Psander5's BATs

[Vlasky 1,803]

Great job! Are you releasing them separately or as a pack? Now we wait to see what's next

[psander5 195]

alj : Thanks.

Vlasky :  Thanks.  Separately but simultaneously  

They're up... Moorhead House | Sunwin House

[Amthaak 1,501]

Wonderfull night lights! This small light over the door, just gave me an idea...! Thanks a lot!

[SimFox 802]

I hope I'm not too late - I see Maxis Night version is already on STEX... Well it I believe quite fine! But the night illumination on Darker night version is a bit lacking imho... Lacking in a sense of intensity. I believe you should make all the lights brighter by about 30% or so.

Stairs. yes they do look 2D, but only after you spesially point ones attention to them. If that is not done it looks perfectly adequate!

Stairs are basically quite easy to model and, what more importat to light up as a model - noramally the space is very bare - and lit in a very basic maner. However the whole idea of "faking interior with painted bitmap is a very practical one when you have to do something quite complex that would be impossible/overly difficult) to model and most of all light up. Like say a interior of shop or restaurant or some such. To make it appear 3d, provided that it will only be every seen from single view, you can make very basic dummy of the interior, render it out as preview and then use as "placeholder" to paint over in Photoshop or any other program. This is exactly the way I've made interior of restaurant in Seagram:

As for Sky. Yes you really need to have it on when you have some reflective surfaces pointing towards it. Otherwise they would reflect dull gray of the basic render background

[Vlasky 1,803]

Congratulations on great releases! And thank you

[Spike345 20]

Can't wait to see what is up your sleeve!

[MTT9 187]

Seems like i was too late, i should have told you about it earlier. Next time maybe...

Anyway, both released buildings are great and already in the city i'm currently working on I might show it to you someday, when i finish it ( alhtoughi need more "Generic Sheffield City Centre Buildings", wink, wink).

I hope the Dome can make it into the game someday and look foward for your... surprise?

Matt

[psander5 195]

Amthaak : Thanks!

Simfox : Thanks.  A bit too late I'm afraid.  The Darknite models are in with the Maxis Night ones, in the same upload.  I see what you mean though.  I'm considering whether to update the model to correct the intensity issue... but since most people grab the files within the first couple of days it probably won't be noticed by many.  I'd rather not do a 'version 2'.  Thanks for the texture tip! I'll try it out when I make some shopfronts on future projects in this series.

Vlasky : Thanks! 

Spike345 : Well, you'll just have to

emmotic :  Thanks.  Never mind, it's only a small, aesthetic issue.  I'd love to see them in your cities   Don't worry, there'll be more.  I've already started the next one.  It's only just begun though, and I have something else to keep me occupied until Christmas...

Update : Triumph!!!

If you've been following the development of my Dome of Discovery and Skylon project, you might have seen that I've had an export problem.  Today I finally managed to fix it! 

Before: 

After: 

...Zoom1

...Zoom2

I still don't know what caused the problem (that affected only zooms 1 & 2) or how to prevent it from happening again on other models, but for now I know how to correct it in reader and FiSHMan.

I guess this is more of an announcement than an update, as the project hasn't advanced any more, but I was so excited to get a working model that I had to post! 

To finish the project I need to make some 'continuation props' for the funny shaped spaces left on the square lot.  I also need to export a Maxis Night version and go through the tedious model fixing process.  There's plenty of work still to do then, and it might be ready in time for the Christmas party!  

BTW, the model of the dome is completely finished as far as I'm concerned.  Even if there are any problems with it, I won't be changing it because of the export time (7-8 hours in total) and the tedious process of fixing the FSH's afterwards... after all, most of that is already done.  Having said that, if anyone does have any modeling/texturing critique to add, I'll be grateful for it in any case.  

Once the DoD and Skylon are done I'll finally be free of all the projects that have been weighing me down! 

[zero7 68]

Glad to hear you've got your issues with the Dome of Discovery sorted.  It'll be good to see it in game.  I'm also looking forward to having Skylon to play with  - I think a park will need to be built around them.

The fact that it will free you to make more Sheffield buildings pleases me too - but then when have I been known to not appreciate someone making good UK content  

[mightygoose 92]

yes!

