Brand new BATer/Modeler

[Flann 1,709]

I'd like to start creating my own buildings and lots but I have no idea how to start doing this.  I have downloaded gmax and the BAT, but from here I don't know where to go to learn what I need to learn.

Any help from you guys is appreciated =)

[Jazzmaster 716]

Hi there Flann!  We as a community are always here to help you find what you need.  A tutorial that really helped my on my way was BAT Essentials by Phillipbo.  It has everything you need to get started on making wonderul BATs.  My advice would be to follow through it once and make your own building.  By doing that, you should have all of the fundamentals down pat!  I hope this helps you and good luck!

-Yoshiisland

PS: To showcase your work and get feedback from us, I'd recommend opening up a BAT thread of your own.  Just browse this section of the forums to see how they're laid out.

[Flann 1,709]

Thanks!

[SC4BOY 20]

I suggest you also dl and run the tutorial that you can dl from the same site you got the gmax from..

It covers a wide range of object manipulation and tools

[SimRabbit123 6]

I agree on what SC4Boy said, download the tutorial from turbosquid, it is really helpful and you will learn alot of stuff which will make BATting easier. You will learn mostly polygon modelling and some spline modelling too.

[OffshoreTacos 5]

Ditto about reading tutorials on gmax. Also, remember that gmax is a limited version of 3d Studio Max. So, many of the tutorials you need will actually be listed as 3d Studio Max tutorials. Say, for example, you want to learn how to use the loft object. You might think of googling "gmax loft," but you'd actually get better results with "3d studio max loft."

Once you get a handle on the tools, it's a matter of learning technique. Some general tips:

-Use roof junk, e.g. air vents, random pipes, air conditioning units. We're not used to paying attention to rooftops, since we spend most of our time on the ground, but SimCity gives you an aerial perspective. You spend a lot of time looking at rooftops in the game, so they deserve a lot of detail.

-Read jasoncw's texturing tutorials. You can find links to them in his signature.

-Exagurate the size of textures, particularly stuff like bricks. If you zoom in on Maxis buildings, you'll notice that the bricks are WAY larger than life. Why? Because if they were realistically sized, you wouldn't see them at all, even at the max zoom level.

-Learn UVW mapping (it's simpler than it sounds), and ideally UVW unwrapping. They'll make texturing MUCH easier.

-When you get to the Lot Editor phase, spend a lot of time on base textures and props. These are an often-neglected but very important part of an outstanding lot. Great buildings don't stand alone; they're supported by all the little accessories, like loading palettes, parked trucks, and shrubs.

[Suomi 1]

how long does it take to make your first building...I also want to make something and never touched a program more complicated than Exel and Word...

[Jazzmaster 716]

I'd recommend what the others said; the gmax tutorials and stuff in the Omnibus. From what the pros have said, a first BAT should take a few months...

-Yoshiisland

[Jasoncw 11,839]

Gmax is easier than excel, so don't worry.

[Suomi 1]

yeah i'm not so sure...plus the building I wanna make is very difficult i'm sure...

[clubberdude1981 0]

Will depend on the complexity of the model. I can model a small house in a couple of hours (producing just the basic model - this doesn't include texturing or lotting)

Larger, more complex projects will of course take much longer.

EDIT: gmax is surprisingly easy to use once you get the hang of it. It looks far more intimidating than it is...