Jason Leo's European BATs

[mattb325 28,894]

In addition to what Harishna has suggested there are a couple of other points to remember. I often use a planar or face UVW map for a roof, but you do need to ensure that your vertices are aligned for the end texture to appear tidy.

At the moment yours are not (which is quite evident in your viewports), so that will cause problems in a real project.

At the beginer level, I would model seperate rectangles for the roof and texture them individually, making sure that each UVW map is the same size, but I understand you are just experimenting.

The other point to consider is that you can rotate the UVW map as well as adjusting the tiling. To that, click on the little '+' sign in your viewport next UVW Mapping, select the gizmo and then your rotate tool. You can then rotate the texture map accordingly

You're making some really good progress....keep up the good work

  Edited October 16, 2012 by mattb325  

[jason leo 485]

So, I make the second experiment after reading your and harishna's post.

I use the gizmo / that little '+' sign this time but it seem nothing changed.

I already use box and gizmo but it seem that the texture is still repeated.

Then, i render it and the result of my second experiment is below :

Basically, i just curious about gascooker's tutorial. I thought if using small texture is enough because it seem that he use small texture and the only thing that we need to do is change the brightness of the roof texture and not more than that. (Look at Fake Raytracing tutorial, he used maxis pitched roof and the only thing he did is change the brightness using dodge and burn tool)

However, i would likely to upload those two houses without using fake raytracing, because it could takes quite long time until i could master this one.

Another advice me with raytracing (I not yet know a lot about that and i feel that gascooker's tutorial is not enough), I hope that you give suggestion/critics to the second house too. ( It seem that no one already give comment to the second house)

[T Wrecks 10,210]

That's because it's really hard to focus if the thread jumps back and forth between subjects.

"Hey, the windows look great!"

- "On which one? The old one or the new one?"

"The new one on last page."

- "Oh, that was an improved version of the old one, or do you mean the project that I started afterwards? But the windows there aren't final yet. Anyway, here's a new picture of the house I showed on page 3."

...

I'd recommend focusing on the house that's nearest towards completion and master the problems there. Making a texture that doesn't tile, but actually fits the suface to be textured is a key element of a good BAT, so the faster you learn it, the better.

It will also be easier to help you through one structured process, and once we got you through, you will have learnt so much that you will be able to avoid many problems with the next BAT all on your own. Patience, the first steps are the hardest. You're doing fine so far.

[jason leo 485]

Well, I'm sorry if some people around here become confused because I'm not so focused with things that i do and doing those things in rush.

The priority now is those houses first because the raytracing is basically not more than curiosity, and it could be continued after these houses is finished, so now, we are back to the second house and skip these experiments part, it could be discussed later.

Once again, i want to say sorry if perhaps, i make some people become confused because i doing too much thing in the same time.

Thank you, T Wrecks, to remind me about that and give me some suggestion about structured process.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

No need to apologize, we're not at work or in an exam here. This entire thing is your "baby", and as long as you draw some fun and satisfaction out of it, all is fine. Wish I could help you with that UVW map / texture problem, but since I don't BAT myself, I'm pretty much lost when the discussion moves on to the particular buttons to click and boxes to check...

[mattb325 28,894]

The reason the textures didn't change in post # 182 is because you have used a box UVW map.

What you want to do is rotate a planar UVW map along X/Y (and even z) axis and experiment with the effects on your texture

[jason leo 485]

T Wrecks: I feel satisfied with the result so far, i just feel a bit worried if some people that read this is confused because I'm not focus with any of things that i do.

Matt : Thank you Matt to tell me about using planar instead of box, but it seem that i already said if we will discuss this experiment after I'm finish with this houses.

It seem if everything is fine with the second house of this set and the house already reach the possible maximum improvement. That mean if now, we start to think about the night scene. I don't know a lot about nightlightning, except the maxis default. The part where I'm lack of knowledge is using omni, spots, or direct lights because the only thing that i know is if we want to make it available in the night scene, then we must add 'nitelite_' in the front of the name of the light. I don't know so much outside adding that word. So, anyone have a suggestion about night scene?

  Edited October 19, 2012 by jason leo  

[harishna 847]

Reached the maximum possible improvement umn really? I will rather said that you have improved and that now looks decent; however, theoretically speaking a model could be improved to the point it looks identical to the real life thing, it is up to you to decide how far you want to take this...Now into the lights, I think that for this house the best option is probably to add a few panels behind the windows, apply a material with an interesting looking texture and with the self illumination option selected.

[jason leo 485]

Even myself is not so sure with saying 'maximum improvement', but it seem that no one criticizing and that could mean nothing should be added. However, it could become my own fault because i change the topic from that house become raytracing, causing everyone start to focus with something new while the previous topic not yet finished. I'm not about to make a long post, so i just want to say, there is a possibility if it's still very far away from fine or maybe it has been improved a lot, but it's not reach the maximum possible improvement.

Oh, and one more thing, i will try to do that soon, thanks you harishna.

  Edited October 19, 2012 by jason leo  

[gutterclub 2,743]

As mentioned previously, as much as people can assist and help, espeically with stuff you are unsure of you have to be able to self critique..to look at your BAT and think, does this look like a house, does this look ok in game and blend with other BATS, how much room is there for improvement.

You seem fixated on getting approval from others, without really weighing up whether you think this BAT will look good in game.

Good luck

[jason leo 485]

gutterclub : I can't criticize myself ? I don't think so. Suggestion and critics from other is just suggestion and critics, I also consider things that I must add, improve, or do next, not just do everything without really think about the BAT. Logic should be used here, because if not, then everything will be messed up.

