Hawkeye's Sandbox

[Hawkeye9 0]

Hello all and welcome to my new city Journal! Recently I have gotten much influence from many diffrent areas which I would like to apply to sc4. The problem is I cant create these areas in a single region as they vary widely in styles and would not seamlessly fit into a single city. So in this journal I will not be focusing on one region or a particular town; Instead each update will focus on the development of one city tile. The city tiles have no relation to one another, for example one tile could be a tropical paridise while the neighboring tile is a snowy wonderland. Basically whatever i feel like creating I will pull up a new tile and create it; I will also be asking for ideas of areas to create from you. I am hopng that this way of presenting and creating the region will help keep the sc4 building fresh and new as i will have to create many diffrent styles and capture diffrent feels from tile to tile. Lastly I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for viewing this CJ and hope you enjoy it!!! So here we go:

Todays update I will take you step by step through the development of an industrial area. My goal is to fill enough of the screen to take a highly detailed and realistic snapshot with little to no blank space showing. This is also the first industrial area I have made in a long time so I am excited to get started!!!

Pic 0.1- Ah the beggining of a new area! A blank canvas for any Sc4 player! The possiblities are endless...


Pic 0.2- Lets start by creating a lowered section of land using the handy hole digging lots!


Pic 0.3- Ok cool! So now lets fill in the newly dug section with concrete and place retaining walls! Im sure your wondering "What the heck is he creating?!" Scroll down and you'll see!!!


Pic 0.4- Voila!!! By using ploppable water and adding a little flora we now have a canal for all the storm water to run through.  


Pic 0.5- Ok so now lets start working on the main area itself! Lets laydown roads, place powerlines and create buildings!!!


Pic 0.6- An addition of the RHW and the niftly little El-Rail trick to create seamless transition from the streets to the filler lots.


Pic 0.7- Lets begin construction on the other side of the canal! We'll lay down a freight line and station aswell!


Pic 0.8- Once again lets continue adding buildings to the area!


Pic 0.9- I experimented with some flora in the median of the highway. I think it turned out alright!


Pic 0.10- Lets add a highway sign and create a barrier between the highway and builidngs!


Pic 0.11- Wooh were done!!! yep thats all the development I need for a picture, like I said im not creating cities just recreating areas that have influenced me. Heres an overview!!!


Pic 0.12- And heres the final product!!!


So that concludes the first update of Hawkeye's Sandbox!!! As for the next update who knows what it will be on? Tropical getaway? Bustling Downtown? Rural Valley? Stay tuned and find out!!! Oh and Please Comment!!!

-Hawkeye

[SimHoTToDDy 2,939]

That is a really lovely industrial park. The canal is, quite simply, brilliant.

I'll be looking forward to more of your little creations, very well done,

-Todd

[psander5 198]

Superb! This is a great idea, and your industrial area looks great! I would have liked to have seen how you might bridge that canal, but I'm not disappointed. The plopable water looks great down there. I wouldn't have thought of that myself!

I look forward to your arctic tundratown... maybe

[Muck308 55]

Very nice, Hawkeye! I didn't know about the el rail trick. I always learn something on ST!

[da_sim_dude 5]

I'm liking what I'm seeing. Very nice photoshop where the photoshop is =P Keep up the good work!

[ironicepitome 0]

Wow! Just a sandboxey thing? Why didn't I think of that! This sounds fun! I'm gonna do it privalty when I get SC4 workin! Nice work Hawkeye!

Ur friend- Honeycut

[TmiguelT 10]

This is a great idea and the conclusion is just splendid

I'll be looking forward to the next update or shall i say the next Piece of Master work

[Schulmanator 5,813]

A cool start. Very nice, Hawkeye!

[ecoba 28]

Really Nice Start!

[buildsolid 4]

Very nice, Hawkeye9. Great use of using the plopable water for the drain water, very realistic. Can;t wait to see what you have in store for us next!!

[Nardo69 51]

Nice sandboy!  I do like the stormwater canal  with its irregular shaped water surface - like the small lakes that may stay some ours after the stormeater event is gone! 

Something your little sandbox doesn't sho is whether the railway is amain line or a siding. If it is a siding its's okay if it is a mainline it is not as such kind of terminals usually are on a sideline - the cranes are too dangerous for mainline traffic! 

