mipro Barry Sanders Project

[Jasoncw 11,840]

I'm pretty sure the two fancy walls are the same, except for some differences in the base (awnings, and which are doors and which are windows, etc.) that you probably figured anyway.

The two un-fancy walls are different though.  One of them has windows on it, and one of them only has a few columns of windows.  But I think you were asking about the fancy walls.

It's looking good so far.  The only things I've noticed is that there is that ledge under the main door.  To get rid of that, you can delete the bottom line of the arch way.  Then you can divide the line at the very bottom of the spline two times, and then you can delete the middle section, and then you can weld the open areas closed.  To divide the bottom line, when you have an editable spline selected, and you have the line selection option (not the vertex) selected, there is a button somewhere in the right pane that says "divide" and it will divide the seleced line (essentailly adding a vertex midway through the line).  Also, for the window frame, it seems like the middle vertical part should be thicker, and that the middle horizontal part should be thinner.  idk.  On the other hand I don't know if it would make it look worse at zoom 4.

Anyway, looking great.

Odainsaker, that makes a lot of sense.  I figured that those old fireescapes don't meet code, but I guess I didn't put two and two together.

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Ok - just popping in to summarize a few general thoughts that arose when I was posting some preview screenies in nofunk's thread.

I wanted to know if BSP would like to have a uniform look-and-feel, and what it should be like. There seems to be a general consensus that some uniformity would be good.

Now the preferred direction seems to be that the menu icon hover descriptions hold some short standard text whereas the detailed texts (building history) are reserved for the custom query.

I am about to upload both Jasoncw's Vinton Building and nofunk's Borders Books & Music, and both will have said menu icon hover queries formatted as follows:

Landmark

Monthly cost:

[JBSimio 152]

T Wrecks:  I guess I'm the first to cast my votes.  For the icon hovers, I'd vote for exactly what you described.  Short and to the point... leave the more lengthy stuff for the queries.  Actually, the "standard" query that we used with DFP needs the text to fill the box anyway.  I don't really have a preference about credits in the hover description.  I'm fine with just having them in the readme... but I have no problem with it in the hover, either.  Just my opinion.

The plop and landmark issue:  I think it would be best to go with both whenever it makes sense to do so.  Personally, if I use a plopped building, I like it to function... but you make a good point about dilapidation and such, too.  Could we just come up with a standard mayor rating, landmark effect, etc. that would just apply to all of them?  I know it's not how Maxis did it, but it seems like a lot of extra time to figure out a "correct" value for something like that.  I never fully understood why plopping a landmark should have a huge impact on surrounding areas anyway.  Again, that's just me though.

Oh... just to be certain:  You know that both of Nofunk's BATs are from Ann Arbor and not Detroit, right?  While they've pretty much grown together, anyone from Ann Arbor will tell you that they are most certainly not part of Detroit.  (They can be a bit snooty there!    Kidding guys... I lived there too for a while)

JB

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Ok - now it's too late, though. I already sent the files, so Jason and Nolan will have to edit the LTEXT file to correct this issue. I know how touchy citizens of neighbouring cities can be, it's the same here in Germany - Cologne/D

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Right now I have Burton Tower all ready for the querries, except for the menu descriptions which are done, but might not be what everyone agrees on.  I also set the item icon order to three.

There's a 1x1 Landmark lot that says:

"Monthly Cost: §something

Origin: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA"

And a 2x2 College lot that says:

"Monthly Cost: §Something

Student Capacity: Something

Educates young adult sims." (or whatever the community college says)

While I don't dislike having a credit line at the bottom, I'd rather not have it there.

For querry information, JB, you can check out http://www.detroitblog.org/?p=365 for the Vinton Building.  It has a lot of information about it.  The only thing though, is that I don't want you to say "the building is currently being rennovated" or something like that, because in a couple of months it's going to be done.  Say something like "in 2005, a group of ten entrepreneurs led by former Detroit Lions player Robert Porcher purchased the building to convert it into residental lofts and commerical space"  But don't say it exactly like that, because that's how the Detroit News said it.  http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0502/27/B01-101205.htm  But at the same time when you say it, it needs to sound like it's really being done, not just that they bought it.  lol, do you know what I mean?

I've also made two pictures for the querry, from photos I found of the internet, lol.  The Free Press was in black and white, but this can be in color.  I'm not sure which I prefer, but I'm leaning towards black and white.