[psander5 195]

zero7 : Thanks.  A nice, open park would be good.  In real life they were on the South Bank of the Thames, pretty much where the London Eye is today.  I think they were surrounded by urbanity, but since I have no idea what the 'lot' looked like I've had to guess.  I think the lot I've made should work as a plaza within a park. 

mightygoose : 

Update : Lot Props...

I've created a few continuation props based on what's in the main model including concrete planters with wooden bench and lamp posts.  I've tried to keep it simple yet bespoke.  I had no choice really with Skylon especially.  It's difficult to put an equilateral triangle on a square lot! 

Click the day view for full resolution in zoom 5 :

Click for full resolution in zoom 4 : 

You might have noticed that there are two Skylons.  That's because I'm not sure which one or both to go with.  Because it is a triangle, it doesn't orientate with the dome very well, which has different symmetry.  The pictures above illustrate why both exports might be useful.  The one on the left is suitable only for placement on one of the sides of the Dome, where the one on the right is only suitable for placement opposite to the corner.  

So I have two questions: 

1. Should I proceed with the 'diagonal' (right) version in addition to the 'ortho' (left) version? 
2. Should I leave the diagonal lot as it is (using props made for the other lots) or should I make some new custom shaped planter/benches for this lot?  (basically, that amounts to: "Is it good enough as it is or do I need to do more work? )
    

[zero7 68]

I like the diagonal version of Skylon - I think it sits quite nicely on a corner like that. I don't think you need to add anything more to the lot - if you make it too busy it will pull focus away from Skylon itself.

[MTT9 187]

I actually like both versions. The only thing i don't like from the skylon is the fact that the bat base part is lighted and the rest of the lot isn't. The rest is just great and the dome is simply awesome. Matt

[Jasoncw 11,840]

I think the diagonal version is more dynamic, I'd definitely go for it.

I also think that for the lots you should use the brighter paver texture, the one which your BATs used. This way your BATed ground and lotted ground would integrate better.

I didn't realize how big the skylon was!

[psander5 195]

zero7 : Thanks for the input.  I'll release both versions.

emmotic : Thanks to you too.  I see your point re the lighting.  I've adjusted it and re-exported it.  I toned it down so that it more closely matches the lighting of the Dome's plaza, and I also pulled it back from the edge, so it blends in better with the unlit lot.  

Jasoncw :  Thanks.  I didn't realise the lot texture was so pink in comparison to the rendered texture!  Sadly I've screwed up a bit there.  I tinkered with the texture in Photoshop after I upgraded from Max 9 to Max 2010, and now it doesn't match any of the available versions of that base texture.  I should have paid more attention to it I suppose.  I have swapped the lot texture though for a BSC one that is coloured more closely to the sidewalk texture.  It's no brighter, but the pink is gone.  It blends a lot better than before, but it still isn't perfect.  Ah well... lesson learnt.  Yes, Skylon is/was quite big  There was no Canary Wharf and no skyscrapers in the City of London at that time either.  It would have stood out on the skyline, especially at night as a luminous metal lozenge scratching the sky. 

I'm settled now then, and have begun working on the modding and upload documents.  I'm thinking about making a custom query for these as they're proper landmarks... although at this point in time I have no idea how to make them.  I have some more learning to do  If all goes well there then this might be ready sooner than I thought! 

EDIT: After a bit of reading on custom queries I've decided not to do one!  It seems it's more numbers based than I thought... and I can't be bothered with it   I'll keep it simple instead!

[MTT9 187]

Don't worry. A custom querie isn't necessary at all and will make things faster, which might posibly mean... some new projects!!!

EDIT: Downloaded your latest bats. They are incredibly awesome!!!

[psander5 195]

^ A belated thank you  

Update : New distraction...

Click it!

As a famous Aussie is prone to saying... "Can you tell what it is yet?" (psst, there's a pretty big clue in the model)

So, you can probably see that this isn't part of my genric city centre series, it's something different.  I've wanted to make this particular building for a while now, but since I don't live in the city or even the country I've had to wait for Google to update its pictures of the city it's in to get enough reference shots to be able to give it a go.  

I needed a new, interesting side project because the generic building I started is incredibly boring  

There's not a great deal to comment on yet I suppose, but I thought I'd post anyway as I always do at this stage... It helps to keep things moving along.  There's still lots and lots of detail to be added, but the main elements are done.  

For scale reference, it will cover about 8x7 tiles in game. 

 

[Ferrariguy1000 43]

Wow! Very wonderful BAT so far! It looks like a Stadium. An indoor one.

