SC2000 building BATs: office park by toxicpiano

[toxicpiano 125]

After seeing the thread about sc2000 buildings recently, it reminded how much i liked some of the buildings. So i have started BATing one of my favourite buildings in sc2k. The office park pictured in it's original state here:

https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/toxicpiano/office%20park/8eefcc3f.bmp width=255 align=baseline>

And here is my BAT, It took me about 1/2 an hour to Make the untextured model.

https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/toxicpiano/office%20park/403bd3d0.bmp align=baseline>

Here is where i am currently:

https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/toxicpiano/office%20park/f157ba3f.bmp width=318 align=baseline>

The current texture i'm using is this for the walls:

https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/toxicpiano/office%20park/fb6e1ecb.bmp align=baseline>

Can anyone give me a tinted window texture like the one for the original?

Bear in mind this is my first BAT.

[toxicpiano 125]

Bump

[Glenni 1,445]

it looks ok for  your first. but how are you supposed to make the windows?

[Odd from Sweden 129]

Well, Toxicpiano would I suggest that You make another approach to the building. It will be very hard to work on that model. For a building like this, I would suggest this method:

1. Build one column, one beam and one window. Take Your time to make it nice and detailed. Look at close-up photos (or the real thing) of similar buildings to get it all right.

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//redbldg1.jpg align=baseline>

 

2. Group it all and use copy-rotate to create a box like this

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//redbldg2.jpg align=baseline>

PLEASE NOTE: When You copy, always use instance so that You can change things easily afterwards if necessary.

 

3. Use array to stack a lot of boxes to a building. Delete the undesired blocks in the corners. If Your computer starts to lag, then You can delete the unnessecary parts inside the building as well.

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//redbldg3.jpg align=baseline>

 

Now You need to make another box with a floor, a balustrade and some greenery to put in the right places in a similar way. Then You are almost finished!

 

Preview:

I used Your texture, the red colour is far too bright, it would look like candy in-game. Make it a little darker and much less colour-intense. For the windows, the easiest way is to use a plain colour in Gmax. Maybe You want the windows darker than this, well You can pick any colour...

 

Please have in mind: this is not a perfect building or my best shot! I made it quick to show the technique, not to show how the building sholuld actually look!! That is up to You, toxicpiano!

[toxicpiano 125]

I suppose. however i'm making progress, and i'm bassically cloning everything anyway, bear in midnd this is my first BAT, so i'll find a way to construct buildings in a way that works for me. thanls for the colour advice.

[toxicpiano 125]

Update, can somebody give me advice on decent textures? as you can see at the moment it looks rubbish- and yes there is a back to the building, could'nt be bothered to take a screen shot of it though.

https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/toxicpiano/office%20park/progress.bmp width=199 align=baseline>

[Cjah 15]

Looking good so far!

Keep it up as I love Sc2000 so much!!!!

[debussyman 1,348]

This looks very interesting, I love sc2000.
I'd like to give a shot on these buildings. Just one question: what's the scale difference between sc2k and sc4? is it the same?

[toxicpiano 125]

I don't know, however i think i'll have to enlarge the BAT, to make it realistic.

[toxicpiano 125]

update! changed glass texture, so it looks a lot better and more like the sc2k version, however dunno how it'll turn out in sc4. i've also started adding the flora on the balcony things. Please comment, i could not take a picture of the back, which by the way is complete, because my Gmax or my pc has slowed down. I hope it's acceptable to the Most qualified BATers. I cannot get rid of the yellow thing in the middle, and i don't know why.

https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/toxicpiano/office%20park/progress2.bmp align=baseline>

[Odd from Sweden 129]

Toxicpiano You cannot judge the colours from the working view. You need to render to see what they actually look like. Renders always turns out much brighter!

 

I do not think You need to enlarge the building, it really looks good IMHO. Try to be as accurate as possible to the original when it comes to the volume, I think that the SC2000ers want to recognize it as good as it can get. Threre are so much of detailing (window frames, entrance...) that is not visible in SC2000 that needs to be invented so I think it is best to stick to the original in those aspects where You can.

 

The building looks very promising, not bad for a beginner!

[Odd from Sweden 129]

If Yoy want to hide the light rig (yellow thing), tick here:

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//lites.jpg align=baseline>

Note that this hides all lights, including Your own nightlights!

