nybt-forum-threads HansonNY's Big Apple BAT's

[Hanson784 165]

Thought I would finally start my own BAT thread here to showcase my recent NY creations. After all these years of BATting I guess it's better late than never.

Let me start off with a project that some of you may recognize from a while back:

The Flatiron Building! I've been working on it on and off for the past year or so now. Hopefully it will get done soon, a lot of intricate details with this one and the curving windows in the front are going to be a challenge for sure.

Next is a project that I might need some help with, One Bryant Park (aka the Bank of America Tower). This is a model a fellow NYBATer gave me a couple of months ago and it's proving to be too much for my laptop to handle. Just a draft Rendering took so long I gave up. I'm also working with the original BAT and not in BAT for Max which is a hindrance to the quality and progress of this model.

If anyone with BAT for Max and a computer that can render high poly models would like to finish this up let me know and I'll send it over. I want to see this finished just as much as everyone else.

  Edited August 25, 2011 by Hanson784  

[PBGV103 729]

I'm glad you finally joined us!

The good news is the Flation Building is looking great.

The bad news is that people are rarely able to successfully move a model from gmax to 3ds max without major issues, eg., missing objects, screwed up smoothing groups, scrambled and missing faces, etc. Aaron Graham has had the best luck with that so I'd recommend asking him. Personally, I've never had it work.

Being that it's the 2nd tallest in NYC, if you guys can't get it to work out I'll offer to make it 3ds max. Plus I enjoy making gless towers more than older, more complicated neo-gothic type buildings.

Anyway, I hope this isn't the last we'll hear from you for 12 months. hahaha

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Thank you, I thought you have gave up on NYBT, thank you, I should start crying, such a lovely thing to here, a NYBT member back to bating.

I can try to import the One Bryant Park in Max, one thing about doing this is that you can have LODs issues as well as what PBGV103 said it not easy working on these errors, but importing them in Max can damn sure save a lot of time.

To get them in Max it's goo to have the part labeled or if not labeled color code it like all the glass is blue the door are gray window frames are black.

Just sent it to me and I can see how things look.

  Edited August 25, 2011 by Aaron Graham  

[skyscraper 216]

wooow, really good, i love the flatiron

[sten1700 102]

Thank you for even trying to do One Bryant Park!! It's my favorite building!

[Sgt Pepper 864]

I'm glad to see you back, Elliot. The Flatiron looks great!

[Vlasky 1,803]

Confrats Hanson! Will you be transitioning to Max? Now show us something more

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Okay, here's the Bank of America Tower, I have attached it and made it in to one object just to test see what it will look like in the Max render, I think the modeling needs more work as you can see and fixing it up in Max is not easy will take for ever, it would be best to fix in the Gmax. I had a hard time trying to split up the parts like the glass, window frames, floor ect. and the bad part where the parts were same color, I'm not talking about texture the default color of the objects when there first created this will take a look time to work on, unless someone can bat it in Max what do you think? This Max render took me only 1:30 min, if it was textured it wold take longer.

I have give SkectchUP a download and see how the model looks in there, I think the model is formed a little different than the real building, but the model still look great, great work fellow NYBT member.

  Edited August 27, 2011 by Aaron Graham  

[Seraf 1,238]

I'm glad to see you're back Flatiron Building looks very nice, I really want to see that building in my city. About One Bryant Park... well, I don't like architecture like this, I don't understand what people see in buildings with all these strange forms. But anyway it will be a nice addition to game

[PBGV103 729]

Seraf, one of the greatest attributes of Manhattan is the variety of architectural styles, and I've rarely seen examples of notable older building torn down to be replaced by glass behemoths unless they are already in bad condition structurally. The exception to this may be the case of Hotel Pennsylvania and 15 Penn Plaza, but if I remember correctly, the Band of America Tower replaced a 3-4 floor example of old times square trash. In NYC there are still enough small, run-down, inconsequential buildings that developers choose these to replace instead of the larger or more recognizable structures, or in some cases they build on top of the original structures. I personally don't like that method, but at least it preserves the buildings. Manhattan is a small island, and as long as the population is increasing and people want live and work there, expansion will take place.

