he service is a major update of the on-line tool which, until now, had been limited by the available technology. A whole new level of functionality has been added to the service which architects, piloting the new version, have enthusiastically welcomed. “I haven’t seen anything like it online before,” says Fred Fair, an associate at Chetwood Associates. “I think it’s going to make choosing materials, profiles and colours a lot easier in the future. It’s impressive to see something so complicated work so simply”.

The colour matching and visualisation tool allows architects to manipulate building models, in real time, by changing the cladding profiles, orientations and colour schemes. A light source picks up shadows and users can rotate the model and zoom in to get a clear idea about the consequences of their design choices. Until recently, the scope of the tool was limited – there was no zoom or rotation function and users could not kit their virtual building out in different cladding profiles simultaneously. “We’ve moved it on a bit to give architects more flexibility and interactivity. We do want to see how far we can push the technology to give architects more control,” says Karl Stapleton, electronic media manager at Corus. “This should now give people a very good idea of what a particular colour and profile will look like on a building.”

The tool focuses on Corus Colorcoat HPS200® and Prisma® pre-finished steel products, which come in a wide range of standard colours as well as a wide choice of colours from the RAL palette. Architects, working with the Corus Repertoire Colour Consultancy service, have long been able to explore the potential of coloured building envelopes; this revised on-line tool, however, compliments expert advice and the provision of samples by providing the opportunity for experimentation with immediate feedback. Moreover, snapshots of models can be saved to your desktop and links emailed to clients and other consultants.

Contained within the modelling package are five building types: an industrial building, an office complex, a stadium, and a retail development. All models have been loosely based on real buildings and have been designed as representative of their type. The walls of each model can be clad in five different cladding profiles (two trapezoidals and a sinusoidal, saw-tooth and flat panel) while roofs can be clad in three profile types. The tool palette is highly intuitive and, although easy-to-follow instructions are available to users, the entire system is quick and simple to master.

Hamilton Associates were also impressed by the tool saying, “The main advantage of Repertoire is that it’s easy to use, an easily accessible web base tool, that provides a simple method of selecting and previewing various cladding systems on a number of generic 3D generated building types”.

Another useful feature is the ability to adjust the orientation of the cladding panels, simply by clicking on a set of arrows. The panels will immediately switch between horizontal and vertical alignments, and the light source will pick up the shadows and texture of the building facade – giving the user an indication of how different products, and their use, can inform the character and “tone” of a building.

Colour selection is just as simple. Users are provided with a set of three options: Colorcoat HPS200, Prisma or RAL, and colour panels (or a box in which to enter a RAL number) are provided. A click on a building element, followed by a click on a colour sample, has an immediate effect on the virtual model. Once profile and colour choices have been made, users can then order samples on-line.

Karl Stapleton says the system uses all the available web and modeling technology to make the system effective. It works on PCs and requires a small plug-in and Internet Explorer 6. Crucially, it does not require any particular expertise from users, and anyone familiar with even basic drawing and modeling tools will be able to get the most out of it very rapidly. “When I first saw the concept of how this could work, I couldn’t believe it,” says Stapleton. “For a web-based application, it’s excellent.”

The capability of the new on-line colour and profiling tool includes:

  • Realistic 360°, 3D visualisation and zoom capabilities.
  • Generic retail, industrial, stadia, office and residential building types.
  • A wide range of colours from the Colorcoat HPS200 and Prisma ranges as well as the RAL palette.

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  • A range of popular wall and roof cladding profiles to choose from.
  • Interactive control of both colour and profile choice and application.
  • Screenshot capability enables designs to be sent easily via e-mail.
  • Pre-defined camera angles available for consistent viewing comparisons.
  • Directionality of cladding can be mixed and matched on the walls of the buildings.
  • Ability to order chosen colour samples.

    • Repertoire can be found at the Corus website. Visit www.colorcoat-online.com/repertoire to try the system out for yourself.