nybt-forum-threads Jumpthefence's BAT Forge

[Jumpthefence 74]

 

Hello everyone, and welcome to my BAT Forge. This is where I'll be posting pictures of my BATs, like any other BAT thread on Simtropolis.

So let's get right down to business: I'm not an especially good BATer. I've had about a year of practice with the BAT (as of mid-2010), yet everyday I keep learning new junk I should know and making stupid mistakes and doing my fair share of stupid things. But that's where you come in! You keep giving me your ideas, I'll improve.

Give me your feedback. It's more important than you may think. If I don't know how people like buildings, this is nearly a waste of my time.

I also appreciate help from the site's other BATers, as they know more than I do.

As for what you can expect from me, the answer is not much, and not often. My pace is about one building a month (like this):

and being a high school student, I have to squeeze in BATing between cross country, concert band, brass quintet, academics and personal life. Don't check back every day. Put "checking back" on your Saturday schedule or something.

But here's what's under construction at the moment (one of the buildings, literally! Haha. That was a bad pun.)

134 Eldridge Street

140 Eldridge Street

Walk-Up Under Construction (Fictional)

More pictures are coming soon.

So, have at it. I want to hear what you think of those three.

I'm pretty casual about my work, but I'm going to ask two things:

Don't ask when I'm going to upload a building or update the thread or make waffles or do anything. The official answer is whenever the heck I feel like it and have the time to do so.

Don't ask for requests... There's always the BAT Request Thread, or at the very least, PM me. But don't get your hopes up, I rarely entertain the idea of requests.

...and of course, the general rules of Simtropolis apply.

That solves that.

Y'all have a good day.

[AlexandrosB13 184]

they look great and very realistic. i like the new york style low rises you make!

[PBGV103 729]

Well it's about time! We've had our own room for about a month now! Your new BATs look great. The only thing I'd mention is that the roof on right building of 134 Elridge looks unfinished, but the rest looks like you're done! So whats after these? Ever thought about doing Brownstones?

[SimHoTToDDy 2,938]

Me thinks you are improving!

Things are looking good so far. I like being able to see a little detail on the cornice on 134 Eldridge. The facade's details really jump out in reality (I wasn't expecting them to be so thick and ornate!), I would try making them a little more noticeable in your model since they are a large part of the look of the building. I wouldn't be exaggerating very much if at all if I made them .2m thick. right now its hard to tell they are there. If it is hard to see things, try applying a material with slightly different hue/saturation/value so that things will become more obvious. In that particular building's case, some details are more saturated brown/orange terracotta while others are off-white stone/concrete. your recreations should reflect this.

All in all, lovely work. I might have to make something like these one day.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

I am so glad your are working on more shops, because to me you are the best at making them, New york City is huge we will always need more of these.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

I am so glad your are working on more shops, because to me you are the best at making them, New york City is huge we will always need more of these.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

I think you're doing a great job on these buildings. The more I look at them the more little details I find. I wish I could focus enough to make my own BATs that detailed!

Anyway, needless to say, keep up the good work.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

I think you're doing a great job on these buildings. The more I look at them the more little details I find. I wish I could focus enough to make my own BATs that detailed!

Anyway, needless to say, keep up the good work.

[Jumpthefence 74]

Replies:

AlexandrosB13: Thanks!

Paul: I had to finish 10 Hanover Square! Why, if I'd started a BAT Thread in the middle of a BAT, or been working on two BATs at the same time, my small, OCD focused brain wouldn't be able to handle it! But seriously, I'm just lazy. As for 134 Eldridge, the roof is actually blank. I added some more contrast and grey rectangles I that imagine are metal objects, though it's still not especially exciting. Brownstones have crossed my mind before, they're essentially townhouses, just with brownstone facades. I'll keep a Sticky note with that idea on my wall.

Todd: Woo! I've improved! Or so you think. I tried the color-changing, although I might add even more contrast later. Either way, it seems like a good effect on ornate facades when outwards scaling isn't enough.

Aaron: NYC is very large...

Jasoncw: Thanks, it means a lot coming from the Jasoncw. Details are good. And I plan to keep up the "good" work.

Enough text, you came here for pictures!

Here's a quickie update of what was changed this week. That includes air conditioners, window blinds, the roof texture on the right of 134 and the fire escape color on the left of 140.

