The arch is the distinctive feature of Facade4. It calls for more complex modeling than the doorways of the previous façade.
Set up the lesson:
- Continue working from the previous lesson.
Add edges for the arch:
The window edges give you a starting point, but to model the arch well, you need to add some further edges for reference and
for making cuts.
- Pan and zoom so you have a good view of the arch.
- On the ribbon Edit panel, turn on (SwiftLoop) again.
- Add a horizontal loop at the top of the arch.
- Add a vertical loop at each side of the arch.
- Subdivide the arch area with four horizontal loops. Make them a little closer together at the top, and more widely spaced
toward the bottom.
- Add one more horizontal loop for the doorstep or sidewalk.
- Subdivide the arch area further with vertical loops: Add two on the left, and three on the right.
Outline the arch:
- On the ribbon Edit panel, turn on (Cut).
- Cut edges to define the archway.
Reminder: Don’t click the mouse when the cursor shows it’s on a face. The cuts should always join edges or vertices.
- Right-click to close the Cut tool.
- If you want to adjust the cuts, turn on (Vertex), then move the new vertices in X or Y (try not to deform the horizontal and vertical lines of the grid).
When the cuts for the archway are done, you’re ready to extrude the arch.
Extrude the arch:
- On the ribbon, click (Polygon) to go to the Polygon sub-object level.
- Click and Ctrl+click to select the faces in the archway. Don’t neglect the small triangular faces that you might have created along the
upper edge of the arch.
- Drag the left edge of the ViewCube so the view shows some depth.
- On the ribbon Polygons panel, Shift+click (Extrude) to display the extrusion caddy.
You will extrude the arch in two stages: The first stage gives depth to the wall, and the second represents part of the interior
of the arcade behind the arch.
- In the caddy’s Height field, enter –0.3m for the first extrusion (the width of the wall).
- Instead of clicking OK, click (Apply And Continue).
3ds Max creates the extrusion and begins another.
- In the Height field, enter –0.4 for the second extrusion (the arcade interior).
- Click (OK) to accept the value and close the caddy.