Marina Project

[dolsson 0]

I don't know how I missed this thread.  I've been working on a marina project for some time.  I have currently given up on placing a marina onto game water and instead am working on a marina add-on for SG's canal pieces.  Something similar to the pick below.

I have the first couple of lots done except for boats.  I, too, am looking for gmax/BAT boats.  I guess there are no default boat props that come with the game?  I'm pretty bad at gmax, but maybe I'll use the tips in this thread to try to model some of my own.  I have some in Sketchup format, but they don't convert well to gmax/BAT.

So, did the project featured in this thread just disappear?  I'm very curious about someone else's success with a more realistic marina using in-game water.

D

[Jasoncw 11,840]

You missed this thread because it is dead.  No one has posted in this thread for 9 months. 

[Jasoncw 11,840]

You missed this thread because it is dead.  No one has posted in this thread for 9 months. 

[dolsson 0]

I was very happy to find the thread, even though it was inactive, because it so closely addresses the kind of work I've been doing recently.  And I chose to revive it, rather than start a new thread, because I hope to continue the discussion of a "Marina Project," and I thought that having the context of the earlier discussion would be helpful.

At the moment, I am working on boat props.  The discussion above got me thinking about using the lathe tool, but I am having trouble figuring out how to do it properly.  I can get a 180 or 360 degree mesh, but I can't get from there to a useful editable poly.  I'd appreciate any suggestions.

I've also played around with this shipyard tutorial but  it really hasn't gotten me where I want to go; it might have if I had some cross-sectional drawings, but I don't.  I'm surprised there isn't more information out there about modeling boats/boat hulls in gmax. 

D

[dolsson 0]

I was very happy to find the thread, even though it was inactive, because it so closely addresses the kind of work I've been doing recently.  And I chose to revive it, rather than start a new thread, because I hope to continue the discussion of a "Marina Project," and I thought that having the context of the earlier discussion would be helpful.

At the moment, I am working on boat props.  The discussion above got me thinking about using the lathe tool, but I am having trouble figuring out how to do it properly.  I can get a 180 or 360 degree mesh, but I can't get from there to a useful editable poly.  I'd appreciate any suggestions.

I've also played around with this shipyard tutorial but  it really hasn't gotten me where I want to go; it might have if I had some cross-sectional drawings, but I don't.  I'm surprised there isn't more information out there about modeling boats/boat hulls in gmax. 

D

[Jasoncw 11,840]

The way you're going about making the boats is good.  Try searching for boat making tutorials in 3ds max.  Some of them might use features that aren't in Gmax, but some might not.

This is a nice tutorial here on how to do polygon modeling.  It is in French, but easy to understand.  Instead of making Crash, you'd make the shape of the boat.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

The way you're going about making the boats is good.  Try searching for boat making tutorials in 3ds max.  Some of them might use features that aren't in Gmax, but some might not.

This is a nice tutorial here on how to do polygon modeling.  It is in French, but easy to understand.  Instead of making Crash, you'd make the shape of the boat.

[dolsson 0]

Thanks for the encouragement.  I think I'm getting the hang of it.  Here's my first boat, not yet textured but otherwise ready.

Now if the texturing goes okay, I think I'm cooking  with gas.  One thing that confuses me: even after I apply a texture, it does not always show on the model.  Do I have to do something to render it or something else to make the texture show?  When I applied textures to the mast and sail cover, they showed up right away, as shown in the picture.  Some other textures, though, just show up as a new color, not the actual texture.

D

[jacqulina 162]

excellent boat great work

[lucky7 73]

I like the boat, too!! To bad this thread has been closed and obviously hardly anyone is working on a Marina Project- honestly, there are not enough marina lots on the stex to create custom yacht clubs and small piers that are found on every water/ beachfront. But let's see, maybe this is an inspiration to some BATers... Looking forward to more!

[dolsson 0]

Thanks for the compliments.  It's crazy how hard I had to work to get such a simple-looking result.  I textured that boat today, along with a couple of variations.  I'll post a pic of them tomorrow, placed on the first of my SG/BSC canal marina lots.  Then I have to work up a few more boats for variety's sake.

If anyone can point me to some line drawings of boats, it'd be a great help.  Something to show me the footprint and profile of the boat.  These are the ones I used for the boat pictured above:

UPDATE: Okay, here is an in-game pic of a marina piece with boat included:

I'm having a problem, though, in that another version I made--one that had lit windows--did not light up in game.  It looked good in the BAT/gmax preview, but no lights in game.  I think I've read about some requirements for BATted lights to work in game, but I don't remember them.  Any suggestions?

Regards,

D

[Jasoncw 11,840]

There is an update somewhere on the official website. 

[jacqulina 162]

looking good some great progress

[exodus 10]

This is what I've always needed and tried to build. I'm starting to get the hang of batting and stuff so I may post a few of my own marine ideas here.

great work

[dolsson 0]

I've finished BATting two more boats.  Sorry for the fuzzy pic, it's just a screenie from gmax/BAT:

At this point, my work is going to have more to do with the BSC canals, so I'm going to continue the discussion at the BSC canals thread.  And, I don't know, maybe I should start a new thread...

Regards,

D

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Yeah, you can start a new thread if you'd like. 

For the boats, I recommend giving them a slightly darker texture, so that the white on the top of the boats doesn't get so bright.

[jacqulina 162]

looking good so far very nice

[dolsson 0]

I will consider the texturing once I get a lot in game with multiple boats, but one thing I notice about sailboat marinas is that it's really a big expanse of white fiberglass, so I do want a lot of bright white. I do see what you mean, though.  It's almost like there's glare off the top of the boats in the pic.  But, again, I'll see how it looks once I get a bunch of the boats in game together.  It'll be easy enough to change that texture later.