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

[Equinox 1,211]

Wow, Rubik ... it sounds as if you're gonna need some serious help on rendering that base ... however ... this week is the last I can offer for such a massive undertaking unless you were to do what kd5rax did and run through and delete every unused polygon you can scrounge ... it may have taken him a few hours but the render times on high quality for a 12 x 12 base were about 4 - 5 hours. [:0] Definitely worthwhile if you ask me ... however, this may well be because of different reasons - I am not exactly the master of BAT myself just yet.

[rubik3 118]

this week is the last I can offer for such a massive undertaking unless you were to do what kd5rax did and run through and delete every unused polygon you can scrounge

 

I've gone through and optimized it the best I could but it will still be a multi day export, but at least it shouldn't take a week now that those extra polys are gone.  Basically anything I need help exporting is a multi day task.  So I understand if you don't want to waste your summertime peak hours to do exports.

 

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

 

I know that the WTC had various jobs and wealth levels but I think it's only fitting that they have the highest wealth possible.  I just wouldn't feel right making it a lower wealth building.

 

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.

 

It may be taking forever but I definately think it'll be worth the wait.  If there's enough desire for it I may release a beta landmark lot without all of the extras so that you can at least have it in your cities while your waiting for me to modd everything.  But I really don't want to release an incomplete lot so there's going to have a be a huge outcry for me to do it.

[rubik3 118]

Here's a few more ingame shots of another days worth of prop exporting.  I have to go through and double check but I think I'm getting close to done exporting the first versions of the props.  When I get the base exported I may have to redo some of them but hopefully not.

The first image has people in it but I guess I took too long alt-tabbing between photoshop and SC4 so they disappeared by the time I got back to take the second screen.

 

 

[BigMac 24]

The ingame pictures looks great! I haven't yet received further responses on plaza lighting, but I'll keep checking.

You might already be aware of the following, but just a reminder: the towers should touch but not cross over the invisible line that runs between them north to south (the towers touch the line at these points: north tower facing the plaza, and south tower facing the Marriott), but it looks like they do at the moment. Also, buildings 4 and 5 look to be misaligned at the plaza entrance.

Also, I noticed that a user named whippled plagiarized Two World Trade with Jobs. Here is the link.

[kennethcole212 2]

I'm just speechless. That first in-game shot was amazing. I was at the site today thinking about the great work you are doing here. Trying to remember how the plaza was, i got to the site across from where the peace on earth sculpture was and just knowning that you are doing such a superb job just made me feel much better. It's harder now to picture everything since they've changed the sidewalks and created the viewing wall. By looking at your work here it will always keep the spirit of the World Trade Center and everything that happened that day alive. You are truly are doing an amzing undertaking here and it really is a masterpiece of art you are creating and so full of meaning for so many people. I really can't express how your awesome creation makes me and many other New Yorkers feel. Great Job!

[Tunafish 48]

GOOD LORD!

[geoff_diamond 43]

This is amazing work man!!!!  Keep it up!

[rubik3 118]

Also, buildings 4 and 5 look to be misaligned at the plaza entrance.

 

Ya, don't worry about the alignment yet as I'm still waiting for the base with shadows to be able to refine placement of everything.  And speaking of which, Equinox has the base exporting as we speak and should be done sometime this week.  This is both a good and a bad thing.  It's good because I can finally have every object in game, the bad thing is that the light nighting isn't final yet, or at least it isn't confirmed final.  But I think once I get the night lit plaza set against all of the night lit buildings, it will look perfect.

 

I'll be taking a break from this project for the next couple of days until the base is done exporting but the only prop I have left to export is the skybridge.  Then once I get the final base inserted I'll have to take a close look at all of the buildings to see if any of them need to be exported again.

[Smurfer2 7]

This project is overwhelming... *faints*

 

*doesn't recover for several hours*

 

I'm speechless. This brings detail on BATs to a new level.

[rubik3 118]

Well it looks like that base is going to be one huge export.  Equinox tried to export it but after a day of rendering it hadn't even finished the first view yet.  Needless to say it's tough to find a whole weeklong chuck of time to export this.  So we've (Equinox and I) decided to hold off until he goes on vacation in a couple of weeks to let the bat clunk away. 

 

So I'm kind of stuck at a standstill at the moment.  There is still a small amount of work to do but I'd like to wait until the base is exported to make those changes.  So until then I'm going to put this project on the back burner and try and finish off the small amount of modelling that Kdrax wasn't able to finish off on Petronas.  For now you can find me here, at the BSC Petronas Towers Thread .

[HoustonBAT 0]

Hate to be the bear of bad news, but the North Tower of the World's Trade Center's Spire, didn't have cable cords holding it up. It was free standing. Not even during construction did it have cables. Nice work though, no complants...

[Equinox 1,211]

Sorry 'bout this, Rubik ... I hate to make you wait ... however ... I think if I don't export that sucker, nobody will ... it's a beast.   Although, I must admit, you did one hell of a job to get gmax to do it without crashing or piecing out ... I commend you for your great work.  And Houston, it's just a bit late now ...

