Weekly Progress:

    Whoop! The semester is finally coming to a close, lots of progress was made in finalizing the cathedral assets as well as the final renders. Very happy with the outcome, though there's still plenty of work to continue with or revise should I want to in the future. 

    To be specific, I finalized the existing assets as well as finished all the vault units. These were thrown into engine and the rest is history. Rendering took some time to figure out, but I'm happy with what I could accomplish key-framing things in the sequencer.

Visual Progress:

    Here I have all the in-progress renders I did throughout the semester compiled into gif format. Could very well have done more images over time but oh well, I felt like these were semi-regular stages even if it may not look as such.

Final Deliverables:

    Here we have three renders of the final (for now) environment with a limestone material! If Artstation didn't have a size limit, I'd have some cool animated gifs to show but oh well, stills work just as nicely.

    And finally our zoo scene with all the pieces I used for the cathedral. (I'm aware the vaults on the right are upturned and that that's not necessarily standard but god forbid I show off the cool details).

Weekly Progress:

    Alright! We got all the windows planned out and modeled this past week, I'm super happy with the tracery I (mostly, with help from existing examples) came up with, especially with the unifying motifs and patterns. 

    2D plans have already been made for the vaulting (the next stage for this kitbash) which just need to be translated into planes for the sweep mesh magic we've already taken advantage of. Whoop.

    With the 80% milestone approaching, it's crunch time. Regardless, I'm happy with what I accomplished this past week and fingers-crossed vaulting will be fairly straightforward with my planning at the beginning of this project.

To reiterate, this is now an interior-only project, so the remaining pieces on the exterior are for illustrating a blocked-out structure.

Visual Progress:

    Windows galore!

    Above are the planes I edge -> curve -> sweep mesh'd for the window tracery. Here to show my initial steps of the planning/modeling process.

    (Left to right: arcade window, clerestory , atrium clerestory, west end, towers, & atrium lantern)

Weekly Progress:

    Unfortunately, taking a studio course along with this class has really screwed my progress on the Hexathedral. Thankfully I binged all the models and textures needed for the studio and can now make capstone my entire life for the rest of the semester, whoop.

    What progress made was mostly for UX per Macey's knowledge of what a kitbash should be :) assets have been made "airtight", unwrapped again, or otherwise tidied up and hopefully, I won't have to make edits going forward and focus on new items.

    Another suggestion, at this stage given my overall lack of progress, was to make this an "interior" only kitbash and just leave the exterior blocked out. This would be easy given all pieces so far are interior-only and all that. I hope it doesn't come to that but we are definitely at that push-come-to-shove stage of the semester, so.

    Anyways, future stages are the windows and then the vaults, given arches are already completed. We got this.

Visual Progress:

    New camera placement! The directional light has been rotated too, the interior shots are far more cinematic.

    A point light has been added to make the interior visible. I have to admit it does add a lot to the scene.

    The floor's UVs have been adjusted to be more realistic in how bricks/flagstones would be placed in their respective sections. Plus, given I can mirror/stack pieces, they have better texel density than if they were all stitched into one piece.

Weekly Progress:

    Last week was Spring Break but progress was still made, worry not. 

    The atrium/major crossing has been altered slightly to emulate the evaluation of the Canadian Parliament's library; more light, more height, less firmitas, oh well. Some models have been finalized -arches and columns have been given life- and adjustments to the plans have been made as modeling made 2D ideas make no sense in 3D (hate it when that happens). Sweep mesh tool in Maya has been my bread and butter, very content with its successes. 

    I've also finally set up the Kitbash zoo scene!

Visual Progress:

    The zoo will be tidied up in the next iteration, this was just the initial set up. I have plans to set up "default lighting" per Macey's suggestion, etc.

Weekly Progress:

    So! I haven't touched this project in a hot minute given my other studio had a milestone this past week and the Chillennium game jam was this past weekend. But, some progress was made nonetheless, we finally have all blocked out assets in Engine with a sick grid default material. Next up will be the revised assets as well as the more minute pieces and then on to finalized assets. 

    Things are going well timeline-wise, only other classes need/needed their due.

Visual Progress:

    Don't worry about gaps between pieces/holes in the roof/etc because, again, these are proxies. Mostly to get proportions down and see if my plans are feasible.

