# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Building/Structure Mapping >  Google Sketchup Castle

## Hafnium

So, here is a shaded Sketchup model of a castle. I intend to build a town around this castle in full 3D for a campaign. Im going to try out moving around a 3d view during play with the PCs to show them im 3d what their characters are seeing. (I might also just look at it myself and describe it, but either way, nothing is missed)

Before I move on however, any comments or critiques from the guild would be great.

Notes:

The walls are 10' with a 2' parapet thats 6'' deep. The towers are 20' with a 2' parapet that is also 6'' deep. The buildings inside range in size from 9' to 15'. The gate is 14' including the parapet on top.

I also uploaded the SKP file. (The license for the model is *Creative Commons - BY - NC - SA*)

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## Gandwarf

Looking good. Seeing a Sketchup model again I want to fire up the software myself... must resist temptation.

It's an effective, but rather simple model, meaning there's not many details. But if you are going to add more buildings you don't want too much detail anyway, because Sketchup will become too sluggish.

Are you going to post your work on the town as well?

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## Hafnium

Yeah, I'll post as I develop the town. I can't figure out how I'm going to do roads though. I can't just make a grid of squared and parallel houses and roads. Any suggestions would be great!

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## Gandwarf

Well, download models like these and have a look at how they created roads:

- http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...c4&prevstart=0
- http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...8&prevstart=24
- http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...4&prevstart=24
- http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...f1&prevstart=0
- http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...e3&prevstart=0
- http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...e&prevstart=12

Long live Google Sketchup!

(edit: I just downloaded the model from the last link. I must say: wow, what a great fantasy town! He even made two versions of this town: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...bc&hl=nl&ct=lc)

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## Ascension

You could always just import an image to use as the base.  Make a quickie map in Photoshop (or something) so that you can get some nice grass and roads then save it as a jpg (or something) and then import it into SU as a flat plane and then scale it up to suit.

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## Hafnium

> You could always just import an image to use as the base.  Make a quickie map in Photoshop (or something) so that you can get some nice grass and roads then save it as a jpg (or something) and then import it into SU as a flat plane and then scale it up to suit.


I had totally forgotten that I could do that! I could make the base in CC3 and then model it in SU!

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## Hafnium

I decided that It would look awesome in the castle was in the middle of a lake. I think that I'm going to make this a military fort with a few buildings instead of a town. Here's a few renders of a copy with a bridge and some water. I might work on the outer wall tomorrow. However, if I can get Ascension's idea to work well, I might end up starting a whole new copy.

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## Gandwarf

The lake is a nice idea I think. You could even add towers and a drawbridge if you wanted  :Smile:

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## Steel General

Neat stuff, looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

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## Hafnium

I'm working on the outer wall today, but I'm not at home and forgot my mouse. Trackpad towers are hellishly tedious.  :Feeling sick: 

I'm doin 20' towers (same as the castle) ever 80' around the lake, leaving room for other buildings. Ugh.

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## charly2008

Hi Folks,

some stuff i did with Sketchup.

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## Gandwarf

Oooh, castles...
Welcome to the guild charly! Have some reputation for posting your work. I like the fourth picture best, the castle located on an island. The first castle is nice as well though.

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## Redrobes

3D castles are great. Hafnium, yours is going well - good job. If your wanting to be more historically accurate then I can give a few pointers. In old castles the inner buildings were always fixed to the outer wall unless this inner building was really big and looked more like a castle in itself. Then that one is the keep and the outer bit is usually just a wall with wooden buildings fixed to it. The other thing was that it was the entrance that was always the most fortified so you would need towers either side of the gatehouse. They also had a barbican which is a courtyard or raised platform at the entrance where they could mount an offensive to an incoming force at the entrance. If you had a bridge and moat then for sure thats the bit that needs defending, the rest wouldnt have so much need. The closest castle I can think of which is styled like that is Conwy. This shot shows what I mean about the interor buildings too...

http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/galler...e-aa03302b.jpg

charly2008 - Those castle pics are great. Have you done any more ? I like the lighting on them which does not look so native sketchup. Did you use something extra ?

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## Ascension

Those are great charly.

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## Steel General

Neat stuff, thanks for posting.

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## charly2008

Hi,

The first three images represents a fantasy castle. The castle on the island is a historic castle which was located in my city Frankfurt at 1860. The last one is the old City fortification at 1650 (WIP).

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## charly2008

Hi to All,

thanks for your friendly comments.

Here some more stuff made with Sketchup.

Charly

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## charly2008

Hi to All,

the castle updated in the terrain with a winding road. If anybody is interested to  know ho to make a road in Sketchup, please have a look at this post in the Sketchucation Forum http://forums.sketchucation.com/view...p?f=15&t=21120.

Charly

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## Gandwarf

Oh man, that's a beautiful map! Love the roads and bridges. Are you still adding stuff?

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## Ascension

Way cool.  Hope to see more.

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## Steel General

Great Stuff!

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