Back on the model, I honestly think it should be redone from scratch. It may look nice from a quick glance, but overall proportions, window depth and spacing, roof, and entrance are completely inaccurate. To see what I'm talking about when it comes to the entrance and windows just take a look at the photo here: http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=image&id=771436

As far as I am aware, the idea behind the NYBT was to create models that are approaching exact replicas of New York structures. This takes time, patience, and focus. Many times I've wished I could just pop them out one a day for my NYC recreation, but If there is any quality to the model it takes weeks to model and get materials right. Looking back at my gmax models not a single one was of even decent quality. I never took the time to check the measurements or proportions of the structures and i just threw on whatever material I could find that looked close enough as I saw it. In my time working with gmax I created models of 8 Manhattan buildings. Not as single one of those surpassed a failing grade in my opinion. Now I'm currently working on replacing those models with high quality versions and plan of deleting those old gmax models from the STEX soon.

I don't mean to hijack your thread with images but I think this is of great importance. Heres a snapshot of all of the Midtown BATs released to the STEX.

Of those BATs above, the ones missing from the image below are the ones I would be very tempted to recreate because they are significantly incorrect, ie., the materials are less than decent in quality, and/or the modeling is off by more than 95%.

To be honest, I even have qualms with a few of the remaining buildings. Maxis's models are always off by at least they're scale, 1 Penn Plaza's glass ins very strange and the ground floor windows display bitmaps of random, over sized walking people, the scale of 1 Worldwide Plaza is a little off, the IBM building's glass was limited by gmax, but there are a few modeling issues and the roof materials aren't the best, 599 Lex.'s modeling is very much off and probably shouldn't even be up there, of course 277 PA, 345 PA, and the Citigroup Center aren't near finished but when they are will be of good quality, and finally, I've noticed a few errors with the roof of 600 Lex. that I'll be fixing eventually. I'm sure I left off plenty from that list.

As you can see there are few Midtown BATs to begin with, and even less of high quality. In my opinion it would be in the team's best interest to strive for the highest quality possible in our works.

My intent here is not to offend any of the great artists of this community but to provoke everyone to strive for greatness in their work. I know learning new skills in modeling and material making can be challenging and frustrating, but once you obtain those skills your models will improve ten fold and each model will be easier to create than the previous.

NYC is one of the greatest cities on Earth, and we need to build a team that reflects that. Let's show the world what we're capable of.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Back on the model, I honestly think it should be redone from scratch. It may look nice from a quick glance, but overall proportions, window depth and spacing, roof, and entrance are completely inaccurate. To see what I'm talking about when it comes to the entrance and windows just take a look at the photo here: http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=image&id=771436

Yes, you right I do think it need to be redone by scratch, that's the only way it will look perfect.

[Seraf 1,238]

PBGV - I know, I know I just simply still remember terrible fate of Pennsylvania Station and Singer Tower But nevertheless I think One Bryant Park is good and looks very interesting in comparison with New York Public Library.

I think that nobody can say that you offend anyone. Probably it's natural that we all want to make "products" of our team perfect

Back to the model - I also think that if you want it to be perfect it should be redone from scratch. I remember my supreme court, I moved it from gmax to max and nothing good came of that -_-"

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Seraf yes, I have suffer a lot trying to get the buildings that were in Gmax in to Max ,but have lot issues to the Timpson Pl row, Beck Arms, and the Hogan Apartments have some LOD problem but I must figure a way out of redoing every building I have made in Gmax and then work in the building I i have just started, I can see some buildings will be finished in the year 2012 or so.

[6y4ever 12]

Thank you for even trying to do One Bryant Park!! It's my favorite building!

Mine too i'v been waiting so long for someone to bat it ,thanks HansonNY

[sten1700 102]

Oh my god the Bank of America Tower.... *faints*.. I think it already looks good like this ahah! I want it so bad... Please don't give up on this one. A lot of great BATS are shown in threads and all by great batting people, but eventually never get released. Don't do this to the Bank of America Tower please!

[Parisian 549]

Hi There

Welcome back Elliott and glad to see you have not forget what i sent to you.

