Guild of Writers

"...our galleries will be more-or-less permanent displays and so we can afford to do like Kadish and shape the galleries to fit the mood and theme of the art."
....................................................

That is a big decision; its not at all as simple as it may seem.

In general , this is the same decision that Aloys made for Ahra Pahts. It may seem a strange comparison, but they are of the same type. As a contrary example, the German city plan of Karlsruhe, by the Margrave, Karl Wilhelm, was set up to be a structure which controls everything that is put into it:



He used the concept of a wheel, with his palace (the Schloss) at its hub. The purpose of the hub was to control all the parts, but you can see what has happened over time: The way of the world has been eating away at the wheel (from the South), so that only half a wheel is left.

Ahura Pahts is really a pie shape cut out of the wheel too, yet it is set up to allow considerable freedom of individuals on the interior. And while Aloys wisely allows no hub, i suspect he feels that his design is still too constricting because it effectively prohibits orthographic projects.

Unhappily, that is the great problem with all round shapes: They want to dominate. A collection of square shapes is much more friendly to individual additions. Typologically, it is like stacking building blocks versus stacking bowling balls.

The nature of the sphere is inward looking – focused upon itself. It cannot change that. Pure egotism. But while the block MAY be only inward looking (the courthouse in the middle of the city square) it may just as easily be outgoing (a variable collection of blocks surrounding the city square). The latter condition depends upon the intentions of the designers. The cube has the choice of being isolative, or additive.

So, my feeling is that you designers of ERC could not do better than to make two decisions now:

Recognizing Jennifer's description above:
1) Choose an orthographic (not organic) shape to enclose the First Phase of your museum (her suggestion already);
and
2) Allow this container to be the pot for making a stew – that is, to be the receptacle for a considerable variety of smaller shapes within its confines.

The First Phase must be decided now, but within limits, the additions inside it may be individually done. This way, many people could have their own preferences; they could exercise their talents and their imaginations; they could explore and tear down; they may rebuild as their ideas grow.

But this also leaves room for unhappy neighbors. It is possible for one designer to put up the awful banana which tries to eat the museum. Perhaps, you deal with this if it happens. I point this out now to show how this type of planning requires everyone to exercise a great deal of responsibility.

Rather than simply plopping down 'what I feel like doing', each person's personal area would best be designed with great concern for what is surrounding them. Rather than trying to be different, this type of design requires that each person try to be conciliatory and responsive to their neighbors within the museum.

This is a special type of design. It is called Contextualism. And i promise, that rather than being restrictive, in the end it still allows all sorts of great freedoms to emerge. In fact, i have found that the more restrictions a Contextual designer recognizes, the better their design becomes.

Truly.

Enough. I see i have fallen into another sermon. But ah me. The situation does seem to call for it. Those who care to read through this, carefully, will be the ones who may benefit by these notions.

PS: No Ruvinka: Don't retire your pencil.

Anyways, enough about me... Here is the color test that I did, keep in mind I only make these things for me to read.

Hm, it does look pretty good to me.

Here is the deal, My ideas tend to boarder on the insane... I've come up with my own projects and to be fair most of the Blender Benders that I get to help me kinda loose their minds because the ideas are either tricky or so far outside what they know they cant figure out how to make it reality. What I think that means for you guys is to take my ideas with a big grain of salt and a bit of caution.

Ah, excellent--now I won't feel like such a weirdo anymore! So you like the awe-inspiring stuff, eh? I do too; I'm wondering where we could provide a feeling of awe now...Maybe at the edge of the cliff below the museum, where the waterfall goes down? It might work if the view was expansive and the waterfall was adequately large; we'd need to hide the downward view from the players, and then reveal it all at once in one big vista. Another spot we might try for awe with could be the entranceway into the museum. Things to think about. Well, what does everyone think? Is ABguy's general design a keeper or shall we keep looking?

But this also leaves room for unhappy neighbors. It is possible for one designer to put up the awful banana which tries to eat the museum. Perhaps, you deal with this if it happens. I point this out now to show how this type of planning requires everyone to exercise a great deal of responsibility.

Rather than simply plopping down 'what I feel like doing', each person's personal area would best be designed with great concern for what is surrounding them. Rather than trying to be different, this type of design requires that each person try to be conciliatory and responsive to their neighbors within the museum.

I don't think it's really possible to give people people the option of arranging their own galleries within the museum; first, most of the galleries will probably share art from more than one person, and second, since most of the submitting artists probably won't know much about 3D modeling, they would lack the skill to arrange and light their own work. On the other hand, if we take care of the arrangement of the pieces, we can prevent the awful banana scenario and create an overall harmory between the many compositions. If 3D modelers want to give making their own gallery a shot though, they certainly could...it would have to fit in with the rest of the museum's design philosophy, of course.

Recognizing Jennifer's description above:
1) Choose an orthographic (not organic) shape to enclose the First Phase of your museum (her suggestion already);
and
2) Allow this container to be the pot for making a stew – that is, to be the receptacle for a considerable variety of smaller shapes within its confines.

Agreed--the inner spiral staircase needn't necessarily be surround with identical roughly pie-wedge shaped rooms. Variety being the spice of life, it would be nice to have a selection of long rooms, tall rooms, big rooms, small rooms, and I sound like Dr. Seuss.

