Building Log: World Trade Center (Pre-9/11)

[rubik3 118]

Ok here's a version of the planters with the trees and flowers rendered along with it.  I think I need to lighten up the plants a bit but I think it'll work better than using 50 fauna props.

[b3rglund 0]

Looks great. This will be a great addition to my NYC region. A million thanks.

[Woulfe 1]

HOLY....

Boy leave for awhile & this thing looks more & more incredible !

Woulfe
* Keep plugging away at this Rubik *

[rubik3 118]

It turns out that I have quite a large library of trees and bushes that I can get materials from so it looks like the gmax fauna is going to turn out alright.  I actually like it a little better because these trees will have the correct shadows whereas the LE trees would be completely sunlit whether they are in sunlit area or not.  Here's a pic of the East side stair area which will have the peace on earth sign as well as the other sculpture on top of it.  These planters look a hellova lot better with trees in them.

 

[rubik3 118]

Here's a shot of the exported props for the East stairs so far.  As you can see I have a slight problem with the LOD for the trees but other than the peace on earth sign getting cut off it's coming along nicely.

[Smurfer2 7]

I watch every update in amazement. This project is just wonderful. The detail is stunning.

[+Guest]

This project just keeps getting better and better.

[drewz15 0]

^it really is. this will without a doubt be the greatest project ever done for any Sim City when all is finished. Maxis should be giving you tons of congratulations.

[rubik3 118]

Thanks for the compliments everyone, but without all of the pictures that have been provided I couldn't have gotten this far.  Speaking of which, I'm still anxiously awaiting any sort of night images of the plaza itself.  And I think if I don't find an image of the coffee shop sign in a few days, i'll just make it a starbucks unless there's a different local new york coffee shop that I could use.

 

I managed to refine the LOD for the east stairs a bit more and I no longer have the problems with the sculpture getting cut off.  I also managed to get some more props exported.  Here's the night scene so far.  I think in this image I forgot to raise the lampposts so if they look small, that's why.

[Smurfer2 7]

Here's one photo I came across. I'll keep looking.

[rubik3 118]

Hmm, looks like the plaza was pretty dark, but I think I remember Bigmac saying that when they renovated the plaza they added a bunch of lighting to lighten the place up.  But thanks for the image, if I can't find another one I may have to go off of that.

 

I think I've narrowed down what the shop was.  The most likely candidate was a NY Coffee Station but it could also have been the Cosi Sandwhich Bar or the Greenhouse Cafe, but I think the later 2 were actually in the Marriot hotel.  If any of these names ring a bell for anyone and if you can let me know which ones were where, it would be much appreciated.

[Smurfer2 7]

I couldn't find any other pictures, but I found this from the Port Authority that describes upgrades to the plaza:

 

http://www.panynj.gov/pr/71-99.html

[BigMac 24]

I sent some requests on Skyscraper City for information on signs and night pictures, and am hoping to hear back soon; will let you know if I do. The night lighting looks very nice so far.

[GaryGerbrandt 6]

Here are some plaza pics:

 

http://www.neuron.net/~navi/img/places/wtc_plaza.jpg width=362 align=right border=0>

Plaza, day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This solves the coffee shop problem! It was a Greenhouse Cafe!

http://www.citidex.com/map/wtcplza640.gif width=640>

width=800 border=0>

[rubik3 118]

Nice pic of the layout Bob, though I think instead of confirming what it is, it scratches one from the list.  The shop I'm trying to figure out the name for was the one on the corner of west and versey underneath the hotel.  In that pic I think it's showing the greenhouse as being inside of the hotel.  So I think we've narrowed it down to either the NY Coffee Station or the Cosi Sandwhich Bar.

 

But it is interesting to see that indeed there was a starbucks there hiding in the corner of 5WT.  I dredged through the pages of this thread and found a picture I've been looking for, for ages and it does show some kind of shop there, though you can't quite make out what it is.

 

[ert90 8]

Is this a the WTC Plaza? Will it be added as an update to your WTC's previously released? Or will it be realeased seperatly?

[rubik3 118]

I'll most likely have it as a seperate release but I haven't really thought that far ahead yet.  I'll probably have 2 seperate additions to the BEX one being a dat file with all of the models and base textures I'm going to use, then one being a zip file with the lots I release.  The reason for 2 downloads is that I plan on updating the lots package more than the models and I don't want to make everyone download another 15 megs of model files just for a new lot (which there will be many)

 

I think I can definitavely say that the shop was a NY Coffee Station.  If you look at the top left of the plaza picture Bob posted you'll notice the Cosi Sandwich Bar.  So now all I have to do is figure out what the coffee station's sign looked like.  But it's unlikely we'll find a pic of it so I'll probably end up having to make my own version of it.

 

So now that I have the sign figured out it's on to the last part of the base....the night lighting.  Apart from adding in the Starbucks stand in the northeast corner of the plaza it's the only thing keeping me from exporting the thing.  Here's the lighting scheme so far.

 

[BigMac 24]

I will post any input I receive.

From savethewtc:

I heard about the ongoing project and think it's amazing, especially how much detail and precision is going into the design of the complex. I'll search around and get back to you, the plaza's night lighting wasn't very bright, basically 4, 5, 6 were lit up, the fountain with the sphere in the middle had light, and both Tower's lobbies. I'll get back to you.

[rubik3 118]

Thanks for keeping watch Bigmac.  If we can't find the info there then I don't know if we ever will.

 

I've been working on a logo for the coffee shop and basically used a central perk logo I downloaded and modified it to fit my needs.  I think it will be small enough that it won't really matter but it'll make a difference being there.