         

Have you found any good photos JB?  All of the other photos I've been able to find either have too much stuff (like street lights and stuff) blocking the building, or it too clearly shows how the bottom is boarded up.  No one can take any pictures now (or for a while I think) because the construction stuff is around the building.  The new windows look nice though.

[nofunk 1,933]

T Wrecks:

Like I wrote you in my pm, I'm pretty much a traditionalist when it comes to the customizations...

For the menu icon hover: I am not against credits being included here, but I also don't feel like it's absoutely necessary. If I upload the file, and our credits are in the description and the readme, it's enough for me to know that people will recognize my BATing and your modding.

For the custom query: I really like the looks of the DFP Building -- a small description at the top, and a nice image of the building at the center left. (I think there is also a BSP logo at the bottom left.) I think that's enough. I wouldn't even need the Michigan watermark as the background. if I'm being honest.

At the same time, if we make a custom query for the LM, we might as well have one for the ploppable too.

My problem with custom queries arises when it involves some crazy skin -- different colors, shape, buttons -- I think that's overkill. As long as we don't adopt some weird, oval query box with neon colors and wacky buttons to click, then I'm OK. Know what I mean? Hehe...

Jason: black & white.

[JBSimio 152]

T Wrecks;  OK... I'll know what to look for when I get them, just in case it gets missed.

Jason:  Sounds good... I'll check that out for some information.  Yes, I understand what you mean... I'll come up with some type of wording for that.  Will you need it pasted into the readme again as well?  For the picture... I'd go with black and white again.  It seems to blend in better with the query's standard background.  The only other decent picture I've come across is found on this site.  Sorry... the internet's going too slow today for me to hunt up the exact page it's on, just go into the commercial buildings and the Vinton is in there.  Kind of cool site actually... I wish they'd finish it!

Nofunk:  If I remember right, the DFP query is what we decided to have as the "standard" for the BSP buildings.  So what yours will look pretty much like that.  I know what you mean... at first I thought the super graphic queries were pretty cool, but the novelty wore off in a hurry.  I tend to make mine pretty standard with fairly subtle "branding logos"

JB

[Jasoncw 11,840]

That's a really cool site, it has a lot of nice pictures, but they aren't all from the usual angles that photographers all do, so they're good reference pictures.

Yeah, that shot of the Vinton building is really common, but the street lights get in the way.

How do you need the picture saved?  as a .png?  anything specific about the png?

I'll send you what I have right now (The Vinton Building and Burton Tower) once we agree on what to have in the menu descriptions.  It seems like we all agree, but I want to make sure.

[JBSimio 152]

Hey Jason... I like that site a lot too. The picture can be either png or bmp... really it can be anything when you send it, but converting from a jpg usually looks bad on my software, so I prefer one of the two. I'll be watching for the files.

JB

[nofunk 1,933]

I present, for your review, John K. King Used & Rare Books, at 901 W. Jefferson:

(Still some work to do, i.e., roof junk.)

[ardecila 124]

OMG...  you guys know how much I love old warehouse-type structures.  It looks amazing!  Nice job.  The only thing I would suggest is maybe a little graffiti.  This looks like just the type of neglected old warehouse to have some conspicuous graffiti.

Is the roof texture custom?  I can't tell, I know I have a pre-made texture that looks similar.

Nice job!

[marc 13]

Nofunk, that's awesome! See, these are exactly the types of buildings that the Maxis designers ignored. Perfect texturing on the walls- the faded blue-painted bricks/concrete are very unique. I would improve the wood board&batten texturing on the shop entrance though.

[thundercrack83 0]

I'm sure this has been addressed before, but I don't really have the energy to sift through 60+ pages, so I'll ask the question:

No Pontiac Silverdome? Where will Sim-WrestleMania III take place?

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Here's a picture of the building I found off the internet.

Nope, no Silverdome, lol.  It hasn't been made since no one seems to want to make it (I know I don't want to make it).

If you're interested in learning how to BAT I can help you.

And what does everyone want for the menu descriptions?  I'm not sending any files around untill there is some clear consensus on what the standard will be.

[nofunk 1,933]

Jason: Thanks for the photo. Yeah, the one thing I realized I had forgotten when I made the post was a reference photo. For the record, I have no intention of figuring out that painting of a hand. And I am OK with that lol.

And I thought there was more or less consensus on what we wanted -- at least I think JBSimio and I (and I thought you) had pretty much the same idea. If we want to wait for T Wrecks to chime in, that's cool -- I know he was away from his computer this weekend.

