I am working on modeling the Al Khazneh, the best known building at Petra. So far I have finished a low detail reference model. I did this first to make sure I get all the dimensions and placements correct. My next step is to do the column heads in full detail, which is in the corinthian style.
Here are a couple of quick renders of the reference model I made. Some of this may make it in to the final model, but most will not.
I watched a documentary of this place today, the proportions look great.
Your reference model looks good, esaari1! As soon as I saw it, I thought, “It’s the building from Indiana Jones!”. Then I had to Google it to check.
I’m looking forward to seeing your progress!
The block out is looking good so far. A nice project. I’m going to watch this.
Started working on the columns. After more failed attempts than I can count, I finally got a design for the column leaves that I like. Here is a render.
I have finished the overall design of the column capital. I deviated a lot from the actual design at petra, mostly just because I felt like experimenting with different ideas. All comments and feedback welcome. I feel like I may need to add some sort of detail to the central cylinder at some point.
I love the details on the columns ! Keep it up !
That column capital is gorgeous.
The column capital looks good and very detailed. But I think the edges are too sharp. They carved everything in one piece out of the rock and that is sandstone, I think. Even a very good mason wouldn’t be able to cut such sharp edges into the stone.
Got away from this while doing an entry for the current blenderguru contest. But here is a render of the molding detail around the lower frieze.
minoribus - good point about the edges. I will look into softening those up.
Here is a render of the detail work I have done so far with the reference model. The detail is on the two roof sections.
I have been struggling for a while now on how to do the triangular roof sections on the top level. The shape is more complex than I originally thought. With new reference photos I see it is actually 2 triangles at a 90 degree angel from each other. A base model looks like this.
I am having troubles working out a way to model the details in this part.
I wouldn’t have thought that they are of this shape, but now that you say it, I see it in the images also and I understand that this will be a problem. But perhaps you can split them into two part and model the bottom pedestal as a separate mesh. After that you could extrude the top plane of your non regular prism. I guess that you will need different transform orientations to extrude it along a certain axis.
minoribus - I was thinking along those lines. I was hoping to be able to copy the detail molding from the other section and line it up for this part. But since the two sides of the prism are not of equal lengths, they have different angles and things do not line up properly with this technique. I am tempted to just forget about this and have the triangle in the front and then extend everything straight back like I did in the reference model. Won’t be as accurate but should still look good and be a whole lot easier to do.
This assembly of the different parts looks good and it gives a good impression of the whole structure. I feel your thread really should get some more attention, because it’s a nice work of archviz you are doing here 
Some more done. I now have all the columns in place and the basic walls in place as well. Starting the work on the central door.
Lovely details! I’m sure it’s going to be a fine piece of art when it’s finished!
Yes, lovely. Can’t wait to see this textured.