[Glenni 1,445]

your bat is coming along great!i think those windows could use some frames and such though

[toxicpiano 125]

I would too, but my machine has slowed down so much it's virtually impossible. I tried to to a preview and the system just froze. Please help...

[Glenni 1,445]

might be to big then.try scaling it down with the scaling tool.

[Odd from Sweden 129]

Freezing when rendering? Most common newbie error is that people think that they can work with other programs during the render. That is a big no-no. Click render, do not touch the mouse or the keyboard and let Your computer take its time. Rendering is not an instant action, it would take a minute or two to render this building on a 2.4 - 3.0 Ghz machine.

Restart the computer, do not open any unnessecary programs and render again. It should work.

[toxicpiano 125]

Okay so i've managed to render it. where do i find the file that it is? <Edit> found that but in the lot editor where is it? is it a prop to place into a lot or is it a separate lot?

[toxicpiano 125]

Bump, i would like an answer please

[Odd from Sweden 129]

Where it is in the Lot Editor? Read this chapter

https://www.simtropolis.com/tutorials/Essential_Bat/index.cfm?page=ingame.htm

 

of Pillippbos tutorial and You are fine off with everything i guess.

[toxicpiano 125]

I've sorted all the problems, and it should be on the STEX by tomorrow, or at the latest tuesday, hooray! I'm going to add window frames and roof junk, lighting, so i should be busy all tomorrow after school.

[JaWood 194]

Now don't rush the building. Take you're time. I always get worried when people start on a building and already have it on the STEX 1 or 2 days later. Art, at least good art, usually takes some time and pacience. I've got a residencial highrise I've been working on for the last month, and I'm still not close to being finished yet.

[toxicpiano 125]

hmm... i may go over the date, however only by a few days. i guess it's when you feel it's finished, and i know it's coming to an end, i'll probably just be adjusting things over the next few days.

[toxicpiano 125]

First draft:

align=baseline>

[Odd from Sweden 129]

First, I must agree wit JaWood, take your time! This is no 100 meters world record fight :-)

 

Then, I must say that You have got the colours very good. When I make my buildings I test the colours by cutting out the render and paste it in my test file. The test file contains one very pale building by Porkissimo and one very bright and colourful by Erdmoebel. A good building has its colour sceme somewher inbetween those extremes. Your building is more bright like the Erdmoebel building but that is just like it should be, it should have a full, strong 1970s-like colour sceme.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//hojdjamforelse%20copy.jpg align=baseline>

[AgentUhOh7 10]

Wow! That's turning out awesome for a first BAT. I really like the idea of re-making a lot of those classic SimCity 2000 buildings.

I love those plants! How did you make them? Alternately, where did you get them? I'm working on a similarly-styled office building of my own, and those look better than what I was planning.

[Hanson784 165]

Very good work! The color is exact and the detailing on the shurbs is excellent.

Take your time with the building. When building anything in BAT you need a lot patience, creativity and a little luck.

[_MostlyHarmless 17]

hey nice work...if i knew anything about bat-ing id start with the other sc2k buildings...alas, good work man!

[Duke87 1,070]

Hey, looks good!

Of course, the biggest pitfall to batting SC2K buildings would be that we never see the backs of them. The sprites always rotated with the view. So that forces BATters to improvise. Some buildings it's easier to imagine what the back would look like than others...

[Lord_Bertrum 3]

This is a great first BAT and the colour has so far come out very good, but you really need to listen to Odd. Look at the BATs he has produced if you are in any doubt that he doesn't know what he's talking about. You need to add much more detail to this, it is going to stand out considerably when its completed in game at the moment, particularly at one of the most in depth zoom levels.

[toxicpiano 125]

Here's my progress with extra detail, can't be bothered to finish it today, and probably not tommorow. I've been wanting to play SC4 for ages and so am. Quite simply can't be asked at the moment, i may wait to finish when i get my new PC, which could be as long away as august. IT WILL BE FINISHED, thats a guarantee. so here's one more pic of the 3Ds model...

https://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b294/toxicpiano/progress3.bmp width=206 align=baseline>

the silver lines are window frames, sorry about the quality of the pic. Expect a Cj and the final version of this and then there will be a long silence while i prepare my new project to show.