Cockatoo's BAT Thread

[bixel 1,223]

hrmm

try openening a new scene then MERGE Chung Fook Luk Terrace into the new scene

[Cockatoo 2,256]

On a much moar positive note...

Remember this? Well I've gotten around to re-doing it with some of the new skills I've learned over the past few months working with AIG and some other BAT's.

I've still got to re-model and re-texture the base section but I'm happy with the new (and rather strange) lighting and body / roof textures. I'll be working on this over the week and hopefully I'll have a much better model to re-release by the end.

And as for Chung Fook (no) Luk  ... I've tried everything, the file is corrupted beyond repair (stupid Gmax!) and I didn't save a backup copy... (stupid me!)

I'm gonna have to re-make the entire model, although it should take a lot less time now because  I'm just not making it up as I go along. Don’t worry, it’s just a delay, that’s all!

[bixel 1,223]

Yeh usually when I am making stuff I have an the first version saved like before I texture, then a 1.1 version during texturing, then 1.2 when I start fiddling with nightlights, then a 1.3 on the export. Generally as a fail safe I usually have at least one copy call "buildingname"_export specifically for the export. This helps alot

[SimFox 802]

Cockatoo-210893:

you may try to check out autobackup files.

It is a good idea to set the number of backups high - say 10-15 this way you have much higher chance of recovering your work...

[Cockatoo 2,256]

What the? Simfox? How...

Cockatoo-210893?

no ****?

wha?

Oh yea, I already had a good look around the autoback folder and the Gmax forums, this is just one of those really un-lucky ones where there's no way to get it back (although I have now set the number of autobackups up to 9 -maximum to try and prevent this from happening again.)

I tried the merge method as well, and some people on other forums had the same problem, the merge window doesn’t even open.

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Hey cockatoo, remember your new lot for Bixel's Sceneway Garden Phase 1, and how we had a little chat about it? Now's the moment... today I spent almost the entire day re-modding and re-lotting and translating and repackaging Sceneway Garden for our German site... I made a simple 3x3 single-tower growable and assembled new multi-tower landmark lots featuring the original tower arrangement. I have finished Phase 1... and Phase 2, and Phase 3, and Phase 4.

Here, a few pics to illustrate the overall effect. I took them when Phases 1&2 were completed... guess the style difference between Bixel, you and me is rather obvious. Anyway, have a look if you like:

 

 

The other two share the same basic scheme... I added a soccer pitch behind the towers of phase 3 to fill the huge empty area.

Don't expect this on the STEX anytime soon, but maybe in the further future...

       

[bixel 1,223]

OMG!!!! I want it!!! Soooo bad, put it on the STEX!! Oooooh its gorgeous!

[villagemayor 0]

Amazing work! The details in the windows are amazing.

[panthersimcity4 162]

Originally posted by: Cockatoo-210893

Bye bye... we're never gonna see that one again...quote>

Damn Gmax. They'll pay

[Godzillaman 21]

Looks great, I'll download this version, but do you think you can redo the immigration towers textures too?

[Cockatoo 2,256]

T-wrecks! You have to release that! I'm still going ahead with my plans to re-lot phases 2, 3, and 4 as well, but I want to get some of my BAT work done before can do that.

I'll make sure to give you a shout when I get them done- but I really like what you did with them, very creative and realistic.

Godzillaman, I can look back at my first few BAT's now and say "Man I'd love to re-do this and that" and in the future, I'll probably want to re-do the stuff that I'm working on now, but the facts are that I've already done that- it's over with and I'm doing new stuff now. The only reason I'm re-doing the Yau Ma Tei is because the night lighting REALLY sucked.

If you're really keen, I can send you the GMAX file for the Immigration Tower and you can re-texture it if you like.

[bixel 1,223]

glad to see you working on the midrises. I should get around to completing my Mong Kok midrise pack 2 pretty soon, i hope.

[fusion_lemon 2]

Hey just want to praise all of your good work here!

especially wanna mention Cockatoo-210893's improvements, it's just... terrific!!! lol

but then I feel a bit strange about the outlook of the "Yau Ma Tei Currency Exchange". coz it seems a bit flattened and the chinese characters / graphics on the wall were so elongated... Notice that 7-eleven symbol =P Just wanna ask if anything can be done to make it looks better and not so "distorted" ?

Sorry for that but I know nothing in computer rendering stuffs...

[Cockatoo 2,256]

Some more progress:

[bixel 1,223]

Woo it looking better and better

[jacqulina 162]

wow thats excellent

[Cockatoo 2,256]

And two more before bed...

Of course the night-lighting is still very much a work in progress, but I think the actual model is almost done. Any suggestions?

[fusion_lemon 2]

hello Cockatoo,

I just love it's appearance and also the signboards hanging out there~

perhaps by looking at those magnificient neon light signboards in Nathan Road you can have some ideas on the night-lighting of that building... lol

 (Mong-kok section of Nathan Road) (Yaumatei - Jordan section of Nathan Road)

P.S. Actually I see that "Temple Street" signboard on the roof ... (kinda weird =P)

[Cockatoo 2,256]

I could imagine seeing something like this on a street corner in a Tsim Sha Tsui market district or the New Territories now.

