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

[bixel 1,228]

@ toxicpiano Thanks! But unfortunately due to my silly fiddling around with running processes I can't run 3DS Max7! At least not for now...uh bummer...so no renders or work can be done for awhile...though I could start some new projects in 3DS Max6...I think that still works.

@ villagemayor I've been doing this for only a year...granted my geek power keeps me enthused beyond human ability.

@ SC4Noobie Exactly! It all started when I used phillipobo's tutorial...should be found in the omnibus. Its is an extremely near perfect tutorial! There are more tricks I learned from other BATters and staying in good connection with simtropolis friends.

@ starrdarcy Well..its 3DS Max's default scanline..not gmax...I used a camlightrig very similar to Simfox's here (hrmm...its seems the pics have been expired) well thats too bad...maybe Simfox can give you the coordinates of his 'sun' light. I basically made the same scene yet I set the sun coordinates to half of what Simfox posted. I enabled Lightracer with 2 bouces (only on small buildings..takes waaaaay too long on larger ones) and rendered.

[villagemayor 0]

Bixel, your geek power makes me melt. I am unworthy (bowing to you). I am...

[bixel 1,228]

GEEK POWER!!!! Mwahahahahahah

As a long time supporter of my werks from the very beginning I present you with the T Wrecks Tower!! He of course can name it whatever he wants. Enjoy T Wrecks!

I will try to get the rest of the Chelsea Foundation finished soon meanwhile.....here is some ideas for my next project. Old Town Hong Kong

hope the pics are not too large;

full thread here

[mcarch 15]

Oh Wow! ShangRi Lai hehe.. whatever that means

[mightygoose 92]

womg old town cool, love the t wrecks tower, and how are those pencil towers doing too??

[Skyfire2275 23]

Looks good bixel. The only one thing I don't like is some of the coloures at the base: the reddish-brown textures , the tables and chairs, and umbrellas. There seesm to be too many textures and colours in this area. The main tower though... looks awesome! Good work!

[SimFox 804]

it's a poetry!!!

I sooooo LOVE this incredible sea of humanity!!!

It is very strange and foreign to northern Europeans, but it is understandable for those from south! The cities full of natural HUMAN sounds, not just sounds of machines like cities of the north! It is pinnacle of human civilization -ultimate cities.

I think world has passed one more circle in its development and civilization and comes back to it’s roots. People, as ever changing and developing community. Not completely separate and utterly individualistic, but to some degree ant like unity in ever growing, ever climbing spiral of civilization. Reaching to the stars! in small incremental steps. Every step is firmly based in experiences of countless individuals, their memories and desires, often suppressed by society, but none the less added to cumulative experience of human race!

As for the new tower - excellent!! I agree with Skyfire – Parasols and that floor texture look a bit tired… Why don’t you try to have some rooftop garden like DMSCOPIO has on some of his buildings, it would give some fresh feel to the whole building. But I must admit – you are absolute king of the residential!!! Try you hand at something else as well. I’m sooo curious to see what would you do with say low rise offices and some such. Something along the lines of Starrdarcy. IMHO you are quite a bit ahead there. And your style is perfect for something like that!

That said I do think that “old” HK recreations would be really interesting! And it brings up the whole issue of HK/Asian Props! I really believe we need it, cause most of the stuff that came with the game, or has been created is quite irrelevant. Most of it is way too suburban!

[bixel 1,228]

Just the beginning...textures will be much more interesting and more stuff will be put into the scene

[mcarch 15]

Oh, run down.... hehe I like it!

[jesselong 0]

More rust/ water dripping marks/ clothes hanging sticks would me much appreciated.

BTW, it's really attractive!

[Shinnie02 17]

Now this is some stuff I need. The HK BAT team seem to make things that I'm exactly thinking of for my region...Its scaring me..

[villagemayor 0]

Bixel, I love it!! I especially like the two tables. Adds some realism. But if the sims only knew how to play majong.... Can you add a majong table with 4 chairs and majong tiles on the table????? As you may know (judging by the pics I uploaded here last month) I went to HK earlier in the summer, and passing some of these stores, half of the stores have a majong tables.

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Bixel my friend, once again your work never ceases to amaze me (you and simfox have inspired me to start playing with reflections). and everyone, thanks to bixel who has kindly offered to render my seemingly unrenderable models for me, and also to simfox who has offered to take them on if they dont work for Bixel (tempramental models)

[mightygoose 92]

goddammit man all in favour that bixel is the master of the BAT say aye...

[SimFox 804]

OMG!

Bravo!

[bixel 1,228]

Heheh!! Well guys...I was just hankering for more "gardens" sorry I couldn't help myself.

I might do a re-render on this pretty soon cause I think it's color scheme needs fixing..also I might git rid of the bright roof glass up top, its kinda distracting.

Bwahhahahaha!!!!!

yup I LOTted and Modded it myself.

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Heres a thought, have you considered transit enabling these? Usually people avoid transit enabling growables because the lot can not upgrade if its enabled, but these are HUGE so what would they ugrade to anyway? Just a thought, it could really help with the way the lots interact with the city.

[bixel 1,228]

Most of the bigger ones are TE'd; for example Sham Wan, Dynasty Court, and Liberte.