Also, I for one, will not be tackling the Silverdome...

@ ardecila: Thanks! I really love these buildings too... your Marshall Field's warehouse is great. I'll definitely see what I can do about some graffti -- although what's really interesting, is I have shots of every side of this building and it actually doesn't have any graffiti on it! Still, I think it would make sense on a building like this. The roof was just one I had in my folder of textures -- I think I got it off the texture thread a long time ago.

@ marcszar: Thanks! I agree -- we need more of these in the game. I'm going to work on that corugated wall texture some... definitely.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

So just the standard Maxis format, without the credits?

T Wrecks is already back, but we can assume that he'd like the credits, since that's how he made it in the first place.

I'll get everything ready (shouldn't take too long, I just need to do some chores before I start).

Oh yeah, and we should also work on the qurry texts in this thread too, so we can all see and agree on what it says (I don't think there will be any issues to discuss about it, but we can all proof read it, or if we have an idea on something and all that kind of stuff).

heheh, yeah, the hand looks cool, but I have no idea how you could get it to wrap the corner like that without spending a ton of time lining things up in photoshop.

I just thought just now though, that you should make an industrial version of it.  You'd just have to switch out a few of the parts.  It's up to you though.

[T Wrecks 10,209]

*chimes in*

Oh, and you can take the credits out and leave them to the STEX and to the readme. It's probably better to stick to the KISS principle.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

I'd personally add the graffitti as the prop in the lot editor.  If the owners of the building in real life take the effort of keeping their building clean I think it would be bad to add in graffiti anyway.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Following that kind of thinking, I can change the ploppable description to:

"Jobs Provided: 132 CO§§§"

Should that be the standard way of expressing the number of jobs?

[wolverine 12]

No funk, I like! I rode past that place the other day on my bike. It's a pretty hood building. We definitely need more of these.

[nofunk 1,933]

Hey guys... I released Borders!

https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=17212

@ wolverine: Thanks! You rode your bike by the John King bookstore? That's a long way to ride from Ann Arbor! Unless, of course you mean a BIKE and not a... bicycle.

I was actually thinking of making a few more of these old warehouses since this one seems to have turned out so well. There's definitely a need for them in the game.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

First BSP release in 9 months!

Maybe you could do the Ford Piquette plant.  It's pretty historical, industrial, and not huge.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

The Vinton Building has been uploaded!

It will show up on the STEX in a little while.

[wolverine 12]

No I threw my bicycle in the back of the truck and drove to Detroit. I like experiencing the motor city from a more human level. So yessir, I rode my bike past it.

[nofunk 1,933]

Hey guys: the Burton Memorial Tower is released!

https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=17260

[jacqulina 162]

excellent news

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Ok everyone, Ardecila was able to convert both One Woodward Avenue and 211 West Fort for 3ds max, so I'll be working on getting those two finished now.

Things to do for both of them:

- Re-apply all of the textures.

- Do the nitelites (this is the original reason I needed 3ds max for this)

- Edit some stuff in 3ds max so that I can render things.

Then I need to actually render them.  Then they'll be lotted and modded and all that kind of stuff.

[GangstadanDT 0]

Good to see progress again

[wolverine 12]

What up fresh as I return in this thread!

So I've been working on a site model for my architecture classes at U of M.  I figured since I'm making 3d models of surrounding buildings, it makes sense to put them on the STEX too right?

Anyway, because architectural renderings require everything to look new and perfect, this warehouse building is a bit too nice and clean.  In real life it's located in Toledo, OH; abandoned and boarded up.  Because I don't have the time to alter the textures, someone else can if they want.  But I warn you it might take some time.  Due to the closeup nature of my presentation, I had to model all the details.  So there are a ton of surfaces.  I made the whole building in sketchup in about 2 days of work.  It was also textured in sketchup and then the whole thing was brought into 3ds for a few rough renderings you see below.  So either way, textures can be modified in 3ds or sketchup (or GMAX, which might be really slow)  But yeah, so...

Here it is:

and for SimCity's sake, a non perspective view:

I hope somebody can do something with this.  I hate to see it just go to waste after my school project is done, and never see it again.  Afterall Sim City does need more triangular shaped buildings.

[nofunk 1,933]

wolverine, that building is SWEET! Have you run it through BAT yet? How many polygons we talkin' about?