topic Re: Question: how to write on a wall? in Modeling

Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:14:32 GMT

Hi, I have a question with ArchiCAD 12 walls:

is it possible to create a writing on the wall?

I would like to have a writing, like a neon sign, on a wall for viewing in 3D and render. Nothing "special" just a plain simple letters attached to a wall (in metal) with an illumination behind them.

I hope you understood what I am talking about, since my architectural english isn't quite good (yet, but hopefully this will change).

Thank you in advance.

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:17:41 GMT

Good question! I would also like to know if this is possible.
I know in plan, elevations and sections is pretty easy to add text. But making text a 3D object is way out of my league.

Sorry I am no help to your post but I wanted to say that as a foreigner in an English speaking country your English is awesome! keep it up

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:21:09 GMT

Have you seen the "Text 3D" object in the library?
You should find it under Furnishing/Decoration.

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:24:54 GMT

Ding!

Jackpot.

Thanks a lot, you just made my day 🙂

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:44:32 GMT

You are limited concerning illumination within ArchiCAD.

As Dwight has pointed out, you can use a 'constant' LightWorks shader (visible only when rendered with LW, not in OpenGL or internal engine) to make the neon letters appear to be emissive - but they will not actually cast light on the wall.

3D text settings attached first...

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:46:16 GMT

Letters offset from wall, casting shadow in sunlight, but with constant emission. (If sun turned off, the letters would appear the same color, but would not cast light on the wall.)

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:46:26 GMT

Thank you subatomic! Now that I know it exists i can easily find it

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:48:12 GMT

LW settings for constant shader...

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:51:17 GMT

Karl, thank you very much (and all others as well). May I ask you how much distance did you put between the text and the wall?

Concerning light I gave up. I vanted to do a non trasparent surface with a backlighting (sort of a halo around the text at night).

But light management seems a bit poor in general in ArchiCAD, regarding render.

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:53:34 GMT

With Artlantis, for example, you can make the letters, or at least their back faces, emit light with the neon shader. Here is a quickie that I am not happy with - too much light and not creating the shape of the letters - perhaps could be controled if I spent time reducing the power/etc. The overall rectangular illumination isn't quite what we want to see.

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:57:48 GMT

Unfortunately I don't have Artlantis, that's why I said ArchiCAD is not optimal...

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:59:29 GMT

Played a little more - time to get back to work. Artlantis is pretty fussy about neon, perhaps because of its auto-exposure feature. I had to use very low power at night to get a softer glow, but then had to use 10 times the power in this later afternoon shot to get any glow at all to show.

Cheers,
Karl

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Dwight — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:07:11 GMT

Almost like in real life where the sun trumps everything!
It seems in Artlantis that as soon as the heliodon is activated, the power of other lights diminishes.

Here is a similar light that is also suppressed.

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:08:33 GMT

Matteo wrote:
Karl, thank you very much (and all others as well). May I ask you how much distance did you put between the text and the wall?

I made the letters 2" (5 cm) thick and offset them by the same amount (5 cm).

With ArchiCAD alone, you cannot directly fake the illumination in one step. But, if you are generating still images (not animation), you might be able to fake it with one of these ideas:

You could turn off the letters and render the scene with one or more light sources creating the desired glow on the wall. Then render just the constant glowing letters against a constant color background to use for masking. Overlay the letters on top of the main render in Photoshop (gimp, etc). If you need shadows too (not fully dark), fake them in Photoshop in the classic Photoshop way.

Or, you could create a special material for the wall in Photoshop which maps to the entire wall and onto which you have painted, in Photoshop, the necessary glowing area. Assign that image to a new material, sized to the wall, and align it to the wall with the Align in 3D command. Illuminate the scene with only ambient lighting. You could even do an animation with this approach.

Either is a bit of work though, and not sure how good the results would be? 😞

Cheers,
Karl

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:11:34 GMT

Dwight wrote:
Here is a similar light that is also suppressed.

Beautiful, Dwight! Settings tips for that one in your forthcoming book?

Thanks,
Karl

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Dwight — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:33:17 GMT

Yes, but have not written that part yet.
Very slow going.

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Dwight — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:39:13 GMT

Email me for the instructions to solve the backlit neon sign - the article is too big as an attachment....

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:07:18 GMT

my quick try . . .

ofc, this is not artlanits
no faking !

i have problem with my moitor its not calibrated so image can be display wrong at your monitors !
low quality image !

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:42:01 GMT

2 image

Re: Question: how to write on a wall?

Dwight — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:09:04 GMT

Wonderful!
The usual problem with this effect is that the light is too strong.
How do you contain the light?

Here is a neon solution in LightWorks that could be a backlite, too.