nybt-forum-threads PBGV's BAT Thread

[Jack_wilds 550]

well I think the latest notion is really good offering bang for the buck, expandability, upgradeable, and can do rendering for many cad, animation development soft-wares and operations... a generally good buy

However seriously consider an other game plan: 

get a desktop geared towards the rendering and development work for around $1200-2000

then get a great or good laptop for about $800-1000

the laptop use for cad/rendering and simple developments then continue onto the desktop,

freeing the laptop for all other general computing time, game playing, wi-fi chores and college work etc...

giving you two computers with monies enough for software in that $4-5000 budget and its workable with either mac-pc or combination...

but in the end its your monies to choose and decide, dream and shopping adventure is fun -in mean time, moving towards finding what it is your looking for...

cheers and happy new year

[PBGV103 729]

Well it has great performance for the money, but I don't know if the drivers are there to support it. That's the biggest worry when you build your own computer. From what I can tell all the hardware is compatible, but I don't know if there are drivers out there that will support that computer. If I get a computer from HP or whoever, I know the drivers are compatible, but the computer would cost at least twice as much.

Back on 277, another reason the uv map and subdividing thing doesn't work is the window to non-window layers of the facade aren't 1:1, they're 5:4. I don't know of any easy way to subdivide a surface that way.

[Jasoncw 12,000]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean about the layers and ratios. But since you have 7094 window panes, you just need to attach them together.

For the randomization, the uvw map only sizes bitmaps. In the multi/sub-map material, you need to make sure the first option is set to "Material ID" and that your panes of glass actually have randomized material IDs, which you can do automatically by downloading a script. The uvw map, and the multi/sub-map material aren't involved in the randomization. The uvw map will fit whatever it ends up with, and the multi/sub-map material is just matching the sub maps you give it to Material IDs (or whatever else you choose for that option). But you can randomize the material IDs easily using scripts, so that's where the actual randomization occurs.

The chrome material needs to be optimized too.

[SimHoTToDDy 2,939]

Worst case scenario you just utilize the return policy. Is that so terrifying? It will save you a lot of cash

Anyway, it looks we are making progress in saving you the trouble of finding $5k.

[PBGV103 729]

The return policy with newegg is 30 days money back plus a restocking fee except on the cpu's which are exchange only. I'd imagine that everything is exchange only as soon as you open the packaging. Also, I'd have to install the OS on a computer without an OS already on it, something I've never done before and have no idea how to do, and of course there's no technical support at all when you build your own computer. I found out that intel is moving from the lga1366 sockets to the lga2011 sockets in Q4 this year. So now I feel like I'm wasting my money no matter what I buy, because I won't have the option to upgrade the cpu in a year or two when they phase out the 1366 socket cpu's.

In 3ds max 2011 you can select "random" on the multi/sub maps so you don't need to use the material IDs.

[PBGV103 729]

Update: my parents might be willing to pay for around half, but only if I get the mac pro. If I get the 1TB 7200rpm HDD instead of the SSD, I'll get twice the storage and the price drops from $4549 to $3334. If they'll pay for half then I already have enough to pay for the other half so I'll just go with that.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Ha, ha, yea, you just want a Mac!!!! You are making sure no one stop you from getting a Mac computer, but it's up to you Sir.

[PBGV103 729]

Well yes and I'd be a fool to think I could build my own computer and not have any major problems doing so. You can make sure all the parts you buy are compatible but that doesn't mean the drivers are there to support your system. After all there are millions of combinations of hardware you could come up with, and if I buy a brand name computer it will be a mac just like my last two computers. Anyway, you guys don't need to worry about it. $3300 is reasonable, I have almost half that just from xmas money, and if my parents pay for half, then I should get the computer pretty soon. Until then I have to find a 1.5mm five point torx screwdriver so I can take the battery out of my macbook pro. Off to home depot tomorrow to find one, hopefully.

[Ion_Cannon 677]

Oh dear god are you seriously going to waste that much money?

1. Building a PC is easy, you just plug all the components into the right slots and plug the PSU / SATA cables into the right ports, theres loads of stuff on the internet to help you but generally its quite easy to see were everything goes.

2. Your worried about there being no support? All those components SimFox listed are well known and current, they will all have adequate drivers AND regular updates to those drivers. A branded PC is no better supported than a homebuilt one in the drivers department. The only extras you seem to get with branded PC's is alot of ***** software - DELL this, DELL that, that comes preloaded on your HD taking up valuable space and memory. And often these programs aren't even coded well, suffering from memory leaks and the like.

3. Installing Windows is easy. You literally just turn on your PC, stick the windows install disk in and follow the instructions.

4. All those components have the Newegg return policy, but they probably also have manufacturers warrantys as well, though I haven't bought anything from Newegg so I can't be sure on that point.

