hkabat-forum-threads Hong Kong / Asia BAT team

[spicytimothy 7]

WOW... just... WOW...

How about the obvious: 2IFC?

[xePh3roK 0]

2ifc models, made by eburress.
But the project is dead, maybe you can ask him for the models

[HONG KONG 74]

that looks pretty awesome - i love the last preview render!

 

This work of eburress is good but not very exact, because the original does not have 90

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Almost forgot - here's the fixed desc file for bixel's Sham Wan Towers.

I also found out that when the building dilapidated from R$$ to R$, inhabitants changed from 6,300 R$$ to 5,000 R$, whereas all other buildings house more people when dilapidated. So I modded the R$ inhabitants number from 5,00 to 8,250.

Oh, and I also limited the tilesets to Euro. This building sure doesn't look like Chicago 1890 or NY 1940...

Everything mentioned here applies to the medium-wealth version. (I don't use the high-wealth version at all because R$$$ is so overcrowded already.)

[toxicpiano 125]

THESE ARE AMAZING! WOW!

[pcsurgeon 2]

superb job.... however, may i suggest removing the building reflections on the glas?

[paulvmontfort 617]

I just started with the Shangri-La hotel and i stumbled on a strange fact:

The Shangri-La hotel main structure is shorter as that of the Conrad international Hotel. Could someone confirm this? I counted the floors 3 times and the numbers match, but still the real shangri-la is higher as the conrad. Here's a pic to let you see what i mean:

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//conrad11.jpg align=baseline>

 

 

@ pcsurgeon: why???

 

P.S. The window textures will be changed on the inner side of the complex so the buildings will reflect eachother.

[justanothersim86 83]

Even though I'm not on the team, heres my attempt at 2IFC:

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/8047/2ifcc13ch.jpg align=baseline>

 

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/9835/2ifv1nn.jpg align=baseline>

 

The gold band is meant to be black, but do to my crappy amount of RAM and it being verryyy slow, its dead.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Well, you know... for you BATters it's a great challenge to re-create huge complexes in all detail, including matching window reflections and all the bells and whistles.

For us mere players, the focus is on buildings that are more or less universally usable.

A huge landmark complex looks great. You plop it once into your region, and that's it. Even if it divided into several lots, those defined window reflections will make the buildings look odd if you don't place them in the original configuration. So you have one or more icons in your landmark menu, and you get a complex you can plop once.

We players are often more interested in buildings that can look good in different surroundings because they don't look cut off at the sides or at the back (see Oneil_1's Eichard Hotel & Suites with that awful blank wall in the back) and because the windows don't reflect anything too defined so that the building doesn't look silly when it's isolated. This enables you to use the building several times even in one city, and maybe even as a growable. This way, you have no additional icon and a building you can always use.

That's why I also see things like defined reflections etc. with mixed feelings... just some thoughts, though, no hard feelings, please. Your BATting skills are amazing.

EDIT: Whoa, justanothersim86 overtook me while I was typing all that sermon. Looks like we got a lot of unfinished 2IFC's, eh? I'd sure love to see a finished one eventually... (Looks like really good work to me so far, btw.)

[HONG KONG 74]

@paulvmontfort

The solution is simple, the floors of the Shangri-La are higher.

Conrad:       199m high/61 floors = 3,26m per floor.

Shangri La:  213,4m high/56 floors = 3,8m per floor.

 

HP.  Do you put also a texture on the white ranges, like on the picture?

 

 

 

----picture deleted----edited by me----

 

 

 

@justanothersim86

Only one thought. As it would be with a smaller however interesting building for you.

For example 88 Hing Fat Street. 

Keep it up!

[bixel 1,228]

Glad to know more people are joining the team! Anyway here's a demo of one of the gateways from the WongTaiSin Temple.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//ArchDemo.jpg align=baseline>

[paulvmontfort 617]

bixel, I rendered the Harbourside with succes in 50 minutes, but there's another problem and i don't know how to correct it.

The building looks like this:

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//paulvmontforterror.JPG align=baseline>

[bixel 1,228]

weird I never got that...looks like a LOD problem. When I do a render I go to your the parameters tab, fit the LODs, select them, and export them as 3ds file (under file menu). Then I close 3DS max5 without saving (dont save the LODs)...open gmax import, save under Harbourside, export, then copy the model name, open 3DS max5, paste model, and then hit the export. I never got those before, did you do exactly as I did above?

