Jason's BATs & Tutorials

[Vlasky 1,803]

Well there aren't as many WIPs as I expected them to be. You can do this really quick unless you get distracted. But so many of them are such gems. I am really excited to see what will come off first. And what new things you'll be starting after you finish WIPs

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Vlasky, you are the 3,000th post in this thread!!       

 

Toothless Stitch: This is the link to the page, but I'm not sure if the model is still available. http://www.ronenbekerman.com/mies-van-der-rohes-neue-nationalgalerie-3d-model/

 

Vlasky: Me too!!! I've been getting myself excited about the possibilities.

 

 

So, I'm going to be uploading these in batches (sorry there's still going to be more wait!)

 

WIP List:

 

• Grand Haven Lighthouse ^{(needs: query, update modding, export prop versions))}
• Big Red Lighthouse ^{(needs: query, updated modding, export prop/hd versions)}
• Porto Ponta Negra Residence ^(DONE)
• Design Research HQ ^{(needs: some modeling, texturing, store goods, nitelites, modding)}
• 220 West Congress ^{(needs: texturing, nitelites, modding)}
• Art Deco Department Store ^{(needs: roof, interiors, nitelites, modding)}
• Mystery Building ^{(needs: some texturing, nitelites, modding)}
• Water Street Maisonettes ^{(needs: roof, alley, nitelites, modding)}
• Northern Trust Bank ^{(needs: roof, texturing, nitelites, modding)}
• The Kean ⁽⁾
• 1001 Woodward ^{(need to figure out lotting, ground texture. needs: modding, query)}
• Old Detroit Police HQ ⁽⁾
• The Pavilion ^{(0% complete, as i'll be restarting it)}

[SimCoug 5,972]

(chanting) Lighthouse, Lighthouse, Lighthouse

 

[Huston 5,796]

It'll be nice to see you finish more of your WIPs, and I'm looking forward to the Porto Ponta's release

[JP Schriefer 5,590]

All the projects looking really nice!

 

Yay! Another brazilian tower almost going to STEx!

 

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Thanks guys! 

 

Yeah I'd like to get the lighthouses finished. The basic versions have been exported and modded a while ago, but the modding is off. I used PIMX and I thought I used a good filling degree, but the plop costs are really high. idk if it's because they're just normal landmarks and not ploppables (I think PIMX makes the ploppables cheaper) or what. I thought I did everything correctly and just trusted the PIMX numbers but I think they're too high. In the menu there's all the mipro icons in a row sorted by plop cost and the lighthouses are more expensive than some pretty decent sized buildings.

 

Then I have to export the prop versions and the HD versions. If I understand correctly, people want:

 

[Jasoncw - Big Red Lighthouse (HD)(MN).zip] [Jasoncw - Big Red Lighthouse (HD)(DN).zip]

Big Red Lighthouse HD building/lot

 

[Jasoncw - Big Red Lighthouse (props).zip]

Big Red Lighthouse SD prop MN & DN

Big Red Lighthouse HD prop MN & DN

 

[Jasoncw - Grand Haven Lighthouse (props).zip]

Grand Haven Lighthouse Northern Lighthouse SD prop MN & DN

Grand Haven Lighthouse Northern Lighthouse HD prop MN & DN

Grand Haven Lighthouse Southern Lighthouse SD prop MN & DN

Grand Haven Lighthouse Southern Lighthouse HD prop MN & DN

 

 

This is also how I think they'd be packaged. The Big Red Lighthouse would have DN and MN zips for both SD and HD standard releases, plus a props zip, totaling 5 zips. Grand Haven Lighthouse would have a DN and MN standard releases, plus a props zip, totaling 3 zips.

 

For the prop versions, are the SD versions necessary?? I imagine that if someone is using the lighthouses as props they're going to be using them with HD flora and because of the small size of the lighthouses they intend to look at them closeup. Skipping the SD versions will save me 6 exports. I feel like providing them as props is sort of a specialty thing so that CJers can use them, and that they wouldn't need SD. Let me know!

[Belfastsocrates 1,753]

Absolutely superb!! Really looking forward to seeing these projects progress. They'll make wonderful additions to any game. Lovely work

[SimCoug 5,972]

I think your plan regarding HD props sounds good.

[noahclem 262]

Agreed, I think the prop version is niche enough that an SD render wouldn't be necessary as it's fairly unlikely anyone would use it. Glad to see continued work on this great project

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Progress on the Design Research HQ:

 

 

I did the ground plane, masked out the underground portions, did the stairs inside (which can't be seen very well now, maybe they will be visible at night), textured the concrete, and started the blinds that are on the top few floors, which are offices. I also spent a while on the roof texture, which hasn't turned out very well so I think I'm going to be restarting that. I also worked on the back where the solid parts of the building intersect with the glass parts.

[SimCoug 5,972]

It's a great looking building... Reminds me of something professor Stark would inhabit.

[noahclem 262]

Brilliant-looking building building! I agree the roof texture is a bit off but not sure if a restart is necessary. For me it just seems a bit too bright and a bit too uniform....

[madhatter106 3,903]

I think the roof texture is a good start - perhaps just a touch darker or greyer.  Overall I am looking forward to seeing how this last one turns out.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

I agree with madhatter106, but overall it's still a perfect building.  