I also tried my hand at making opacity maps to fit ads, and it worked out relatively well. I have plans to revise it, but there's a truck ad of some sort.

So I've asked a bunch of riddles today, and now I have a (somewhat lame) one for you:

A sedan and a pickup are parked in a NYC empty lot. What color are they?

Consider this as a teaser for the next building, 129 Eldridge Street. I'm okay at modelling cars, but I'm terrible at picking out colors, so if you don't give me ideas, I'll probably end up making them hot pink.

I'll be in Vermont this weekend, so probably no updates over Labor Day.

I wish you all a great weekend, and I'll talk to you after then.

Bye.

[Jumpthefence 74]

Replies:

AlexandrosB13: Thanks!

Paul: I had to finish 10 Hanover Square! Why, if I'd started a BAT Thread in the middle of a BAT, or been working on two BATs at the same time, my small, OCD focused brain wouldn't be able to handle it! But seriously, I'm just lazy. As for 134 Eldridge, the roof is actually blank. I added some more contrast and grey rectangles I that imagine are metal objects, though it's still not especially exciting. Brownstones have crossed my mind before, they're essentially townhouses, just with brownstone facades. I'll keep a Sticky note with that idea on my wall.

Todd: Woo! I've improved! Or so you think. I tried the color-changing, although I might add even more contrast later. Either way, it seems like a good effect on ornate facades when outwards scaling isn't enough.

Aaron: NYC is very large...

Jasoncw: Thanks, it means a lot coming from the Jasoncw. Details are good. And I plan to keep up the "good" work.

Enough text, you came here for pictures!

Here's a quickie update of what was changed this week. That includes air conditioners, window blinds, the roof texture on the right of 134 and the fire escape color on the left of 140.

I also tried my hand at making opacity maps to fit ads, and it worked out relatively well. I have plans to revise it, but there's a truck ad of some sort.

So I've asked a bunch of riddles today, and now I have a (somewhat lame) one for you:

A sedan and a pickup are parked in a NYC empty lot. What color are they?

Consider this as a teaser for the next building, 129 Eldridge Street. I'm okay at modelling cars, but I'm terrible at picking out colors, so if you don't give me ideas, I'll probably end up making them hot pink.

I'll be in Vermont this weekend, so probably no updates over Labor Day.

I wish you all a great weekend, and I'll talk to you after then.

Bye.

[AlexandrosB13 184]

looks great again and very realistic textures. i also found the idea of making a Walk-Up Under Construction building very interesting. Great Job

[Jumpthefence 74]

Replies: Reply(This week is going to mostly be a conversation with myself? I can do that!):

AlexandrosB13: Thanks!

Here's 129 Eldridge Street at the moment. Today I'll be working on the roof texture and junk, but you can just imagine for yourself all that. Otherwise, the building is very close to being done... I think.

I'm not sure about this building... every different angle looks like a completely different building. But at this point in time, it's not something to worry much about. Might as well finish it; a building's a building.

As for the cars, I decided on silver and dark grey, two of the most common colors for cars in America. Any objections?

I still have to do air conditioners, graffiti and of course, roof junk. But what you see is a pretty good representation of what will eventually be the final building.

Comments? Ideas?

Okay then, I'll hopefully reply to someone tomorrow or whenever time allots.

[gio10469 24]

These are coming out great! My only concern is that I think the cinderblocks at the back of the building are sorta bigger than they're supposed to be, but thats just my personal opinion. and I think you should change the color of the pick-up truck to something that will stand out a bit more...maybe a darkish blue or a maroon or whatever color of your picking, I just feeling the black hides the details of the pick-up.

[AlexandrosB13 184]

looks great! i agree when i saw the picture of 129 Eldridge Street i thought there were 3 different buildings, but for me it looks ok, it also makes it a bit more interesting. do you have any night renders of these lowrises?

[PBGV103 729]

Looks great! I like that the cars blend into it now and don't distract from the buildings, so I personally wouldn't change their colors.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Jumpthefence- I love your work, keep it up.

[Sgt Pepper 864]

Pwetty buildings! Everything is coming along great!

I don't have anything to really suggest, looks like to me you're getting it perfect!

[T Wrecks 10,209]

In fact' it's a good thing that it looks different from every angle. Buildings in SC4 are very likely to pop up several times in one city, so if the repetition is less obvious - all the better!

[Jumpthefence 74]

Alright, time didn't work in my favor Sunday, but here I am.

