Designing Houses

Hello there,

forgive this newbie question but i'm very interested in finding out how i can start to design houses, spacestations etc. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction for any manuals, help etc?

Thank-you for your time

I don't know if there are any manuals on designing homes in SL. I recommend that, if you have not already done so, take a few classes on building. New Citizens Inc (NCI) and Teazers Univ are two places that offer classes.

Learn about textures and how to apply them. Robin Sojouner has an awesome tutorial in-world on texturing. I don't have the landmark address in my head but, a quick search in places should get it for you. Places like Texture-R-Us have textures in-world.

Remember, everything you see inworld is a basic shape that has been textured and maybe modified with SL's building tools. Basic building is easy. To be really good requires knowledge and experience.

So, praqtice, practice, practice. My SL husband builds furniture and homes. He is always trying out some new idea. Sometimes they don't work, a lot of times they look beautiful. Go to a sandbox or on your own land and build things.

Welcome to SL

Jen

To clarify, do you want to learn how to design or do you want to learn how to build your designs?

To learn how to design at first.

I'd strongly recommend getting a prefabricated structure you might wish to emulate, preferably with "mod/copy/no-transfer" properties, and taking it apart.

See how it is made, how the pieces go together, &c - a lot of design issues are best taught via an example that is "hands on."

I'd recommend getting something in a modern style; that is usually simplest, cleanest and most understandable.

I'm sure you CAN learn to design houses, or clothes, or whatever else, but I think in general people already have an idea you'd like to implement, and need to learn to build. If you don't have an idea already, why do you want to do it? The prefab market isn't that great...

Graph paper and geometry are your best friends. Houses usually have pretty simple shapes, even if the design is complicated. Even that hollow octagonal hot tub can be calculated out on paper with prim coordinates.

IM me in-world if you want, too.

I suppose suggesting that you go through a several years of architecture school is out of the question.

There are few 'manuals' for building design actually. Similarly, there are few manuals to teach you what to paint, but millions that teach you how to paint.

Your best bet is the local architectural bookstore or library. Just take a while and browse through the works by different architects through different eras and identify what you actually like and inspire you. If its space stations you're after, then go for it.

Following that, you learn by mimicry.

Do you happen to have some modern style prefab structures for sale for Darren, Desmond?

Attention to detail
Attention to detail
Photoshop
Attention to detail
A digital camera
Attention to detail
Spacial awareness
Enough money to upload a fuck load of textures
Attention to detail
More money to upload textures that are slightly wrong and so never get used
Attention to detail

and attention to detail. Good luck.

EDIT: also, a prefab, wouldnt that defeat the purpose of.. building.. a house?