autoVino's bat projects

[Jasoncw 12,008]

What is the stuff that looks like corrosion.  At this scale you could probably model the tiles.  You can also consider what each step looks like from the side.  Does it have some kind of edging, or can you see the different layers of floor, etc. 

[____----____ 37]

man this is a cool project, unique but realistic, and highly detailed, i can't wait to put it in my cities!

[autoVino 26]

Originally posted by: Jasoncw What is the stuff that looks like corrosion.  At this scale you could probably model the tiles.  You can also consider what each step looks like from the side.  Does it have some kind of edging, or can you see the different layers of floor, etc. quote>

 

I was going for marble slabs as steps.  Probably not very strong realisticly though (I don't know how strong marble really is though)

[Jasoncw 12,008]

Are the lines for tiles? If that's the case, then the marble pattern wouldn't cross over from tile to tile. The pattern also looks to be overscaled. How does the glass attach to the steps?

[autoVino 26]

they were... the grey lines that is, I'm getting rid of them though... I'm going to try a stronger bump or displacement mapping.  I can't quite make the marble pattern cross over from tile to tile without making it look too repetitive or makeing it flow into itself/cross over.

As for glass, I was hoping no one would notice that.. how it ataches that is.  It sort of attaches and it's kind of wierd... gose through the steps, etc.

[autoVino 26]

redone, this time more attention to detial and how the glass connects to the stairs was given.

Changed the marble texture to a nice pink marble, still not too sure if it looks convincing.  Kind of hard to fake marble for me.  Detail:

overview:

(man... winter is soo boring, you can never go outside because it's too cold or drive anywhere because the roads are too icy)

[Jasoncw 12,008]

Add a champfer to the edges of the slabs.  I don't think marble usually has really hard edges.  I still think you should model out the individual pieces, since they're pretty simple and the bump map doesn't look too great.

Also, for the structure holding up the slabs, usually it's not flush with the step.  Steps ussually look like:

__

\

or

___

_|

So your foot doesn't hit it.

This is a good project.  It would be good for a portfolio.

[autoVino 26]

hmm... maybe, but right now I'md doing it for fun :-p

[bbfan02 23]

That would be interesting!

[autoVino 26]

I forgot to save with gamma correction.  Now complete with marble slabs as stairs, glass panels, a fountain, pool, waterfall, benches... ... ...and finally a couple of water people sitting at the edge (this was actually a "shock wave" of some sort that resulted in the sudden addition of volume to the tank in the fluids simulation.  Water is being poured in at the waterfal and when it hits the large mass of wate, the pool, it one creats a large wave at the place of impact and two created more waves at the other end of the tank because of the sudden increased volume.  For some reason the outflow of the water did not match the inflow of the system and the tank quickly filled up.  This was the only convincing frame of the simulation)  Maybe release this to the stex?

[Sim shady 12]

OMG the water looks amazing! You just keep getting better and better at 3d modeling

[ianpaschal 77]

Check my comment in the BATs in Prog. Thread. The gamma correction is imo a bunch of crap. I'm under the impression that all it does is create problems because I found that it:

A. Created additional problems when I tried to save renders

B. Did not fix any washed out textures (Like simfox said it would)

C. Allowed for perfect renders when not adjusted.

[gabry85 2]

Man, the detail is impressive and the water is very realistic! And that color bleed is stunning too, caustics power! Maybe you should release some tutorials!

[autoVino 26]

Originally posted by: Scipio Check my comment in the BATs in Prog. Thread. The gamma correction is imo a bunch of crap. I'm under the impression that all it does is create problems because I found that it:

A. Created additional problems when I tried to save renders

B. Did not fix any washed out textures (Like simfox said it would)

C. Allowed for perfect renders when not adjusted.quote>

 

keep in mind that gamma correction works for log exposure because it messes up the textures A LOT (that is it bleaches them)!  If you're using 3ds 2008 then I don't reccomend using the log exposure but the other mental ray exposire control (which I personally would love to have... but I'm a bit short on cash these last few days)

The render above doesn't really need gamma correction, but it looked a bit nicer with it enabled.  As to saving it, this is trickey especially in script renders.  You have to enable gamma override when saving and manually change the gamma output to the desiered value.  By not saving it with gamma correction overide, you just get the original image as if there was no correction.

[Jasoncw 12,008]

I think you should model the tiles for the tub.

[autoVino 26]

really?  It could be done easily, but because of the water mesh my video card's having troulbe managing (nothing compared to some of my other ambitios projects though) the scene already (there's something odd about it... It was created by a software that had trouble saving it to the 3ds format... that is it would always be currupt and crash the program.  Now in 3ds  I can't convert the object to an editalbe poly nor can I easily manipulate it without heavy lag.)  Sounds a bit excessive though modelling every tile...

here's what it looks like without fancy render:

oh and for thsoe of you who are interested, here is a low quality video:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?994xwemdkgc

[SimFox 804]

scipio:

I think you're jumping the gun here a bit... Gamma correction is a key issue here. Auto did a great job explaining the reasons behind them. to this I want to add one more. MAX (at least v 2008) has some problem to save/upply gamma to crop renders and I think crop is what the BAT renders are. I'll have to look more into this issue and my be get in touch with Autodesk.

