Usage
Building tools provides a set of tools which allow users to progressively add details to building models. The tools are arranged from top
to bottom with the bottom-most tools adding higher amounts of detail and also being more destructive.
The tools layout as of version 1.0.5 is:
Notice how some tools are greyed out from the image above. This is usually an indicator that the current blender context is incorrect.
Tools work in either Object Mode or Edit Mode with most tools working in Edit Mode. In particular, only the Create Floorplan tool works
in Object Mode as of version 1.0.5.
After switching to Edit Mode, we can see that the other tools are now active.
Tools that work in Edit Mode also usually require some type of selection context. For example, the window tool requires a selection of one or more faces on which to build the windows. Details on the appropriate selection context for each tool will be provided in the corresponding tool wiki.
All tools have been designed to integrate nicely within blender. They behave in a similar fashion to other internal tools you may find in Blender. This means for instance that when using tools, you should expect to access properties for the active tool at the bottom left panel.
Properties have descriptive names and if in doubt, hovering over a property provides a lengthier description of what it does.
Some properties are used across multiple tools for general operations such as positioning, sizing, arraying etc. You can expect to find
the Size and Offset properties on a majority of the tools.
Building tools also provides a way for users to quickly add materials to building objects/sections. The material tools are located on a separate panel just below the building tools.
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The panel becomes active when at least one floor of a building has been created. There are three main sections in this panel. Face maps are groups of faces that could have the same material. Face maps provide a quick way to group faces in anticipation for adding materials and textures. Users are free to add/remove face maps with the The UV mapping section provides quick basic options for whether the addon should perform automatic UV mapping and which method should be used. The This section provides the user with options to set the material for the active face map. In the image, clicking on the |
Building Tools is designed to augment a user's workflow by reducing monotonous tasks. This means that users are encouraged to pursue their own creative freedom when using the tools. Few constraints have been placed on how and when to use the tools. It is completely possible to use only the window tool in a project if that is the part of your workflow you need help with. Some other tips include:-
- You can make your own floorplans. Just make sure they are flat and filled with faces.
- You can perform normal editing operations like extruding and beveling when using the tools.
- You are free to pick and use the tool(s) you need and not worry about all the rest.
For more details consult the tool wikis below: