Xyloxadoria's BAT and Portfolio Work Thread

[Jasoncw 11,949]

Your building looked big in the game so I checked the dimensions in google earth and the real building is only 44 meters wide and 40 meters deep. It should fit snugly on a 3x3 (48x48 meters).

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

New update. Note that the building is not actually in game. Its just photoshopped onto a blank grass lot of equal size to it in game. So its missing ingame shadows which might make it look like it doesnt belong.

Anyway i still have to work on the roof and plaza area, and I'm not sure about the reflections

[FlyHigh 181]

The base you added looks really good!

[Eʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ 273]

I can sort of pick out some of the repeating textures in the green roof, maybe that might need a change for the release. Anyway, this is amazing! Looks really good and I love the windows!

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Looks great solider, keep it up, and I think ELEMENT is right green roof looks to tile just a tiny bit.

[RipRap 4,400]

Looks Cool!

Not sure about those Green Roofs...

[Francis90b 748]

I'm not sure about the green roof, either...maybe the grass is a bit too noticeable, i almost have the impression that you might be using a too small texture for a too large surface.

What will it happen on the top of the towers?

Sure, part of that will be clad in glass, but what about the rest (the part that hadn't been textured yet)?

Maybe it would be a good idea to put it on a larger lot...you see, there are those large stairways leading to the lobby of Xylo Corp abruptly ending in a tiny, narrow sidewalk...

[Terring 6,476]

Very nice building, the green roofs are awesome

  Edited January 8, 2012 by terring  

[gutterclub 2,729]

Love the building and it doesn't stand out in game, blends quite well. Might be worth trying the Maxis grass texture for the grass to see how it looks, or perhaps work some small hedges in to bring it to life and look less flat. The reflections could poss use some work, might be worth experimenting with your ground plane or making the ground plane UV map larger so you get bigger chunks so to speak.

Glad to see you progressing with this as I've liked this since the start

[harishna 847]

Nice building I would not only consider changing the green texture but also the brown paths around the grass.

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

Done with this BAT its ready for the STEX but before i put it there i need someone to test that it works i dont have a city that can grow it Its just a single building (i plopped it 4 times to see all the angles) its on a 3x3 lot and its a stage 5 medium deinsity R$$ building. The download of the test file is here. Once i have someone say it can grow then ill put it on the STEX.

Aslo i was thinking about making a midrise or highrise version of it as a self contained tower (no exterior stairs) If i were to do that what kind of floorplan would a building of its type have? I was thinking of some thing modern with angled walls but i have not been able to find any other buildings like it in real life.

[Prens 168]

I got it to grow in the city I quickly built to test it

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Glad to have it on the STEX.

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

Sorry for having so many diffrent BATs and jumping from one to the other, but i have been experimenting with doing things.

This was one of thoose experiments:

I have a class project where i have to model the a basic steampunkish city.

Most of the buildings will be generated buildings, but I will spend some time on some of the more major buildings that will be in close camera shots, the main showcase of the city is to be a "Capitol Building" it is supposed to be the most ornate and detailed building in the city.. The city is supposed to be based off of England, so it will most likely not be a high-rise building.

Since i already have what I showed above made, I want to re-use its elements to make some kind of Capitol Building. It looks more like a warehouse right now, Maybe adding something like a spire would help. There is this random church i found that has one that might work. (i think it fits with the overall design of the building)

Oh and if you are wondering what the actual building (My BAT image) as it is now is supposed to be, its Cass Tech from Detroit. I will work on making a actual version of it probably over the summer when the semester is over, All my other BATs will be delayed until then too. My priority is to get this building done. (Im also doing another animation but its mostly interior stuff and is unrelated.)

This is the real building what i have now is based off of:

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

Glad to see you back. I really like what you have so far although the building your BAT is based on looks a little bit sleaky. Maybe it would help to use other textures.

I really like the details. Did you poly modell the front wall?

If you take a look at the two entrances you'll see that the left one seems to be a bit smaller. This is just what I noticed you don't need to fix.

What I really like is the architecture of that building. All the arches make your BAT look even better.

The only problem you might have is the back of the building. Do you know how it looks. Do you have any pictures of it.

I would be verx happy if you continue this building and if you would retain your method of batting.

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

The left and right entrances are both the same size. So says the plans (I make sure to get extensive refrence on a real life building before starting it)

And yes the entire front wall is poly modeled.

The back has a tacky 60s addition on it with Modernism. I have pictures of that but i prefer the orgiinal building without the addtion more.

