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

[bixel 1,228]

I'm thinking of a re-render with darker windows....and yeh Chelsea is like a big wall of sims.

[ACEfanatic 7]

Hmm... on the Tai Yuen, can I suggest changing the color of that glass room on the base? It definately needs to be darkened and more textured.

Sorry, pet peeve... I don't like circular glass because no one textures it well...

-ACE

[BattleField-2142 9]

Chelsea Court? I love that building!!! That reminds me...I gotta take SimGoober's Embassy Suites... It seems to rule newly zoned commerce parts of my city... Like today, I had a CO$$ that held about 3,000 jobs. About 2 years later, it replaces that and another mid-rise tower with the Embassy Suite ( 917 CS$$$ [ I think ] ) I don't understand that at all....I prefer CO$$ over CS$$$.

If you would [bixel], I may post some Japanese buildings soon so would you take it into consideration of building them?

[BattleField-2142 9]

Gosh I love the design of all these buildings...but I don't like how they are hippy and freakily colorful. ( I know thats how they really are, so good job on realism! ) Thats just my opinion, but I like the less colorful buildings.

[bixel 1,228]

Phase 2...slightly different tower design...plopped twice to show possible formations.

[SimFox 804]

nice work!

One suggestion though. May be you don't need foundation to follow the towers layout quite so exactly and, in a process, leave those odd spaces on the ground. May be it (foundation) could be more Lot size/proportions conforming. I believe this dynamics between foundations and towers themselves will only benefit the appearance of the whole structure.

[Skyfire2275 23]

Looks great bixel! Are you going to do any stand alone towers for us? You know smaller ones that can grow in a 2x3, 3x3, 2x4, or 3x4 zone? Because that would be cool.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Would be cool indead - that's what I'm preaching all the time anyway.

Ok, that aside I have some progress to report. I have had some nice ideas for the lots, and I hope the final package will be something as useful as possible. For starters, I'm designing the lots (a 6x6 left corner lot and a 6x6 right corner lot for Phase 2 and an 8x6 straight lot for phase 3) in a way that they line up seamlessly if they grow next to each other and/or back to back. No footpaths that end in a hedge or other unlogical details!

The growable lots for Phase 2 will of course have the garage entrance either TE'd or not, depending on the taste of the downloader. The landmark lots (yes, there will be landmark lots) will be fully TE'd.

Now there is one interesting aspect - the avenue that leads through Phase 3 is located exactly in the middle of the lot. This means that when you place 2 lots back to back, you will have a... "69" building configuration (I hope this one doesn't get censored! ) and an avenue running right through. The problem is that you can't place two TE'd lots next to each other if the transit-enabled tiles collide. That's why I'm thinking about making two versions for phase 3: One with the front transit-enabled, one with the back. This way, CJers can plop them behind each other in the same orientation, or back to back, or front to front, with a visually seamless avenue leading right through. It won't be really functional, but it should look rather cool.

Finally, given the interesting diagonal shape, I think that an overhanging version should offer great possibilities as well.

So tell me, how does that sound?

[bixel 1,228]

Oohh I forgot we cant have 2 TEd lots colliding...so maybe the 69 position is not sucha good idea...yeah its too bad Phase2 is 6x6 but I realy wanted a building that looked a little different..Phase1 is very simple its just two towers and will prolly fit on a 5x3.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Well, with the trick of not TE'ing only the entrance tiles, at least the visuals are not affected.

Anyway, here are three little preview shots that show the most basic combinations possible with the two lots Tai Yuen Phase 2a (6x6 left corner) and Phase 2b (6x6 right corner) - both based on exactly the same building.

    

So that's it for the start - once phases 1 and 3 get mixed inbetween, things start getting really interesting, I should think.

For those who are interested to know, dependency count so far and planned for the entire set of at the very least 8 lots: 1 mandatory (BSC Textures MEGA Pack), 1 entirely optional (PEG's light cones). Less is hardly possible thanks to Maxis not including even some of the most basic and all-purpose textures.

[bixel 1,228]

Those are amazing!! The shrubbery and the hedges reall make it standout..I just love the endless conformity mixed with nature's flora. LUV IT!!!

Right now I am rendering the One Kowloon...who wants to modd this? I plan for making it a 6x4 lot...for those that need more reference there is a PDF plan and render of the building here

I need to do a re-render cause some of the nightlights are messed up but here's a teaser.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Hey, I'm glad you like it.

Concerning One Kowloon, I'd love to mod it, but seeing how I'm busy with the Shangri-La, the Tai Yuen stuff, some last MAPP work, and translating & fixing up STEX stuff for the SimsZone download center, I guess I shouldn't do that.

