interior view on a sunny day for each building
- for at least one of the interiors one Mental Ray rendered view and one Light Studio view of the interior and one standard scanline rendered view of the interior with annotation noting the differences
- one Max generated quick time movie render plug in of one of the buildings - or equivalent interactive view (say exported to web pages from Deep Explorer)
Objectives
The exercise provides you with an opportunity to:
- understand and develop the basic skills required in using computer aided design and draughting systems
- practice these skills on a well understood project
- understand the differences between computer packages which are basically designed to do the same task
- learn the processes of modelling, file conversion and physically based rendering
Requirements
You will produce a minimum of nine Global Illumination rendered images of the exterior and interior of your buildings. A minimum of
- three from Mental ray in Autodesk Max 2009
- three from Light Studio (Radiance) in Autodesk Max 2009.
- three images produced within each CAD package showing what you have modelled.
- the nine images will then be placed within the webpage you design along with the
- one Viz generated quick time movie render plug in of one of the buildings - or equivalent interactive view (say exported to web pages from Deep Explorer)
The images must be shown on the web page as 200x150 thumbnails that are linked to the full size renders. The full size images will be saved as 'jpeg' files at a minimum resolution of 800x600 pixels and a maximum resolution of 1200x1024 pixels.
On the basis of your experience with this project you will decide which CAD package to use for the major assignment in BBSC 303.
Procedure
There will be no further handouts for this assignment. Instruction and tutorial advice about the computer packages to be used will be given at the appropriate time in class and tutorial sessions.
The due date is as listed on the timetable web page for the whole course)