Well, I tried to render it and it worked. But glass textures are way too bad in gmax I m not sure to be able to continue the Bank Of America tower by myself. This was my first experience in BATing. I ve change some stuffs in the model few month ago... If Aaron Graham wants the new file, i can send it to him.

Just tell me.

The flatiron is awesome! Can't wait to have it in my game

[SimFox 800]

C'mon, no offense, Parisian, but it's not a "glass texture in GMAX" problem. The model itself is a total mess. Mess that, may be, isn't apparent to casual viewer in GMAX viewport but MAX render shows what it is.

BoA is a very complex building.Getting it right would be a challenge for the most experienced BATer and in Max, let alone having it as a one of the first projects in GMAX, where you simply move boxes around - that would never work.

At the time of it's (Parisian's model) first appearance I've sort of toyed with study of tower's shape here are results:

As I've said building shape is very complex and I believe to get it right would take few sets of experienced eyes. As such it is worthy team project... And that is just shape. Then will come materials and challenge to make this building look both accurate and palatable to game, as many such "bleak" buildings look odd in game.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Look good, SixFox, I have thought of doing a editable poly version to show the shape.

[Parisian 549]

SimFox, I would suggest you to finish your 500 Fifth Ave and the other one, and then talking of the mess of the others...

[Francis90b 748]

So, the fact that SF still needs to works on his models should prevent him to offer criticism?

May i ask on which basis is your statement based, Parisian?

[harishna 847]

In fact he doesn't need to work on anything he can give his opinion without having to model anything, and in fact the first time I saw the Bank of America model I thought wow that it is one messy model...and I should have pointed it out...

[Parisian 549]

In fact he doesn't need to work on anything he can give his opinion without having to model anything, and in fact the first time I saw the Bank of America model I thought wow that it is one messy model...and I should have pointed it out...

I was tyring to do semething. I ve made my way since. Where are ur buildings guys? Yes you can give your opinion, but being rude doesn't give u the right to bash the others...

[gutterclub 2,729]

I can't see why you are getting worked up, it is a very complex and hard building and there is no shame in not being able to pull it off straight away. I know my ability is nowhere near good enough to build something with such complexity so I try something simple..Harishna started with a Library with basic geometry and spent a lot of time and hard work on this to make it as best as possible.

My point is that whilst it is admirable you tried such a building, when you do and it isn't quite right then it will be scrutinsed and when it is scrutinised it isn't done so to make you feel bad, just to point out that it isn't right.

[SimHoTToDDy 2,938]

Keep that in mind at all times, thank you.

Remember that this is a fan site for a game, no reason to get offended over anything.

[maikeli.1 12]

that is taking shape hope to see it finished as it is in real life

[harishna 847]

I am not attacking you in anyway Parisan however you actually did, I am just saying that the Bank of America is a messy model and that is what I think, to be honest I would actually recommend to start from scratch rather than try to fix this, BUT this up to you, and that is just an observation. My other point was that SimFox (and anyone else here) is allowed to express their point of view without having to model anything, and I just read SimFox post again and I don't see any personal attacks towards you Parisan but you actually responded by attacking him all he did was to offer his opinion.

[cmdp123789 710]

I agree with Harishna... not that I want to take sides, but if this team wants to work as a team and be succesful, well then criticism is needed, and sometimes it might go against the author's point of view, but hey! this is why people post in here and ask for help... I do agree, I'm sorry, but Simfox did not attack anyone at anytime, he just showed something, and to be honest was quite GOOD

[Chris M 406]

I am not sure if these images will help you, but I have these of the BOA:

[cloud92 6]

PLEASE FINISH THE BANK OF AMERICA TOWER ITS ONE OF MY FAVORITES

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Yeah, and because what you want is so important, you can bump up a dead thread - and you can do it shouting.

Just for the record, when you registered for this site, you agreed to abide by the rules, which include not bumping old threads unless there's something substantial to add (and no, I WANT!) is nothing substantial. This is pretty much the same all over the internet. Bumping threads won't make you friends anywhere on the web.

The same is valid for writing in all capitals, which is considered as the online equivalent of shouting, and hence a rather rude behaviour that clashes with generally accepted netiquette - not just here, but anywhere.