Window Generator Add-On

markkingsnorth writes:

My latest add-on will create many windows at once onto the faces of a mesh. It is available on Blender Market here.

Background: Years ago, I had a very hard time modelling window patterns onto models like this one:

The user wanted more and more windows added to the 3D model, and each time I found myself painstakingly adding each one in a random pattern onto the faces. This took up many hours and days of my time, far more than modelling the overall model itself. After this painful experience, I thought there surely must be a better way. So when using Blender, I decided to create an add-on that would do the job for me.

A video tutorial is available here:

The add-on has applications beyond just modelling spaceships, and would also apply when needing to quickly model many windows onto architectural buildings.

Features:

• Select faces and then add a configurable pattern of windows, where the amount of coverage and randomness can be controlled.
• Control how many windows are mapped across each face and how many are mapped down them.
• The width and height of the windows can be changed.
• Different window styles can be created by adding corner bevels, and outer bevels can be added to make the window edges smooth.
• Option to disable top or bottom bevels to create different effects.
• Ability to assign a material to the newly created windows by specifying a material slot id.
• Also assign a lights-off material to give the impression that some window lights are switched off.
• Introduce further variations by adding a random "jitter" to the width and height of each window.
• Option to perform edge split operations to create a quicker clean look.
• The process automatically creates uv seams to aid in uv mapping for textures.
• Faces are mapped from the top-to-bottom of a face by default, but the orientation can be changed to either left-right or front-back.
• Additional refinement options that will attempt to remove unwanted edges or vertices from the created window patterns.

If you have a new feature suggestion or feedback on the add-on feel free to contact me through Blender Market, www.markkingsnorth.com, or on Twitter @markkingsnorth.