Features requested for Architecture

From Blender for Architecture
Revision as of 19:30, 29 December 2007 by Eon (Talk | contribs) (Reverted edits by OrmonElttr (Talk); changed back to last version by Eon)

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Here you can find a list of features we would like to see in Blender to improve Architectural workflow:

To do

Interactive rendering enhancements

OpenGl preview of materials and lighting in 3D view

Example in 3Dsmax:

http://www.ogre3d.org/gallery/albums/album35/a.sized.jpg

To sum up, functions would be needed:

  • non UV Texture display (the flat, cube, sphere, tube buttons in the "map" material panel)
  • procedural textures (for bricks in example)
  • bump, displacement
  • matte shadows
  • glossy
  • feel of GI/ambiant ligthing/occlusion
  • translucidity, transparency
  • mirror

All of that, tight close to Blender rendering settings. This means, non-coders users could use it easily. Material settings used for rendering are translated to draw the 3d viewport material so you don"t need to define material twice, one for rendering and another time for GL previewing.

Links

Snap and dimensions

  • Proper units and measurement system.
    • Sufficient significant digits to convert between units with imperceptable error.
    • Input methods to handle various system conventions (English feet and inches, Metric meters and millimeters, English decimal feet, light years, etc.)
    • Direct preference association with each model so that imports of various units are properly scaled.
  • Ability to move objects based on a "relative" distance from a point.
  • "Dimensions" tool that can add dimensions in plan, elevations, etc.
  • Ability to define arbitrary planes based on 3d angles, or by picking three points/two edges/one face and work on those arbitrary planes as they were the "base plan" (xoy). Also constrains perpendicular to this arbitrary plane.

http://www.newtek-europe.com/uk/support/tutorials/tut9/1.html

Others

  • "LandscapeBuilder" a tool to build and plant real landscape based on contour lines.
  • Possibility to link to a database so to be possible to get "Bills of materials", to know "quantities" of a material is in the model (ie: to know how many cubic meters/feet of brick, concrete, marble,ceramic tiles, etc. or square meters/feet for paints, etc.) Maybe trying to link to OpenOffice database would be a possibility.
  • Better import/export of commonly used file formats like .DXF, .DWG, .3DS, etc.
  • A "PrintingEditor" that can work with the layouts and plot them "at scale". Printing capabilities for lines (continuous, dash, center line, etc. , thickness of a line, colors, etc. - all features that are needed to plot a complete set of construction drawings). If we could combine somehow Blender with a vector based tool - such as Inkscape, OpenOffice or similar - that might produce the result acceptable for "professional printing".
  • Easy use of Gameblender to visit our building like in a FPS game.
  • Texture baking for non UV textured objects

CAD type editing tools

  • create lines (edges) by numerical input (radius, angle, catesian co-ordinates)
  • basic parametric objects:
    • Walls: parameters: height, thickness. Defined by one edge. A problem with this is that blender edges are not vectors, so it's not immediately possible to select the right or left side.
    • Slab/Roof: Parameter: thickness. Defined by an fgon, or multiple faces. Thickness downwards from baseplane slabs, up for roofs. For slabs at least, three thickness types:
      • vertical thickness
      • thickness along normal
      • vertical thickness to absolute value (flat base plane)

Work in Progress

You can follow Blender developement by reading theses mailing lists:

Done