hkabat-forum-threads Skyfire's Asian BATs

[____----____ 37]

a simple yet imaculate tower WONDERFUL

[jacqulina 162]

looking good

[villagemayor 0]

Skyfire: Its ok about the mall. Besides, it would look quite weird in a suburban setting. I have it in the plugins already, regardless of whether the mall is there. I thought it would be cool to see me in the game going up that escalator...

[Skyfire2275 23]

@ aleking & jacqulina: Thanks again, your support means a lot to me!

@ villagemayor: Don't give up hope yet... I may BAT the mall some time or another.

@ all: Just another micro0-update. Tonight I did the text on the CITIC Plaza sign. I assume it is Chinese because it is not English... and it is in china. I cannot read it and I have no knowledge of Chinese, so I used a little guess work. I hope I didn't screw up the meaning or anything... lol... the main thing is that it looks good. So, if anyone can tell me what I have written here, that would be great, and for the rest of you, it is just a screenshot of some more work I have done. I still need to do the roof, base, smaller details, textures, and nightlights.

[bixel 1,224]

Looks FREAKIN AWESOME!!! release already!!!

[dmscopio 225]

I would love to see a screen shot of the whole building. But what you showed there looks great so far. is it a 4x4?

By the way, those chinese characters is the name of a corporation in China. So it is safe, unless you don't want do the advertsing for it. 

[Skyfire2275 23]

@ bixel: You mean the CKC, right? Thanks for the compliment. I will attempt to export it on the weekend when I won't have time to BAT anyways.... unless I get feedback about it that says "improvement is needed in such and such a way".

@ dmscopio: I will post a screenshot of CITIC Plaza on, possibly, Wednesday... the whole thing. I did more work on it last night  but do not have a new screenshot of it yet. So, it won't be long for an update! Also, thanks for the info about the Chinese characters. (I don't mind advertising because that is what the building looks like).

EDIT:

@ all: Here's a new pic of CITIC Plaza... I finished up the roof and built the base today. I still need to do nightlights, textures, and the roof junk... as well as some smaller tweaks here and there. Tell me what you think (pic below... high quality preview). Also, the building will be on a 4x4 lot and rendered orthogonal to the SC4 grid as pictured. The colours on the model are the approx colour that the textures will be (well, the textures will be darker, but the colours should give you an idea). And, about the little bit on the base that sticks out from the rest of the tower... the glass on it will be transparent. Did I get it all modelled correctly in terms of size and dimensions? The only thing I had to do some guess work on was the size of the round part of the base. I think I got it right. Well, anyways, here's the pic, click to enlarge and enjoy!

[amal81 3]

Looks really cool, skyfire...just needs some cool lighting, a lot of terrace props, trees, plaza at the lobby level....oh wait I am talking as if this was going to be finished tomorrow

anyway...great BAT! can't wait for it to be finished!!

[bixel 1,224]

is the white square a single repeating texture? Its good but maybe just a little too repetitive.

I am just curious maybe I can make something for you

will this work? feel free to edit. Be sure to save as a new version before you mess up the excellent texture placement on the previous one.

and more pics of guangzhou

http://www.skyscraperpicture.com/guangzhou.htm

[Skyfire2275 23]

@ amal81: Thanks for dropping by!

@ bixel: Thanks for the texture. I might be able to use it. I think you misunderstood though, the model isn't textured yet. Each little square is a window and the lattice is a bunch of splines. I was going to apply an idential box UVW map to each set of windows that are the same colour. Then I was going to get one texture, and make 4 colours of it... on corresponding to each colour in the pic you posted and on the model. Then I was going to apply each texture around the whole UVW map (just like I did with the one texture on Langham Place.... but 4 times over). This way I was hoping to get some variation in the texture, but also have that variation line up along the colour transitions.

I jusy might use the texture you posted, but I will have to remove the grid on it. Do you have a version of it with no grid that you can post? If not I can remove it fairly easy by just cutting and pasting. Thanks again!

[bixel 1,224]

I have a version without the grid! hold on.............

there!

[Shinnie02 17]

Lol i was seriously about to make this but I guess i'm too late..O well Maybe you will do a lot better job then me. Also are you going to make the two buildings at the front?

[jacqulina 162]

you are welcome sky i think that you have a lot of great detail in your work

[SimFox 803]

Bixel:

white square single repeating?? Correct me if I’m wrong but I sort of think it could be either single OR repeating.

 

Sky:

why would you apply box UWV maps to windows?? Why not 4x planar ones? With Box you have 2 extra UWV maps with textures on it, that would put pointless drain on memory and speed of Gmax while rendering.

