3D models of Coventry

You can also hold down the CTRL key while dragging up/down/left/right to pan the view in the equivalent direction. By using this and the shift key you may even be able to look inside the building though it's easy to get lost inside. Also there's right-click which gives you lots of clever options; it can also give you a good idea of how complicated it is to build even this relatively small model.

Hi all, I don't know where the time has gone, It feels like only a couple of months since I last posted something on here. At the begining of the year I've upgraded the Coventry Rebuilt website and I've also put on line the film about the Rex Cinema. Rex Cinema To give some depth to the model, I intend to select a few buildings to concentrate on with their unique story. The next one I'm working on is the Kings Head Hotel. I've come across a number of references to it being called the Church on the Spree following the 1879 rebuild, owing to the stained glass windows. Sadly in the subsequent refurbishment all but two were lost by the 1930s. I haven't found any pictorial record of how they looked - but have found this written description (see below). Does anyone know if there are any sketches / photos etc of these windows?? Fortunately the description is detailed enough to attempt reconstruct them, but images of the originals are always better. Saturday 20th December 1879 The Kings Head Luncheon Bar Coventry - The Kings Head luncheon bar which was opened for business on Saturday, is without doubt the most gorgeous room of its kind in the city, its chief feature being the stained glass windows with which it is lighted. The first window on the west side of the room comprises a representation of Lady Godiva with the apt quotation from Tennyson "Then she rode forth; clothed on with chastity." The second window is illustration of the scene in which Earl Leofric grants the charter of freedom to the city. The fanlight of the door which opens into Smithford Street bears a delineation of the city arms, the west panel represents St George and the Dragon, and the east panel Edward the Black Prince. The first window in Smithford Street shows Edward III granting the Charter of Corporation to the city in 1344. The second window illustrates the scene of the trial by combat of Gosford Green between the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk of 1397. The third window represents the arrest of Prince Henry of Monmouth, by Horny, Mayor of Coventry in 1411 and is one of the most effective windows of the series. The fanlight of the central door contains the sword and mace and three ostrich feathers arranged in their original form as worn by King of Bohemia. The door panels contain portraits of Henry VI and Queen Margaret benefactors of Coventry, the portrait of the Queen is taken from the tapestry in St Mary's Hall. The first window in Hertford Street represents the knighting of Robert Onley, Mayor of Coventry, by Henry VII after the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The second window portrays Sir William Dugdale summoning the city to surrender at New Gate, Much Park Street in 1642. Each window bears the head of one of the kings connected with the story below and the unoccupied spaces are quarried with foliated emblems associated with the separate subjects and the small room adjoining the grill bar is a window representing Prince Henry, afterwards Henry V and his companion. Below is the appropriate quotation from Shakespeare: "Get thee before to Coventry: fill me a bottle of sack'. The fittings of the bar were supplied by Mr Samuel Mason of Birmingham who also fitted up the Queens Hotel. The lighting has been executed by the Art Metal Works Company, Gosford Street, Coventry, the design being by Mr H. P. Hodkinson jun. The main features of the interior lighting are the silver plated gas standards, the bases of which represent the trades of Coventry and national subjects.

The movie of the Rex is very cool. The style of the video is bang on the era of the building and I particularly liked the bit where you show the source movie on the cinema screen. I look forward to seeing the next one. The Real Ales Rambles site says they've got a brochure from the opening of the Kings Head. It indicates the glass was by W G Fretton (a local antiquarian who did a number of sketches of the city's features). Some of his work is in the journals of the Anastatic Drawing Society. It also says 'plans furnished by Mr. George Taylor, Architect of the City, and erected by Mr. James Marriott, Contractor.' More leads to follow? Kings Head

I'd love to see a copy of that brochure! Anne found an image of the interior of the hotel from around the 1930's after a deco refurb (see post No.19). That's still the only image I have seen of inside the hotel.

This Society's journals are available online in various archives. The 1881 drawings are in the Internet Archive. There are earlier versions on Google book search and 1858-63 at the New York Public Library.

Thanks all for the leads - the story of the stained glass is turning out to be a curious one. As this is straying more into the history of the Kings Head Hotel I'm going to start a new topic. I haven't been able to find any images of the stained glass - but have come across some other documents/books I can use for other buildings. Helen, you probably already know about this book of gables by Pugin - Pugins Ornamental Gables (mostly of Coventry). It might be of some use. I'll put a link to the Kings Head topic once I set it up. Thanks again.

Yes thanks. I've experimented with them to make decorative features, along with other gothic source books. I've still got St Johns Street/Dead Lane to do in rough and part of Greyfriars Lane and I'm ready to start building for real. It's taken me about 6 months to research how the gatehouses work. And then I got side tracked by crypt/cellars. And St Mary's. And the Castle. And Babu Lacu. So the rough model has taken about 6 months longer than I expected. I've roughly worked out how to use Lidar for the wider landscape although I still hope to produce something more detailed for the city. Why did there have to be sooooo many buildings?

Thanks for that.

Hi all, I've been teaching myself some C# scripting in Unity to try and develop an app to share the model. I think I now have a stable platform. I've tested it on IOS and Android and it seems to work ok. So, lots of work to do but I hope to have it out by September this year. I've also been playing with 360 YouTube films. Coventry Rebuilt 360 App Trailer

I watched it twice before realising I could pan left and right during the clip. Very impressive.

YouTube is getting really good at being able to process 360 films. If you view it through a mobile or tablet it uses the gyro to track your movements - it also has the option to view it with a VR headset. I've only just started to explore the VR / 360 film aspects... I've mocked up scene with a film showing on the screen of the Rex Cinema while you are sitting a chair in the circle!

I'm not sure that the words have yet been invented to describe these 3D Coventry movies, but I'll have to make do with "absolutely astonishing" just for now. They are simply amazing! Thank you so much for putting so much time, skill and effort into bringing our old city to life on screen.

I would like to second Rob's thoughts on the 3D images of the city. I cannot imagine the amount of time and dedication taken to produce these excellent works.

Thirded! Amazing work Peter - I salute you Sir! I hope the council take this to the Herbert - would be brilliant!

Fourthed? is that a word? Anyway, I think your stuff is great too