[Skyfire2275 23]

Hmm... the shape of the tower looks good, as do the towers themselves. But I cannot say I am a fan of the textures/colours used on the base or the glass on the top of the tower. Too bright in general... needs to match the towers themselves a bit more. It kind of looks awkward right now.

The lot, however, looks EXCELLENT! Only one thing is that this should be a corner lot because the driveway jusy disappears off the edge of he lot without connecting to anything.

By the way, are you seriously some kind of robot/computer program, because you crank out these models at an amazing rate!

keep up the good work!

[bixel 1,228]

Ok here's a new version! New render technique. Its ORANGE!!! ahaha. Ok it might be kinda bright but I kinda like it..adds a little color to the game you don't see everyday.

This one will be released soon.

[mightygoose 92]

man thats is awesome sorry to keep perstering what happened to the pencil towers i like the orange...

[bixel 1,228]

Dunno? Anybody heard from Hong Kong? What has he been up to? I sent them to him quite a while ago.

[Skyfire2275 23]

It looks much better with the darker glass at the base and on the roof. Bravo!

[bixel 1,228]

Ok re-render of Dynasty Court! HUGE difference! I'll let you guys be the judge.

1st the OLD

Now the New!!

so should I update with the new version? ps. check out T Wrecks awesome Lotting! Man he's amazing!

[Yoman3 5]

Wow that is a big difference. Still looks awsome!

[Skyfire2275 23]

Wow, it's even pinker!! Holy moly! The shadows on the new render are definitely better.

[Sim shady 12]

dang that looks nice. i love it. And dude your textures are unbelievable.

[bixel 1,228]

Ok file has been updated!

[SimFox 804]

It is an improvement in many ways, but I think it looks a bit to dark - way to dark actually. The original looked cheerful – and so does the real thing. New one look like it has been there for 30 years without any repairs or repaint! A bit depressed and depressing. Which is in itself a perfectly valid effect, if that what you are looking for. But if it isn’t then I would suggest you to lighten your textures and at the same time desiderate them a bit. You can just set the curves in Photoshop or other photoeditor and then apply them to all the textures- quite and consistent update. Should take just a 10 min.

 

And another thing that has been bagging me somewhat from the time of TCC – shadows. Those on open Area look very good and realistic, but light doesn’t seem to be able to penetrate into yards and such. So in the end the contract between parts of a building that are facing to the outside and those facing the yard is a bit to much… look in the space between the towers it’s darker then a dark night! Naturally it should be darker there then in the open shadow, but not that much! At least not when you’ll look at it with your naked eye. Photo (not well made one) may deliver such a picture, but not your eye! Something has to be done about it – one thing is changing the textures it can go a long way but, not all the way. TCC was basically white, well not so much white since there as well you used very dark texture for windows, still it needed some cheats to get yard not to look like a black hole. Anyway… Lighting is a tricky thing… Have you ever thought why all Maxis building are basically boxes? Because their modelers are so lame?? Nope, it is because boxes are easy to illuminate! No really need for custom schemes. But once you get yourself into complex shapes like this LIGHT becomes the whole new ball game! That’s why visualisators exist on par with modelers – and often are getting higher pay! Today no render engine is really “REAL” so to get effect one is expected to work around problem areas. Meaning each complex structure should in ideal world have its own lighting rig. Such that it looks is consistent but also look natural. And in 3D to be natural you’ll have to fake A LOT!

 

Here is a little composite I’ve made of two towers one in shadow and one in direct sunlight.

 
In many ways it is nice – something that you may expect in partially overcast day, very mild, soft difference in illumination and absolutely not of the colorcast – which is natural to such a day – light is more or less white from every direction. But then shadows are absolutely inconsistent with this picture. The are like in very bright sunny day. In such a day you would normally see significant blue tint to the shadows. Then again, it could be that peculiar situation when you have all the sky covered with clouds giving even white light and suddenly there is an opening – right where the sun is.

 

And one more thing – did you change the main texture? I mean one you use for the walls (pinkish one? On old renderings it looks more or less solid. On new one it’s covered with rather unsightly splotches... Like it needs urgent visit to the dermatologist!!

 

Anyway these are just my suggestions, sorry if I get to technical again. But that’s what I seem to do most of time… I model a bit and then go into tech woods…

 

Take ALL that I’ve said just as it is- some thoughts!!

Remember that there always be problems! Some could be fixed and some just couldn’t. Out of those that could some are easy, and some are just to complicated to fix and not worth it given amount of time and effort in relation to the result! These are the question every artist faces. And you are, my friend, an ARTIST! So I talk to you as to a capable grown up, not silly little teen who needs constant pampering and ecstatic gibberish whenever he/her managed to make a box, like is all too common here on simtropolis.

[bixel 1,228]

hrmmm..yeah I agree it is a little dark...maybe I will do some experimenting to get it the 'sunny' look again without losing the color like the 1st one. Oh and try to cool down on your 'expressive prose' when you start going there my eyes tend wander and I move on down to the next sentence. Srry to put it to ya that way HAWHAWHAWHAWHAW!!! but yeah I will do some lighting experiments.