Torii Gates Modelling Process

 Torii Gates

(Based on reference images of Itsukushima shrine)

This is a faithful recreation of the Itsukushima shrine with very little deviation from the source pictures – My goal in this model is to stay as true to the original structure with only slight deviation.

Started with the main structure – Itsukushima shrine does not just have clean cut planks, so I tried to make a more organic shape to replicate it

I then made the extra supports as a straight cylinder and added a box on top. I used the extrude tool to create the overhanging top, then used multi-cut to create edge loops. Selecting the edge loop using “edge” from the right click menu I shaped the box with a pagoda design. This may be the one area I differ from the source material as Itsukushima’s supports have a flatter top whereas I put a more concave curve onto mine

When I was finished making one support I lined it up with the main structure, added a bar to connect it (used extrude to show there was an overhanging plank on that bar) and copied and pasted it to the other side by changing the Z axis value to a minus of the previous, thus ensuring they are equidistant.

I used the same method again on the entire model so far. Line it up one side of the grid at the bottom, copied and pasted everything (I tried using the mirror function but this worked out better for me on this occasion) and put a minus in the X axis. I copied the connecting bar from the supports, widened it and used it to connect the two main structures together. (I could have cut a hole and used the bridge tool, but it was simpler to use work that was already done.

The structure moves upwards with simple boxes that I extended and added 4 edge loops to. I selected the vertex points of the edge loops 2 at a time (dragging a box to select the front and back vertex) from the side view (accessed by pressing the space bar) and using the move tool (accessed using hotkey “w”) I used the red box to move the vertex on the Y and X path only.

Moving on to the roof – which was possibly the hardest part. I started with box primitives, elongated them, added cuts down the centre, length and width. Using vertex points I created the initial V shape, I used extrude to create the lip in the centre. The hard part was using a non-linear deformer, the bend tool, to curve the length of the object first. I deleted the object history and used the bend tool a second dime to bend the width as well. I still ended up making minor adjustments by selecting vertex points on opposing sides of the object (to keep things symmetrical) until I was happy with it

I have found that substance painter is more difficult to work on than Maya, in part due to the fact that I was never any good at painting and always made black and white artworks. Also in part due to the fact that for substance painter to work well you must first do well in Maya.

I started by creating a folder and a base layer - in this case I wanted wood on the underneath. It became apparent that if I just added wood over the entire model that the grain would only run one way, where I wanted it to run either horizontally or vertically dependant on the piece.

So I created separate folders for each and added black masks to section them off separately.

Later realising I didn’t want the main supports to be wood at all, I wanted them to be concrete, so I put these into their own folder as well

Within each folder I used fill layers to create the texture I wanted,

Then on top of that I added a fill layer for the paint, altering the roughness where I saw fit.

At the end I added a paint layer and added in dirt, I know this can also be done with a fill layer

For most of the black mask I used polygon fill on the model first, then I selected the bits I missed off using polygon fill on the UV’s

For the dirt I simply painted directly onto the model using the brush

Doing things the way I did gave me exactly what I was looking for, even from a distance you can tell that the materials are different between the main structure and the supports due to the slight discolouration on the white concrete against the dark wood

I decided I wanted to incorporate my new logo into the model when I saw a blank space on the plaque, initially I was going to stamp a gold icon onto a matt black plaque.

I imported my logo into the shelf and used it as an alpha to stamp onto the plaque

The most difficult part for me was getting the degradation right, finding a way to make the copper top look old was difficult for may reasons.

I needed to find the right aged copper colour, the right patina, it needed to look like birds would rest on top of the gates and like rain had affected the metal. 

I tried many things but ended up turning the part blue, dulling it down with he roughness slider and painting the white drips on by hand because I could find a good grunge fill.