    Interior cameras needed some exposure adjustments given the lighting, but I'm quite happy with the vibes. Very accurate cathedral proportions and feel, just minus all the detail and craftsman care (lol).

Weekly Progress:

    The planning stage of the cathedral is just about finalized besides some minute details/proportions and the like that will be established when necessary. 

    Otherwise, an Unreal project has been set up and worked on (with Kitbash instancing/modularity in mind) via advice from Macey. Cameras have been set up, instancing is done as pieces are placed, vertex snapping is my best friend, etc. Notably, we'll have about three stages for each asset: the blocked-out forms (i.e. major pieces with proportion in mind to make sure things fit together), the proxy asset (more refined block pieces plus the smaller in-between bits), and the final iteration (which is self-explanatory).

Visual Progress:

    Wireframe of our working floor plan. Topology is as it is for the sake of vertex-snapping in engine to make my life easier in the long run. Quads were favored of course.

    The four images above will be our stationary camera positions for the duration of the project (with the idea of a timelapse being made as assets are iterated and updated). I used the starter Arch Viz content to make this part of the project more streamlined; starting from scratch is all fun and games until you don't know what you're doing.

Weekly Progress:

    In preparation for the milestone next week, much planning has been made. I've made strides in having a floor plan for the cathedral rather than just some boxes and polygons. This has been deliberated as I was working on an accompanying elevation/cross-section to make sure things lined up and made sense, but I'm happy with the current iteration. Otherwise, a modeling proxy is in the works once the vertical details are truly established.

    In following the advice of Macey, I decided to take heavy inspiration from Bath Abbey with its relative vertical simplicity and inherent "sections" if you will. In contrast, other --more elaborate-- examples in the perpendicular gothic style tend toward tracery that flows floor to ceiling. This of course doesn't allow for many options for the proposed kitbash if the result is limited to larger, more site-specific pieces. 

    Research has also been made into the design of the main facade's bell towers. The "Somerset Towers" notably St. Mary Magdelene in Taunton (because I fancy it), will be vital to provide a set of towers authentic to the established style. However, these tend to be soaring stand-alone structures to their relatively small churches so some finagling will still occur.

Visual Progress:

    Wow! Wall, columns, and abutments oh my!

    Work in progress cross-section and bay elevation. Ultimately more detail is superfluous but I still wanted an idea of vertical scale/proportion (my 100 px grid system was used of course) going forward. 

    Mouldings galore! Here's a close-up of WIP outlines that will be used throughout the building.

1. Minor interior pier
2. Major (found at crossings) interior pier
3. Generic string-course
4. Interior hood label
5. Exterior hood label
6. Exterior basement course
7. Interior column capital
8. Interior column base(s)

Weekly Progress:

    I updated the overall dimensions of the plan document I've been working on so that it's based on "units" of 100 px (e.g. such that the bays are 300 px across). These will be divided into smaller portions for when working on individual moldings, which are to be determined.

    I've revamped the vaulting given the pitch "proof of concept" was almost verbatim from St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Though this example is my main reference for the hexathedral, I still want to make it of my design while being informed by existing precedent.

    Otherwise, I've been conducting research via physical and digital documentation (in no particular order):

• Leedy, Walter C. Fan Vaulting: A Study of Form, Technology, and Meaning. Scolar Press, 1980. 
• Tatton-Brown, Tim, and Richard Mortimer. Westminster Abbey: The Lady Chapel of Henry VII. Boydell Press, 2003. 
• Woodman, Francis. The Architectural History of King’s College Chapel. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986. 
• Flannery, Julian. Fifty English Steeples. Thames & Hudson, 2016. 
• Bond, Francis. Encyclopedia of Church Architecture. Aryan Books International, 2005. 2 vols. 

Etc.

Visual Progress:

    [Left Image]   Variations of the rectangular "minor crossing" of the hexathedral. This was of particular trouble as fan vaults take particualr effort to shove into shapes other than squares given the need for a vault to generally need a diagonal rib and the nature of a circle being able to divide into only so many fractions. Squares are easy as the diagonal is at 45 degrees. Rectangles have a few more options with the most common being (from my observation) 30 degrees off the long side. This option forms a too-narrow shape for my purposes and I did away with that  diagonal rib "requirement" as that's not universal. The other issue is of intersecting conoids and the tracery inherent of the style often conflicting, though I feel my solution below is satisfactory. 

