Airfield Control Tower

[Becco_UK]

A day or so ago I started an old. small sized airfield control tower which is to be a simple structure with just enough detail for medium and distant use, similar to the preview image.

Cinema3D 9.6 is to used for the modelling and Maxwell Render for a few images along the way. The ground texture was created with the free MaPZone Allegorithmic The scaling figure was imported from Poser e frontier America, Inc. - Poser & Shade - 3D Design, Modeling, Rendering Software, Flash Animation Software, Templates and Tutorials

Very rare I make buildings so any improvement suggestions will be welcome.

The only reference I have for this model is a personal photograph shown in the preview image. Access to photograph other parts of the structure was not possible.

[Becco_UK]

To make a start I got the 'billboard' in a new scene with a scaling figure. Although not really necessary I deleted unwanted bits from the figures' mesh - teeth, inner mouth etc - saves a good number of polygons.

Using a front view port I adjusted the scale of billboard until it looked about right in relation to the scaling figure. I think this method should get the proportions of the building fairly accurate.

[Bf109_g]

Hey Becco!

That's some more nice work you have got there!

[Becco_UK]

Bf109_g Thank you.

The start of modelling proper. The structure began from a resized cube primitive, made editable. The tower was formed with a combination of inner extrudes, knife cut and extrudes.

When I was more or less happy with the overall shape, all polygons were selected and I used a negative extrude to give the model some thickness which will form the inner walls.

Ceilings and floors were added by using Cinema4D's bridge tool. The glass was split from the main mesh and given a Maxwell tinted ags glass material.

Additional scaling figures were added to save wasting time moving the same one around.

[Becco_UK]

Hand rails added with the help of Jennas' (a Cinema plugin) Grid Array tool. The top of the hand rail assembly is a spline with a Sweep nurbs.

From the photo reference, I couldn't decide if the upper drain pipe was in fact a bunch of wiring - I decided that back in the 1930's there wouldn't be much high tech stuff requiring such a a bundle wiring at roof level. I therefore assume that the original fixture was for drainage from the inset flat roof. I might be wrong!

Also started adding some additional detail to the walls - nothing more complex than reshaped cube primites, made editable and unwanted polygons deleted.

[Screaming Eagle]

looking good so far

[Wurger]

An interesting project Becco.

[Wayne Little]

Yes, looking good!

[Becco_UK]

Screaming Eagle & Wayne Little: Thank you.



Screaming Eagle & Wayne Little: Thank you.

The pre weathered version painting of a more detailed main structure is finished. BodyPaint used for the UV work. The hand rails and posts use a small image, tiled inside the Maxwell material.

Looking at the original resource photo' the central drain pipe was in fact a bunch of cables! So, that got deleted and to give that area some interest I've added a wire caged wall lamp.

The tower ladded is to be adjusted and the right side ladded shown in the resource photo' is not to be included - it looks out of place and probably wasn't a feature of the building until post war times.

[Wayne Little]

What a great transformation! excellent work....

[Becco_UK]

Wayne Little: Thank you.



Almost forgot to post the finished model! The right hand ladder made a comeback and a few adjustments to the textures have been done. The dummy tower door has been replaced with a more realistic one.

Since Finishing this I made a Poser conversion which is free to download.

[Becco_UK]

The free Poser conversion can be downloaded from Control Tower - poser - ShareCG

The Poser model features working doors and smart propped arial mast and windspeed thingy.

[Wayne Little]

Bekko, Top Stuff thanks for sharing....