Aaron Graham's BATs

[gutterclub 2,729]

Not sure about the brick, too saturated, bright and orange. You seem to have taken a depearture from your usual brick work and window texturing and it doesn't seem to fit in with your previous work.

I'm sure you'll nail it after a couple of attempts

[T Wrecks 10,210]

I'm with gutterclub (as usual ). The base texture isn't necessarily bad at all, I just think it needs some tweaks.

Btw, in my books it's a good thing that you don't go the easy way and re-use existing textures ad nauseam, because that might make all your work look too monotonous and take away from the individual character of this building - a building I like very much because there's so much going on and so much to look at.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Gutterclub- Thank you!!!

T Wrecks- Thank you!!!

Johnson Apartments

Here's a texture fix guys and that you again for the help, right now I'm still working on the textures, maybe the next render will show more objects textured, I hope you like the change in the bricks and glass now, I still want the window frames to be white or not to white.

[gutterclub 2,729]

Yep, excellent...you might want to make the bricks slightly smaller..

Loving the windows!

[Francis90b 748]

-Bricks

It isn't really a problem of size...contrast looks really off imo.

You don't see many of the bricks, except from some of them that sticks out too much...the overall effect, rather than offering you the illusion of bricks, might remind you of some kind of moquette...

You might tone down contrast between the bricks, and add some mortar.

If you used Photoshop for your texture, you can add the mortar by selecting only one of your bricks, then selecting only two edges of it (e.g the bottom and the right side) and create a pattern from it.

Then create a new layer, and fill it with the pattern you did previously create.As the last thing, set an opacity value for it, let's say 30%-50%.

-Colour

Colour looks quite good.I'd use some further desaturation (moderate) and darkening (just a little bit).

Plants are looking really nice, and makes it looking quite alive.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Thank you guys I'm trying my best to fix these bricks again, in a way I like the look of the brick in the previous render (post #513), I will have to change the size back and do some editing in photoshop.

Here's a look at the building right now I will have to fix the bricks again, sense Francis90b has posted it opinion.

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

I think the brik texture looks a bit blurry. But great anyway.

[art128 4,622]

2 millions poly.... :boggle: Lol, my computer would have already exploded.

Anyway, these are some Dang nice textures, Aaron !

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Skyscraper241- Thank you for that.

Art128- Thank you, I think I can handle 20,000,000 polygons but at that point I know the render will be slow, I have no reason to have 20,000,000 polygons in my scene anyway.

Johnson Apartments

Okay guys I have made a new brick this is the color I was aiming for, I like it, i just hope you guys do not pick on my bricks any more.

  Edited January 24, 2012 by Aaron Graham  

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Whoa, this is pretty different, but I think I like it! Maybe some ever so subtle traces of dirt and grime might help to achieve that "lived in" look that madhatter106 recently mentioned, without making the building look crumby and run down. I suppose the textures for the roof terraces aren't final yet?

Another aspect I'd like to mention is the windows. Most of them look really great, but there are some which are entirely grey. This isn't an issue in case of smaller (staircase?) windows, but on a few of the bigger glass panes it looks a bit odd. Now I could imagine that someone pulled down a roller blind from the inside, but even in this case, the window glass would still be reflective and shiny, and somehow a few of your windows don't convey this feeling, at least IMO. Maybe it's because a distorted reflection of the surroundings would be in front of the uniform grey roller blind. In some of the windows, this is not the case, and this makes them look a bit as if the window glass had been replaced by sheets of paper.

However, please bear in mind that this is nitpicking on a rather high level already, and as always, my impression may be wrong or mistaken. In any case, if the windows remain as they are, I'll still hit that download button and grab the building as soon as I see it on the STEX, that much is for sure!

[tcx 170]

I like the new color for the bricks. You are doing a great job with your residential buildings, I'm starting to like this NY style and everytime I see any of your buildings it makes want to live there .

[art128 4,622]

Waow, it looks like a different building!

[simlink 1,098]

Watching the evolution of the brick colours has been great, really like the newest texture. Lookin' good!

[Jack_wilds 550]

whats to pick on?... I like the color but my concern is the lose of window frame blends to well BUT if thats intended then whatev... but at the same I like as is too...

[spa 970]

Looks good Aaron. If you're happy with the bricks, I think they're fine. The only comment I would make about them is at the very top, in the first picture you showed, there is a noticable texture line running down the wall that encloses the watertower. It's only there on the front view and only on that one piece of wall. My only other comment would be the roof deck. I think it's way too bright. It needs to be darkened several shades. If you're looking for other suggestions, try adding some furniture to the deck. Chairs? Table? Bench? Maybe a BBQ? Women sunbathing on towels? Just something to suggest that someone actually uses that big deck space.

  Edited January 25, 2012 by spa  

[Cockatoo 2,257]

Like Spa said, that rooftop texture is a little too bright / clean and I also think it could benefit from some edge shading.

You're going to hate me for this, and feel free to totally ignore me, but with the newer texture I think the brick illusion is getting lost. It seems almost more like flat sandstone now. The colour is great, but I'd be upping the contrast / sharpness.

Also, personally I liked it when you had more plants on the roof, but that's just me.

The rest is looking fantastic.

[Ceafus 88 1,845]

Wow, super great update!