    [Middle Image]   Variations of the polygonal "minor apse". This was also an issue with fan vaults fitting in places, but only after updating from the initial design. The "apses" of St. George's Chapel are interesting in that they're not a regular octagon, which, for my purposes, means modeling more unique pieces. Thus, an update à la the Audley Chapel of Hereford Cathedral with fan vaults around the polygon and a saucer dome with geometric tracery. I pondered intersecting these conoids, but that seemed to be an eyesore in my opinion.

    [Right Image]   Variations of the polygonal "major apse". Once again, an irregular octagon via St. George that needs updating. This also extended to the apsidal chapels where two of the five rectangles were slightly narrower than the others. This can't do for modeling purposes as discussed above. TLDR less unique assets the better. 

    Overall, detail is being narrowed and refined slowly but surely. The pertinent update to point out at this stage is the "major crossing" now having a secondary arcade before the tiered lantern à la Ely Cathedral (but make it a dodecagon). This was to impart some realism into the space given a span that large would not be possible in real life. Inspiration for this came from various churches/baptisteries/etc in the classical tradition, such as the Lateran Baptistery in Rome.

Mentor Feedback:

    We have acquired Macey McCuller to the cause! We will be meetine weekly unless otherwise decided. The major point she made was the consider taking the project in the kitbash-with-a-goal-in-mind direction hence my notes on unique assets. I believe this is a brilliant suggestion given my concern with advertising this project for post-graduation so that it's not just some architectural thing no one cares about. An example.

Project Pitch:

    The project has changed! I will now design and model a perpendicular gothic cathedral based off existing examples of the style for my capstone project.

    The plan and render below from a previous project served as a catalyst for this change of deliverable. Ultimately, it served its purpose at the time but it’s now an eyesore with many an error. I’d like to keep with the idea of a radial gothic cathedral but this time better! And not modeled in a week!

    Thus, instead of modeling a verbatim recreation of St. Paul’s Cathedral (something I’d like to accomplish at some point), I’d rather try my hand at making something new within existing architectural precedent.

Reference/Research:

    In researching this project, via books and visual reference, I've learned a great deal about gothic tracery and its roots in geometry. As well as overall history and evolution of the style.

Visual Progress:

    Fortunately, I'm not starting from nothing. Over this past winter break I started planning the cathedral, as well as studying overall geometry and proportions of exisitng examples.

    Otherwise, I also did an example of modeling tracery using a given "masonry" profile and curves (made via the convert edge to curve tool thing after forming the overall geometric forms)

New Calendar:

Same idea, just more time for planning and plotting.

Deliverables:

Plans

• Floor, main axis section, facade elevation, etc

Models

• Nave (interior & exterior)

• Triforium/clerestory (interior & exterior)

• Interior crossing vault/lantern (interior & exterior)

• Exterior crossing/lantern (interior & exterior)

• Bell towers (interior & exterior)

Renders

• Layer sections (floor, triforium/clerestory, roof, etc)

• Cross sections (through crossing facing S, E)

• Elevations (facing E, N, W)

Project Pitch:

    I will model a hyper-accurate 3D recreation of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London for my capstone project. In completing this project I strive to present my modeling abilities, my knowledge of traditional (especially classical) architecture, and my care for minute and exact detail according to the provided plans/schematics/references. 

    On a personal level, this project will give me cause to work on a grand architectural recreation, something I’ve always been interested in doing but have never found the time or motivation to do so. Notably, the reason for modeling this specific structure is because of its architectural significance for the English Baroque style which has developed to be an all-time favorite of mine alongside other structures designed by Sir Christopher Wren and his contemporaries.

Reference/Research:

Schematics:

Poley, Arthur F. E. St. Paul’s Cathedral, London: Measured, Drawn & Described, 2nd ed., Barracuda Books Ltd, Buckingham, England, Bucks, 1984, p. II–XXXII.

Calendar:

Deliverable(s):

Models

• Crypt (interior & exterior)

• Nave (interior & exterior)

• Triforium/clerestory (interior & exterior)

• Interior dome/peristyle (interior & exterior)

• Exterior dome/lantern (interior & exterior)

• Bell towers (interior & exterior)

Renders

• Layer sections (crypt, floor triforium, roof, etc)

• Cross sections (through crossing facing S, E)

• Elevations (facing E, N, W)

Notes:

    Will be using assets from my five orders WIP to get a head start on this project.