In order to provide a background for the client’s canopy model, the existing building and sight were formed as rough blocks with surfaces derived from the existing building drawings, the civil plan for the site and the architectural elevations for the building. This Ensures that rendered colors and photographs added in later steps will align with the proper locations on the facade.
As the building and site surfaces are generated from a 2D editor (Photoshop), once the surfaces are in the appropriate locations, they can be updated with color fill which can serve as infill beyond where photographic textures are to be used. Some fields, such as the windows, will be placed over the photo layer to remove clutter in the photographic images. Here the client’s canopy model has been added into the developing background model with simple color fields.
The same process can be applied to the site, where the civil plan is used as a template to align existing site imagery. The proposed drop-off drive and ramp are then added into the 2D site plan and edited to match the existing site imagery. When the texture is updated to the model, it provides a guide from which to extrude curbs, ramps and sidewalks.
When combined with photographs of the building facades, the resulting background building and site provide a near-realistic, but not-too-realistic, setting to showcase the client’s model. By blending the photographic, rendered, and scanned original images, a great amount of flexibility was found in the appearance of the final model. Stock scale figures and vehicles which compliment the softened style of the background were added.
The completed model fulfills its function to serve as a backdrop to the client’s proposed additions while portraying a complex building in a way that is both instantly-recognizable and non-intrusive. With the background model in place, the canopy can be rendered from any direction and with various lighting conditions. (Click the image below for a video clip.)
