hkabat-forum-threads Bixel's HK/ASIA Residential Construction Showcase

[bixel 1,228]

Just make sure its marked historical...try not to zone any more dense residential and creat some more jobs and higher education...it will fill back up no problem...also check your garbage level, its always a killer.

[SimFox 804]

Yeah! I would say you need more detail!! Much more…

The base looks very sketchy at the moment. And you’ve rendered it with Default rig, ts-ts!! Anyway I believe some sort of amorphous feel is due that that. And that viscously blue glass GOT to go!

Also those sky facing parts of the base (roof of it), they can not be just flat, there must be something… At least texture them differently then sides, it looks very toy like now. Same goes to those small things on tower top (on the narrow bit) top shouldn’t be same as sides. Always create little edge – it simple and will make things look much better. Also try beveling edge so it will catch sun and create clear difference between vertical and horizontal surfaces.

Sorry if this all sounds condescending and patronizing, that‘s not my intention. I just love this building and want it to look its best!

EDIT:

Part two. (the flood gates had opened)

Building Facade is mostly glass! This is new for you. Do you remember how you were writing that you were staying away from office towers in the beginning because you didn’t want to deal with all the glass? Well it is here and biting you at you-know-what!

Problem what we can not get that wonderful gleaming look like on the picture if we do things right. From games camera viewing angle windows will not reflect sky, but ground, so the whole thing will have quite a different look, if you still want the look at the picture it will have to be faked.

One suggestion – get rid of all those AC or make them or to be precise ledges smaller, they look very crud as they are now. I know you routinely putting them on the walls of your buildings, but here they look out of place really, especially their relative size. Particularly size of those ledges – they look more like a proper balcony. Actually if you look at the picture – there aren’t any hanging outside. Either architects found the way to hide them, or HK builders finally learn about central AC system. Later is more probable – that explains those TECH floors in the middle of the towers. A friend of mine who know about those systems told me that tech floor nowadays are place every 15-18 floor and all AC units and some such are located there. If you look at the tower you’ll see hat it has two such tech floors.

Another thing - try to lighten you textures/materials a tad. As now, they are way too deep, too saturated. One trick that may bring spark to it – open some windows. But that could be just too much work on building of this size. BTW how many windows are there?

BTW are these same models you’ve published on the first page of this thread?? They look different. I would say more crude. What happened to the windows on the narrow bit of the tower they are not like either the real towers are no like in those first models. There are 3 windows in real tower. You have sacrificed one window in order to put that silly AC unit, which would look fine on some 30 year old tower, but not here.

 Another thing - why did you skip the “penthouse” belt on top? Without it tower look like it’s head been chopped off…

 

Sorry, I hope you will not get angry, I just feel so passionately about these towers!!

[jacqulina 162]

looking great fantastic work.

[SC4Noobie 5]

Wow, awsome! I really want that! I want you to turn it and rerender that, too. It's so awsome, it needs both versions.

[bixel 1,228]

heheheh, Simfox, you silly...you need to consult the photo reference...the ACs, the top, the foundation is near 95% accurate...and yes HK has tons of AC ledges..there are a couple things I do need to fix on Tower 1a and 1b (the split tower) and of course more added detail to the foundation...I was actually thinking of darkening the textures..it would be closer to the photo and also making the glass on the towers darker as well...as for the Foundation glass its almost perfect in my opinion..again check references on pg1, but yeah i see you point on the other relative suggestions.

[edit] yeah same models..not much has been changed unless to be corrected by references provided by Endophins..also the opening closing of random windows would be very time consuming....I am actually doing that on the 'old' wan chai stuff..but not these behemoths. The AC units do need to be a little updated I agress...consulting the photos there is a little more geometry there.

[edit#2] actually now that you mention it maybe I accidently merged the foundation into the wrong scene!! so you are prolly right, I do have more recent version with a better penthouse around here somewhere...but I am too tired to make an update right now I have been up waaay too long...maybe after I get some sleep.

[SimFox 804]

I think you should also have to take a gooood look at those reference pictures, as there is not a single AC unit anywhere on either of the towers.

As of judging color from the photograph -it is a very dangerous business. Photo is NOT an eye! Different settings of exposure, white balance etc may dramatically affect the color. So you should look for other clues

You’ve mentioned those reference photos provided kindly by Endophins.

And quite a nice pictures they are. But are they accurate in terms of colors and brightness? Well colors are more or less accurate. This is overcast day – best lighting conditions to make photographs. But how about brightness?  Lets take for example first picture:

 

To make this judgment on the brightness and hence saturation of unfamiliar object you have to look for something familiar in the picture. Take a look at the tree right at the bottom of the picture – it all but black!! So this is something you have to look for when trying to get info from photos. Remember looking for familiar objects and use them as measuring sticks. This picture is so biased because of the light reflected in windows, and significant part of sky which also made it into the picture and not too professional photographer, or too automatic camera or may be it is deliberate, it doesn’t really matter what matter is that picture is not accurate.

Here is little segment of this picture where I tried to reconstruct true lighting in the scene based on the expected brightness of a tree on overcast day:

 

 

left part as is, and right I brighten with levels to get right look for the tree. of course this is but an approximation. But it will give you much better impression of real color.

