Updated April 22, 2016

PLEASE BE SURE YOU CAREFULLY READ THE FULL COMPETITION RULES.  This FAQ is only a supplement for clarification and does not replace the official rules. 

YOU MUST REGISTER on the Project Soane A360 Website as this is where you will find the bulk of the refrerence material for the competition.  Please note it may take up to 24 hours for your access to be granted, depending on the time of day.  If you do not get access after 24 hours please email us at https://projectsoane.wordpress.com/ or post to our support forum here

 

 

 

1. Are there any limitations to the creative approach/treatment for the competition?

No, you are allowed to approach the submission in any way that inspires you the most. Certainly the roots of this project stem from historical accuracy, however judging will not penalize or reward any specific style of rendering, creative treatment, or visual storytelling.  While appropriate, you are not restricted to only rendering the model as a bank.  Had the building survived, it very likely could have been used for many other purposes (restaurants, offices, stores, etc.).  You are also not restricted to any period in time.  You can render the model from a period in its historical past, modern day, or even in the future.   Please see the FAQ items below regarding changes to the base model.

2.  Which software can I use for the competiton?

All submissions must use Autodesk software with any rendering engine or any GPU-accelerated renderer as part of the rendering production process. We are also allowing submissions that are primarily created in Photoshop, provided at least the base render was rendered from Autodesk software.

3. Can we make changes to the model?

Any changes to the model that help improve renderability or scene optimization, that do not visually impact the base model are allowed. We encourage participants to choose telling viewpoints. Walls and roofs may be ghosted or removed to enable clearer sight-lines to the interiors (as watercolorist Joseph Gandy did in his historic aerial rendering depicting Soane's Bank of England as a ruin).

We encourage participants to review the historic documentation provided on the Project Soane A360 web site to improve upon the historical accuracy of the model. Please note that Sir John Soane's Bank of England evolved over time.  As such no one model could represent all of the interations over time. Should you chose to improve upon the model, as long as you can provide evidience to support the changes you make, they will be allowed.

4. Which areas should we render for the comeptition?

While there is a very basic overal context model, the only areas that should be considered are the areas with full details. Those areas are the Consols Transfer Office, the Bank Stock Office, Tivoli Corner and the exterior facades on Lothbury Street and Princes Street.

5. I have questions about the scale of 3ds Max and FBX files provided.  Can you help?

The Unit Scale of the files are native to the Revit model, which is Centimeters. All FBX files exported from Revit are in the same Unite Scale. In 3ds Max 2016, a direct link of a FBX file no longer converts to the Unit Scale 3ds Max is in. It will natively link the FBX in the Unit Scale it was exported in. This was not the case in previous version of 3ds Max, and it is highly recommended to do one of the following methods if importing the FBX into 3ds Max 2016.  Please read this forum thread for more information

6. I do not have 3ds Max 2016 and can not open the 3ds Max file provide. What can I do?

There is nothing special we have done to the 3ds Max or FBX files that have been generated.  Just importing the FBX/RVT will give the same results in 2015.

5. Can we add lighting fixtures to the model?

Part of the challenge of Project Soane is to render Sir John Soane's genius approach to introducing natural light from above into a windowless building. Light sources (as opposed to light fixtures) may be added as needed to effectively render the model.  If you elect to render the scene in a more modern setting you are allowed to add artificial lighting, however it should be kept to a minimum as judges are going to give preference to naturally lit scenes.

7. Can we make changes to the materials or create our own materials?

We'd like to see renditions that convey actual, historically documented materials or reasonable interpretations of what Sir John Soane might have chosen. Any proposed alterations should be compatible with but differentiated from Soane's historic design.​  Please use the reference materials from the Project Soane A360 website to determine appropriate materials.  If you are unsure, use your best judgement knowing the period in which these buildings were created.

8. What criteria are in place for entourage and surounding environment?

You are free to situate the base model in an environment of your choosing and use entourage that supports your creative approach to the submission. We encourage historic or contemporary settings and entourage.

9. What criteria are the submissions being judged upon?

All submissions will be scored on a scale of 1-10 on the following criteria:

- Composition/Cinematography
- Originality/Creativity
- Overall Impact (Mood/Emotion/Lighting/Technical)
- User Experience (Real-Time only)
- Historical Accuracy

10. Can you clarify what is defined as Post Production for the GPU category?

For the Best GPU-based submission categories, post production is defined as any alteration to the physical appearance of the image or frame that was generated within the rendering engine frame buffer. Example: color grading, color changes, use of image editors like Photoshop etc. For the "No Post Production" GPU category, participant’s submission must be exactly as it appeared in the frame buffer, ie. final image must come directly from the 3D application. Winners must provide their scene file for verification by category judges.  Any type of "post production" changes that are made within the GPU application are allowed for the "no post production" category.  The intent here is to ensure we do not have changes being made in external applications that take the image outside the realm of being a GPU submission.

11. Why can't I submit a final submission?

Before you can submit a final submission entry, you must have submitted at least one Work In Progress (WIP) image or video to each category you wish to participate in.  Doing so will unlock the ability to submit your final entry for judging. Your WIP must be submitted before May 23 (2 weeks before the submission deadline). Those who do not submit a WIP before the deadline will have points removed when scoring is completed by the judges.

12. I still have questions, can you help me?

Sure, you can contact us here: https://projectsoane.wordpress.com/