[mcarch 15]

Oooo... me likey!

[mightygoose 92]

sweet mother of jesus

[spa 970]

Nicely done. The reflection at the bottom is a nice touch.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Some more news on Tai Yuen... I have lotted (and almost completed modding) Phase 3, and together with the two Phase 2 lots, a complex might look something like the little preview impression I have plopped together and photographed in the following 4 screenies:

     

(Please ignore the lack of transit-enabling; I did that after I took the screenshots. In addition to this, I didn't wait for the people props to appear)

Speaking of transit-enabling, I had ignored that Phase 3 has a garage entrance that must be connected with the surrounding streets somehow, so I decided to make only two versions in the same orientation, but with different transit-enabling. The two following screenies show the thoughts behind:

      

This aspect (the parallel existence of two differently TE'd versions) raised a little problem: How to make it as easy as possible for the user to distinguish the two? Item descriptions, of course. This will be done, no doubt about that. But even better..? It was at this point that it made *CLICK* and an idea occurred to me. Look at the following pic of the fully transit-enabled version: The red boxes will show you which tiles are TE'd even before you plop. Dead simple and yet really helpful. Neat-o, huh?

I hope you like what you see...

[____----____ 37]

looks pretty fierce!! nice work on the lot Twrecks

[bixel 1,228]

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome, Awesome, Awesome, !!! I can't thank you enough..except to award you the T Wrecks tower after Chelsea is released. I do not know how you managed to make TE'd tiles red that is amazing modd work!!

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Teeheehee... that's the funniest bit about it: It was not even modding work!

In fact, it is so stultifyingly simple that probably no one has had this idea before because it was so simple. You know, sometimes things are lying spread out in front of you, and you are playing around with them, and then you think you have seen it all. All of a sudden, someone comes, picks up two of the pieces you were playing with and simply puts them together in a different way, and lo! there's something totally new.   That's normally the moment when you want to bang your head on the table until it doesn't hurt anymore... then again, sometimes that person with the new idea is none other but yourself.

Ok, enough waffle already, and I don't wanna waste space without posting any pictures, so here ya go - some previews on the overhanging landmark versions (simple application examples):

 

Ok, now I'm calling it quits for today - I need to play some brainless computer game now to recharge batteries...

[jacqulina 162]

excellent work very nice

[van1357 15]

Bixel, all the new models look amazing! I can't wait to see them on the stex. Also, the lots are beautiful T Wrecks! Keep up the great work...

[Andreas Roth 629]

That new set is smashing indeed. The towers are excellent as usual, and since they are more generic than many of the HK skyscrapers, they will be useful for a wide variety of purposes. I really like that alignment thingy, so very simple and yet so very creative! Wonderful work, guys.

[bixel 1,228]

WOW!!! I must say I am more excited to use T Wrecks LOTs over the hubris of releasing the buildings..T Wrecks' LOTting makes them truely immortal....uh oh ..I guess I just released too much information about myself....I will quit typing now.

[Jasoncw 11,949]

I haven't checked here in a while, but everything's still looking really good! The lots for these newer buildings have a lot of possiblities.

One of my pet peeves though is when building props don't cast shadows. I don't know if they're not in the screenshots because of the game's current graphics settings, but what ever the case, make sure those buildings cast shadows! lol

[Yoman3 5]

The quality of these are mind blowing. Though they cant really be used in an americanish CJ they surly fit into mine. Keep up the great work guys and your lots already litter my city. Damn litters....lol

[Skyfire2275 23]

Wow, nice building bixel! and nice lots T Wrecks!!

Keep up the good work guys!

[T Wrecks 10,210]

*cough* *cough* Rather dusty in here, isn't it?

Well, here I am to dust this thread off´and show some progress on Chelsea Court. I'm not sure if it turned out well, but I tried my best using only one mandatory dependency (BSC Maxis Textures from the BSC Textures MEGA Pack) and one optional dependency (light cones from PEG's MTP resource). Thes huge lots with so much space to fill are killing me. Anyway, let me know what you think:

 

 

You're looking at a 10x6 lot, btw...

[bixel 1,228]

WOW!!! That looks super happening...though you will have to make 1 small adjustment...did you get the attached prop I sent you? (Check your email). There is a statue that goes with the building. Sorry for the wierd building design layout...it is just how it is. Maybe I will design a compact HKish looking parking lot to fill in the gaps...we can use it over and over agin for standard HK lotting. Infact I will try to get that done ASAP for the rerendered release of the Garden Lots.

[Skyfire2275 23]

Looks good T Wrecks.

[jacqulina 162]

excellent work