Advanced modeling help?

[Sloan Springer]

As I further my experience and knowledge in ArchiCAD, Ive come to a point where I am seeing things modeled in AC that I have no clue how to efficiently model...here are 2 examples from Michel Rojkind and Dave Chisholm. I expect that GDL is the way to go (the latter even says so about his project), but I have no idea how to do something like this in GDL (much less anything at all!)

Any ideas on how to approach this and what to do, as this is the kind of work I would like to do with ArchiCAD..

Thanks so much!

[Sloan Springer]

Dave Chisholm

[Steve Jepson]

image #1.

Step #1: Hire me to model it for you while you go out and play golf.

Before you can model anything you must decide why you are modeling it.
Will it bust be something you use to generate images or will the model be for generating working drawings?

If you need to make a model for use with the wroking drawings then ArchiCAD is the best tool for this or any project.

If you just want to use ArchiCAD as a modeling tool, there are many other programs that could do it better.

Before I tell you the simple secrets of how to do this, ( no GDL scripting will be needed ) tell me what sort of model you want to make?

[Sloan Springer]

No working drawings needed, just presentation stuff. I am a M.Arch student, so its all conceptual work. Ive been using AC for a few years now, and absolutely love it, therefore I would prefer to model in it as much as possible, until I start getting into things that are much easier in other apps (Ive been learning Rhino for a few weeks, and its certainly something I want to further develop, but for now my heart is with AC.)

My current workflow is to model in AC, use that for presentation drawings (via Illustrator), then export the model to Artlantis for rendering. You can see my undergrad work on my website (the more advanced stuff is farther down on the list under the architecture projects.

Like I said, Ive been experimenting with Rhino, but Im just not even close to being as capable in it as I am in AC. Also, a huge factor for me trying to stay with AC is this forum...I love being able to ask questions and actually have people who know what theyre talking about trying to help me solve things. Rhino just doesnt seem to have that yet.

[Anonymous]

I had a go at modelling the first one a while a go - http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=99714

It was pretty crude, and lacked the way the building subtly twists and distorts as it increases in height. It was, however, made completely in ArchiCAD!

The second one could be replicated by arraying lots of columns at slightly different angles. Set up some sloping roofs and SEO the top and bottom ends to the same lines (It would be very time consuming to manually adjust each and every one). If you then selected all the columns and saved it as a library part it 'should' still remember the SEO, and you could then add some GDL code to make it storey and cutplane sensitive, as I did to the first building.

Post up some images if you get anywhere!

[Steve Jepson]

this one is kind of cool too.

[Sloan Springer]

OK I did a quick mock up with a combination of things suggested.

Essentially I modeled the wall in plan then saved it as an object from the front view so it goes in in plan.

I made a mesh to act as the wall, then made the cutouts as slabs. I converted the mesh to a roof, the SEOed the cutouts and hid them.

Im still not completely sure how I would do this to create a building envelope that all sides would line up, but this is a start I guess...

[Sloan Springer]

Steve wrote:
this one is kind of cool too.

BIG, on of my favorite firms...

On this one, I think I can now figure out how to make the side walls, but how about the roof with the holes that are perpendicular to the curve?

[Steve Jepson]

You could try making a mass modle of your building and then clad it with the parts. In section, rotate to the parts to fit the mass model.

[Sloan Springer]

Ah...I just figured out you can rotate cylinder objects in section...that helps alot! Im also going to try out the student version of OBJECTIVE, maybe that will round things out....