You say you gonna put all four textures at the same UWV map? To mix them in such a way? Or am I getting something wrong, I think I am… anyway, I would strongly advise you not to use transparencies in large quantities.

If you can make one texture (NOT repeating one) for the side walls – this way you can really bring life to it.

I would say that Bixels texture is a good start, but Try to make something like this but not repeating- on big plain walls of the tower this repeating pattern would be very obvious. And try to make your texture not simple darkening to the bottom, but increase number and saturation and over all darkness of splotches. Actually you can probable make this from a photo.

[Skyfire2275 23]

@ bixel: Thanks again! I'll see what I can do... but probably not for a few days becuase I am working.

@ Shinnie02: You can make your own version of the tower too! If you want to model it, go ahead! Don't let the fact that someone else is making it stifle your fun. But that said, if you would rather make a different building that someone is not already doing, do tht too because it adds variety! I am not doing the two buildings at the front, just the main tower... that way it is more SC4 friendly.

If you still want to make your own version of CITIC Plaza, don't hesitate to PM me... I will send you all the resources I have. Likewise, if you want to make the two smaller towers, PM me, I do have quite a bit of info (not pics) on them too.

And if you just want to re-create a real asian building, it is certainly not hard to find one. There are tons of neat-o buildings in Asia. Good luck whatever you decide!

@ jacqulina: Thanks for your continued support!

@ SimFox: I was going to apply a single UVW map to ALL of the windows of any given colour, giving a total of 5 INDENTICAL maps for ALL of the windows. Each map will have the exact same dimensions. I was going to use a box shape because the tower is a box. Then I was going to make ONE texture that I could wrap around the entire building on any given map. Then I was going to adjust the colour of said texture to make five textures... one of each colour I need. Then I will apply each texture to the map corresponding to the appropriate coloured windows. This way, any "reflexion" or "design" on each colour texture will be the same and will blend together anywhere there is a seam between the colours.

But now that you suggest that a BOX map will cause lag, I will try to use 4x planar maps, one for each wall... and 5x each, one for each colour. I guess then I would make 4 different textures, one for each wall, and then 5x that, one for each colour and try my original plan like that...

I don't I'm explaining this very well, so wait and see if you still don't get it. Maybe I am totally wrong and this won't work afterall...

Oh well, we'll see how it turns out when I get there... If not, I will try something else.

You mention transparencies... what are transpancies? I don't think I am using any except on the glass at the base (still coloured blue), which will be semi-transparent when I am done with it.

And as far as making textures goes, I will start with bixel's and see how it looks... I don't think it will be repetitive.

[SimFox 803]

Sorry, Sky I should have said Alpha masks, not transparencies...

[richard5608 1]

skyfire your work on the citic plaza looks like the real thing to me

i cant wait for it to arrive on the stex

[richard5608 1]

was highcliff ever built also

[SC4Noobie 5]

Wow, looks great sky.

Richard, don't double post! Read the forum rules...

[dmscopio 225]

too bad you are using gmax...the raytracing material would just look great on this one. Very well done skyfire.

[Skyfire2275 23]

Attention Ladies and Gentlemen! I have just made my second upload to the STEX! Shun Hing Square is now uploaded for your gaming pleasure. I hope you enjoy it! It can be found here:

https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=16808

 

There is one dependency, the BSC Textures Mega Pack. I'd like to thank bixel for his glass texture, thanks! All other stats and information can be found in the readme file and on the STEX, including the precise file syou need from the BSC Textures Mega Pack.

Note that I am not 100% satisfied with the night lights and will possibly redo them in a future update. Also, I have been unable to grow this tower, so if anyone has any luck, I would really like it if you posted a screenshot of it growing. Thanks and enjoy!

[Skyfire2275 23]

@ richard5608: Thank-you for the compliment, I am glad you like it. I have an update on CITIC Plaza below. Tell me what you think! As for your question about highcliff, I don't know the answer.

@ SC4Noobie: Thanks!

@ dmscopio: Thanks!

---

@ ALL: Here's a small update on CITIC Plaza. I don't have lots of free time anymore and may soon have none, so I am going to try to finish this before I run our completely. What I have done here is texture the model and apply materials. Check out the transparent glass near the base. I relly like it. The only part I am not happy with is the cylindrical glass around the entrance way. I think what I am going to do is just make it 70% opacity and put some stuff inside the lobby. I am not worried about poly count because it is only about 40 000 right now. What do you think?

