Leighton Hall
SketchUp is a 3D modeling software that is intuitive and fun to use. In one of my previous posts I described my experience of using SketchUp to model my house. Today, I am going to talk about a technique one can use to model real-world buildings – photo matching, as well as my experience and frustrations as I try out this new feature.
Photo matching is incredibly useful for users who want to model an existing building in the most precise way possible. It utilizes law of geometrical perspectives to allow modeling based on a photo’s context. Detailed instructions on the feature can be found here.
I found photo matching to be much more challenging than free form modeling. The number one reason for that is the increase in the number of details a modeler now has to include. This process can be quite time consuming, depending on the complexity of a modeled building. For instance, modeling Leighton took me more than 3 hours, considering that Leighton is one of the less architecturally complicated buildings on Carleton campus. The process, however, felt more rewarding primarily because the feature enabled my model to have nearly identical proportions as those of the original building.
Although time consuming, the practice of 3D visualization that can be greatly beneficial to the scholarship. For example, it allows researchers to keep historical sites and architecture in the digital format that is almost guaranteed to be preserved through time. 3D modeling also provides a unique viewing experience that is very different to what we are normally used to in real life. Once we complete our model of Carleton campus, one would be able to look at our campus from a variety of angles and views. Being able to do so enhances our learning experience.
Wow, that took three hours! I admire and salute to your dedication and effort. I do agree that modeling LEIGHTON can be extremely challenging due to its architectural nature. Still, I think that you have modeled a very accurate depiction of what LEIGHTON looks like. I also appreciate how you, to aid the understanding of the readers, have added additional link to the detailed procedure. Perhaps next time you can take and post multiple screenshots of the process for your model so that the readers can further comprehend the difficulty of this task.
Yes! It took a lot of time also because some of the photos of Leighton that I had were not very suitable for photo matching. Furthermore, I still do not feel completely comfortable with SketchUp. Because of that, I had to start a new several times.