How to create a rectangular niche with angled side surface openings

[Steve Clarke]

Thanks Robert and Allan,

That certainly looks far more flexible than the symmetrical only windows in FP11.

(and is was 2.30pm here in UK!)

[Allan Chesney]

Steve,

It is definitely more flexible - everthing is.  For example, walls can have sloped bottoms and sloped tops, you can set the thickness after insertion. You can just right click and drag a straight wall to a curve - could not be easier! You can even set the type of framing inside the walls, wood, metal even the shape of the metal profile. Ceilings and floors can inserted by room (inside of walls), perimeter (outside of walls) or just draw the shape you want.   The roof also is by the perimeter or just pick the points to shape it however you want or insert and drag it where you want in 3D. 

Nik

If you need any round walls in your project - No Problem!  Notice too this is an arched door in a curved wall.


Allan

[Nik]

Er, WOW, Allan !!

That's a straight door in a round tower !!

Just a clarification: Do such doors still behave when wall is eg 24 or 36 inches thick ??
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As several TFP users have said, TFP has a different way of doing stuff, gotta UN-LEARN so many 'Classic' FP techniques and work-arounds...

D'uh, upside of *having* to create my own 'custom' doors was that I could add 'Period Detail' like iron straps, key-holes, handles, bolt-heads and such, and the model would work as-is in eg Poser...

Ah, well, TFP may be limited to flat door plus custom texture-- But probably can't handle layers, alpha channel or 'bump maps' to make a flat surface play 'Trompe D'oeil' (Trick The Eye).

I've posted a request for 'active' imports in the wish-list sub-forum.
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Hmm... Can Envisioneer import eg 3DS to 'active' = 'wall-cutting' categories ?? If not, I don't think we can expect it of TFP. D'uh, certainly not soon...

Hmm, neither Envisioneer not TFP have equivalent of later FP's 'BMO' models, do they ? That's sad, as such might offer a way to mod 'action' flags without contravening EULA by hacking database...

[snauckhoff]

Allan,

Thank you for your extensive reply, most appreciated!

Sven

[Allan Chesney]

Sven,

I am glad it helped!

Just a clarification: Do such doors still behave when wall is eg 24 or 36 inches thick ??
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As several TFP users have said, TFP has a different way of doing stuff, gotta UN-LEARN so many 'Classic' FP techniques and work-arounds...

Nik,

TFP does not seem to care about wall thickness.  The image below is 2 metes thick (about 7ft). The only limitation seems to be that the door or window has to be wider than the thickness of the wall otherwise it will put the door or window on the outer side of the wall.  If it is slightly wider it will put it on the inside.  Openings are OK they can be any size.  Incidentally Opening come in myriad of shames and sizes and are all customisable, as it is the trim of windows and doors too.

There is not much re-learning to do. Just a couple of basics. I had two new people (with very little V10 experience) working with me on a project last weekend and both produced a whole complex building with little input from me!  Their projects and mine all without any workarounds.  The only workarounds I have come across is in the lighting area to circumvent a couple of minor bugs.

Don't know about Envisioneer - will leave that to someone who does.

Allan

[Doug.S]

As several TFP users have said, TFP has a different way of doing stuff, gotta UN-LEARN so many 'Classic' FP techniques and work-arounds...

D'uh, upside of *having* to create my own 'custom' doors was that I could add 'Period Detail' like iron straps, key-holes, handles, bolt-heads and such, and the model would work as-is in eg Poser...

Ah, well, TFP may be limited to flat door plus custom texture-- But probably can't handle layers, alpha channel or 'bump maps' to make a flat surface play 'Trompe D'oeil' (Trick The Eye).

Hmm, neither Envisioneer not TFP have equivalent of later FP's 'BMO' models, do they ? That's sad, as such might offer a way to mod 'action' flags without contravening EULA by hacking database...

Here are my views to answer your questions

- not much to "un-learn", but many things are done a bit differently...most better but some feel odd at first but no big learning obstacles and learning curve quite fast if you know FP or another 3D program

- yes, you can quite easily use TFP in a mode similar to Poser...place objects in an architectural "scene" and you can rotate objects in 3D and position texture maps with more control

- correct: no layers, alpha channels or bump maps....but there are some controls for transparency, reflection, luminance, and nearby color mix....and you can use "magenta" in a texture .bmp map and it renders as transparent

- there is a semi-equivalent to .bmo because you can export any item as .3ds, .dxf etc  but re-importing is like any .3ds object. And lights don't import as lights...but easy work-around to place an invisible light source anywhere...But even with lots of light source type choices, all seem to be very bright even at 5% of 5 watts....near the very minimum possible settings

- and ability to import Sketchup files is great since Sketchup has a free version and models easy to make or find in Google SU model database.