Jason's BATs & Tutorials

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

Jason, it's a very great update. Would you mind to give us a tutorial on your roof texture. Has it been made in PS or has it been made in MAX?

[Jack_wilds 550]

this is an enjoyable bat/model...    like the plaza look,as it plays on the windows... its a good building worth finding the right spot for it    looking forward to finding on the stex... can't see anything to tweak but perhaps add a communications tower to the roof top -cell, sat or radio... got a name for it yet   or did i miss it stated...

[Jasoncw 11,841]

Thanks everyone. 

 

Here's the latest progress.  I've worked a little more on the roof, and I've adjusted the tree colors (how do they look?).  Next I'll be doing the main entrance and then the day version will be done.

 

The building isn't named yet and I need to name it before I can start exporting.  I can't guarantee I'll use any suggestions but I'll definitely consider them.  I haven't thought at all about the name yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My roof texturing process is pretty straight forward.

 

1.  Take a screenshot of the roof from the top viewport, and paste it into Photoshop.  Crop the image down to the edges of the roof.  Save the file as a .psd.

 

2.  Put it into a material, apply the material to the roof object, and give the roof object a fitted planar uvw map.  Confirm that the texture lines up with the roof.

 

3.  Start with a base roof texture.  A lot of the time I use the Maxis asphalt roof texture that came with the BAT.  Other times I go to sites like cgtextures.com or just plain ol google images to find roof textures.

 

4.  Then find some kind of dirty texture.  Dirty concrete textures work pretty good.  cgtextures has a good selection.  Set this layer to either overlay or multiply and lower the opacity until the effect is subtle.  Repeat this step with different dirty textures if necessary.

 

5.  Using the screenshot you took as a guide, make a new layer and use a small fuzzy black brush to trace the edges of different features on the roof, like parapet walls, penthouses, and roof junk.  I call this step "eye liner".  Set this layer to multiply and reduce the opacity.

 

6.  Make a new layer, and with a large, hard edged, partially transparent brush, make big black and white blobs that cover your roof area.  Because the opacity of your brush is not 100% they will mix with each other and form a range of grey blobby shapes.  Set this layer to overlay and reduce the opacity.  This layer just adds an extra bit of variation and dynamism to the texture.

 

7.  Make any other adjustments using whatever you feel comfortable doing.  Make a brightness/contrast adjustment layer, hue/saturation adjustment layer, or whatever you'd to control the brightness, contrast, hue and saturation of the image.  Also go through and tweak the opacities of the different layers if needed.

 

Hi Jason, I really love your stuff. I have nearly all your buildings in my cities, and they make for great accents. I just had a weird occurrence yesterday, when your Sturgeon Building grew as empty lot. I have the Maxis version, and the lot was a 2x4, so should have been the right size. It showed just as some nondescript lot without building. Sorry I didn't take an image, it didn't click with me that this was one of your buildings and assumed it was just one of those old lots from the early SC4 days and deleted it. The plop works fine, btw. Perhaps it was just a weird glitch, but I thought I'd let you know.

 

I experienced this glitch when testing the building, so I remodded it, and didn't experience the glitch and then I uploaded it.  Then I experienced the glitch again after I lotted and modded the Manhattanville Pack 3 BATs.

 

I have no idea why the problem happens, but it seems to happen when I use PIMX for modding and then use a different program for some other aspect (lotting, or adding icons, etc.).  I know how to avoid it now.

 

I should probably go back and remod it. 

 

Has anyone else had this problem with this or any other of my buildings?

[libellibicus 396]

Many thanks for the mini tutorial on texturing the roof.....very helpful for those if us who are just learning to BAT. The tree colours are spot on in my opinion. I just love the reflections of the glass on this beauty. It's a definite Gold Star from me:-)

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Looks good, how about naming the building Jasoncw Insurance or Jasoncw Bank. I think the trees can be a bit better, Maybe some gloss and more reflection can do, or Girafe can help out. On your last upload, the look of the trees was different from other trees, and I think it was better. Your trees now on the bat look to much like maxis trees but better and they look dry and rough, no offense buddy. It's always good to compare your trees with Girafe, SimFox and I think Kellydale is another one. I hate when there are so many different quality trees in Sim City, some or okay, some are not that good, and then you have some that are mouth dropping.

[Girafe 1,729]

Looks good, how about naming the building Jasoncw Insurance or Jasoncw Bank. I think the trees can be a bit better, Maybe some gloss and more reflection can do, or Girafe can help out. On your last upload, the look of the trees was different from other trees, and I think it was better. Your trees now on the bat look to much like maxis trees but better and they look dry and rough, no offense buddy. It's always good to compare your trees with Girafe, SimFox and I think Kellydale is another one. I hate when there are so many different quality trees in Sim City, some or okay, some are not that good, and then you have some that are mouth dropping.

