So I use Blender for items, people, and things of that sort, but I can’t seem to make any decent buildings with it. And by that, I mean buildings you can actually walk through and stairs and things of that nature. And I see all these awesome model packs coming out and it makes me want to cry. 
Not really, but I’m curious as to what other people use to model architecture.
If you can’t, it’s your skill. You can make anything in blender or any other popular software.
Aye, tis true. This isn’t the 90’s.
Its not the software’s fault, its the operator’s.
Use those model packs pics (search on their sites) as a reference if you are having a trouble coming up with your own models for buildings.
Using them as a reference you will soon pretty much learn which tool to use to achieve whatever you want.
Well at least I learn it this way (yeah not perfect :P).
Hell, I actually bought some model packs to just recreate the models myself poly by poly (or to make it higher poly actually). Adding rooms to tearing down walls to create new environments. I am sure there’s a better way to do all this though.
Im not an artist at all, and for my stuff - I’ll probably just buy stock models.
But, that doesn’t answer your question…
You could buy a book like this :
Blender 3D Architecture, Buildings, and Scenery
Also, there are sites dedicated to blender and architecture that might help: http://www.blender3darchitect.com/
Hope that helps.
I advise not to buy a book. Really. Better buy some dvd/online video tutorials. They are much better for these stuff
Also, if I might offer a small suggestion, you might try using Google SketchUp for architectural models. There’s nothing wrong with Blender for this purpose, but SketchUp is much quicker to learn and is pretty much made for quickly roughing out architectural models.
Then once you have your architecture roughed out in SketchUp you can import them into Blender or another 3D package for detail work.
Sketchup? For games? Eww.
Using Sketchup for games is a fine idea. I wouldn’t recommend using it for anything organic or using its models without cleanup and texturing in another program, though.
Alright, thanks for the links everyone. And as for Sketchup, I’ve used it, but whenever I import the mesh into blender or any other 3d modeling application, the mesh more often than not is very unorganized and pretty messy. So I figured why not just start from scratch in blender.
Also, I know you can make architecture and buildings in Blender just fine, but I figured some programs are probably easier to use than others for the purpose.
Something like Autocad?
Ultimatly, you want to avoid cad/revit models entirely.
They’re not in any way suited to game engines.
Arch/cad models are why they invented the ‘Quadro’ line of cards… To deal with the hideously unorganised mess of polygons this software makes (polys are transparent to the end user in these programs, they just deal with control splines etc).
Oh yeah, definitely not AutoCAD. SketchUp as messy as it is for 3D work is much much better for modeling.
SketchUp is soooo close to being the perfect solution for modeling architecture, and thats why its so infuriating. I use it anyway, and will continue to do so until Google completely destroys it.
Haha. I end up just using Sketchup for prototyping ideas. That and the fact that I don’t feel like buying it for the exporters. Or getting it through illegal means.
I use SketchUp and LightUp.
LightUp has a great .fbx exporter and enables you to export lightmaps into Unity.
It isn’t Maya or Max but it isn’t £3000 UK pounds excluding tax with the learning curve from hell either.
This is my first Unity project using SketchUp and LightUp.
It is a building with stairs and things.
http://web.mac.com/hayesdavies/Portfolio/First%20build.html
I looked at Blender but found it’s interface tedious. If you are going to spend that much time learning something it doesn’t seem worth it to learn something no one is going to pay you to know. I use Blender occasionally to animate or something and I know it’s very good but need a proper manual for it really. If there is one.
All too true!
AutoCAD has a LOT to answer for and SketchUp has been really unstable since Google started messing with it. With all their resources, why can’t they just either leave it alone or take the time to get the basics right?
I love architecture. I just spent the weekend going to various bookstores in several cities to add to a multitude of my architecture books.
My problem isn’t how to create architecture, but how to create architecture for games. You want some detail in buildings and not end up with something like the flat faces in GTA structures, but also you want something with some detail and beauty that won’t end up a frame rate killer.
I’ve tried searching the internet and the bookstores this past weekend for creating “architecture for games”, but there doesn’t appear to be anything out there. I’ve seen some beautiful architecture done for Unity in the showcase forums. Just do a search in “showcase” using the word “architecture” and you’ll find some of them. Usually that is one nice piece of work in a scene, not a whole game or game level.
The question is how much detail can you put in and still get away with a decent frame rate for an adventure or role playing game (without level loading like Oblivion)?
What you’re looking for are tips on environment modeling for games. This thread from the Polycount forums is a very good place to start: http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=53002
There are also a lot of examples of environment modeling over at the Game Artist forums: game-artist.net
Hope that helps!
RHD, that is indeed a good demo. I remember looking at that a while back. And I will have to look into LightUp.
Very good links. Thanks for posting that.
I really need to find a few good tutorials that go over the basic workflow of creating a building. I’ve found some that go over how to model a house for instance, but not one that you can actually go into.
This may not be specific enough for you, but I think Luke Ahearn’s book 3D Game Environments is a pretty good general reference as well. 3D Game Environments: Create Professional 3D Game Worlds: Ahearn, Luke, Ahearn, Luke: 9780240808956: Amazon.com: Books
This tutorial on 3d-palace is Softimage|XSI specific, but it depicts a technique that can be applied to other software apps: http://www.3d-palace.com/forum/local_links.php?catid=28