Modeling a Law Office
Step 06
Modeling - Adding the Front Facade
Again we will use the Extrude Tool to add the front façade.
Switch to Face Selection Mode (CTRL + TAB-KEY > Face).
Switch to Front View (NUMPAD-1-KEY) then pan (ALT/OPT + Drag)
so that you can see the front face.
Select (RMB) the front face and extrude out 0.5 feet
(E-KEY > Y-KEY > enter “-0.5”).
Select the top face of the façade and extrude up b
(E-KEY > Z-KEY > enter “2”).
Note:
When extruding, pressing the E-Key sometimes also selects the axis of
constraint, in this case the Z-axis, so pressing the Z-KEY may not be
necessary. Indeed, it will remove the constraint.
Extrude up a second time 3 feet (E-KEY > Z-KEY > enter “3”).
We’ll now divide the top segment using the Loop Cut and Slide Tool and separate
the top two segments using the Split Tool.
In the Tool Shelf’s Tools Tab under Add Pane select the
Loop Cut and Slide Tool.
Place a horizontal loop cut in the top segment of the front façade by
positioning the mouse cursor then pressing the Enter-KEY twice to
set and confirm.
For now, delete the top face of the front facade, select (RMB) and
delete (X-KEY > Faces).
Select (RMB) the front face of top segment then select an adjacent
side face using the key combination SHIFT + ALT/OPT + RMB
(the Select Link Tool’s activation keys). The back face and the other
side face will also be selected, that is the entire loop of faces will be
selected, i.e. the entire loop of faces.
Press the Y-KEY (the Split Tool’s activation keys) to split off the top
segment.
Note that nothing appears to have happened. But if you drag the top
segment, e.g., G-KEY > Z-KEY > Drag, the top segment has been
split away from the remainder of the building.
Press CMD + Z-KEY to undo your last action and reposition the top
segment back on the top of the front façade.
Select (RMB) the front face of second from the top segment then
select an adjacent side face using the key combination
SHIFT + ALT/OPT + RMB to select the entire loop of faces will be
selected.
Press the Y-KEY to split off this segment of the facade.
With this segment still selected switch to Front View (NUMPAD-1-KEY).
In the Properties Panel’s Mesh Display Pane under Edge Info:, LMB the
Length Check Box. (This adds dimension indicators to selected edges
and faces.)
We will reshape the top two segments using the Select Linked Tool to select them,
and the Pivot Point Tool to set the pivot point, and the Extrude Tool to reshape
them.
If not still selected, select (L-KEY) (the Select Linked activation key) the
second from the top segment .
Scale on the X-axis inwards (S-KEY > X-KEY > Drag) to reduce the
length of this segment from 14 feet to 10 feet. Positioning the mouse
cursor away from the model before scaling gives finer control as does
holding down the SHIFT-KEY while dragging. (You can scale in to
approximately 10 feet then hold down the SHIFY-KEY to for finer control.)
LMB to confirm.
Note:
If the scaling does not occur about the center of the front, set the
Pivot Point to the Active Element by LMB clicking on the
Pivot Point Icon in the header and in the Popup Menu
selecting Active Element.
Deselect the segment (A-KEY).
Select the top segment (L-KEY).
Scale on the X-axis inwards (S-KEY > X-KEY > Drag) to reduce the length
of this segment from 14 feet to 6 feet.
LMB to confirm.
Switch to Edge Selection Mode (CTRL + TAB-KEY > Edge), select the
short edges and press the F-KEY to fill in the top faces of the front façade.
Press Save as (SHIFT + CMD + S-KEY).
Press the NUMPAD-PLUS-KEY to increment the file number by 1 to
LawOffice05.blend.
(If you accidentally press the key twice, you can incrementally subtract
from the file number by pressing the NUMPAD-MINUS-KEY.)
Press (LMB) Save as Blender File.
And there we have it. The modeling is complete.