 

Indeed, try a glossiness 0.38 no more than 0.45-0.5, reflexivity 0,3

 

It should give better result

[Jasoncw 11,841]

How's this?

 

[Jack_wilds 550]

luv it...   my ideas for names for consideration... UnitedSim Bank, CW architectural firm, United Productions Corporate,  SimVestments, UnitedCities Bank, Corporate Leasing... MuchAdoAbout Business... Onyx business tower, SimCenter Office tower,

[mity1021 6]

Awesome!!

[libellibicus 396]

This BAT is amazing. 

[Reddonquixote 4,338]

Hi Jason, I was wondering if you would be willing to share copies of the bump maps you use. It really is very beautiful glass.

[art128 4,618]

I think it looks perfect.

[Girafe 1,729]

trees are darker but I don't notice changes on the glossiness

[T Wrecks 10,209]

How about "Blackburn Tower"? The name is rather generic - just like the building - and hints at the colour.

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

Thanks for the little tut, Jason. And great update.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

To me the trees, looks the same. I had this problem with I wanted my trees to be good as Girafe.

I looks forward to something close to this, the tree is to large for the plaza, but I think I can help out by doing this.

The image is in PNG format so you should have not trouble seeing what it looks like next to your building.

http://www.mediafire.com/?hharhz6d31mbk6h

[libellibicus 396]

How about "Blackburn Tower"? The name is rather generic - just like the building - and hints at the colour.

I've been to Blackburn (in Lancashire, NE England) and believe me, you don't want this lovely BAT being associated with that Dump of a place

[Turjan 1,048]

I exerienced this glitch when testing the building, so I remodded it, and didn't experience the glitch and then I uploaded it.  Then I experienced the glitch again after I lotted and modded the Manhattanville Pack 3 BATs.

 

I have no idea why the problem happens, but it seems to happen when I use PIMX for modding and then use a different program for some other aspect (lotting, or adding icons, etc.).  I know how to avoid it now.

 

I should probably go back and remod it. 

 

Has anyone else had this problem with this or any other of my buildings?

 

Thanks for the answer. This building rarely grows, so I don't know how often this happens. I'm pretty sure I have seen it already grow normally in one of my cities, but it's too rare for any kind of statistics. I'll let you know if this grows past the anecdotal stage.

[Jasoncw 11,841]

I'm running out of settings to change, lol

 

Girafe:  The reflectivity and glossiness were already about what you had suggested.  I've now changed them to the high end of what you've suggested.

 

Right now the settings are:

 

Reflectivity: .3

Glossiness: .5

 

BRDF:  The default (was originally lower).

 

The reflection color is a very light green.

 

 

I think the reason it doesn't appear more glossy is because the leaves are smaller, so there aren't big areas where the leaves are visibly pointing one direction or another, the leaves kind of blend together.

[SimCoug 5,973]

Looks awesome. How 'bout Goliath National Bank HQ.

[Girafe 1,729]

Indeed, the size of leaves could be the source of the problem. Have you tried to remove color reflexion?

[Gn_leugim 858]

[Ion_Cannon 677]

This looks absolutely beautiful As for the name, how about Redstone Tower.

[PBGV103 729]

To me it looks like the highlighted areas of the leaves are a little too saturated while the darker areas are fine.  You could also add just a touch more yellow I think.

[Jasoncw 11,841]

So I tried scaling up the leaves but there are so many that doing that (even selecting only half of the leaves) made max freeze...

 

I've also done some more tweaking although it looks so similar I don't know if it's worth posting a pic. 

 

The changes I'm making are very small and are starting to go around in circles so I think the trees will have to be how they are.  The main thing that would have helped was making the leaves bigger.  I think since the last preview the trees are a little yellower but I don't remember.  The day version is rendering now. 

 

I've also chosen a name out of the ones suggested, but I'll keep it a surprise! 

 

 

The next few BATs of mine will be smaller buildings that don't have trees. 

[Ion_Cannon 677]

I'd love to see some more high tech industrials, La Vaughn biotech is wonderful and I'm sure you could create something to a similar quality level. Though really whatever you BAT I'll probably download it anyway

[Girafe 1,729]

If you have few minutes, feel free to send the trees. It could be not so long to tweak

 

Rest of the tower is beautiful especially the work on the glass

[Jasoncw 11,841]

I exported the day, but the .SC4Model had a problem so I had to re-render.  Then I came here.  The tree is now in Girafe's hands.  I'll start the night version while he has it. 

 

Here is most recent day render (click on it for full size):

 

[MTT9 187]

Looking foward to a night scene

[Jack_wilds 550]

the tweaking, its making just a bit better ... but is so subtle ...   sorry being coffeeless cheecky in weak humor... it will be interesting what girafe will do with the trees... its a good model