I’m trying to model the roof interior of this pic.  I know my way around max(2 yrs modeling) but everything i try just looks wrong.  Here is my reference photo.  Can any1 help me figure this out???

Windows 64 Ultimate, Max 9 to current, Quad Q6600, 8gig RAM, 1gig 4870 HD

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Ste. Chappelle is cool.  I too am modelling a gothic church for school.  Do you have sections and floor plans you are working from?  Free hand modeling a gothic cathedral will probably not work or severely lack accurate geometry.  If you cant get sections, plans, and elevations of this actual building, your best bet will be to look up Violet - le- duc’s reference books for his restoration projects.  That shoud give you a basis for the idea behind pointed arch vaulting.  They are written in French and I dont think there are any translations though the pictures are wonderful.  You can look it up on Wikipedia i believe.

Sketchup
AutoCAD 2009
Revit 2009
3ds Max 2009

Q9450 @ 3.2ghz
8gb RAM
Vista 64
Geforce 8800 GT 1gb

For the archs, you can start from a spline and clone it, then reshape as needed and set the copies at the right locations.
Draw the profiles and use the Sweep modifier.
If you turn the result into Editable Polys, you can create shapes from selected edges and apply the CrossSection + Surface modifiers to make the ceiling.

Marcellus is right, you need good references. You can find pretty much everything on the web about dimensions in gothic construction. But for specific details of that church, you’ll probably need a book.

Please post your results.  :coolsmile:

max 9
Photoshop CS3
Windows XP
tin box + plug
Wacom Intuos3

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Yeah Marcellus that’s the church.  I found the ref on corbis I think.  Thanx alot for the extra ref material.  I hate having to wing it when it comes to modeling something like this.  Caprier, I figured splines were the way to go but I couldn’t get it right.  I’ll try your method when i get off work and post the results. that is exactly what I was shooting for.  Thnx again guys!

Windows 64 Ultimate, Max 9 to current, Quad Q6600, 8gig RAM, 1gig 4870 HD

I feel so dumb for not using the arc/spline option earlier.  I was about to jump into Zbrush and model it there because i’m a little better in Zbrush but I wanted to understand it in Max.  Which modifier did you use to connect the beams? I have the windows done it’s just this ceiling that has made me wanna pull my hair out. Here is my rough version of the ceiling, just threw it together to point out the last part of the ceiling I can’t figure out how to connect.  And what is in your top viewport???

Windows 64 Ultimate, Max 9 to current, Quad Q6600, 8gig RAM, 1gig 4870 HD

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The shapes in the Top viewport are splines I used as profiles for the archs. In the Sweep modifier, you can check Use Custom Section and pick your own shape if you don’t find what you need in the Built-In Section list.
The sections themselves are made from Star shapes with a fillet on their outer branches. I then simplified them and replaced one half by a straight segment.

For the ceiling, once you’ve extruded a profile along the arch spline, you can convert it to Editable Poly (or Editable Mesh), select a row of edges and click on Create Shape From Selection to get a new spline object. If you want to keep the original arch for further edition (that is the original spline with the Sweep modifier), just toss an Edit Poly modifier, create your new shape the same way and delete the Edit Poly (you don’t need it anymore).
Repeat the process on the opposite arch. Then select one of the shapes (should be an Editable Spline) and attach the other to it.
Before going any further, make sure that:
1 - both shapes (now spline sub-objects of the same spline object) have the same amount of vertices. Cleaner topology.
2 - their first vertex (the one that shows in yellow when in Vertex sub-object mode) are on the same end. If not, select the opposite end vertex on one of the splines and click the Make First button.
Finally add a CrossSection modifier followed by a Surface modifier. For the latter, you might have to flip the normals and play with the threshold a bit. Also set the Steps to 0 if you don’t want extra edges.

Also for this kind of project, try to be precise with the shape and positioning of the main features. There are quite a lot of infos on Wikipedia, among other sources.
For the supporting archs, I used the shape based upon the equilateral form. They are fine while the ones for the openings - which I eyeballed - don’t look good at all.
If you do things by sight, nothing will fit in the end and adjusting everything later on will be a nightmare.

max 9
Photoshop CS3
Windows XP
tin box + plug
Wacom Intuos3

Hey Caprier, I finally understand all the instructions.  I’ve never modeled going from splines to poly then back to splines. Cool trick! Thnx a million. I’ve started to finally get the cross section to attach to the splines(that was tricky @ 1st, never done that before). I also used Tools>Array to get exact measurments so i didn’t have to eyeball the model.  I’ve made that mistake in the past and I’d rather start over than go through trying to fix a messy model. I just have to build the windows before i connect the ceiling.  I’ll post results when i do that. Thanx a million buddy!

Windows 64 Ultimate, Max 9 to current, Quad Q6600, 8gig RAM, 1gig 4870 HD

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You’re welcome.  :D
If I may, usually gothic archs end up with a point. Yours look rounded at the top. This might be a trick of the angle in your capture but just in case: click me
The most common shape is based on an equilateral triangle and drawn from two circles, i.e. each circle has its center at one end of the other one’s horizontal diameter.

max 9
Photoshop CS3
Windows XP
tin box + plug
Wacom Intuos3

	Attachment

I noticed the points in my ref photos.  I wasn’t sure how the lights and cameras would react to those angles so I’m probably going to model several versions of the ceiling to see/learn what happens.  This is one of the coolest models i’ve chosen to give a try.  Since I’ve been wrestling with the ceiling now for several weeks I want it to look as good as I possibly can.

Windows 64 Ultimate, Max 9 to current, Quad Q6600, 8gig RAM, 1gig 4870 HD

I don’t know how close you’re trying to match the real place but there are seven windows - hence eight beams - around the altar.
Also the width should be constant. In your model, the nave is narrower.

max 9
Photoshop CS3
Windows XP
tin box + plug
Wacom Intuos3

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Hey caprier, i’ve followed your direction to the ‘T’ but have run into a problem.  I can’t get the winow arc to connect properly with the pole.

Windows 64 Ultimate, Max 9 to current, Quad Q6600, 8gig RAM, 1gig 4870 HD

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