If your still not wanting to self build, fair enough. But there are companys out there who will build your PC for you with a much smaller markup than Apple / Dell. http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/ are very good, and from having a quick look at their site they're currently having a sale.

[Jasoncw 12,000]

Well, this is absolutely absurd.

Half of $3,300 is $1,650.  You already have enough money to buy the computer you need.  You have people here designing the computer for you, there are websites which will build and send it to you.

If I had your mom's phone number I'd call her up to tell her how much money her son is screwing her out of. 

[Andreas Roth 629]

Well, a lot of stuff has been said already, so I just add my two cents... If you worry about "outdated" hardware that won't be upgradable in the near future, you shouldn't buy any computer at all. The moment you will buy a computer, it will be outdated, as something new is just around the corner. The key is to buy a computer that will suit your current needs, not what you might want to do in three years. Do you really know what you're doing in three years, and what hardware requirements are necessary for this? I never ever upgraded my CPU, as this is a total waste of money. By the time you feel you need a new PC (say, in three or four years), technology has so much advanced that you have to exchange pretty much the entire internals of your PC, such as mainboard, CPU, RAM, graphics card, and possibly even the HD as it's not fast enough anymore.

You've seen some examples above that presented a PC with really good specs for about $1000 (or 750 € - that would be my personal limit for a computer. Just think of it, rather than spending some $3000 on an overpriced machine, pay $1000 each year for a new one with the most current hardware. And if you really want to render a lot, a dedicated desktop computer just for this task, plus a notebook for internet, office and school work seems to be far more reasonable. For, say, $2000, you would get two excellent computers that will serve you very well for pretty much all purposes, and you would be able to use at least one immediately all the time (whether the other one is busy or maybe broken, so you'd have to repair it).

In October 2008, I bought myself some new parts to assemble a new computer, and it costed me a whopping 400 € ($540) for the case, PSU, mainboard, RAM, CPU and cooler. I sold most of my old computer for 150 €, and used the remaining hard drives and DVD drive, unlocked and overclocked the CPU, which resulted in a triple core 3.6 GHz AMD Phenom II with 4 GB DDR3-RAM. Admittedly, it's not perfectly stable, under extremely heavy load (like copying two batches of large files between three HDs, while listening to music and editing pictures at the same time), it crashes with a bluescreen once in two months or so, but that can happen with any stock computer as well. With further tweaking, I might eliminate those crashes as well, but for the minimum effort that I did (just tweaking some BIOS settings without much testing), it works surprisingly well. So after all, I paid 250 € for a machine that will serve me well for at least three years - that's what I call a nice price.

[PBGV103 729]

Hey everyone.  I've been trying out different things, experimenting with forms and materials and such.  This is one thing I've worked on a little, not really related to the NYBT, but it's an interesting concept so I thought I'd share it.  Does anyone recognize what the inspiration for it was?  By the way, it's still a work in progress.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Wow!!! it's huge, the bat looks good, but what is it???

[SimHoTToDDy 2,939]

Seems like something out of star wars

The blue dome looks like it is made out of felt though, I don't think that is the best roof material!

[PBGV103 729]

I was aiming for blue stucco, and it's not from star wars lol kinda close though, I guess.

[mightygoose 92]

a starbase but in the water (star trek) or one of those offshore military forts... converted into a hotel?

[PBGV103 729]

Nope, not even close lol Here's a huge hint: It's not from a movie or a tv show, it's a single building from a MASSIVE metropolis, and the resolution of the original images is terrible so I've taken some artistic license with the details. The structure itself won't help you figure it out, it's the architecture and location that's important.

Here's some more pictures:  http://img715.imageshack.us/f/z1s5.jpg/  < for the full view

Imageshack will cut it down to around 50% (depending on you monitor's resolution) so you'll have to zoom in to around 200% to see the details.

changed this one a little

Obviously the center part isn't near finished.  I'm still lost on what to do with some of the concrete areas on the small sections as far as details and materials go.  I like the water, but not the way it looks around the base of the building, they look disconnected.  The water's waves have to stay a bump map instead of a displacement so the edges of this BAT will line up with future ones.  I tried adding a ripple modifier with a decay, but that didn't help much.  Any ideas?

Funny fact, if I leave out the water it takes like 20 minutes to render, if I keep the water it takes 2.5 hours.  lol

[SimHoTToDDy 2,939]

Or you can use the direct link, post the image here at a reduced size (enter 300 or something in the height box), and then hyperlink it to the direct link too (full size image). Your image is full size, just try using right click> view image

In fact, I'll do it.

[gutterclub 2,731]

No idea what it is, it "feels" like that underwater/overeater silly place in one of the new Star Wars films where the Republican Army is made..but we've establsihed it's not.

