Nycc06's BAT Workshop

[kellydale2003 2,276]

@Swat-Medic. - I'm sure this is possible. Pegasus and Mcdrye do look they've perfected it. www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm

@AC94 - Paul and Bixel from HKABT are the best.

@Jasoncw - Well we could have animated water, because there are water falls there. But I agree with Nyc006. I think the reflections would look better. Especially at night.

Photo view facing South West of the Future World Trade Centre Complex.

@Nyc006 - How did you want to start the project? Ground up? Or skyscrapers first?

  (I didn't do the WTC 7, It is considered to be part of the complex)

[thepokemaniac 18]

It all looks great!

[JakeMD 107]

Originally posted by: kellydale2003

@Swat-Medic. - I'm sure this is possible. Pegasus and Mcdrye do look they've perfected it. www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm

quote>

Yeah, i just explained to you how to do it! 

The LOD Can't go below 0,0.  In other words, create a box centered on x-0, y-0, z-+0, so that it isn't underground when you render it.  Whatever is below that box, will get rendered into the game, and you will have a perfect underground model.

To remove the ground texture, see this tutorial.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

But you can have animated waterfalls and reflections at the same time. I don't really understand.

[SimFox 802]

JasonCW, are you waiting for a meaningful answer?

[kellydale2003 2,276]

@Jasoncw - You can see the bottom of the water and all, but the water falls itself you want be able to see the reflections because the animated water will just make a blue fuzz over the modeled water. We can probably make realistic water falls but they won't be animated. Than theres the fake animated water that will cover most of the waterfalls and hide the true reflections.

Get me now?

[Jasoncw 11,840]

SimFox:  I really wasn't 

Kellydale2003:  Are you talking about the mist effect in the lot editor?  I think we were assuming that you meant animating water in 3ds Max and making an animated prop out of it.  Making animated props is possible though time consuming.  I believe the tutorial for it is somewhere on SC4D.

[Djohaal 121]

There's a whole tool for making animated props at SC4D, it is beta though.

For the sunken portions, I imagine my findings with matte materials on 3dsbat might be interesting for this project:

This gimmick was my testing for a rendering method I brainstormed. It uses matte objects to clip the underground "back" of the tube so you only see the part that interests. This was rendered using a plain box LOD (just covering the above ground portion) and you can see shadows render properly and it can be stacked or floated without blotching.

My test didn't contemplate the possibility of dug-in LODs, but I imagine it might work as well while hiding the hideous "back" geometry that in theory should be sunk.

[nycc06 229]

kellydale2003: originally i wanted to make all of the skyscrapers then make the ground around them, however, i think it makes more sense to start with the ground and work our way up. As for 7WTC, we could make it and then include it as a standalone release.

[kellydale2003 2,276]

I think that would be good for all buildings. Make them as a complex and then seperate them.

[kellydale2003 2,276]

Well - I think I got the concept of reflections in 3DS MAX - I've been practicing so I don't screw up a lot with any models.

I know Splines, Meshes, Nightlighting etc.

Does anyone know the scale for 3DSMAX7 for one floor?

Missing kind of an important tool though!

SIMTROPOLIS TOOLS V.2

Does anyone know where that tool went!?

[kellydale2003 2,276]

Well - I feel like I'm talking to myself here considering the last three posts were by me xD.

I recently attempted to move my whole NWTC file from Blender (a free 3D modeling program) to 3DS Max 7.

That's a lot of Mesh to move and convert. So instead of converting one by one to ensure all 4082 objects make it to 3DS Max successfully I decided to convert them all as bulk and as one. And as a result I have encountered loss of objects, displaced, deformed meshes, and loss of texture. 

I've tried other file extensions and converters and they all seem to be "Unavailable", "Out of Date", and "Incompatible". If you run into a possible file extension converter from Blender to 3DS Max 7, Please inform me

  Blender > 3DS Max 7

.blender > .3DS > .Max

Showing Texture Loss - Below is just Random glass with Random Settings. (not original textures).

List of Main Object lost:

All Bottom Lobbies (Joined Into One Mesh) **Probably Mesh too Large

Stairs and small details to WTC 2.

Windows to Freedom Tower.

All Textures Lost

So I'm still wondering wether or not we should start from scratch or not? Continue or start over?

[Simcity player 13]

hmm, maybe you should ask someone with a version of 3dsmax released the same year as Blender 3D to convert it. 3dsmax 7 may be out of date for blender 3d to convert, that is if you can upgrade to a newer version ;D

[kellydale2003 2,276]

Originally posted by: Simcity player

hmm, maybe you should ask someone with a version of 3dsmax released the same year as Blender 3D to convert it. 3dsmax 7 may be out of date for blender 3d to convert, that is if you can upgrade to a newer version ;Dquote>

If I upgrade there's the BAT4MAX that doesn't work well with 3DS Max 2009. But I'll take the suggestion in anyway and give it a try (Sends a few messages).

[SimFox 802]

Actually there is update tht solvesall the problems with newer versions of MentalRay (like one found on Max2k series). I think the new version will be out sometimes next week..

[Liberater444 11]

I congradulate you on taking up this mammoth challenge of a BAT! it is looking great and i love the freedom tower!

[Kryptowhite 9]

You really need to work on 200 greenwich, the diamond roofed one. The diamonds look very sloppy. I love the other two though that's a fine job.

[Simcity player 13]

yes so where does nycc06 come in to this plan?

[kellydale2003 2,276]

@Kryptowhite - yeah, it took forever to get it perfect, but the mesh and everything is all screwy and when I move things around they're retarded.

@simcity player - I'm just waiting on Nyc006's reply to this topic, I want his opinion too before I move forward.

Edit: Hey, my 200th post.

