Refining the blocking

Now that we have the foundations of our model, we will go into the details by adding more defined objects.

Adding instantiated objects

If we analyze the majority of the houses, we can see that they are mainly composed of repetitive shapes such as windows and doors.

So we will use the techniques that allow us to duplicate objects by instance. This means that if we change the geometry of the source object, all the duplicates will change too. As you may have understood, this is really useful in order to save time: for instance, with UVs. Now, perform the following set of steps:

1. Let's start with the low wall around the steps. We will add a cube that we will orient with the slope of the stairs.
2. We will add an edge loop in order to break the slope. Then we will add a thinner piece that recovers the slope. To do this, we will extrude the top faces and scale them appropriately on the same level, and we can redo an extrusion.
   
3. In order to mirror the other side of the low wall, we will center the pivot point of the stair object at its center (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C and select Origin to Geometry). Now we can safely add a mirror modifier with the stairs as the mirror object (refer to step 12 of the preceding screenshot).
4. Next, we will do the columns that will support the roof that covers the front of the terrace. We will need a 16-face cylinder that is 18 cm wide with a height of 2.8 m. In the last tool options in the left 3D view panel, we will choose the Nothing option under Cap Fill Type. We will then position it on the left-hand side of the stairs, and we will duplicate it as instances with the Duplicate Linked (Alt + D) function.
5. In the Object Mode, we will place our columns at the four corners of the terrace roof. In order to add some details to the columns, we will add some loop cuts (Ctrl + R) on the top of the roof and extrude the face loops along the normals (E + Alt + S) (refer to step 13 of the preceding screenshot).

   Note

   Duplicate Linked

   This tool allows you to duplicate your 3D model as instances. This means that when you do a modification in the Edit Mode on the source object, the transformations are applied to the other duplicated objects in real time. The UVs are also instantiated. However, when you manipulate the object in the Object Mode, the changes are not reflected in the other instances.

   In order to break the instantiation link, we can use the Make Single User menu (Call Menu (press U) | Object and Data).

   
6. We will now work on the bars that delimit the terrace. We will take a new cylinder, this time thinner with a radius of 5 cm and a height of 1.2 m. We will again remove the caps that are pointless here.
7. In order to duplicate our 3D object, we are going to use the Array modifier. We will use a relative offset of 3.100 on the x axis. We will take advantage of the replication of the array in order to improve the shape of the bars a little bit with some loop cuts and extrusions (refer to step 14 of the previous screenshot).
8. Since the bars are along a straight line, we will duplicate them with a normal duplicate (Shift + D) to place them on each side of the terrace. We will also need to adjust the number of bars to match the surface of the terrace.

   Note

   The Array modifier

   This modifier allows you to duplicate your 3D models with a customizable offset. You only need to choose the number of repeated objects that you need with the Count parameter and the distance of the offset (constant or relative) on any axis. You can also automatically merge your duplicated polygons with the Merge option.

   

   If you want to modify the geometry of a mesh, the array takes the object volume into account, so be careful. A transformation in the Edit Mode can change the offset.

9. We will complete this with ramps. The ramp is a simple cube scaled on the x axis to make it longer. We will duplicate the ramp as an instance (Alt + D) wherever needed, but remember that you need to duplicate with Shift + D if you want to do some changes in the geometry (refer to steps 15 and 16 in the previous screenshot).

The Duplicate Linked tool is very useful, but it is not very flexible when we only want to do a transform on certain objects.

1. Let's repeat the same technique to make a balcony railing on the top of the roof that covers the front of the terrace. We are going to change the shape of bars a little (refer to step 17 of the preceding screenshot).
2. We will also use an Array modifier to make the wall brackets that will support the different parts of the roof. We will use one Array modifier to make a pair and another to duplicate it with a good offset (refer to steps 18 and 19).
   
3. The same thing is done for the pikes on the roof that give a threatening look (refer to step 20 in the preceding screenshot).
   
4. The walls are a bit flat at the moment, so we are going to model a bay window with a particular shape (refer to step 21 in the preceding screenshot). We will start with a new cube (press Shift + A and select Mesh | Cube), and we will resize it on the x axis to form the base.
5. We duplicate it to make the top part and add an inset for the frames of the windows. When this is done, we will duplicate it as a new instance (Alt + D), and we will place it on both sides of the main block of the house.
   

It is also time to make a few conventional old-style windows. We will start with the windows on the front of the house (refer to step 22 in the previous screenshot). Let's start again from a cube:

1. We will delete the left side to use a Mirror modifier. From the front view, we will make the shape of the window with a few edge loops (Ctrl + R) and add an inset. From this model we will can make the frame and extract the shutters (refer to step 23 in the preceding screenshot).
2. We will create another window model for the roof. We will start its base with a flattened (S + Z) and beveled (B) cube. The central part is an extruded edge with an inset, and there is a little roof with a curved slope (refer to step 24 in the preceding screenshot).
3. Let's add a fireplace (refer to step 25 in the preceding screenshot). This is also fairly simple to model, starting from a cube that is extruded and scaled. It uses the same basic modeling techniques that we have previously covered.