In an ongoing project I'm working on, I needed a 3D model for the room to match the existing wrought iron (actually steel) bookcase.
I was so pleased with the results and my self taught design methodology, I thought I'd share it with a few pix and words. Not a tutorial exactly, so if you have questions, I'll try to answer. Hopefully you can use this method if you need it for your work.
See attached pic of actual bookcase photo (ignore bad shadows from flash; makes it look like double exposure). I actually took several pix as front and side views to make the job easier.
- In Photoshop (any similar prog will work), I cropped to area needed, deleted any non important stuff, and used tools to "square up" to ensure ortho view.
Imported saved .jpg and used Illustrator (any similar prog will work) to draw a vector path along the shape desired, converted paths to compound outline, and saved as .ai file
- In my other 3D program (Carrara, any similar prog will work) I imported the .ai file as a spline object, extruded, scaled and used to build a whole bookcase from duplicated and multiple parts (all from .ai files from .jpg photos), grouped, and exported as a .3ds object.
- In TFP15, I used wizard to import .3ds and place into floor-plan, apply material, and then render.
(for more complex items, an alternative to drawing vector paths in Illustrator, is to use Illustrator live-trace to create a vector compound shape from a photo and export as .ai file).
See below an intermediate part, a Carrara render and a TFP render of bookcase in place. All told, it took a couple hours and proved very useful and realistic.
So, if you want to make something in 3D from 2.5D (extruded) parts, above is a workable method rather than try to "make" every part from basic shapes. Straight parts are easy enough, but scroll-work or complex curves/shapes is easier if traced.
Hi Doug,
Congratulations - that looks realy great! You have good reason to be pleased with it!
It sounds a fairly complex process but obviously works and the results appears to be perfect, so was obviously worth the effort.
Allan