[Kryptowhite 9]

actually, it seems to be a little better than I thought. I originally thought all the diamonds were identical but most renders it appears they are slightly distorted....its an odd tower, much more than just four squares with diamonds on top.

[kellydale2003 2,276]

@Kryptowhite - Yeah I know It's a pretty weird shape right from the base up - Than the angle of the diamonds are specified to be at a perfect angle with the WTC waterfalls. BB62BlackDragon had trouble with the Diamonds, and so did I. But i HAD them perfect.

There a little thin atm.

[nycc06 229]

Sorry everyone, i've been away for a while and have not yet had a chance to test the new update simfox gave me for my bat4max for max2009. As i've been really busy with work and my personal life, and with getting stuff ready for going back to university in a couple of weeks, i've been a bit swamped. I can't say when i'll be able to focus properly on this project again for a while. Dosen't seem like i have much spare time at the moment.

However, i am not giving up on this project. Kellydale2003, i have to say, your work on the complex is amazing, is there anything un particluar that you need me to focus on in the project at the moment?

[kellydale2003 2,276]

@Nyc06 - I think I was calling you "Nycc006" this whole time x]

Some Questions:

1. Do you want to start from a clean slate or TRY continue with this current model I have? It's in pretty bad shape from the conversions.

2. You should get some nice reflections and textures on WTC 1 in 3DS Max - That's if your going to use it.

3. Have you played around in 3DS to get used of it? Just a few mins a day will do - I've been trying to get mine to work at the snap of my fingers.

4. in 3DS Max who's CamLightRig's do you wanna use? (If you wanna use somebody elses). (Bixel, Jasoncw, Simfox (if he has one)) But those are the pros when it comes to proper lighting and trunite.

[nycc06 229]

Firstly, i'm not sure if we need to start the project again, the buildings seem proportionate enough, but if it would be easier to start from scratch then try to fix what we have then maybe thats the better option.

Secondly, i don't think i'll be able to use my 1WTC gmax model for this, because i can't get it into 3dsmax, so it will have to be done from scratch.

No i've not really played about with it yet, but i should have some free time tomorrow for a bit, so i'll look at it then.

Simfox actually gave me a few of his custom lighting rigs which we could use if we wanted.

Also, could i ask a favour, could you send me the base model for the ground plan not including the buildings for the site so that i can get a rough idea of what sizes i'm working with. I'll PM you my email address.

[kellydale2003 2,276]

I've been working on the Base, trying to get it to scale and such - It's a bit complicated - idk wether to follow the photos given by wtc.com or by the original wtc on Stex. So I tried it out - Made the old WTC's to scale to figure out the real width of the wtc's and the old WTC in Stex fits in a 4x4 (one of the towers), but further calculations I find that the old WTC tower is wider than the one on Stex.

So I made that accurate and I mapped out the scale of the wtc.com base images - And in the photo the base of the Freedom tower is just as wide as the WTC 2. Which I think is inaccurate.

Freedom Tower = 5x7(with steps) WTC = 4x8 (with steps).

It would look funny if the WTC 2 was wide as the freedom tower, it would need to be upscaled through the length giving it a bulky look rathar than sleek.

So I am still in the process of getting a real accurate base. The one in the photo was just a quickie. Now that I am doing everything by numbers, this should be accurate in real life and in the photos by wtc.com.

Photo: Base of the old WTC modeled by me.

I MIGHT do the old WTC myself - but who knows. 

:::Also - The NWTC is going to look a bit crowded. I noticed when rendered with other buildings the NWTC looks more relaxed and less crowded. But in New York it's very crowded and You can't hide all those buildings. Here this photo shows the NWTC with other buildings. When the NWTC towers Stand in the complex with no other background they look really crowded and can be decieving in Size.

[Kryptowhite 9]

All these fancy renders are lovely, but could we see a simcity4 render every once in a while? Afterall, thats the only one that matters

[kellydale2003 2,276]

Originally posted by: Kryptowhite

All these fancy renders are lovely, but could we see a simcity4 render every once in a while? Afterall, thats the only one that matters quote>

These are just started my friend - No need to render basic geometry.

Oh Nyc006 - I'm trying to keep this thread as visual as possible. People interested in seeing the archives will even be more interested since it's visual. Rathar than just pages full of text.

[Jazzmaster 716]

People aren't very interested in a bunch of pretty renders that are irrelevant and weren't made by the BATers in question either. I could easily post HD pics of cities from all over the world in real life form or 3ds render but if it has nothing to do with my BATs why bother?

[kellydale2003 2,276]

I think it just gives the viewer a chance to stay in the thread. I personally read threads that were boring and somewhat irrelevant, but the photos are related to the current discussion and attract new viewers to actually read what is going on. And discussions like this make it off-topic and someone - I think I'll post a photo of a detour sign now

[nycc06 229]

Hi everyone, sorry I have been away for a while. I've been incredibly busy at work and haven't had a moment to myself for some time, and now that I'm back at university as well, I have even less time. Because of this lack of time, I have come to the decision that I don't want to stop producing bats for the stex but I don't feel that I have enough time to learn 3dsmax and get to grips with it at the moment.

For that reason, any future bats that I do release, especially this year will be finished off versions of old gmax projects that I never got around to completing. This does not mean that I will be abandoning 3dsmax, I will simply start using it again later this year or early next year when I feel I have more time available.

As for the world trade centre project. I am still committed to finishing the project, however I feel that it will be some time before much progress will occur from my part. As a kind of consolation to this, i will be finishing off my gmax version of Four WTC and some other projects to be released to the stex soon. Also, I will try to clear it with dirk to try and get my exclusive bats for the stex disk volume 3 released onto the stex for Christmas time.