Baffle ceilings

[Sebastian]

I need to design a baffle ceiling for an office building. I managed to do this by using a framed ceiling with thin steel stud joists and a window glass surface and reverse side. I have two questions:
1) Can you specify a ceiling (or any other object) to have "no surface" and if yes, how?
2) Is there another way to insert a baffle ceiling?

Sebastian

[Allan Chesney]

Sebastian,

Please forgive my ignorance - what is a baffle ceiling? I have not heard the name in Australia.

Allan

[Sebastian]

Hi Allan.

Or maybe it's my ignorance (my native language is Dutch). I thought that a "baffle ceiling" is an open ceiling, mostly used in offices and retail) that consists of thin vertical elements (about 10cm high and 30-60 cm spaced from each other). In Dutch this is called a "lamellen plafond", but I happy to learn the true English word for this...

Sebastian

[Mike1158]

Baffling.  Sebasitian, can you post an image to show us what you mean?  Intrigued to know what this ceiling looks like.

[Sebastian]

Mike,

the attached image (using the window glass ceiling tric) illustrates the general idea of what this type of ceiling looks like. The term "baffle" ceiling is probably not correct, but seems to releated to to the use of this type of ceiling for accoustic purposes.

Sebastian

[Doug.S]

1. you can make any material 100% transparent.....and for that surface you should no longer see it.  Material transparency is buried deep but Allan posted a page in tips with step by step to get to it

2.You could find (Google) or create a .3ds object, import it, and put it in as furniture or similar and position it....or look thru TFP for something similar and re-size to force it to work...have to be creative

3 you could use individual beams but it would be a lot of work one at a time

Doug.S

[Allan Chesney]

Using individual beams would not be too bad using the Duplicate feature. 

Insert two beams the distance apart that you want them.  Select both and right-click Duplicate.  Move the mouse over the two beams and you will get a little black circular symbol around about the middle. Drag sideways and you will have 4 beams.  Select the 4, duplicate and you have 8 - etc. May be only half a dozen click/drags to get what you want.

If you use this type of ceiling often you could create a blank project.  Insert and duplicate your beams to an average number and export as a 3DS.  You can them import the 3DS beam group and use that in future. The only problem with that is that if you rezise it width ways it will also resize the spacing. Length and height would be OK.

Allan

[Doug.S]

Mike,

the attached image (using the window glass ceiling tric) illustrates the general idea of what this type of ceiling looks like. The term "baffle" ceiling is probably not correct, but seems to releated to to the use of this type of ceiling for accoustic purposes.

Sebastian

I'm guessing, by "(using the window glass ceiling tric) " you mean change the ceiling material to "glass"?  If so, makes sense why you would want to make it transparent instead of so reflective.

Any explanation as to how you made the joists show? (other than glass/transparent ceiling) . . . is the wood framing always there...even in side walls unless show framing is "on".  It would be clever to show a "cut away" part of a wall for making illustration views with text/notes and arrows.

How did you make the joists reveal themselves?

Doug.S

[Sebastian]

As suggested and with the help of Allan's tips, I have now changed both the surface and the reverse side of the ceiling to be transparent, and I have specified the joist, type, material and dimensions in the ceiling framing specifications. Then I have enabled the frame to become visible in the ceiling view selector. By the way, I'm still wondering what the correct name is for this type of ceiling.

Sebastian

[Doug.S]

I think your description and name seems correct. I did a Google search for baffle ceiling and there were many hits and a variety of styles.  Probably different names in different countries.

All are aimed at sound control and acoustics.

Doug.S