Assembling a Window

[TomB]

The building I'm modeling has a dominant decorative window which must be modeled to make the building drawing look right.  Basically it is a set of 10 2'x2' fixed pane windows nailed together then framed with 5/4x4 MDF.  I played with editing the window details to use 3/4" thick frames and sills and then put in 4 as close together as they would fit.  The SW seems to require a 1/16" space between windows so I tried to edit the window sizes to 1'11 15/16" but found that the SW would not allow 15/16" and instead converted it to 7/8".  After I got four together I elevated them to 10'8", repeated the process with 3 windows, etc.  The result in a practice wall is shown.

But having done that how do I add the 4" wide trim around the irregular shaped set of windows?  Also is there a better way and is there a way to avoid the accumulating 1/16" gaps?

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Tom,

I can simplify this one for you but the perimeter frame will be a bit tedious.

In the image I have replicated your window but using the Fixed window. Set the Vertical Panels to 4 (or 3, 2 etc) and on the Details tab Tick the Mullion Horizontal Separation option and set the Width to 20mm or 1" or whatever (to make the thickness the same as the frame).
If you do this as 4 windows with 4, 3, 2, and 1 Vertical Panels, it will be much easier as they all align automatically at the top. They can be moved together as close as 1mm (1/16th"). This is easy to do if you set the Nudge Distance to 1mm or 1/16th" (Settings / Program Settings / Drawing Aids) and then you can use the arrow keys to move them together in 1mm (1/16th") increments. (If you go to zero the wall will cover the window and you won't see it even though it is still there in the plan).

The 4" trim around the window is the problem. You can choose a 4" trim to the Wall's Exterior and Interior "Opening" Trim but this will put the 4" trim around all 4 windows so it will look odd. One way to do it is literally piece by piece by using the Custom Member from Interior Accessories / Decorative setting the different lengths and moving them into position.

Another option to create a 'seamless' frame, sounds odd and seems messy but will work. You must first work out the exact exterior dimensions of the windows sides, then use the Layout toolbar and select the Line tool. In a new blank project, draw the outside shape in one continuous anti-clockwise line, making sure it joins at the end. Select the whole outline, right click and select Conver to Members, choosing the 4" trim you want and making sure you tick the 'Mitre if possible' boxes. This will create a frame the shape you have drawn, mitred on the corners and you can now drag the edges as necessary to make it the exact size of your window. Of course it is laid flat and in a different project. What you have to do now is turn off the Terrain in the view Filter and then select the 'frame' and go to File/ Export /3D Model (3DS). Now you can do a File / Import / Object Wizard, select the 3DS file just created and import it. It will now be one object and you can rotate it so that it is vertical and then move it into position. Select and Duplicate to make one for the other side of the wall. You can change the textures of this but only the overall size so the 'jagged' edge must be right in the export.

How you can follow all that and that some of it is of some use.

Allan

[TomB]

Thank you Alan.  I had to read the note several times and you did suggest some things that I did not even know were possible, but I followed the explanation and will get it done latter today.  (Aside -- I have some extra pieces of trim to add to the building and did not know how but your reference to the Interior Decorations section is probably enough to solve that problem also.  You killed two birds with one stone.)

Tom

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Tom,

The advantage of the Custom Member from Interior Accessories / Decorative,  is that it can be set to any angle. They can be any length and size too obviously and can have a different texture on every surface.

The main advantage of creating a Member by converting a Layout toolbar Line, is that, once you convert it to a Member (with the right click) you can just drag it to any length in exactly the same way as you drag a wall length. A secondary advantage is that once you have created this Member, it can also be right clicked and you can use the option 'Adjust To Plane'. That will make the Member automatically align with the slope of a roof, for example, so they could be used as exposed beams on a sloping ceiling. It does only have one texture however.

Both options are very useful in different situations.

Allan