inset section of wall

[Lighthouse]

Hi,

I would like to inset a band of windows, so they are recessed into the wall about 3".  This horizontal window band would also include sections of wall between the windows.  I would have a 2x4 wall that was padded out to 2x8 above and below the windows.  I can't figure out how to model this.  When I try a material region I can only recess the area about 1".  A pony wall allows an upper wall and lower wall, but that is only two wall planes, and I need three:  1) lower  2) windows  3) upper.  Please see attached sketch.  Any ideas much appreciated.

[Joe_Carrick]

You could use a special wall type with a main layer that is thinner and "Recess to Main Layer".  

[Lighthouse]

10 minutes ago, Joe_Carrick said:

You could use a special wall type with a main layer that is thinner and "Recess to Main Layer".  

that's a great idea, thanks.  I think the only problem is that it will recess the windows, but what about the sections of wall between the windows that I also want to recess?  I'm assuming that when you say "recess to main layer" you are referring to the window dbx?  Maybe there is some way I could make a special window that looks like a wall, for the sections in between the windows

[Lighthouse]

I tried your idea, and made the middle window into a wall by eliminating the frame and changing the glass to a color.  Then I put a PS around the whole thing, and put a hole in the PS, to make a frame that extended out to the face of the siding.  Thanks for the idea!

[rlackore]

You could adjust the window frame depth and inset, then use a wall niche applied to the exterior side of the wall:

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, rlackore said:

You could adjust the window frame depth and inset, then use a wall niche applied to the exterior side of the wall:

Thanks Rick, I didn't even know about wall niches- that's perfect!

[Lighthouse]

here's the final result.  painful, but I can post the method if anyone is interested

[Lighthouse]

hmmm, my son actually suggested that but I didn't think it would work because I would be creating another floor at 7' above the floor, where my ceiling height is 9'.  So would I create a new floor that was 2' tall and define it as "open below"?.  That seemed like it would create all kinds of other problems, no?  My "solution" was to create windows in the non-window inset wall sections, then cover them with PS.  The difficulty was expanding the fake windows into the corners and against the other windows so that little wall sections were not generated between the windows.  I found that you can control/drag a window to overlap another one, but you can control/expand the window to do that.  Where I had a fake window between two real windows, I could only drag one way or the other.  I was able to specify a wider width in the dbx, and then drag it where I wanted.  I'm sure that explanation made no sense, and I'm equally sure no one else wants to do this :-)