Almost done- just need to tweak a few things in the night lighting and we're ready for Modding.

That's gonna be the hard part though- I really want to fit this on a 3X3 lot this time- T-Wrecks, I may need your help with this.

From All Angles...

[Godzillaman 21]

This V2 looks alot better!

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Sure thing - what exactly do you need to know or require me to do?

As for the building, I love everything but the tree and the roof texture on that bright middle slab. The base has improved so much, and all the signage and those tables... wow, just wow. So lively!

The tree doesn't quite convince me because it still looks a bit like Counter-Strike graphics (HL1 engine) - some 3D modeling, some 2D sprites with alpha maps.

What bothers me about that slab on the roof is that it (a) clashes a bit with the rest of the roof texture, and (b) can cleary be identified as a wall texture... looks exactly like the stucco crumbling off the lower part of a wall and revealing the bricks below...

Otherwise, this is a great job as usual, and if I can contribute to making it a success, just tell me what you need and I'll try my best to help.

[villagemayor 0]

love the details on the roof! the signs on the ground floor is amazing too! can't wait to download it

[Cockatoo 2,256]

Originally posted by: T Wrecks Sure thing - what exactly do you need to know or require me to do?

As for the building, I love everything but the tree and the roof texture on that bright middle slab. The base has improved so much, and all the signage and those tables... wow, just wow. So lively!

The tree doesn't quite convince me because it still looks a bit like Counter-Strike graphics (HL1 engine) - some 3D modeling, some 2D sprites with alpha maps.

What bothers me about that slab on the roof is that it (a) clashes a bit with the rest of the roof texture, and (b) can cleary be identified as a wall texture... looks exactly like the stucco crumbling off the lower part of a wall and revealing the bricks below...

Otherwise, this is a great job as usual, and if I can contribute to making it a success, just tell me what you need and I'll try my best to help.quote>

Hey great! I'll send you a PM outlining what I need you to help me with and the model file when I've done the final render.

I understand about the  roof texture- but the tree? I'm not really sure what you mean. I used some arcs gradually getting smaller sprouting off in all different directions for the skeleton and then just attached a leaf to it and cloned... rotated... cloned... rotated until they covered most of the tree. Have I done something wrong?

[fusion_lemon 2]

wow.... looks better!!! getting more lively now~~~ =P

actually I wonder what they said about the tree is that... the two trees do not seem to look proportional / comparable in size (?)

that small tree is about 1 storey tall looks much more detailed...

but then that one at the street corner is much taller but then the leaves are much more gigantic which make the tree looks a bit odd~

the other details are just fine~ =)

keep it up~ you've done a great job!!!

[Jurianu 0]

Hey Cockatoo, your doing a great job, i've got every of your buildings on the stex. And if you're bored than it would be great if you would create this building next.

[Jurianu 0]

The Aurora Tower in Shanghai!!!

http://www.emporis.com/en/il/pc/?id=131121&aid=8

Here are some pics for inspiration^^

[ilikehotdogsalot 308]

Please place all Bat Requests in the Official Bat Request thread

[Cockatoo 2,256]

All done! I made some improvements to the large tree, the texture on the slab on the roof and the night-lighting round the back.

Sent to T-wrecks for modding, should be on the STEX as soon as I get it back.

BTW, ever get tiered of that old SC4 BAT splash of the factory that comes up every time you start the BAT... I made me a Hong Kong theamed custom one... hehe

https://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p11/ParrotsSC4Photos/NewSplash.png

[fusion_lemon 2]

A BIG thank you to Cockatoo =)

[Cockatoo 2,256]

Hey, just an update on what I've been doing.... I've done quite a lot of BAT work lately, just haven’t been posting.

I'm trying to improve the night lighting on a new correctly scaled version of the AIG tower- probably just for personal use but if I like the results I might release it as a second version. Note: no curtain wall this time, 40 floors, just like the real building, which makes internal night lighting possible.

I've started a new Chung Fook Luk Terrace and another building for the Hong Kong street pack based on this building…

And I'm currently working on a custom seawall project for my Hong Kong re-creation (just for personal use). I've got a huge scene set up, the exact size of a large city tile in SC4, and I've put an overview map of the cities coastline onto it. The plan is to create a curving seawall along the entire coastline in 8x8 tile sections and then render them individually merging props into the scene which I'm making now. I might even be able to model the star ferry and ocean terminals and attach them to a section of the seawall, but we'll see how things go. Then if I can somehow figure out how make SC4 models overhang past their lot boundaries, I can put them on 1x1 lots and plop the sections onto the coastline in the game, and they should line up.

Here’s some of the props I’ve made for the seawall, just a simple tree that lights up at night and a Hong Kong style junker.

 And an overview of what I’ve got so far…

This is just a test section I made; it’s the eastern section of the Kowloon peninsular up to about Union Square.