Tulou and Fortress (Part 5) - Quick CAD mock-ups

 
Based on the current sketches, I quickly mocked up some ideas in CAD. Specifically using the excellent free CAD app, OnShape. I don't expect everyone who makes wargame terrain to be proficient with CAD packages. this is just to get an idea of how the form would look based on the measurements and ideas I currently have for the project. To see how it goes together as a bunch of detachable components, I've composited a multi-piece shot in Photoshop.
 
I'm not particularly liking the way the rooms fit together allowing for stairwells that will fit figures, and gaps over the tulou's entrance gateways. However, that's specifically the reason why I've generated this CAD model. I can do things digitally without needing to waste resources, or spend time crafting something that doesn't particularly match the aesthetic I had in mind. I think the courtyard needs to be a bit bigger, but that will mean the tulou ends up too big to fit on the base I've got ready for it. That means building a new base, but I don't want it to be unwieldy for storage. Perhaps shifting back to the old 30cm x 30cm square boards I used to use for Mordheim. I could split the tulou in half, putting each half on a 30cm x 60cm rectangle, This takes up less storage space, and could be displayed on my minatures shelf as two cutaway halves, with characters living their lives in the open rooms and balconies of the complex. When it comes time to play, I can just put the two halves back together on the wargaming table. The temple in the middle of the tulou could be a separate modular piece. 

The new idea isn't a whole lot bigger, but allows for a bit more breathing room. I'll have torun the proportions on that versions to see if it has a better flow to it. After all, the Cathayan Empire is all about the balance of Yin and Yang, and the flow of Feng Shui through it's buildings is important. Bad energy flow would be highly inauspicious. 

      

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