Replies:

gio10469: Cinderblocks may vary a lot from building to building, though a 2/5 meter tall cinder block is out of the ballpark. I adjusted the UVW Map, and it should be closer, though not precise, to the actual dimension. That is, to the typical American 8 inch by 12 inch block. My bad.

As for the comment about the truck, I plan to keep a very minimalist color, and here's my reasoning: NYC doesn't have a lot of empty lots, and those that exist are not notable. Therefore, the buildings themselves are the focus of such plots of land, rather than the lot itself. Should there be more focus on this unused space, or the building looming over it? That, as well as the fact that I didn't put a lot of details on the cars.

AlexandrosB13: Thanks! Also, don't let me forget about those night renders. Life's a bit busy at the moment, but I'll post some night pictures ASAP.

PBGV103: I'm glad you like it. The cars don't need to blend in, they just need to be subtle, as Todd always taught me "subtlety is key in BATing".

Aaron Graham: Yeah, I'm going to keep BATing!

Sgt Pepper: Maybe not perfect, but I'm content-ish with how things are coming.

T Wrecks: I suppose that's a benefit. Though the downside is that the South wall is starkly contrasting the East wall, and while looking closely at the one building, it may look awkward. Red and white? Odd... But I'm just playing devil's advocate, I don't think it's that bad of a problem.

I don't post many replies without accompanying them with a picture. And so:

So, the building is "done" enough to be uploaded, but I still have a lot of plans for it. Graffiti, air conditioners, and the roof on the left doesn't have enough contrast. Everything is a really boring repetitive grey color, and even some small changes could make a big difference. Otherwise, what does everyone think?

Comments?

Alright, probably no replies in the upcoming days. Wednesdays/Thursdays tend to be busy, and Tuesdays are now going to be cross country meet days. So bye for now.

GO ORIOLES!

[Sgt Pepper 864]

Seeing it closer to be done gives me better ideas on what to suggest, though I'd like to see the rest of the wonderful building to get a much better idea.

What you've said you'll do to it will do the trick with it. Perhaps the windows could look less dark grey and have some contrast or some color? Just a small idea that may make a difference.

[Jumpthefence 74]

Happy Friday, everyone!

Reply:

Sgt Pepper: Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention I would be doing window variations this week. They're fairly easy to do, and they make a bigger improvement than they appear to. There should (hopefully) be more window contrast now.

On to the building!

So at the moment, the building is done... to my standards. The only thing I may do is play around with nightlights, because those are where the most untapped potential lies. I also may play around the cars, but they're okay as is, so hopefully I don't screw something up.

Because this is the third building I'm "done" with, I'll probably be exporting in a week or two. Of course, I'll post some more pictures to make sure everything is ship-shape with all three.

Comments?

Alright, I'll hopefully post more pictures this weekend. See ya.

P.S. At Tuesday's meet, the Orioles placed in the middle (8-27-29) and I took 3:32 off my unofficial 5k record. In case any of you were dying to know.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Looks good to you eyes, I don't really see any thing that needs to be fix. You have really came a long way from your first bat you uploaded.

[PBGV103 729]

Lookin good Drewski xD

[SimHoTToDDy 2,938]

Slowly approaching enlightenment you are. Full of life and beauty your work has become. Greatness in your future I see.

[Jumpthefence 74]

Well, cross country was okay. I'm tired. Westfield is pretty good. I improved by a minute on my 5k. Did I mention I was tired? Who wants a reply? Here ya go:

Replies:

Aaron: Yeah, things are coming along pretty well. And yeah, I remember my first BAT. Not a disaster, but as you can tell, I've come a LONG way since then.

Paul: I don't think I've ever been called that... nor do I know what emotion to feel right now. But I've glad you like the models!

Todd: Your grammar I don't quite understand. Confusing and shifted it is. You for your compliments and help I thank.

I'm going to link to today's image, because it includes every possible level 5 view of the shops. Click the link, look 'em all over, scrutinize everything, and tell me what you think.

>2,436,117 pixels, give it a moment to load<

So here's all that's new (if I can remember it all): new air conditioners on 129 Eldridge, window variations and nightlighting on 134 and 140, erosion/discoloration on 129's left building, lots of graffiti, nightlighting changes on the facade of 129, a record store (there's no real reason I did this, it just looks busier) to fill in the lower back wall of 140, changes to the ad on the left side of 140, and anything else I may be forgetting. Otherwise, just some final touching-up before I export.

