I just wanted to make that clear before I got into this second post with concept work for Cityfight (which i'm not doing, let's be absolutely clear about this).
After the comments on Part One I thought I would do a little more more on the concept and to help clarify the ideas.
To be absolutely clear these ARE NOT designs I am thinking of doing. Any finished designs would not look like this. They are not even WIP designs. These are purely shapes and quick sketches to show the basic principles I am thinking of (one day) doing.
Now that is out of the way...
First up the edging (and the roof lining/edging would also follow the same principle). Basically the edging would not be a continuous strip, it would be a small length (25-30mm long) printed then cast. This allows the building to be of a range of heights.
The edging pieces will be styled, though I will not be going down the GW route. So there will not be hundreds of skulls or random bits of machinery stuck on etc. The pieces would be embossed, engraved, shaped etc which suit being printed far more than being scratchbuilt.
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| I know they look ugly. They are just here to help explain why I will be printing them. |
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| The edging pieces lined up in situ. |
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| Just a random detail shot of the wing. Just because. |
In the one picture above you can see the corner pieces. These will not be plain pieces but designs something like (something like, not identical to) the model below. The general idea is fine, but the final piece would probably have wings of somekind either side of the eagles head, underneath the head I was thinking something like a mounting point for a light to hang down on a chain and also a hole for guttering to run through up to the roof.
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| Again, it is just a sketch, not the actual design. |
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| Models eye view on left. |
And here is the concept (yes concept, not design. These are ugly, bulky, too big and a whole host of other things, they do however make it clear what the idea for the windows would be) of the window frames - the door frame would be similar.
Each frame is built out of smaller pieces with which will allow a range of window sizes to be done. A door would be similar in principle though the bottom would lead into steps.
In the pictures you can see the external and internal frames. The external frame would be larger and more decorative, the internal would be little more than a thin frame. What you can see in the section view is that the two frames do not meet. The gap is so that you can slot something in place...
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| I know it looks horrible. |
And the last thing to show is one of the detail pieces I would look at doing, namely floor support/brackets. I butchered the roof corner piece shown above to come up with a quick model which would sit over the roof beams.
That is it for today, and probably a while as I really have too much on to get distracted.
They look really great mate, and you must have spent a good deal of time thinking about them because they look almost finished just as they are!
ReplyDeleteI've been loving your posts on this for a good while and the 3d printing is seriously getting my attention now.
Cheers, but to be honest I think that might be more down to luck as I really did rush them and just throw anything together as a means to an end.
DeleteRic, I think if anything, those are too bright and cheery. I'd seriously end up nudging them down towards the Soviet Superbloc end of the spectrum. Having said that, I'd find a way to keep those eagle and wing corner pieces too :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had some of my old uni texts with me still, one had an excellent picture of a Soviet superbloc apartment - it looked like a flat slab of concrete that'd had tiny holes cut out for windows, and that was it. And then you noticed the windows were small (about half normal size), but it was just the giant faceless slab that made them appear so damned tiny.
Nowhere near as bleak, but a few "inspirational" pictures for you: http://www.free-photos.biz/images/architecture/buildings/soviet_apartment.jpg (quite upscale)
http://images.travelpod.com/users/abalzer/1.1278962678.depressing-soviet-era-apartment-building.jpg (again, quite upscale)
As you're in the UK, if you wanted some first hand experience, I'd suggest you look at those "lovely" council housing towers the gov't built in decades past, and then make them even drearier.
I agree mostly with Faolan! The aquila joist hangers are a really nice touch. As are the Aquila corner grotesques!!! They are very "Chrysler Building"!!!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of looking at Soviet block architecture for inspiration, but you'll actually find that they are not generally as depressing as you might think! A common feature is details accentuating verticality...
Have a look at Stalinist Architecture for some inspiration.
I'm afraid I won't be going down the Soviet style look (or indeed the 60's/70's civic buildings...!). It isn't my idea of attractive scenary or fitting the 40k universe.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not want to go down the GW Cities of Death (i hate that name) route the finished buildings need to have some of the 'Gothic Grim Dark' in them style..
Well, I like the starting point here and I also take the same view as you when it comes to the architecture, I always felt that the buildings should steer towards the classic and traditional buildings we have here in the UK.
DeleteOrnate, classical but grand, you see it all around after all 40k always followers tradition, so why would everything be covered in mechanics and built in metal after all these buildings would have been around for some time.
I like what you have started with and feel you are heading in the right direction, I will watch with anticipation and delight as this unfolds .