[DarkDragon 1]

If I tried to think of words to praise how good that looks, I'd be wasting my time because I can't think of any.

The amount of dedication and time you've spent on this project is truly commendable. I can't wait to see it in-game. Amazing detail.

[Smurfer2 7]

Date:6/5/2004 11:42:58 PM
Author:HoustonBAT

Hate to be the bear of bad news, but the North Tower of the World's Trade Center's Spire, didn't have cable cords holding it up. It was free standing. Not even during construction did it have cables. Nice work though, no complants...

quote>  That was brought up on page 5-7 or something like that. So, you are going to have to live with it as is.

[rubik3 118]

Hate to be the bear of bad news, but the North Tower of the World's Trade Center's Spire, didn't have cable cords holding it up. It was free standing.

 

Well I've modelled everything including miniscule details that the normal person has never even noticed before....I guess in this case this is one of them.  I give you support wires http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=142001

 

There are only a couple of small errors that are tough to pick out, but sorry, the support wires were actually there....just painted white to blend in with the sky.  In actuality though they weren't really support wires as they didn't bear any load except during high winds.

[BigMac 24]

No further responses yet rubik, but I will be available if there is something you need in the meantime. Great work on Petronas as well!

[Woulfe 1]

* Does A Doubletake & Spits Out His Soda *

Woulfe

[voog2 0]

what about wtc 7.....

[voog2 0]

aren't you going to make wtc 7

[DoubleJ2K 3]

First voog, please don't bump your posts.  Second, if I remember correctly, Rubik was not going to do 7WTC.  It was part of the WTC in name, but it was actually located across the street from the WTC superblock.  I know that kid_a had plans to do it, but there were a couple of other things he wanted to finish first.  Rubik has done an amazing job on Bldgs. 1-6 and I don't think it's fair to push him, especially when he's working so hard just to get this part of the project done.

 

[Smurfer2 7]

Date:6/6/2004 1:07:08 AM
Author:rubik3

'Hate to be the bear of bad news, but the North Tower of the World's Trade Center's Spire, didn't have cable cords holding it up. It was free standing.'

 

Well I've modelled everything including miniscule details that the normal person has never even noticed before....I guess in this case this is one of them.  I give you support wires http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=142001

 

There are only a couple of small errors that are tough to pick out, but sorry, the support wires were actually there....just painted white to blend in with the sky.  In actuality though they weren't really support wires as they didn't bear any load except during high winds.

quote>

I guess you learn something new everyday. You certainly can't see those wires from the ground.

[voog2 0]

OK OK, I just asked

[Tunafish 48]

hey doublej2k, I noticed you joined on 9/11. Ironic

[Grover_G 3]

Though I have never really made any comments or contributions to this project, I have been watching its development since page one, and I must say that the whole WTC plaza has turn out very impressive. The sheer amount of research and work was put into this could very well make this one of the more memorable BATs in Simtropolis history.

Spanking excellent job, folks, especially Rubik and BigMac. I'll be ready to download it when it comes out.

[backface 6]

Just AMAZING the detail of this BAT! Good Work!

[NintendoMaster128 30]

Ever since SimCity 4 BAT came out, I've been working on the World Trade Center, I'll finish about the same time you do, haha. But yours are 100% better than mine! Whoa! I really wanted to get this done first because of the people I knew in those towers, hehe. Oh well...I give up on my plaza... Yours are INCREDIBLE! I hope you build more! Steal more Projects from me why don't ya! Work on Taipei 101 next *wink wink* Then Sears Tower, we need a good one of them. All of the others are okay, but we need another Nicky555 Sears Tower. OMG!!! Once Again, you did a fantastic job! Next you should build the 1776 Freedom Tower Plaza! Seriously! Do it! Do it! -peer pressure- Do it! You know you wanna! I really want to see you build more and more and more and more. You should work for Maxis, haha. This will definatley put you on the SimCity Spotlight, 100%, No questions asked, haha. I hope to talk to you all later!

[NintendoMaster128 30]

The World Trade Center did have 3 cable holding up the Spire. You're talking to me here, no one knows that plaza more than I do.

[rubik3 118]

Ever since SimCity 4 BAT came out, I've been working on the World Trade Center, I'll finish about the same time you do, haha.  But yours are 100% better than mine!

 

Don't feel bad that mine is better than yours.  I've been working on this project for over a year now (well over 6 months before the BAT came out) so it'll be hard to top anything that has had that much detail put into it.

 

 

Luckily I've found access to an unused computer so I might start exports this weekend.  So Bigmac and everyone else, this is the last chance to change the night lighting on the plaza.  I can only stall so long before I start seeing a hungry pack of wolves in front of me waiting for it's release.

 

 

[Tunafish 48]

i think I can say the whole community appreciates the endless hours you've put into WTC and Petronas. Once WTC is realesed you can lean back in your chair, put your feet up, light a cigar and be like Jay-Z and brush your shoulders off.

[BigMac 24]

I have not heard anything else about the night lighting. However, once you release the trade center, if I or anyone else finds out anything you think is significant enough, would you release updated versions? Even after it is available for download, I can let you know if any new information comes to light.