CSCI 140 Group Gallery

3-D Computer Modeling 
CSCI 140 Spring 2003

A Day at the BMU

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Sandra Siu
Yue Hu Ou
Jerry Zigounakis
Jen Suthammanuwat

A Day at the BMU
by
Realistic Vision Team, INC.		Group Scene
 
Inspiration:

Our inspiration came from the structure of the Bell Memorial Union (BMU).  We wanted to make something that would represent Chico State, so we decided to build the BMU.  We initially thought that BMU would be the easiest building to make since the architecture of the building is very clean, simple, and futuristic.  

We wanted to make BMU without any people in the background because that would be too much work.  We figured that the details on the building would take most of our working time because we wanted to make the building look as realistic as possible.

Story:

It was 1969 when the original BMU was constructed. At that time CSU Chico had only 6,000 students in attendance. Low attendance was due mainly to the crisis in Vietnam. Then in 1974 as the crisis was finally being resolved, there was a huge increase in enrollment. This was the perfect time to enlarge the bookstore to accommodate for the increase in students and inventory. The bookstore had to be once again enlarged in 1991. In 1996, the Chico State student body sat down and figured that it was finally time to renew the Bell Memorial Union as we see it today. The total cost of this project was approximately $28.5 million dollars.
 
 
Objects:EditorOu
 Building outlineOu
 Windows and doorsSandra
 Steps and handicap pathSandra
Rails/HandlesSandra
 ColumnsOu
 PotsJen
 All LightsJen
 PillarsJerry
 OverhangsJerry
 BenchJerry
   
Textures:Windows and doorsDigital camera
 BrickwallDigital camera
 StairsDigital camera
 Sky3DBuzz
   
Tutorials:RailsTutorial from class presentation (Single Rail Extrude)
 
Sandra: The first problem I had for making the objects that I tried to use bend tool to to make the pipe-like handrails for the steps and the handicap path, but it seems cannot work the way I wanted. So I made the handrail by using the rail extrude tool that was introduce by one of our classmate in the tutorial presentation. The other problem was I cannot find the right tool to make my L shape steps and the handicap path with slope shapes. To solve this problem, I figured to cut the boxes with knife tool to making the shape looks right.

Jen: I'm in charge of making all the pots and lights around the BMU.  There wasn't any major problem except the fact that the pot and some of the light's shape weren't geometric shape (meaning square, circle, etc.)  Therefore I had to use a lot of sketch and lathe tools to create the shapes that I wanted.  Also, working in group is especially hard in this project because we constantly have to combine each other's work and add objects to it.  There were many instances where people didn't measure an object right, therefore the proportion was off.  

Jerry: The problems that I encountered on my part of the project were mainly with       memory issues. I worked on a big portion of my part of the project at home, and because there were so many polygons my computer was running very slow. I solved this problem by saving what I had and putting final touches together in the computer lab on much faster computers.

Yuehu Ou: I was doing the basic model in the BMU scene and combine the other group mates' entire objects together and rendering. There are not many problems for me.
1. Get the blue print of BMU. Because we don't have the blue print of BMU, so it is difficult to make the BMU model.
Solution: Studying how to sketch; studying 3d convert to 2d skill; studying basic architecture; take pictures; scan my sketch into backdrop and fellow my sketch to build model depend on my scale feeling.

2. Combine the objects into one and modify them. I can't combine all objects into one object and modify them in modeler in LightWave3d 7.5. If I only combine objects in the Layout, it is not useful at all, because I can't modify them and get the final result.
Solution: Buy LightWave3d 7.0 and throw out 7.5.  In the LightWave3d 7.0, we can import object into layer.

3. Two many segments and surfaces. After we combine all objects together, there are too many segments and surfaces, it is difficult to move and modify. It is impossible to turn on Raytrace and Radiosity light.
Solution: (1) Buy a new computer. (2) Before we make model, we must make a clear plan. Don't make too many segments and surface if it is not necessary. Like a disk, 12 segments are good enough for render, if we turn on the smooth surface in surface editor. (3) We can separate different object to render, and then use Photoshop to combine them together.