Wel all I can say mate...is read what David has said and take it on board and review your intent with this project. If you are modelling for student orientation (which you have now explained)...why?? Every building has floor plans for safety/fire reasons and you are re-inventing the wheel. If it is for a true 3D project...mate as David has said...damn lofty, I wouldnt be doing a whole building and campus right off the bat mate...I would say your dorm room would be a big enough project for a beginner.

I have been using Maya part time for over a year...and I am still well and truly infantile when it comes to the other guys and girls on the forums mate...I have my skillset and head well and truly kept in check by everyone here....and if I suggest a model that they know is out of reach...they tell me...more importantly I listen. It takes YEARS as David said to become truly good at it...and even them some people take longer.

As for not being rich...dude none of us are wealthy (well maybe a couple LOL)...and if you really want to do 3D you will have to pay somewhere along the line mate. Not everything in life is free...and if you want to learn from the top shelf of drinks...you pay. I have 5 kids, 2 cars, house etc etc and I cant afford a shitload either...but I gave up booze, junk food, going out etc etc to save the money for a life membership...get where Im going here? some of these tutorials are pretty damn cheap...a few hours work and no luxuries and you have enough to buy one.

Now if its for scale etc as I said above...Maya is NOT the program to do it...Sketchup is...I am a Surveyor by trade...so I map and build a bucketload of stuff...and use 3 different programs to do so...but thanks to dom I found sketchup and thats the one...its free and VERY efficient and easy to learn. Im not a 3D artists bumhole...but I am a damn good Surveyor...and if Im using something to build a house etc...then its because thats the best way to do it (Surveyor for 25 years now). So is this for art?? or for practical use for orientation? This is what you have to decide....as I have said mate...orientation = Sketchup, art = Maya (with LOTS of practice).

cheers bullet

P.S My house after a few hours