Heres a picture of the orignal it gives a fairly good idea not as much on the back (its the one on the left)

Anyway like i said earlier, I am holding off on the real version of it now to reuse its elements for the class project i mentioned in my last post

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Lovely model, a lot of details to model buddy.

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

Found this while digging thorough my old BATs and fixed it up a bit. Its the last of my uncompleted stuff

I am not completely sure, but I think that the yellow is reflection of the sun from the MRSun and Sky. Also if i finish this, it will probably need a new roof texture. And doors and such

[T Wrecks 10,210]

You should dump this, it's all jagged and irregular - oh wait, that's the way it's supposed to be!

But seriously, I like this one a lot. It's rather typical of a modern museum designed by some star architect (it probably is the recreation of a modern museum designed by some star architect, but I'm too lazy to look it up) and would be highly useful in game. I agree that the roof would need some fixing up, though. Some kind of (partly) elevated plaza around the building might work well, too.

[Ceafus 88 1,898]

Hey, its nice to see it in your thread, I remember you showing this in chat

I agree, work on the roof a little bit, but overall a unique building.

[gutterclub 2,729]

Really like this, and it's a rare style of architecture for Sim City and is much needed.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

You did great on this I do not know how you pull this one off. I do love the texture I think there perfect.

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

Update on the building:

I made the roof be grass at the suggestion of glenni im not sure if the roof entirely works or not but its supposed to be this kind of style (I think it would be better if it was rougher):

Other than that i just need to finish the plaza area, and add some roofjunk to the roof. The back needs a entrance too. Other suggestions would be appreciated as well.

I want to be able to make the water transaprent so that you can see what is underneath, but that would make there be geometry below the ground plane, which will cause a issue where it will cause a glitch, even if the LOD is above ground.

This could be solved by adding a object in front of what is underground, and applying a "background material" to it. I heard of the material somewhere, it essentially makes whatever object its on be "invisible" so you can use that object as part of an alpha channel, and still have it be visible to the camera i just forget what its called. If i can remember the material and how to use it, it would solve the issue with the station i made earlier, it has that same problem.

Whatever the material is, its different than "Invisible to camera" because that would remove the object entirely. If anyone knows what mateiral im talking about it would be a big help

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Looks great, keep it up buddy.

I need to know how to add a background material to an object, I have buildings that end up going below the ground. What I do is make another scene and anything below the ground I hide it and then export it, then I do a export of the original building and be for I press ok at the end of the export I replace all the alpha images with the one in the other that had objects hidden in the scene. I have to do this three times for each building, Day, maxis nite and dark nite.

  Edited June 24, 2012 by Aaron Graham  

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

Well I have some bad news. This building doesnt want to render on my PC. It can do a low quality single preview render fine (which is what the last images have been) but when i go to do a actual export, it doesnt work. my computer is getting old, and it doesnt like a large shiny object with all those reflections it has to calculate. Im sure theres a way to get it to render, but for now that is not my main concern. I did manage to get this to render though

Im going to be putting BATing aside for a while, I have one year of school left before i graduate, so I am going to start working on improving my portfolio, I am still going to be using 3dsmax, but alot of what i do will probaby be interiors and non BAT related things, as i need to learn how to get better at that type of modeling when i go out to get a job next year.

I will eventually find a way to finish this and my other BATs. but with graduation coming soon, and a month off school coming up, I have other priorities right now. I don't know if I will finsih that older building i showed earlier, it was a school project and really didnt turn into anything that is usable as a BAT. I might eventually do something with it, but my prorities will not be on finsihing any of theese BATs, as i will be focsuing more on studying 3dsmax as part of my animation degree.

[gutterclub 2,729]

Would you be willing to let someone finish it for you or at least let someone with a fast machine render it for you..it's a classy building and too many classy buildings have gone to the graveyard..same with the glass tower which I love.

Anyway, good luck with your degree, i'm sure if it's anything like your Bating you'll pass with flying colours.

[Xyloxadoria 1,098]

Would you be willing to let someone finish it for you or at least let someone with a fast machine render it for you..it's a classy building and too many classy buildings have gone to the graveyard..same with the glass tower which I love.

Anyway, good luck with your degree, i'm sure if it's anything like your Bating you'll pass with flying colours.

I can finsih it, I just cant render it when its done. Its ready to render now (except for a few minor things im adding to help witth nightlighting) it just wont render. Same with the tower, its not as bad as the concet hall, so it will probably work, but it will be a struggle for my computer.

[gutterclub 2,729]

I'm sure there would be plenty of people here who would happily render them for you?

[darn42 1,268]

Yea, I already volunteered a while ago. I can set a render to go overnight usually.

[weixc812 509]

Your new upload is great