ZBrushCentral

Islamic dome visualisation

Hi Everyone!

Haven’t posted for a long time but finally there is a good reason to start posting again.

I need your help. I do know Zbrush a bit though i mostly use it for the CNC machining and therefore work with hi-poly models. You may see my topic about this here http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?183496-Restoration-of-the-console-with-zbrush

My portfolio is almost empty and i want to change the situation and learn more about visualisation. There is a good piece of work in my schedule right now. Islamic dome which is 4 meters in diameter, it would consist of around 1920 elements and i have no idea how to visualise it.

Rough sketches and tests of feasibility are bellow.

I’m looking for the co-author to work together on this dome visualisation. I have a hope that in a process it would be much easily to learn.

I will keep posting during the process and i hope there is somebody who is interested in knowing of the ancient islamic dome secrets :slight_smile:

Attachments

plans5.jpg

ZBrush Document.jpg

ZBrush Document1.jpg

Another screenshot of what’s going on. It is a test of the dome itself

An ambitious project you got here. Quite interesting.
Your own design?

Your own design?

It is hard to say how mine this design is as soon as the main goal is to repeat a traditional muqarnas dome.
I have some restriction also. It has to be done from plaster, it has to be feasible, there is already some existent walls quite not accurate, etc.
But all sketches posted are mine, if it is what you have asked about.

My question should have been a bit more precise.
What I meant was : Do you recreate an existing historic dome or do you
design a new one from scratch, based on the ancient muqarna techniques?
Any which way, this seems to be pretty challenging.
I’ll be watching this with interest.
Good luck.

Sculpterra, it appears you have a 3d model and some renderings of the dome. I am confused about what you mean by “visualise”, since it appears you have already visualized it

What more do you need?

So if I understand correctly, this is the design process for a dome that will actually be constructed.
Man, that is quite an ambitious undertaking. I am not qualified for that kind of work. :wink:

I’ll be watching this with interest.
Thank you jmeyer!

Man, that is quite an ambitious undertaking. I am not qualified for that kind of work.
But i am :))) So it isn’t a problem. The problem for me to make a great picture of it.

Sculpterra, it appears you have a 3d model and some renderings of the dome. I am confused about what you mean by “visualise”, since it appears you have already visualized it

What more do you need?

As an answer for this question. There wat is going on with the dome right now.

These are all elements i need to build the Dome. They are without decorations still

Here they are prepared for CNC machining. If everything would be ok i show the pictures of real elements tomorrow

ZBrush Document.jpg
I also provide executive drawings for workers who would build the dome in a real life and some drawings for construction.

Usually, that’s it. The work they pay me for is done. I would be lucky if i got some images of the ready dome made on a telephone later.

So what i want is to have the CG pictures of the dome for the portfolio.

And that is a challenge.

Here is a movie that demonstrated how do the elements works together https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjChOkWrruY&sns=fb

In a dome the scheme of building is a bit more sophisticated. But anyway this is obviously that there is to challenges - build the hi-poly dome, and build a low poly dome. And as soon as the elements connected each other by the from four to 8 edges i have no idea how to avoid the seams, they appear after each Dynameshing in hi-poly model and i could not use Zremesher for low-poly as soon as it do no keeps the connected edges.

“In a dome the scheme of building is a bit more sophisticated. But anyway this is obviously that there is to challenges - build the hi-poly dome, and build a low poly dome. And as soon as the elements connected each other by the from four to 8 edges i have no idea how to avoid the seams, they appear after each Dynameshing in hi-poly model and i could not use Zremesher for low-poly as soon as it do no keeps the connected edges.”

At some point it may make more sense to build a model like this in a CAD application, rather than as a mesh. Of course there are trade off with meshes versus nurbs, but for the forms you have pictured and the scope of the project, I think nurbs would offer some advantages.