 

[rubik3 118]

Ok I think I can check the coffee shop as done but I think I might put some trim around where the coffee shop intersects the stone.  Now all I have to do is finish up the night lighting by Monday so that I can send it off for export.

[Smurfer2 7]

Date:5/26/2004 10:33:36 PM
Author:rubik3

Ok I think I can check the coffee shop as done but I think I might put some trim around where the coffee shop intersects the stone.  Now all I have to do is finish up the night lighting by Monday so that I can send it off for export.

quote>

I like all the little tables and chairs in the coffee shop. You even added the sign in the window. You're putting Maxis to shame with all this detail.

[6459978. 106]

I still cannot believe that the they used such a coarse cut of stone on the WTC.  Admitedly, I had never been there, so I can't really comment... But still, it seems so out of keeping with the sleek, utilitarian design of the towers...

[rubik3 118]

I still cannot believe that the they used such a coarse cut of stone on the WTC.  Admitedly, I had never been there, so I can't really comment... But still, it seems so out of keeping with the sleek, utilitarian design of the towers...

 

If the stone is original then I definately have to agree that it doesn't go along with the overall scheme of the lot very well.  But if it was added during the renovation then it does fit in with their plan to warm up the plaza.  I'm not quite sure if the stone was original or not though, all I know is that it was there in most of the pictures i've seen.

 

A day and a half ago I decided to do a high quality render just to see how the final product would look.  A whopping 26 HOURS later it finished rendering.  So with some simple math it means that the export might take as long as 5-6 days in it's current form.  Needless to say it's way to long for an export and I'm about to spend the day trying to refine the geometry so that I can cut down on some polygons.

 

But I think it's otherwise ready to export...pending an ok on the night lightings.  Here's another pic of the overall complex at night and I need to know if it's good to go.  As of now I have the 9 lamppost lights in the plaza, as well as the ambient lights coming off of the surrounding buildings, but there's also supposed to be some sort of lighting coming from the roof of the small buildings.

 

[Smurfer2 7]

Yea! We're closing in on the completion of the WTC.

 

     How many jobs will the plaza have? Will it have a fuctional bus and subway stop? Other than that, I'm more than pleased with it.

[Tunafish 48]

First Petronas now this. YES!

[rubik3 118]

Yea! We're closing in on the completion of the WTC.

 

Trust me, it's not as close as you think.  The buildings and props are almost done but after that, it's done to the nitty gritty of making the lot work the way I want it to.  I figure there is probably another 2 weeks of export time, depending on how many buildings I export again, then another couple of weeks of making custom base textures, UI Query, hopefully some custom sounds as well as the custom paths for the angled roadway.  Then figure in a few days of comprehensive testing.  So in reality it's still probably a month away (damn how many times have I said that now....I'm starting to sound like a general contracter with my time estimates.  In a month I'll probably say it's a month away again.)

 

How many jobs will the plaza have? Will it have a fuctional bus and subway stop? Other than that, I'm more than pleased with it.

 

I think i'll make the entire plaza have 50,000 jobs, 20,000 for each tower and 10,000 for the rest of the complex.

The lot will also have, but not limited to, the following:

 

Subway with capacity for 50,000 commuters (number might be changed if I can find the exact number for the average/day of actual commuters)

 

Bus Stops with an as of now unknown capacity.

 

Parking Garage with an as of now unknown capacity.

 

A small police force with no cars, much like the police kiosk in game.

 

A small fire dept. with most likely 1 or 2 trucks with a small coverage radius.

 

A monthly income from ticket sales to offset any costs.

 

As well as the huge custom query that will go along with it.

[Smurfer2 7]

Date:5/28/2004 3:02:30 PM
Author:rubik3

'Yea! We're closing in on the completion of the WTC.'

 

Trust me, it's not as close as you think.  The buildings and props are almost done but after that, it's done to the nitty gritty of making the lot work the way I want it to.  I figure there is probably another 2 weeks of export time, depending on how many buildings I export again, then another couple of weeks of making custom base textures, UI Query, hopefully some custom sounds as well as the custom paths for the angled roadway.  Then figure in a few days of comprehensive testing.  So in reality it's still probably a month away (damn how many times have I said that now....I'm starting to sound like a general contracter with my time estimates.  In a month I'll probably say it's a month away again.)

 

' How many jobs will the plaza have? Will it have a fuctional bus and subway stop? Other than that, I'm more than pleased with it.'

 

I think i'll make the entire plaza have 50,000 jobs, 20,000 for each tower and 10,000 for the rest of the complex.

The lot will also have, but not limited to, the following:

 

Subway with capacity for 50,000 commuters (number might be changed if I can find the exact number for the average/day of actual commuters)

 

Bus Stops with an as of now unknown capacity.

 

Parking Garage with an as of now unknown capacity.

 

A small police force with no cars, much like the police kiosk in game.

 

A small fire dept. with most likely 1 or 2 trucks with a small coverage radius.

 

A monthly income from ticket sales to offset any costs.

 

As well as the huge custom query that will go along with it.

quote>

Maybe I shouldn't of gotten my hopes up. Oh well, it will be great when it comes out. I love all the functions you want to put in it.

[+Guest]

You should make it CS$ or something, so we can finally end all our CS demand problems!

[yoseph 0]

Awesome! This is coming out just great! I can't wait until it's finished!

[Gemika 6]

Wow it just gets better and better, I can't wait to see this thing in my city. The Starbucks should amke an interesting addition to this Plaza I can't wait to see it all constructed and ready for up load.

Keep it up Rubik3 your work is greatly appreciated!

GE