Another thing to take into consideration that color will vary a great deal depending where in the picture you'll sample it and is that picture accurate? Shade or open bright lit area? How reflective material is and what are the surroundings. This is same as with Sorrento, That time I’ve decided not to get into this but I just love Chelsea much more…

[Skyfire2275 23]

Editted because I mixed up terms (in bold face)....

The model looks good, but I have to agree with SimFox, the textures are too saturated... most of them need to be lightened just a little bit. So that they look more like the last pic that SimFox has posted above my post. They will also fit into the game better like that. But, then again, this is just my opinion... Keep up the good work!

[SimFox 804]

People, let’s be more careful with terms. Brightness and saturation are two very distinct concepts and should not be mixed!

Skyfire, the point of me putting this picture was to illustrate my suggestion that textures should be brighter and less saturated. So I say that Bixel’s present colors are NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH, but overly saturated.

[Skyfire2275 23]

Hmm... seems as though I have confused the terms. I mean the same thing as SimFox, but I am graphically illiterate and don't know the difference between all of the terms. lol. I looked it up and yes, I do mean what SimFox is saying.

Ooops! ... editted previous post.

[Sim shady 12]

Lol simfox, you certainly are being hard on bixel here anyways, this sounds like this will be a fantastic building! i agree with simfox on the textures. Can't wait to see this out on the STEX!

[SimFox 804]

Not trying to bump or flood here but to all advisers on brightness here is one simple test:

 

Which of 3 cubes is brightest:

  

More of this on Forces of Light and the Geometry of Shadows thread. Take a part in the test there.

Edit:

Sim shady: I better be!! He is very talented indeed! But even best of us need sometimes a little push to stay on a path! And all those expressions of adoration, no matter how nice, wouldn't really do that.

[jasperdeman.nl 1]

I really like the building! They would also fit in with modern non-asian cities! However, yhe sure need some Twreck work on it .

Love all of your buildings btw!

[ACEfanatic 7]

Tell me - just how are the windows reflecting the sky there?

(The blue windows should go. Black ones would look better anyway, IMHO.)

-ACE

[bixel 1,228]

Hey thats it!! Thanks ACEfanatic , indeed the windows are very very dark..except when the blinders are down..ok gonna fix the texture.

[SpartanBadger 4]

Now I don't know much about BAT and textures, but it looks kinda like you should lighten the light color textures and make the dark ones darker. But that opinion is probably worth extremely little---anyway I really really like this new creation, I can't wait until it's done!

[HONG KONG 74]

So many great new things since my last visit here. I had lately some computer problems and also no connection. I only wanted to say: It works again and I'm back on track!

[jacqulina 162]

sorry to hear about your pc probs,glad you are back.

[bixel 1,228]

Chelsea Court update comming in about 6 hours---new render...texture changes...AC units fxd - taken out....also Chelsea Court version 2 new render alternative angle. Blue darkened..windows darkned..looks good; promise.

[SURUMI 2]

Sounds good

btw. what's up with Sorrento Tower ?

[bixel 1,228]

T wrecks may have finished on the mod...so far we are kinda sitting on it till I have time to wait for a possible 4 day render...there is 1 render version that I have completed however we (T wrecks and I) know that it is not the best render availible....so we'll see.

[jacqulina 162]

sounds really great cant wait

[bixel 1,228]

Why have 1 when you can have 2?

2 other pics here and here ;too big to post

[ACEfanatic 7]

Purdy...

Looks much better now than it did. Good job, bixel.

*begins watching STEX*

-ACE

[villagemayor 0]

Love it Bixel. It doesn't seem to be as bright as before, and it looks more 'natural' now.

[jacqulina 162]

yes i agree looking natural,wonderfull work

[Skyfire2275 23]

Looks great bixel! Keep up the good work.

[SimFox 804]

is this a final version??

Are the towers independent of each other? I mean can you readjust their relative position?

[6459978. 106]

I like the towers, but (I think I've said this before, sorry if I have), I think the base requires more detailed modelling and textures. Large unbroken walls of a single texture look... unreal. In reality there's always trim, or seams, or conduits, or something. And the little roof sections on the base are again a solid white-ish texture. There's no way in reality they would look like that- either they're tar or asphalt roofs in the first place, or they'd collect a lot more dirt. Just my two cents.

[bixel 1,228]

no asphalt. The foundation is pretty darn close to the real thing. As far as trim goes..yeah..definately some more embellishments can be made...large unbroken walls do not really bother me so much..besides the real thing is kinda like that too.

towers are not independant...we have the T Wrecks tower for that. These two versions are about as far as I am going to go with it..I will work on more stuff as stated above...and some neat nitelighting...other than that I thinks it done. I am surprised actually about the amount of commentary on the foundation..as is it to me some pretty busy geometry going on there...I think I have been pretty faithful to the actual building...like the Sorrento both foundations have long covered wall areas where not much is going on.

[edit] Couldn't help myself....I am going to see if I can do this one

so far the most basic parts..

[Skyfire2275 23]

What building is that, may I ask?