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Thanks guys. Here's an update. Some more texturing, and a little more roof junk. I also worked on the roof. For 220 West Congress (the building with the subway on the ground floor in the mipro thread) I used the google aerial of the roof as a base to photoshop, and so I tried it here too. I think the low resolution of the imagery is still showing though, so at the very least I'll have to work on that aspect. I also haven't added any grime around the roof junk yet, and the roof junk itself is only temporarily textured right now, and I think that will help too.

 

There's a few details here and there, but what's mainly left to do is to fill the interior with stuff, and to work more on the roof.

 

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

I would love sseing some interior design. That would give a whole new level to your models. Interesting though, nice filler

[Jack_wilds 550]

hi Jasoncw...

 

peaks and lurks through teh knot hole... watching the developments not mush to add at this time... just a hi and a hello overthe job site fence...  

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Thanks!

 

Nice to see you Jack_wilds, Longtimenosee  

 

 

So, update time on Design Research. Everything is mostly done. I may be tweaking the colors of the interior stuff a bit, there's a few plants to add here and there, and there's still a little bit of work to do on the roof junk (making the door/windows on the penthouse, and adding a few metal boxes around). Tomorrow I'm going to finish up the day and do the nitelites, and on Wednesday I'm going to export and modd, so now is the time to say anything.

 

 

WIP List:

 

• Grand Haven Lighthouse ^{(needs: query, update modding, export prop versions))}
• Big Red Lighthouse ^{(needs: query, updated modding, export prop/hd versions)}
• Porto Ponta Negra Residence ^(DONE)
• Design Research HQ ^{(needs: some tweaking, some roof, nitelites, modding)}
• 220 West Congress ^{(needs: some texturing, nitelites, modding)}
• Art Deco Department Store ^{(needs: roof, interiors, nitelites, modding)}
• Mystery Building ^{(needs: some texturing, nitelites, modding)}
• Water Street Maisonettes ^{(needs: roof, alley, nitelites, modding)}
• Northern Trust Bank ^{(needs: roof, texturing, nitelites, modding)}
• The Kean ^{(needs: a lot)}
• 1001 Woodward ^{(need to figure out lotting, ground texture. needs: modding, query)}
• Old Detroit Police HQ ^{(needs: a lot)}
• The Pavilion ^{(0% complete, as i'll be restarting it)}

[Finnbhennach 161]

Damn, it's been awhile since I got on ST. Thanks for this beauty, Jason, it definitely has progressed nicely.

Now, one thing that immediately comes to mind is that the roof tiling seems out of proportion to the brick

wall and the furniture inside; it unnecessarily puts pressure on the overall feel of the structure, tipping the

balance. With the interior being modeled, the inside should have the focus it deserves while the exterior

reinforces it in the background. I feel that the non-tiled version (with the brightness tuned down a jiffy) will

be more harmonious with the structure itself and should bring out the colors and forms of the interior more

naturally. Yet again, keep up the great work! It's looking schmecksy. :kitty:

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Wonderful work, so happy to see the details in the inside of the building.

[tonyr 926]

Well done, Jason!

[Thin White Duke 4,072]

Wonderful work! You have a special way of modelling even the interiors. And with great attention to detail!

[BossDragon 220]

That's a really nice building!

 

Also, even though it might be a while before we see it, I am very interested in that Old Detroit Police HQ.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Thanks guys

 

Finnbhennach: So I had the roof and the concrete different because I thought I wanted there to be contrast between the concrete and the roof to help emphasize the horizontal slabs. I had the roof have a blue tint that was the inverse of the concrete color and the concrete was darker. But I think you're right that the roof was taking too much attention. So I've made the concrete brighter, and the interior objects darker, to increase the contrast on the facade to bring the eye there (it also helped with my intention to emphasize the horizontal slabs) and I made the roof the same tint as the concrete. Anyway I think overall it looks more cohesive now.

 

BossDragon: Yeah I am too. Detroit's old police HQ is the perfect standard big city police station imo. I think it'll be really useful for the game, and I think the building will look really good as a BAT too. I'm looking forward to working on it more.

 

 

So here's the final renders! Not *quite* final, since I realized I didn't put anything in the interior on the back. Also, unfortunately this building doesn't fit the game's grid in one direction. Right now it's like a 2 x 1.5, and I'm going to try hanging some of the building off the lot edge to reduce the amount of scaling I'll need to do. So tomorrow I'll put some more interior stuff in the back, I'll figure out the scaling, and then I'll export and modd it.

 

I do have time for small tweaks though, so it's not too late for feedback.

 

[SimCoug 5,972]

Very cool - I love all the interior details 

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Thanks! 

 

And I was just cleaning up my bookmarks and I saw something that I saved but I don't think I ever posted about it. 

 

http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/max-gmax-bridge

 

This is a slightly less difficult way of getting things from gmax into max. Reading the instructions on how to get it set up it still looks like a giant hassle, but maybe someone will find it useful.

[Finnbhennach 161]

Oh, yes! Yes! I think i just [blurp]   That definitely was a much simpler solution.

Thanks for looking into it Jason, it's much better now and it's beyond sexy! 

[PBGV103 729]

That interior looks absolutely stunning!

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

Do you think there are blueprints around?

[Bombardiere 591]

Interior detail is great, naturally, but what I like is the roof. Very real life looking with only limited number of roof junk. It is so easy to overdo with roof junk, sometimes less is more,