[gutterclub 2,729]

I agree with Cockatoo, the hue and saturation is fine..just tweak the contrast to bring out the brick..other than that it's a winner!

[PBGV103 729]

I second what Cockatoo said. More definition to the bricks would be a huge plus, and having all those plants from the previous version seemed very lifelike.

Otherwise this is going to be another AMAZING model!

[Francis90b 748]

I might partially agree with PBGV and Cockatoo about bricks...but don't overdo the contrast, or you might get the "cheap moquette" feel, which is the other extreme:

as in many things, truth might be found in the middle .

  Edited January 25, 2012 by Francis90b  

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

T Wrecks- Thank you, The terrace textures was not final I wanted to save that later, so I work on it sense you guys wanted to see a change in that department, I do not want to make the building look to run down remember the model has to look okay enough for R$$$ Sims. For tha glass I will try to add a little more reflection on the glass, but yes juts imagine that someone wants a like more privacy.

Tcx- Thank you.

Art128- Thank you.

Sim_link- Thank you.

Jack_wilds- Thank you, i'm not sure what you are talking about?

Spa- Thank you, I have fix that that was bothering me before I even render it I know I had to fix that sooner or later. Show a mistakes can really challenge the person that's want to help make the bats better. I have fix the roof the textures a little on the terreace in that render they were not final I was working on something else a little harder like the first floor, I was trying to get more details on the model and I figuer that it would be a great idea to work on the roof a little later, but you guys seem to look at the top flors now I should just work on it a little. I have plans to make furiture on the terrace that was the first thing I was thinking about when I was in the process of modeling the roof, to me I think that will be the very last this to do becuase I will have to look around on google for good looking furniture.

Cockatoo- Thank you, I will work on the brick the best I can to let you know I am not using the Jasoncw brick meathod. The bushes are still part of the model I just hided the some of the bushed to speed up the render, I know the bushes were not the problem and most of the comments has been about the bricks so hiding them to speed the render was the best thig to do to show updates sooner.

Frex_Ceafus- Thank you.

Gutterclub- Thank you.

PBGV103- Thank you.

Francis90b- Thank you, I will try my best.

Johnson Apartments

Okay guys I tried my best, I feel like a not so good bater for having problems with the bricks, I have been making brick buildings for about 3 years now and still having brick trouble so sad, but i'm trying.

As you guys can see i have added some retail on the ground floor of our belovite apartment building, there's a Verizon wireless on the far left, next to it is a subway and on the corner of the building that's the far right is a Tim Hortons, I hope you like it. Oh yea, where the empty store is at I want that to be a music shop the kind that sells instruments, please help me with a music shop name.

Store Information

Verizon, Subway, Empty Store, Tim Hortons,

[gutterclub 2,729]

WOW! Loving the stores, the bricks look great now..they look like Aaron Graham bricks, yet different enough to not be like the rest of your buildings. You shouldn't be harsh on yourself, I think you'll find the more people commenting and nitpicking so to speak is because how talented you are..the best batters are pushed harder..just see Nofunks cadilac tower.

The noyl thing that needs work is the roof texture, it kinda looks a bit too cartoony compared to the realness of the rest of the buidling.

This is a real beauty and you are working a super speed

[Jack_wilds 550]

what I was pointing at -in a rather clumsy way, is the 'blondness' of the overall look and bricks that the windows/window frames would just blend away into all and loose definition and how that might look in game, if its being an apparent issue in your before last teaser... however my concerns appear to have been addressed in the latest teaser pic...

this might be an issue, it might not as its your creative call... all I know is aver all these projects are really good and fun to watch develop and I like the 'blonde' look...

hopefully I was less muddy with this reiteration... really like the store fronts too makes its 'street appeal' pop... concerning the music shop -which is a neat thought, suggest "All-sounds Music", "Jim's All-sounds Music", or "Jimmy Fingers Music", or "Fingers Sound & Music", or "Ears to hear, hands to play", "Sound-n-fret", "Mix-n-jam music", "My sound shop"...

  Edited January 25, 2012 by Jack_wilds  

[Amthaak 1,501]

Does batting, become a full time job for you???

Just one word! Bravo!

  Edited January 25, 2012 by Amthaak  

[Ceafus 88 1,845]

:Bows Down At Aarons Feet:

This is amazing..........

[Francis90b 748]

I really agree with Gutterclub's words about your bricks...and being good at something doesn't mean that you will get it at the first try, it means that in the end it will be perfect, or at a very high level...which is what usually happens with your bats (and your bricks ).

[Spike345 20]

I applaud your addition of retail! I remember you saying you were gonna stray away from it and after seeing what you have done with this project I have NO idea why! You did a fabulous job of it! I think mixed-use buildings like this are missing in the game and I would love to see more like this! Starbucks, McDonalds, a few drug stores, even some apparel shops add to our city's streetscapes. Great Job!

[Jazzmaster 716]

Aaron, really, you're too modest. Don't be so hard on yourself mate.

[Roger51 381]

You are far to hard on yourself Aaron....those stores are fantastic, just so detailed and perfect, love them, love the whole building

[MikeyBugs95 29]

hey.i really like the BATs. im making a BAT myself of Central Park in New York City. This is the link to my forum topic about the project. https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/topic/47692-building-central-park/