Back to the project, the first is the night lightning of the second house :

Both manual lightning and adding panels behind the windows don't work, so I use the maxis default. I don't know the cause of none of the lightning work although I already add word 'Nitelite_'.

While for the other house, the result is a bit better IMO.

I can't use the manual light tool at all. The problem is probably a bug because I make a little test few moths ago and the manual nightlightning works but now, it's not.

Note: If you see it clearly, the metallic part is not yet added and probably will not added. Sorry about that, but when I look at the picture closely, then I found a problem and add that one part is actually harder than my thought.

[jason leo 485]

I already make the description and the lot and also test it.

So, here are some pictures that taken from the test :

The second house (I'm not sure about the origin of this one, probably from somewhere around Noord-Brabant, Gelderland, Aalphen, Appeltern)

A farm ? Actually, I make two description for this one, one of them as a farm and the other one as a house.

I'm curious about the location of the house that I made so I still search them using google maps.

[IL. 1,043]

The same thing again for the first house.

Those edges' texture make it look as an alien part, not fitting in, and that white-pink texture in general is ugly

the second house is perfect.

[jason leo 485]

IL : I think the only house that I would upload is the house from the 3rd and 4th picture.

The first house, other than a bit ugly and the window is actually, oversized, also have a rendering issue that I just realize today.

I will release the second house soon, just wait.

Now, back to the raytracing, I have a good news, the texture is no longer repeated, but the darker side is above the lighter side, make it become a bit odd. However, UVW mapping should be able to fix it.

[paulvmontfort 617]

wow, what an improvement from last time I checked here. Your second house looks top notch! As for the nightlighting, I suggest to not light up every window of the house. Also check out this: It might help to make your windows light up a bit more realistic . Je bent goed bezig!

[jason leo 485]

Paul: Dank u wel.

I already upload that house, available here:

[jason leo 485]

A week after that house is uploaded, I'm still working with the other house.

Don't worry, no charge for posting in this thread and any suggestion or critics will be welcomed.

[RQTect777 11]

It wouldn't hurt to add some small detail like a porch light, electrical box, and/or a vertical roof gutter that runs down a corner of the house (preferably the back). Maybe a back door? (If you don't already have one)

Just some suggestions.

[Toothless Stitch 2,901]

Try this: Make the roof texture colour less bright and try adding some grime.

[jason leo 485]

RQTect777 : Thanks for remind me about the vertical gutter, and for those good suggestions too.

skyscraper241 : I already try your suggestion and the result is quite nice.

The progress so far :

And one more house that I want to re-upload :

Still remember with this one ?

[harishna 847]

looking better not sure if the dimensions for the doors in the first house are a bit disproportionate. From your renders looks to me as you have to fix the LODs and re-center your models.

[Gn_leugim 858]

they actualy look good side by side with maxis one I have to say

[jason leo 485]

harishna : I just re-centered the model and re-fitted the LODs recently. But, about the doors, I'm not sure whether the dimensions are a bit disproportionate or not.

Gn_Leugim : thanks for the comment.

So, I just re-centered and re-fitted the LODs this morning and also make some experiments with the roof of the house with dark-blue roof.

I already re-centered and re-fitted the LODs of this one.

Feel free to post your comments about these houses.

[GamerManGT5 35]

Looks very great ! The texture of the dormer (know you this word?) is just a bit too bright, you could make a bit darker.

[jason leo 485]

GamerMan GT5 : How about the brightness of the dormer now ?

So, this is the render of the house from all side.

For the other one house, I hope I could show you about the night rendering soon.

[jason leo 485]

The night rendering of the other house :

That is the night rendering from all sides. Feel free to post your suggestion, critics, and comments here.

[mattb325 28,894]

Nice one - I like the single story house very much. Can I suggest that you cap the chimney in some way? At the moment it is something of a large opening. If you look at the pictures of the Maxis houses that you posted earlier, you can see that they have little chimney pots (either ceramic or metal). Of course not all chimneys are like that, but they usually have something to stop detritus and water entering the flue.

For the two story house, this is a little trickier as you are essentially dealing with a box.

The dormer texture is better in this pinkish hue, but the texture itself is very flat. I assume in real life that it would be metal; maybe swapping it for a corrugated texture on the roof part of the dormer will make it more believable.

The last recommendation is that at the moment all of your windows are the same - even in basic, utilitarian buildings, a laundry and bathroom window would rarely be the same size as the living room window: I would recommend replacing some of the existing ones with smaller types and see how that goes towards making this building less of a simple box

[jason leo 485]

Mattb325 : Thank you for the comment, I hope the new chimney will looks better.

The maxis-like chimney doesn't fit very well with the house, so I search for some pictures of chimney using Google, and I found one that seems will fit pretty well with the one-story house. So, I just make the new chimney from that picture and the result is :

I'm still working with the other one, I hope I can post a picture soon.

[Vlasky 1,803]

move to max

[jason leo 485]

Vlasky : 3Ds Max ? Probably one day, but not now. Of course, myself also thinking about installing 3Ds Max, but I'm still looking for more information about 3Ds Max right now.

Mattb325 : Still, I'm not finish yet with the two-story house. But, I think it will be finished soon. I just not so sure if actually, the dormer's roof is corrugated.

So, to make it clear enough for me, I think post the picture of the real building is the best idea.

The building I mean is the red-circled building.