Hmmm, I'm guessing Asian as I can't think of any Western Cities it might lie in and i've seen a fair few..

[mightygoose 92]

i am really confused, the arches look romanesque the shape of the cantilever sections rooves most certainly look arabic, although orthodox christianity rings in too (haga sofia).

as to where, and purpose, it surely has to be a cruise ship terminal or convention centre, and large metropolis, pretty much has to be BRIC. most likely china.

[PBGV103 729]

Wow you guys are getting closer. It's not a RL structure btw. It was designed by an asian group that took ideas from traditional, asian, european, and middle eastern architecture.

*Edited because it looked junky*

[PBGV103 729]

I think you guys gave up on my little game.  lol  The city's name is Zanarkand and it's from FFX back in 2001.

I'll post further related material here:  ZProject

[PBGV103 729]

Hey guys, not much to talk about here I guess.  You'll probably be happy to know I decided to build my own computer.  Apparently it looks good on a resume and it could be fun, until I kill my new $300 mobo and/or $400 cpu.  I bought a Antec 1200 case this past week.  It has like 13 drive bays so it should last me the next 10+ years.  I guess I'll be lucky if anything else last 2 years.  I'm also getting a asus workstation/server mobo so I can have two xeon cpus, but I'll start out with just one entry-level xeon (2.4GHz, 4 cores, 8 threads).  Supposedly it has some overclocking potential so that'll help.  Hopefully that will give me the option to upgrade a little in the next couple years, but it's probably pointless to think it'll have a useful life of more than 2-3 years.  Computers suck.  Everything is listed below, hopefully it'll all be compatible, if not, I'm screwed.  I did spend hours checking out compatibility, but you never know.  Also, I only have about $500 of my xmas cash left, and I'm still not going to go into my savings.  So I'm trying to sell my old desktop to make up for most of the rest.  It's supposedly worth $625-800, so I'd have almost enough for the parts then.  Everything less the OS is listed below.  I'll probably get windows 64-bit home basic, and upgrade to 64-bit ultimate for $8 through the university software distributor.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

That's good Paul, but do you have to have that much RAM,lol but I do wish I had that much RAM and a video card like that, but I think it does not matter, my 4 GB RAM and my video card is good for now. When I bat my buildings I have my windows media player run because I have to listen to my songs or else I will quit bating.

[PBGV103 729]

I have 8GB of ram on my laptop and use 85-90% while rendering my zanarkand building, and that's with just max open, no other programs. Granted it is massive. It would fit on a 22x16 lot.

[SimCity4IE 203]

Some of that stuff may bottleneck your setup. You should try to go for the 6xxx generation of ati cards or at least the 5870/5970 coupled with an i7 960/970.

[zahrul3 472]

An overclocked pentium D 960 with decent cooling, decent graphics and 8GB memory could do very well. You could all get them used for easy prices, then add some nice 8GB. It won't have to cost $4k dollars but its quite the same setup used by early BATters.

[SimFox 804]

This Xenon Has awfully high heat signature - TDA of 80W ... But anyway, if you want dual CPU upgradebility Xeons are teh only way to go. However I'm not all too sure about need, at least immediate in Noctua cooler. I mean you know that you CPU comes with a cooler? And often those Intel own are quite good and quiet. So you could at least first give it a try before shelling out almost 80 bucks on a Noctua. I would also go with Samsung HDD - the best choice on the market at the moment (well in a middle run)

[PBGV103 729]

The i series cpus come with heatsinks, the xeons, or at least the e5620 doesn't. I looked at the intel aftermarket cooler on newegg, but it seems to have a relatively bad reputation. Plus I'm probably going to OC the E5620, so the noctua pulls 54cfm max whereas the intel cooler pulls like 30cfm or something.

The ATI 5770 is only $100, so if I need something better if/when I switch to iRay, I'll change it out then.

The Pentium D960 is incredibly old, I'd have to buy it used since they don't make them anymore, and from what I've read they're about the same as my laptop cpu just a higher clock and a smaller cache.

Edit: I found a different intel heatsink for $40 (vs the $35 intel I saw before). It's reviews have been a little better and it's rated for a 130W cpu, so I'd have plenty of headroom. I think I'll go with that and arctic silver, $50 total. I guess the tiny $30 savings is worth it. Also, the memory I picked is out of stock as of this morning.    All of the other 1333MHz 3x4GB kits have a Cas Latency of 9 rather than 7. 9 is much worse than 7.

[PBGV103 729]

Or should I try to find a used Nvidia Quadro? That would be amazing for 3ds max, but I don't how well it would play SC4, plus a used Nvidia Quadro with 1GB DDR5 would cost at least $500.