Thread: October Entry: temple transformation

This is looking really beautiful. I love the tiles you've chosen surrounding the central mosaic. I'm a bit confused about the large blue borders though, I'm not sure if they are meant to represent tiles or internal walls. If tiles, then you might just want to pop in some grouting.

Originally Posted by ravells

This is looking really beautiful. I love the tiles you've chosen surrounding the central mosaic. I'm a bit confused about the large blue borders though, I'm not sure if they are meant to represent tiles or internal walls. If tiles, then you might just want to pop in some grouting.

The blue borders are supposed to tiles to frame things - not inner walls. I thought about the grouting as I was doing this. I thought nobody would catch that, of course Ravs proves me wrong again!

I will have to adding the grouting in the blue frame tiles.

On an aside, I just had a long arguement with a fellow gamer over where the pulpet should be. I kept insisting that my monastery was not a Christian structure and to not confuse the expectations of the exterior to be what that kind of church looks like from the inside.

(I will label elevations on map as well) The inner sanctum, where the central mosaic is located is on the same elevation level as the "choir" and "vestries", which is raised higher than the entry door outer hallways probably about 6 ft.

Since this is a monastic temple originally for a nature/pastoral goddess, there are both male and female clergy-monks. Males enter in one of the side doors, females, the opposite. High Priest and Priestess enter through the top door (west door)

From the steps outside, one enters the door into the outer hallway. Then heading to the "dawn side" which holds the choir structures. One vestry serves as the male santifying chamber, the other the female sanctifying (haven't decided which, though I'll add mosaic icons to indicate which side is which) before entering the central "dawn chamber".

All monastic participants wait in the "dawn chamber" (choir area), first the High Priest and Priestess enter the inner sanctum where they stand on the central mosaic facing the statues on the (west or top) wall. The high clergy always face the statuary on the altar and never any audience. They speak with the goddess not with other mortals in the church.

On the north and south wall niches of the inner sanctum are steps that serve small choirs men on one side, etc.

A gallery level exists above the inner sanctum where the relics, vestments, holy scrolls and religious tomes are kept. This area is used to copy books and documents (as monks in many religions do). The gallery is only on 3 walls, as it does not exist over the altar platform.

The inner sanctum is surrounded on three sides by walls with only entry through dawn side entrance.

Most St. Bes rituals occur at dawn.

Long night gaming, slept in too long, so I didn't get lots done with the monastery. I did add grout to the blue tile, though I'm not really happy with the way the blue tile turned out - I may "nix" it altogether.

I added a few more shadows as well as windowed walls on the apses and the "dawn chamber". I got a couple statues done, both upright and broken. I'm working on the various 3D objects and the roof at this time - still in progress (rendering time.)

I really liked the stained-glass light hitting the floor of NeonKnight's monastery, but I'm not going to include stain-glass. Technically, I can't see any stain-glass in the monastery photo - although it may be just to dark to view.

Because "dawn" and "holy sunlight" is so integral to the ritual worship of St. Bes, the idea of placing colored glass between the holy light of the sun and the confines of the monastery is tantamount to sacraledge. Thus no stain-glass is used, at least not in this temple.


WIP so far...

Bonus Mini Tutorial: How did I make those cool Broken Statues?

Image 1: I imported a royalty-free gravestone angel photo into Xara Xtreme.

Image 2: Drew a freehand line extending from beyond top of photo down the rightside contour of the angel against the background, drawing to bottom. I selected - Arrange/Combine/Slice. Then moved the slice to show you.

Image 3: Drew a freehand line down the leftside (here you see the line).

Image 4: Completely sliced free from the background, I need to decide how to break the statue up.

Image 5: The head always seems to break-off, so here's my first line to slice.

Image 6: Nudged the head section away to show the break.

Image 7: Then I sliced my way along down the statue, with a couple side pieces, added a slight bevel, then a drop shadow (needs tweaked I see...) for final image.

Then start using it right from within Xara Xtreme to create your map, or export it to transparent PNG format and import to your favorite map-making application. That's it!

Last one before I go to bed.

I created the roof structures, though I might add a different roof texture. I altered the shadows and added a couple windows in the shadows. There was a strange artifact in the upright statues - I think a "mis-dropped shadow" so I eliminated the graphic shadow from the statue.

I still need to add the upper walls and windows in the "choir dawn chamber", a couple of tables, shelves and the detail objects around the mosaic in progress. I need to add paths at end of outside stairs, a few small trees and grounds detail. Otherwise this floor is done.

I threw in the building shadow for final effect.

WIP:

In any artwork, you have to decide when to stop putting in detail and you're done. I decided, I'm complete with level one!

I changed the roof structures to have a more weathered texture, I added the "Dawn Luminary Chamber" upper walls and windows. I added windows throughout. I placed a holy water bathing basin in each "Sanctifying Apse". I added shadows behind the upright statues.

Despite it looking cool in the last WIP, I removed the grass and building shadow from the final level one map - it seemed distracting from the floor itself, even overwhelming.

After I complete all the levels, I will create a map of the monastery grounds at scale of 1 inch (square) = 20 feet. Then I will create an area map, showing terrain surrounding monastery grounds.

I added all labeling, scale, quickee compass rose (I'll probably replace before final day), and the grid. @ 1 square = 1 inch and 1 inch = 5 feet, the map now measures 43 x 48 inches!

WIP on completed level one: - Whoops the compass rose is upsidedown!!! Duh!

Small Critique, the Apses would look like they are actually Vestries, especially if they were used for the sanctifying of the priests/priestess before a ceremony. Technically, the Apse would be where you have the Dawn Illuminary Chamber.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodo...%28building%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestry

Originally Posted by NeonKnight

Small Critique, the Apses would look like they are actually Vestries, especially if they were used for the sanctifying of the priests/priestess before a ceremony. Technically, the Apse would be where you have the Dawn Illuminary Chamber.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodo...%28building%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestry

Doh! You are absolutely right! I must be exhausted - its past midnight again.

Thank you very much, NeonKnight! I will rename those from "Apse" to "Vestry"

You do realize, that the inside of THIS monastic temple, doesn't look like an eastern orthodox cathedral. I changed the architecture to do something different, yet still maintain "accuracy" to the outside structure. In other words it could have been built this way.

Anyway, thanks again - I will change it sometime tomorr... er... today!

Oh and let me add, that I love CC3, I am still very much a newbie though. I just received DD3 and the CD version of the Ultimate Tome (I know its CC2), but still very helpful.

I see Profantasy map-making software as far more practical than what I am using - its just you have to be proficient to make it work for you. Since I'm more the artist, I like to try different, even bizarre experiments and sometimes require a tool like Xara Xtreme to accomplish.

I very much admire your work, and hope that I will be as good someday.

This map, I'm making is a different kind of animal altogether.

If I was more proficient with CC3/DD3 I would probably be doing this challenge with those applications instead. (Despite the results so far...)

No probs. Just figured, might as well make terminology correct though I have been known to be wrong in the past as well