That's all for today, exporting will hopefully begin soon.

PS. I think I'll do some more Chinatown townhouses for the upcoming set, but I'm just hatching the idea now. More on the topic to come.

[SimHoTToDDy 2,938]

The saturation on Old Glory and a few bits of graffiti is a little high, but on the whole each looks lovely. I'd also say that the graffiti is rather noisy and does not feel like it is part of the wall, but almost as if it were something you were tacking on in LE. I think you mentioned before that you were using alphas, which works under certain situations. That being said, fine details like this lack a little in the "anti-aliasing" (Specifically in B3 and D1) which leaves these odd white/gray halos and noise around the graffiti. One way around this is to put the brick background on the graffiti and save that as a new material so you can control the transitions better. That is getting rather picky, but that's the best I can come up with the moment

[JonM 38]

I think you should also make slight alterations to these BATS, like color, re-arranging details etc, and release those separately. That would give people more options to choose from and more variation in the cities.

[Jumpthefence 74]

Hey, it's been a while, hasn't it?

-For one, I was sick for at least 7 days total since my last reply. It turns out that if you want to beat Turners Fall's team, it helps to run 6 miles in the rain. Although I can't say it helps the immune system. Neither does running the track after soaking your shoes in puddles during the warm-up. But I'll survive.

-I'm in a kind of awkward stage between being done with one pack o' townhouses and gearing up for the next.

-Life's been busy.

Replies:

Todd: Well, it's the details that make a good BAT a great BAT. I'll take your advice on Old Glory, because it's a pretty simple switch to decrease saturation. As for the graffiti, the LE-tacked-on thing probably stems from my reasoning. I'd imagine graffiti artists can only reach to x height, and with everyone wanting their own area to be creative, they'll go up from the ground up in random places, eventually filling in the wall. I can make the top of the graffiti plane a jagged line (so long as it doesn't cut off the graffiti in the middle), or I can fill graffiti all the way to x. I switched the latter to the former on 140, it looks more natural. That is, assuming the graffiti artists wouldn't fill a wall to x. As for the white static, it has to do with the use of white spray paint when I'm using a white background for transparency guides. That problem's been fixed.

As for the part about alphas, I don't really know what you're talking about, nor do I know where I mentioned that. I'll have to go look them up.

Jon: That would certainly be easier, but I wouldn't be a BATer if I always took the path of least resistance. The way I see it, NYC has plenty of townhouses, and I won't be running out anytime soon. It would also be a little degrading to the original if there was a repainted copy, wouldn't it?

Time for pictures!

I'm just being obsessive about the details here, there's only small changes at this point. I changed graffiti and the saturation on the American flag, added a flag to 134, and played with the lighting in the empty lot behind 129.

Here's what I've been working on in sporadic sessions:

This is 61 Bayard Street, right next door to the third townhouse I ever made. Obviously, it needs to be textured. The only things that have been textured so far are those not-so-shiny new cars and the flag. On the other hand, the geometry is nearly done. I just need to work on the roof and maybe a bit more in the back. There's still a lot to be done in coming weeks, so this is more of a teaser than anything you can really comment on.

Happy Columbus Day in America! Happy October 11th to everyone else! Everyone have a great day back at school/work tomorrow.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Looks great. Can't wait to see how you are going to texture these up.

[Jumpthefence 74]

Well, I hope everyone had an exciting week.

Reply:

Aaron: Well, I'm glad you like how it's coming out. And here's how I textured them up:

I actually didn't finish the roof, another week will probably go by before I get that done. Anyways:

What you see is what you get. At this point everything is essentially done in terms of geometry. As for texturing, that will be in the next update, and I'll be working on details in the coming days. Windows need variation, graffiti will get messed with, air conditioners will be installed, nightlights will be lit, and roof textures will be textured.

In other news, I was looking at the old NYBT Thread where I got my start, and I've come a helluva long way since February. I'm also starting to wonder if it's a crime against American standards to imply that people actually work in the increasingly depressing buildings I'm making. I hope not.

I think I'll be exporting my Bowery Shops on Monday (if I'm lucky). I have some free time then. Although, don't expect them on the STEX soon. I'm the kind of guy that enjoys the journey and forgets the destination.

I'm done for today. Bye.