I still need to do night lights, but it is going to be mostly the night textures except some red lights for the sign on the top. It shouldn't take long. I also need to redo the glass cylinder at the base as I already said. I also need to add all of the roof junk. It appears to be a very crowded roof from the two pics I have. So it will be crowded on the model as well. I am going to put cranes on the roof as the real CITIC Plaza appears to have cranes. It also has a few fans, ducting, HVACS, satellites, etc... So I need to do that too.

Here's the pic. It is big, so click on the tumbnail to enlarge (just a low quality preview from gmax).

Oh, and the CKC is ready to render, but based on how long it takes to do a high quality preview of one side day and night (6 hours), I think it wil ltake 2 days to export this beast... and probably several tries. I am going to try to do this next weekend or the week after, so we'll see. When it is done, I am sending it off to HONG KONG for modding... along with the flag props I posted on the previous page.

[mcarch 15]

Oooooo! =)

[jacqulina 162]

very nice sky great work there detail is fantastic

[Skyfire2275 23]

@ mcarch & jacqulina: Thanks to both of you. Unfortunately I have no updates on CITIC Plaza as I don't have lots of free time to work on it.... so you may have to wait for a while longer.

---

@ all: I finally rendered the Cheung Kong Centre (CKC). It took 3 days to do it, but it is done, and it turned out ok. I am 100% satisfied with the result. All zooms from all angles, both day and night work, although some of the night views look a little weird (zooms 1-3, and sort of 4... 5 looks awesome though). Anyways. It worked first time (OH MY!!!), and as I said it took 3 days, so I won't be doing that again for a while, even if something is wrong with it!!! Muhaha! Take it or leave it. I hope you take it... ie: like it. If there is anything majorly wrong with it, I will export again, but I didn't find anything major.... only a few minor fault lines (stupid gmax).

I will send the model to HONG KONG soon along with the flag models from the previous page for lotting and modding. It will be a 5x5 lot. I was hoping for a 5x5 growable, and ploppable and landmark, but maybe also overhanging ploppable and landmarks... but that is up to HONG KONG. Also, I think this should be CO$$$, but a CO$$, would be nice too. What ever HONG KONG wants to do, really. For the rest of you, here's some in game pics for you to drool on. Please clean up your own mess... if you make one.

Click to enlarge!

  

[____----____ 37]

a true beauty 10/10 from me, hope it gets a good lot and is CO$$

but no matter what 10/10

[jacqulina 162]

excellent work beautifull.when you have time to do whatever you can.

[bixel 1,224]

OMG 3 Days...yeah I cannot sit there waiting like that...you have incredible patience...you should make a back up copy of the model and the gmax file on cd..amazing.

NOW RELEASE IT ALREADY!!! Aahahahahahahahahhah

[Chris M 406]

CKC's lighting looks freaking awesome and I love that you put the building on a diagnol. I've been messing around with some sketchup models lately and I've found that buildings on diagnols look really sweet in SC4! BTW, how many polies are your models, usually? And how much RAM do you have?

Thanks!

[Skyfire2275 23]

@ aleking: Thanks, I am glad you like it.

@ jacqulina: Thanks.

@ bixel: It is easy to manage a 3 day wait when you have tons of homework to do. It also helps having more than one computer. I have a good one for BATting and SC4. A mediocre one for the internet and a old one that I use for homework and plating around in Linux. So it isn't hard to go 3 days. I am just glad it worked the first time!! I already have backups of the .SC4model and the gmax files. I back up all of my work. It will be released when HONG KONG makes the lot. I am glad you like it.

@ DragonAnime: Thanks. I tried my best on the nitelites. The diagonal was done to put it on the right angle for placing next to Maxis' Bank of China... so that they are at the correct angle when compared to real life. As for the poly count for my 3 completed models and CITIC Plaza:

Langham Place: 160 000 polys, 1 nitelite, millions of objects, renders in 2 hours

Shun Hing Square: 115 000 polys, 14 nitelites, probably near ten thousand objects, renders in 6 hours

Cheung Kong Centre: 195 000 polys, 780 nitelites, ~10 000 objects, renders in 3 days

CITIC Plaza: 40 000 polys (will probably have another 20 000... the base of this one is 20 000 itself), ~1000 objects, proabably 2-6 nitelites...

I have 1 GB of RAM, 4095 MB pafe file, AMD 3500+ @ 2.2 GHz, and more than 50 GB free of hard drive space on an 80 GB drive. So, I think my computer can handle these things... The only reason the CKC took so long in the insane # of nitelites. I am going to try to keep them to a minimum on all other buildings, but on the CKC, I needed that many to acheieve the desired effect.