Exterior Finish Options

[OTDesigner]

My clients often want rendered images of the same house with various options for the EXTERIOR (white siding vs. blue, black window trim vs. white).  Is there a way to create a template with walls/windows/corner trim on different layers so that I could "turn on" option 1, then switch to option 2.  I've been saving as alternate plans but would like to try to simplify my workflow (if possible), so that when structural changes are made to the home, it will change each plan.  

 

There is no style palette option for the exterior, correct? 

 

 

[joey_martin]

Not really. Multiple walls can't exist in the same location.

 

Will STLYE PALLETS help with exterior colors?

[ValleyGuy]

On 2/21/2024 at 12:06 PM, OTDesigner said:

My clients often want rendered images of the same house with various options for the EXTERIOR (white siding vs. blue, black window trim vs. white).  Is there a way to create a template with walls/windows/corner trim on different layers so that I could "turn on" option 1, then switch to option 2.  I've been saving as alternate plans but would like to try to simplify my workflow (if possible), so that when structural changes are made to the home, it will change each plan.  

 

There is no style palette option for the exterior, correct? 

 

 

You have the right idea, just use a copied layerset in the one plan. I've messed around with it a little bit. It isn't bullet proof, but it gets the idea across with two looks in the same plan (I haven't pushed my luck with three views...).

Make a copy of a layerset with additional copied lines for the windows and doors, corner boards, and roof (copy each existing line so they will show up in your different camera views). Copy and paste in same position an item that you want to change, then immediately change the defaults and layer of the duplicate item. Simply keep track what you want showing on each layerset. To change the siding, I used wall material region with the same thickness of siding and put it to the appropriate layerset. When you use an existing saved plan view or take a camera view, you have the live active features and just need to choose your layerset to switch back and forth.

There are some draw backs like soffit showing on one but not the other, some windows aren't exactly all black. Needing to turn off the gutters and ridge caps as they will conflict each other is something you'll just have to play around with to clean it up (at all costs, try and not duplicate the roof as it is the biggest pain). Use 3D solids (...good for missing soffits) as work arounds. It is always a better practice to either finalize the structure or finalize the colour scheme so you don't end up having components that are duplicated getting out of sync if you decide to make structural changes. I would encourage the colour selection to be early on so you can then eliminate the duplicate that isn't needed and minimize computer chaos and excess time chasing all the loose ends.

 

If this is a little too much maintenance and fooling around, I have also made a customer specific folder with the exact siding, window colour, corner colour, soffit, fascia, roof material. Use the appropriate paint / material roller to quickly change the house features. This has been less work and a lot less risky in not removing a duplicate or replacing something turned off when doing x-sections afterwards. Everyone that needed this made a decision almost immediately upon seeing it so sometimes spending too much time isn't worth it.

 

Hope this helps,

Shayne

 

 

[VHampton]

Alternatively, the initial house design can be made into a symbol.

 

Import the "symbol" house back into the primary plan, but for use in demonstrating texture and color changes only. 

 

So in sum... it's conceivable to create a streetscape with 3 or 4 or 5 identical house in a row.

 

Then switch them up as necessary.   

 

Example...

Model 1: Siding Type A w/ Trim Type A 

Model 2:  Siding Type B w/ Trim Type B

Model 3:  Siding Type C w/ Trim Type C

etc. etc... 

 

The important thing would be to create a new name for the siding and trim on each house "symbol". This way, a material change for siding won't result in a universal change across the board with each model.  Most importantly, the original structure wont be changed.