Take care 

Bernhard 

[Raysfan16 5]

Hey hawk! This is pretty cool! I like that idea with your sandbox...I was thinking of doing something along the lines of that before I came up with what is gonna be my new CJ. Your industrial area is very realistic, I can't wait to see what else you have in store!

[chasespncr 4]

excellent..reminds me of Los Angeles

[bluemoose 223]

Simply Amazing. I like the relaxed and non-linear aspect. I kinda like the idea of not keeping to a theme. I might just have to steal this idea.

Keep up the stellar work

[saathoff37 11]

Wow this is great! Very good start

[jacqulina 162]

fantastic work you have done my friend

[chrissc94 1]

This looks great, I can't wait to see what becomes of this!

[N106 10]

This looks like a good CJ. Can't wait to see your next update!

[packersfan 666]

Nice storm gutter. I think your sandbox will in turn influence all of us CJers and help us with ideas in our regions.

[Djohaal 121]

Yeah, very nice concept for city journals. Expect a lot of people to copy your concepts here I really loved the canal idea.

[pickled_pig 7]

I like the concept so far - developing "snapshots" of various areas as opposed to showing eye candy or the growth of a city. The how-to portion was very informative, especially since my repertoire of SC4 tricks is extremely limited.

[nottheboss 1]

mmm s'very nice, i tried this once, unfortunatly i'm a habitual story teller and started, well, doing things to my cities

anyway long story short my attempt went badly but i wish you every luck in yours and if the rest looks as good as that i hope it lasts

[MCO1254 2]

I really like the sandbox idea.

You did a great job with the industrial area, it's very realistic. I cannot wait to see what you come up with next!

[GreekMan 246]

looks really nice! you really have come a long way since coral bay!wow i have neer achived 23 comments after the first update!wow you have a special something! keep it up hauwk!

[art128 4,622]

Canal is nice, maybe add some floras and rocks ! the industrial area is great too !

[Hawkeye9 0]

Replies-

SimHoTToDDy- Hey Tod thank you very much for being the first to comment!!! The kind words are greatly appreciated and I very much hope to see you back here for more!!!

psander5- Haha thanks very much for the kind words!!! Im glad you like how it turned out and I kinda wish I had taken the time to bridge the canal, but owell!!! Glad the update gave you some ideas to use in your own town and I might just create a Arctic Tundra town in the near future !!!

Muck308- Hey Muck thanks for the comment!!! Im glad you were able to benefit from the update, I would check out the tutorial thread for more tricks and a further explanation of the "El-Rail trick"!!! Hope to see you back here!!!

da_sim_dude- Thank you very much for the comment!!! I actually did not use any photoshop other than the last pic. were I ajusted the color and saturation a little!!! Hope you return for more!!!

ironicepitome-  Haha well thank you Honeycut!!! I hope you have as much fun in your own little sandboxy thing as i have been having here!!! Hope to see more comments from you buddy!!!

TmiguelT- Wow thank you very much for the kind words!!! Im glad you liked the conclusion and I hope I can fullfil an update as a piece of master work!!! Thanks again and hope you return!!!

Schulmanator- Thanks for the comment Schulmanator!!! Im glad you liked it and I hope to see more comments for you in future updates!!!

ecoba- Thank you very much!!! I hope you return for more updates!!!

buildsolid- Thanks Buildsolid!!! Im glad you liked the update and after this very long wait you finally get to see my next little creation!!! Hope you like it and hope you comment again!!!

Nardo69- Hey BernHard, thank you very much for the comment!!! Ah yes i understand what your saying about the rail... so i guess that section is a siding then haha !!! Thanks and hope to see more from you soon!!!

Raysfan16- Hey Rays glad you stopped by!!! Im glad you liked the update and im going to say it once again: Make a CJ!!! Hope you return for more soon!!!

chasespncr- Wow Im so glad you said that because i actually was basing this area off of L.A.!!! Thank you very much for that comment and i hope you return for more!!!

bluemoose- Thank you very much for the kind words!!! Im glad you like the idea and feel free to base somethin off of it!!! I will do my best to keep up my work and i hope you return for future updates!!!

saathoff37- Thank you satthoff im glad you think so!!! I hope you return for more!!!

jacqulina- As always jacqulina its a pleasure to have your comments in one of my CJ's!!! Thanks and I hope you return!!!

chrissc94- Thanks Chris im glad you think so!!! I hope you decide to check back here and leave another nice comment!!! 