I'll see when I have some time if I could get gamma into the script. It would be great tool.

As I've said before gamma is a key. in light of the problems BAT has with it there is one way to bypass them - it is somewhat crude and doesn't allow for proper preview in MatEditor and color picker, but it should work in render for all bitmaps. What you should do is simply de-gamma all your bitmap textures manually. this could be don in Photoshop or any other image editing software.

Ideally you should use dedicated Exposure command (I guess it may be available in many software that comes with digicams). and set gamma for you bitmap textures to 0,454 - referse gamma of 2,2 (1/2,2=0,45454...)

then during the render the process will be reversed and you'll see your textures close to what they look in say photoshop. Mind you it never be perfect match as you would have to take into account the lighting and color/brithgness bleeds. but it will be correct look.

If you don't have exposure control in your package, than you may use Levels. set midgrey point to 0,454 and then during render you should get pretty close to the right solution. It wouldn't be quite the same as with gamma due to the compression that LEVEL introduces creates gaps in histogram so when gamma applied during the render those gaps are stretched and some washing out will occur but it will be relativelly minor one.

here are couple of examples:

Exposure command of Photoshop:

---

original:	reversed	recreated by applying gamma 2,2

Start - end

original	processed

Levels:

---

original:	reversed	recreated by applying gamma 2,2

Start - end

original	processed

[ianpaschal 77]

I understand the concept.

Mostly what I meant was that wasn't at all the problem. While gamma correction may fix washed out textures, it screwed up my renderings immensely and when I stopped using gamma correction that problem was gone. Furthermore, the washed out textures had nothing to do with the gamma I found. I'm not totally sure what the problem was but I tested (through various experiments and control groups) that gamma was not it. I changed how I did some things and it works well now. Gamma correction is not in the solution however.

Thanks for your help though.

[autoVino 26]

[SimRabbit 48]

are you in some kind of architecture career or class?

the hi-rise is very good but what's the point of modelling the inside walls? unless you are selling this model to a company, i don't see the point of modelling interior stuff.

[autoVino 26]

no, I do it just for fun...

worked a bit on the roof.  The green roof section will contain a bar.. I'm adding some taller glass rails for those few irrosposible drinkers.

[autoVino 26]

I added a limestone facade to the top few floors (this is a just a test render.  As you can see some parts are incorrectly mapped and some parts on the roof aren't mapped at all.  Im going to fix those).  When the whole building has the same facade, imo, makes it look worse.  I think I'm going to keep the limestoan facade for the top floors and go with something a tad bit lighter stone on the lower floors.  I'll probably stick to a limestoan facade on the base though, or maybe mix-it-up.  Still need to add furnishings to the roof, though.

[SimFox 804]

This tower is growing on me!

When I just saw the first floor I was a bit apprehensive about the design. But seeing it as a tower and particularly those perspective shots did make quite a difference. The shape that look absolutelly arbirary and somewhat pointlessly elaborate suddenly start making total sense (from point of insolation). Also light play and shadows make a huge difference.

I'd say that the only thing That I still can not get in my head is pattern of window frames...

[autoVino 26]

There is no real purpose for the window frame design... for practicallity that is, I mean I'm sure that the windows could easily exist without them in reality.  They're only there to add a little bit of ostentation to the model (as are the blooming flower trees, the glass, stone, etc).
Here are some more renders with alterations to the textures:





there's something about the orange tile one that I favor, but I'm not too sure about how it will do ingame.  The render with the back looks too repetative and synthetic to me.  I'm not too sure about the first render that I posted, but it seems to give a better impressions then the rest of the stone ones, imo.  It has a subtle white tiling, though kind of hard to see.  These all should be pretty clsoe to zoom five previews.

[____----____ 37]

i can't wait it's wonderful.

[SimRabbit 48]

me tooooooo........

the first and third one are my favorite, hope to see them on the STEX.

[Fledgeling 1]

Flying figs, thats a nice tower. Like simfox, i thought "uh-oh" when i saw the first floor, but it looks really good now.

But certainly those color schemes are for representation are not the final texture? I admit I prefer the second one.

Also, the glass railing on top of the roof is neat, but whats holding it up? It looks like one huge section. Needs some divisions.

[autoVino 26]

These days glass can be pretty strong material.  Ive seem lots of exampes where glass doesn't have any reinforcing mullions in it except itself such as the insdie perspective render I did above.  If I did that it wouldn't be visible on the zoom five anyway, as it's not visible in the rest of the buidling (and now that I think about it, I'm not too sure that this is truely zoom five renders since I'm not really working on simcity scale but on a more realistic scale)

I think I like this combination the most:

Gave it a subtle white shale like facade.

[mightygoose 92]

thats my favourite although it would be nice to see the orange one with a reddish roof texture...

[SimRabbit 48]

yeah that's much better. does it has an entrance?