By the way, remember the phases we were going to release the ERC Age in, so that we can have produce something solid to show to the public within the timeframe of a few months? Well, the first phase (not set in stone!) was to release a section of the outdoor gardens and the exterior of the ERC (no interior yet). Tell me, does the picture below look like an acceptable general layout for the first phase release? The upper and lower cliffs define the top and bottom boundaries of the explorable space, while the creeks/rivers to the right and left define the left and right boundaries. These boundaries can be easily crossed by bridges or ladders during later phases, as desired. The big purple square is the ERC; the pavilion isn't shown as I thought that it would be most enjoyable if it felt isolated. This could probably be achieved the best mainly by moving it further away from the influence of the main building and into the shielding woods. Which of course would mean releasing it in the next phase. /shrug Anything that should be added to the first phase? Subtracted?


And finally...

and take a look at Jenifer's panorama with the red/green blend in mind.

Let's not forget that red and green weren't the only color schemes suggested. There was also the dreamlike green and purple scheme, and a variety of others that were mainly in text. We'll include them all in the color vote...

I want to maintain as much of the original posters intent and idea in the work I do... The Cone is something that can be changed to fit the need. The idea that a building can be art is nothing new. Combining form and function I think fits nicely into the D'ni lifestyle... and the ERC can certainly take advantage of that right? So I can work a little more on the Cone bringing it closer to the original design and maintaining it as a nursery and also bringing it some very interesting design.

Once again I've got to warn you, I can come up with great stuff sure... but the bottom line is can it be made into 3D graphics enviroment. I can't be sure. The truth is that its been so long since I've worked with that side of things that Im a little rusty. Plus Im very distant to what would be easy and what would be hard for a modeler to do.

Just think of my contributions as a blue print, and as others come and go they can add or flourish as they please. Its all about good ideas and great skills. Hopefully we'll get some modelers who are up for a challenge

I think we should release the outside gardens and the outside of the ERC first
(with ABGuy's tornado )
Second could be the inner spiral stair that winds around Monkeyboy's initial concept of the cone greenhouse. I think it would make a really elegant entry to the ERC and give us a place to hold fancy parties and stuff.

Okay, agreed then--the interior can be "Phase II." Hehe, we sound like the DRC now.

I like the lanscape plan just fine Jennifer. It gives us some nice areas to stylize.
Maybe the little island in the river could be where we put the pavillion...wouldn't
that be romantic?

It would, actually...and now that I think about it, the animated textures on the river would certainly give people something to stare at while sitting in the pavilion. The only problem is that you can't see the scenic view from that far inland. What if we move the island downstream, closer to the precipice? Hm...then it would actually me of Waterfall City from the Dinotopia series, a bit. (Except not nearly as impressive.) I think Cyan should hire James Gurney for their design team...

Show Spoiler

I love the cone outside... but it's not quite the greenhouse Monkeyboy intended SO
I was thinking that ABGuy's tornado shaped cone could be our first piece of outdoor
art! Let ABGuy have free reign with it and really shape it to his imagination.

Agreed on this too; I think I like the tornado cone outdoors better than I would like it indoors--it seems like an energetic piece! ABguy, would you like to make a larger, more detailed drawing of the cone/tornado for outdoors? I guess it would have to be black and white for now, but soon you ought to be able to color it in.

Once again I've got to warn you, I can come up with great stuff sure... but the bottom line is can it be made into 3D graphics enviroment. I can't be sure. The truth is that its been so long since I've worked with that side of things that Im a little rusty. Plus Im very distant to what would be easy and what would be hard for a modeler to do.

And I wouldn't worry about this, really. If something is impossible, so be it, but whether it's easy or hard to model shouldn't be an issue. One of the main reasons we have concept art at all is to prevent modelers from choosing the easy (and perhaps less pretty) way of making something.

I want to maintain as much of the original posters intent and idea in the work I do... The Cone is something that can be changed to fit the need. The idea that a building can be art is nothing new. Combining form and function I think fits nicely into the D'ni lifestyle... and the ERC can certainly take advantage of that right?

I want to maintain as much of the original posters intent and idea in the work I do... The Cone is something that can be changed to fit the need. The idea that a building can be art is nothing new. Combining form and function I think fits nicely into the D'ni lifestyle... and the ERC can certainly take advantage of that right?

Sure can; combining form (beautiful form) and function is definitely a very "Myst" thing to do. I'm finding myself wondering how your cone design could be a puzzle!

Just think of my contributions as a blue print, and as others come and go they can add or flourish as they please. Its all about good ideas and great skills. Hopefully we'll get some modelers who are up for a challenge

That's the spirit! It isn't about one person's individual work, it's about the Whole fitting together and looking its best. As for the modelers, we've got me and Tinuviel (and pappou too, if he wants... ). I just some free time to do it in; I'm so bogged down with schoolwork that about all I have time for is to respond to posts.

Yeah I just wrote an eight page paper on Gender Identity Disorder. SO I completely understand how someone could get bogged down with school right now.

I actually already have a detailed sketch that is painted for the Cone/Tornado whatever you want to call it. I guess I wouldn't call it terribly detailed given that I've been really busy and I just am about to finish my classes tonight so... I intend to come home FTP the image and post it... but its more likely that Im going to come home and drop to the ground to fall asleep. Because Im a bit tired.

In either case I should have something for you by tomarrow... The image that I did create is just an idea to try to make the image easier to model and still look pretty cool... I also made the Cone smaller because someone said my first one was a bit to big. Anyways... I will get to it when I get to it

Show Spoiler

Like Emeril says... Bam!

Very impressive indeed! I would love to see this water sculpture in real life. Your drawing is so expressive I can almost hear the roar of the falling water.

That's a nice lookin' tornado! I'll be back later tonight and I'll try to comment if it's not too far past my bedtime.