[Sgt Pepper 864]

Well one hint in it is the big sign. But I still don't know what it is, but what I do know is I like what I see.

[Vlasky 1,803]

Tampereen j

[psander5 195]

Vlasky : Hyvin tehty!  You got it.  I thought it would be too tough to guess if I didn't include the Finnish! 

Ferrariguy1000 : Thanks.  Yep, it's an ice hockey arena. 

Sgt Pepper : Thanks.  Yep, the sign was a hint 

So thanks to Google, that didn't take long.  As Vlasky worked out, it's Tampere's Ice Hall (Tampereen Jäähalli) in Finland.  Unusually for a Brit I enjoy watching the odd game of ice hockey, but I had to go all the way to Finland to see a decent game.  It's still the only game I've ever been to (I used to watch NHL on tv untill they dropped it), and it was in this arena. 

 Finland is one of my favourite places, and all the snow we're getting at the moment in the UK reminded me how well the Finns deal with the white stuff... and I began to yearn for the place!  What better way to satisfy that yearning than to make a Finnish building?... Well, I could go there on holiday instead I suppose  

We have a few hockey arenas for the game already, but there aren't too many of this kind of size and relative anonymity.  It seats around 10,000 in its partly sunken seating bowl... perfect for top level European hockey! 

There are a couple of buildings just next door that I presume are ice pads too, so I might make those as well as part of the complex.  

[Sgt Pepper 864]

The more you describe it the more I desire it.

[MTT9 187]

The arena is already looking great. I'm not sure if it fits in my city but it's a great building. Guess i'll have to make some room fot it anyway

[Follarch 326]

First thought was, "Hangar!" Then i looked more closely, and remembering your past models, it looked more like an Arena of sorts. Guess i was right! Hockey! There's a Hockey rink near my house called the Showare Center. Maybe you could look it up! It's pretty recently built. And there's lots of glassy parts! Perfect for you.

And quick question. HD BATing...is that possible in SC4BAT?

[gutterclub 2,729]

My first thought was "this thread is over 6 months old without an update, don't grave dig, it gets people excited"

[psander5 195]

Ahem... I have returned to the BAT after never intending to go away from it!

I had a couple of things half done when I stopped BATing, and when I came back to them I wasn't able to get back into the swing of things. I decided that a new project would help.

Beetham Tower, Manchester

I haven't done very much of this yet, but I need some advice early on from people who have experience BATing glass skyscrapers!

Here's what the real thing looks like:

It's half hotel, half residential, with the upper half being private flats. Here's what I have so far:

The reason I need to post this at such an early stage is that I'm unsure how to approach the glass, particularly on the upper half, where it seems to be quite open. As you can see from the photographs there aren't any blinds or curtains behind the windows, so you can see right through and into parts of the building, especially the triple height penthouse and on one side there are actually balconies behind the glass.

So to those with experience: Is it wise to try and make the glass transparent and model part of the interior, or is it better to dump that detail and just use an opaque glass material? I guess the latter option would save a lot of headaches and render time, but I'm not sure.

I thought this would be an easy project... "just a few glass boxes" I thought, but as I started modeling it the details crept out! Plus I have six months of rustiness to overcome!

[gutterclub 2,729]

Ah, the Beetham Tower..I still can't decide whether I love or hate this building, it sure beats the Beetham Tower in Birmingham. You could possibly fake the interior on the upper floors, I think Jason was trying something similar on the UN building..I think it might depend on angles, you could really do with a shot from above it to see how transparent it really is...might also be worth looking at how Paul is doing the Westin Hotel in the NYBT thread, its not as opaque or as garish as that but it has similar qualities with the panals etc.

Great to see you back BATing!

EDIT - here is a pic from above

  Edited October 11, 2011 by gutterclub  

[gutterclub 2,729]

oopps, dpuble post.

  Edited October 11, 2011 by gutterclub  

[Jasoncw 11,840]

If you try doing it with transparent glass, and it doesn't work you can always just replace the glass material with a solid glass.

Glad to see you back BATing!

[jayo 44]

Yes!! I remember a few years back Ill Tonkso attempted to BAT this but he never finished it, so its nice that someone else has taken up the challenge. I saw the tower last summer In person for the first time and I was surprised at how imposing it is from different parts of Manchester.

Glad to see that your back to BAT!