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hi guys, novice question

im modelling a skyscraper and the glazing is one large skin thats separated by floor plates, hence the effect of glazing between floors... my question is.. currently the glazing is one large skin that has no thickness. will this pose any major problems once in maxwell as the glass will obviously have some degree of transparency..

thanks in advance for the answers

A I

True glass (along with any true Dielectric or SSS material) requires a real world thickness to be modeled for accurate effects -- however AGS can work with single poly setups.

Best,
Jason.

thanks for the response jason,

must it be a solid object of just 2 panes in the same group 30mm from each other?

also, can i pm you some rendered images i had done after our last conversation.. just interested in your thoughts..

As far as I know they can be in as many or as few groups/components as you like -- all that matters is that the glazing geometry itself is modeled to real world specifications (as much as possible) as a solid/enclosed object (making it a SketchUp "solid" as a starting point is a good idea, but not entirely necessary).

I suppose it's worth saying that using real glass for Architectural work is not advised and single poly AGS is generally the more suitable choice.

Feel free to PM me anytime.

Best,
Jason.

Just remember, this is a drawing, not a realistic light study. So if it looks correct, it IS correct.

For hi-rise glazing, I've used large single planes, and then created my own glass using the AGS wizard. I believe most glass in those curtain wall systems is probably 70% reflective from the exterior, and remember to use a bump map so the reflections are not computer crisp.

Just to mention, you can put nice large-scale waviness into glass (or AGS) using a good normal map, too.

These are all valid and great points!

Also, remember that if is glass is reflective at all, just as important as the material
It self, is whats around the building.... Nice sky? Surrounding buildings? landscape? Whether the surrounding elements are modeled, on an image placed in the model or an HDR channel is up to you!

And if the glass Is transparent, you may have to address the inside to some degree!