If modeling with meshes is preferred, its possible to translate the meshes to nurbs with something like T-Splines or similar. Unfortunately T-Splines is no longer available, but some functions are rolled into Fusion360. There are other subd to nurbs solutions available now as well.

As for the seams: have you tried to project the hi-poly details to the
newly created Dynamesh to repair the seams?

At some point it may make more sense to build a model like this in a CAD application, rather than as a mesh.[QUOTE]

chrisd I use a lot of CAD in this project. Here, for example, a few pictures of executive drawings i’m working on. Quite a messy. But i just want give a “hand made” touch to it.

[QUOTE]
jmeyer
As for the seams: have you tried to project the hi-poly details to the
newly created Dynamesh to repair the seams?

jmeyer About the seams

This is the seams:

I’ve test today nanomesh for the building the part works not bad. Maybe in this scale the seams isn’t a problem.


But in this scale they became visible.

And About NanoMessh it doesn’t work as predictable as i thought it would. The orientation of items works as expected but the scale is an issue.

“I use a lot of CAD in this project. Here, for example, a few pictures of executive drawings i’m working on. Quite a messy. But i just want give a “hand made” touch to it.”

I am trying to understand why you chose to create the forms as a mesh. It appears to me from your description that the meshes are making the project complicated.

I am trying to understand why you chose to create the forms as a mesh. It appears to me from your description that the meshes are making the project complicated.

The only reason i need great renderings. And i want to understand how to get them.

Many CAD apps make poor meshes from nurbs surfaces and I have seen others using ZBrush to retopo CAD meshes for various reasons, including better rendering.

I am hoping for a new surface geometry at some time in the future that replaces both meshes and nurbs with the advantages of both.

The seams again:
For the pictures where you are closer to the structure you could try to build
just that part with your high poly elements instead of the dynameshed elements.
Or you could try to make groups of several high poly elements, merge the subtools
and then dynamesh that group. Most likely the dynamesh will have some dents, though.
To fix these dents save a duplicate of the subtool before dynameshing.
After dynamesh you can use the duplicate to project - project all feature - the sharp edges
etc onto the dynamesh.
That works, tried it myself last night.
This at least reduces the amount of seams. And if you group clever you might be able
to hide some of the remaining seams.
Not a perfect solution, but all I can think of at the moment.

Zbrush is great for making illustration rendering, see Oliver Milas’s technique for posterize tutorial
https://vimeo.com/56276756
Also if you need blueprint renderings Paul Gaboury has a line art shader which is perfect for your needs.
https://www.uartsy.com/course/zbrush4r7-everything-you-want-to-know…with-a-side-of-mech

you may want to ask Paul to give you a quick tutorial on that.

However if you want to get photo real architectural rendering you may want to use vary or keyshot software
v-ray is ray tracer rendering using global illuminations that architects need for their quality of shadows

These software need some training to use

for generating textures most professionals use allegorithmic substance designer and painter software.

also Marmoset tool bag 3 is great software for making presentations

if if you are still interested I will be happy to try support you.
Best, Behrooz

Thank you Behrooz. I defenetly need a help. Will contact you next week.

Meanwhile the dome almost finished in a real life and is ready to deliver.

р_IMG_3324_FINAL02.jpg

р_IMG_3322_FINAL01.jpg

Amazing masterpiece sculpterra! Thanks for sharing Looking forward to it! Will be a great learning experiment.

Have you seen renderings by Cristobal Villa?
https://vimeo.com/814808
Camera rig here
https://vimeo.com/3090620

I like all his other work too!

https://vimeo.com/eterea/arsqubica

Cheers, Behrooz

here is cool pod cast for architecture and virtual reality
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cg-garage/id949248007?mt=2&i=1000385910440

https://labs.chaosgroup.com/index.php/category/cg-garage-podcast/

Hehe, from concept to reality. This is fantastic.
Any chance you could post a picture from a wider angle? I’d love to see more of the carpentry under the decorative details.