In 2015-16, I worked as the main 3D modeller for Tony Owen Partners. Presented here is a small selection of the projects that I worked on. The company follows an autocratic command structure, where all conceptual development and key planning decisions are made personally and exclusively by Tony. Other DA staff in the design team draft in AutoCAD and deal with the technicalities of running a project, but do not usually make their own 3D models

This office uses AutoCAD for DA development by project architects. DWG files are often ridiculously heavy and slow for Rhino to process. They also carry the legacy junk data of design changes, unpurged objects, hidden objects and dynamic blocks. If we were to model them literally, it would look like the image above. While it is possible to make a copy of the DWG and attempt to clean it natively, this is often inadequate and means that the more recent files cannot be directly linked as references in Rhino. This problem would not occur if more modern software was used instead. Cleaning these messy files enough to make them useful is the most time consuming part of 3D modelling.

Once the plans are cleaned, they can be imported into Rhino. As they were usually composed of single lines on varying layers, it is often simplest to just trace, rather than attempt to join and relayer the lines. Finally, we have something usable for 3D modelling. The polylines can be automatically converted into 3D geometry via a python script which I wrote in my spare time. This allows for each level to be surgically altered separately as a block with consistent parameters, and optional additional detail such as window frames to be programmed into the production without the need for manual modelling. The next stage involved a feedback loop of interpreting Tony’s sketches into 3D facade elements, and printing screenshots until he was satisfied and the file could be exported to others for rendering in 3D Studio Max and visualisation in Photoshop.