Special Modeling and BIM Coaching for JGA

Fender Strat modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

Fender Strat modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

BC Rich modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

BC Rich modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

Acoustic Dreadnought modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

Acoustic Dreadnought modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

Arch-top jazz guitar modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

Arch-top jazz guitar modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

Gibson Les Paul modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

Gibson Les Paul modeled in Modo - this is an in-modo render. I converted this model to a native ArchiCAD object, with appropriate vectorial cleanups and the ability for the materials to be easily tweaked in use.

Here is the in ArchiCAD plan view of a wall of these converted guitars hung.

Here is the in ArchiCAD plan view of a wall of these converted guitars hung.

Here is the in ArchiCAD perspective view of a wall of these converted guitars hung.

Here is the in ArchiCAD perspective view of a wall of these converted guitars hung.

Here is a vectorial PDF exported perspective view of a wall of these converted guitars hung.

Here is a vectorial PDF exported perspective view of a wall of these converted guitars hung.

This is an in ArchiCAD render of one row from that wall - materiality here uses standard (to JGA) ArchiCAD materials versus specific, allowing for easy tweaking of the materials - and getting decent ArchiCAD preview quality renders in a reasonable time.

This is an in ArchiCAD render of one row from that wall - materiality here uses standard (to JGA) ArchiCAD materials versus specific, allowing for easy tweaking of the materials - and getting decent ArchiCAD preview quality renders in a reasonable time.

Here is a view of the same wall of guitars in BIMx viewer - looks pretty decent despite BIMx low-fi 3D engine.

Here is a view of the same wall of guitars in BIMx viewer - looks pretty decent despite BIMx low-fi 3D engine.

Site OSM building data imported in Blender via Blender GIS then pushed to modo for cleanup. OSM data is wonderful for footprints, but has no real-world massing info.

Site OSM building data imported in Blender via Blender GIS then pushed to modo for cleanup. OSM data is wonderful for footprints, but has no real-world massing info.

Site OSM building data imported in Blender via Blender GIS then pushed to modo for cleanup - landmark blockmasses removed to allow rough massing models to replace them

Site OSM building data imported in Blender via Blender GIS then pushed to modo for cleanup - landmark blockmasses removed to allow rough massing models to replace them

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo - basic hardsurface modeling

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo - basic hardsurface modeling

And of course animating turbines would've been pretty rough in ArchiCAD - but it's a doddle in modo - this would export nicely to Unity were JGA using Unity as their realtime rendering environment, as I tend to now.

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo - basic hard-surface modeling

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo - basic hard-surface modeling

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo - procedural / parametric modeling

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo - procedural / parametric modeling

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo - procedural / parametric modeling

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo - procedural / parametric modeling

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo

Landmark building near target site which needed to be recognisable in the client and investor facing renders - rough massing done in modo

Complex detail modeling achieved directly in ArchiCAD for specific project: there was a lot of this sort of work, but most I can't share - this in its isolated form is a decent exemplar. This used both hotspot stretchable profiles and complex morphs.

Complex detail modeling achieved directly in ArchiCAD for specific project: there was a lot of this sort of work, but most I can't share - this in its isolated form is a decent exemplar. This used both hotspot stretchable profiles and complex morphs.

Here is one of two of an overview of many of the bespoke materials individual texture maps I created for JGA - this doesn't show the in-ArchiCAD only vector artwork I created and associated with these materials

Here is one of two of an overview of many of the bespoke materials individual texture maps I created for JGA - this doesn't show the in-ArchiCAD only vector artwork I created and associated with these materials

Here is two of two of an overview of many of the bespoke materials individual texture maps I created for JGA - this doesn't show the in-ArchiCAD only vector artwork I created and associated with these materials

Here is two of two of an overview of many of the bespoke materials individual texture maps I created for JGA - this doesn't show the in-ArchiCAD only vector artwork I created and associated with these materials

This is a quick example of how some of the newly developed materials render out

This is a quick example of how some of the newly developed materials render out

Newly developed JGA Guernsey granite material in 3D window and BIMx looks like this

Newly developed JGA Guernsey granite material in 3D window and BIMx looks like this

Newly developed JGA Guernsey granite material vectorial hatch (developed natively in ArchiCAD) drives display in elevation and section views

Newly developed JGA Guernsey granite material vectorial hatch (developed natively in ArchiCAD) drives display in elevation and section views

Newly developed JGA Guernsey granite material vectorial hatch (developed natively in ArchiCAD) drives display in elevation and section views - and also sketch rendered perspectives

Newly developed JGA Guernsey granite material vectorial hatch (developed natively in ArchiCAD) drives display in elevation and section views - and also sketch rendered perspectives

Graphic Overrides allow for easy discrimination of options for clients - this was done for a client-facing views

Graphic Overrides allow for easy discrimination of options for clients - this was done for a client-facing views

This is an export of the geometry placed in the origin of the pre-final template as both a placeholder and a exemplar of specific modeling techniques

This is an export of the geometry placed in the origin of the pre-final template as both a placeholder and a exemplar of specific modeling techniques

This is an export of the geometry placed in the origin of the pre-final template as both a placeholder and a exemplar of specific modeling techniques

This is an export of the geometry placed in the origin of the pre-final template as both a placeholder and a exemplar of specific modeling techniques

Current WIP status of scanned / captured materials development

Current WIP status of scanned / captured materials development

I spent several months helping James Gavey Architecture in Castel, Guernsey to level up their ArchiCAD use and create a new template file for their evolving workflow, and during that time also helped with both BIM modeling techniques and some special modeling tasks accomplished in a mix of tools, to get needed higher-complexity items for use in client-facing renders, and in some cases investor-facing renders. These included some high detail (for BIM) guitar models, some motorcycle models, and a number of context buildings and sites.

On the BIM coaching and development side, I helped JGA go from an almost exclusively 2D set of workflows of ArchiCAD, with no layer management to a modeling-centric, BIM automated tool focussed set of workflows, designed to position JGA for future growth, more complex project types, and better overall consistency of both design and output. We explored (and I coached) basic BIM modeling, more advanced techniques, and use of hotlinked modules; we added profile-based workflows for parapet wall conditions frequently found here in Guernsey, and I delivered two pre-final templates showing JGA layer combinations, graphic overrides and a wide range of more effective tools.

I also developed a series of bespoke materials using Substance tools for their use in renders and in ArchiCAD documentation, whilst encouraging JGA to explore a wider range of rendering tools, as they had hit a severe bottleneck in their current rendering workflow - in specific I proposed their exploring realtime rendering options - hence my supplying these materials in a PBR centric method. I had started developing a series of textures for material development for JGA based on scanned materials from JGA projects - using Substance Bitmap to Material to develop high quality delighted maps, with displacement, normal, specular and diffuse for use in a range of tools - this effort has been for the moment put on hold.