N106- Hey N106, thanks for the kind words!!! After the very long wait you get to see the next update!!!

packersfan- Thank you very much for the comment Packersfan!!! I truly hope that this CJ will be an influence to others and im glad you think so!!! I hope you return for more updates!!!

Djohaal- Thanks alot for the kind words Djohaal!!! Im glad you liked the ideas and feel free to copy anything that influences you in this CJ!!! I truly hope you return for more!!!

pickled_pig- Wow thank you very much, it means alot especially coming from a city builder like you!!! Thanks for the comment, glad you like the concept and hope you return for moee!!!

nottheboss- Thanks alot for the kind words NTB!!! Sorry your attempt went badly and thanks for the luck, im going to need it!!! Hope to see you back here for future updates!!!

MCO1254- Thank you very much for the comment!!! Im glad you like the sandbox idea and that you think the industrial area turned out realistic!!! After a very long wait you finally get to see more, hope you return!!!

GreekMan- Wow thank you very much Greek!!! I sure have made progress since Coral bay, and so have you!!! What was the name of your first CJ again? You have had some great ones and I cant figure out wich one was your first!!! Anyway thanks alot for the comment and I hope you return for more!!!

art128- Thank you art for the comment!!! I probally wont be adding much more to this area but will definatly be adding rocks and flora in future areas!!! Thanks again and hope you return for more!!!

 

Wow my hands hurts from all those replies!!! THANK YOU so much to everyone once agian for the outstanding comments!!! 24 is by far the most I have ever gotten!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

---

Ok so your probally going to want an excuse as to why it took so long for me to update and I actually have a decent one. My main computer has been unplugged for the last couple of weeks due to construction on my house and I had no acces to my pictures or the game. I was able to comment in other threads from a laptop but had no way too update. That combined with my already slow updating habits led to a well... really long long gap between updates. so sorry...

Ok but now the update is finally here!!!!!! Today I will be taking you step by step in the creation of a small town type setting. The picture will be centered around a small chuch located on the banks of a peacful meandering river. So here we go:

Pic 1.1- I have selected a small tile for this particular update. As you can obviously see I am starting form scratch.

Pic 1.2- Lets start with the basics: Lets lay down the main road and place the small church that will be the center of the picture.

Pic 1.3- Lets now add a cemmetary for all the deceased sims.

Pic 1.4- Ok so now we have a rough outline of the general area. A small river using plopable water, some trees, a school house towards the left, fences, and a little hill in the top right. 

Pic 1.5-  Lets start dressing up the river banks with rocks and cattails. The more flora we use the better!

Pic 1.6- Ok so now lets create a nice lush thicket around the cemetary and continue adding more flora to the sorrounding area!

Pic 1.7- As you can see I have updated the street from the bland Maxis one to a SAM gravel road. I have also started work on a meadow, laid down rural roads and placed fences aswell!

Pic 1.8- Work continues on the meadow...

Pic 1.9- So I really wanted to create a beach type area and I am very happy with how this turned out!!!

Pic 1.10- Another shot of the beach with a little more flora filled in. Its really starting to come together!!!

Pic 1.11- Lets begin work on more of the meadow to the south of the church.

Pic 1.12- With a little more work with flora here and there we finally are finished!!! Here is an overview of the area:

Pic 1.13- And drumroll please..... The final product!!!

Thank you all very much for viewing the update and i hope you enjoyed it!!! Please take the time to comment: every one really is greatly appreciated!!! Untill next time...

-Hawkeye

[psander5 198]

Great! These really are nice little snapshots of sim life. You've handled the flora very well in this update, and the scene in general is a nice contrast to the first update. Looking forward to more... of course

[ironicepitome 0]

wow

thats sexy

[SimHoTToDDy 2,939]

Quite a transition, from industrial park to quaint village. Once again, lovely work. The variety and the proportions of the flora and open spaces are very tasteful and interact beautifully, the way you would expect them to in nature. The man made stuff is just icing on the cake

-Todd

[TmiguelT 10]

Holly Simtropolis !! That's another excellent piece of work !! You surpass your fist update by a 1000 Stars...

You have the touch of a painter and the skills of a visionary... I really love how you make this updates!!

I got one question though... Do you use GIMP? and if so How did you make the effect on your last picture? It looks so AWESOME and how do you put texts inside your picture?