 

I'm getting sleepy and hafta work, afterwork I crank open that Harbourside and make some more adjustments that I learned with edit mesh and collapse all. It will take a long time but hopefully it will make the file smoother and the building will finally be rendered.

[paulvmontfort 617]

Date: 10/2/2005 8:49:12 AM Author: bixel

weird I never got that...looks like a LOD problem. When I do a render I go to your the parameters tab, fit the LODs, select them, and export them as 3ds file (under file menu). Then I close 3DS max5 without saving (dont save the LODs)...open gmax import, save under Harbourside, export, then copy the model name, open 3DS max5, paste model, and then hit the export. I never got those before, did you do exactly as I did above?

I'm getting sleepy and hafta work, afterwork I crank open that Harbourside and make some more adjustments that I learned with edit mesh and collapse all. It will take a long time but hopefully it will make the file smoother and the building will finally be rendered.

quote>

I did all that and i still got this weird color thingy...

 

What kind of error did you get when you tried to render it? Maybe I know the solution.

 

If it was an error= 6 message, there's an update on page 9 of the 3dsmax bat thread.

[bixel 1,228]

I got several error= 6 messages though once after a 24 hour render I got an error = 30, but I wasn't there to see what happened. After several attempts to streamline the file I still got several error = 6.

[paulvmontfort 617]

bixel, there's an update on page 9 of the 3dsmax bat thread. It fixes the code = 6 error.

Another update of the Shangri-La Hotel. I don't know if the base is right though.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//conrad12.jpg align=baseline>

[bixel 1,228]

Paul: I got the new script file and it renders, but I'm getting the same problem as you are. Later I'll see if I can fix it.

[Fantail 0]

Looking great.

[bixel 1,228]

Ok, we are very close now to completing the Harbourside Project. I solved the primary color box problem, turns out there are ID conflicts with the 3DS files in the model. Go here and download this Texture Problem Fix from the ea site.

http://simcity.ea.com/coolstuff/bat/index.php

 

I have successfully render the building, Nightlights work, though how they did was a mystery to me, I only posted 1 shot of the night lights, and I think we can all agree we need more night lights plus maybe a couple spot and omni somwhere. Here's a test Landmark lot, tell me what you think. After I have finished and polished off the GROWable R$$ and R$$$ lots I will send them to T Wrecks to do the final tweaking, cause he's better at the PM and iLive reader than I am. So there go T Wrecks! Give me a PM with your email and I'll send the desc, lot files, and model to yo, Don't upload the finished product though, I'll do that but credit will be given to you! If you can't transfere through email just connect with me on MSN messenger nbixel@gmail.com .

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//HBdemo6.jpg align=baseline>

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//HBdemo7.jpg align=baseline>

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//HBdemo8.jpg align=baseline>

[bixel 1,228]

Ok, I messed around with the night lighting and finally got it were I like it. Now I have to do is have T Wrecks fix the desc files and then upload! Get ready its almost here!!

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//HBdemo9.jpg align=baseline>

This will be a GROWABLE 3x6 lot for R$$ and R$$$. You'll get a landmark too.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Waaaah, I fear I won't be able to mod anything because I've gone insane from looking at your pics!

Just kidding, of course... can't wait to get my hands on this beauty.

Wow, what - a - building !!

Yeah, just send me the files via yousendit.com so that I don't need to trust my mailbox - some friends of me have the bad habit of sending me uncompressed digicam pictures when I least expect it.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy... if this baby doesn't make another star performer, I don't know...

[bixel 1,228]

WongTaiSin update! So the idea is that everything in the WongTaiSin will be a prop item, that means for those funky LOT editors out there you can make your own Chinese garden by using the WongTaiSin props! Here's an example of what wil be included in a future dat file that I will create to let others use the WongTaiSin props.

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Gatedemo2.jpg align=baseline>

[paulvmontfort 617]

Looking good so far. I'm can't wait to get the Harbourside in my city.

Anyway, here's another update on the Shangri-La:

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//conrad13.jpg align=baseline>

[HONG KONG 74]

Behaved,......the words are missing......wow...

 

@bixel:

Your Harourfront is smooth a ten, and I look forward already much to the release.

The idea with the props is excellent.

 

@paulvmontfort:

Respect!, your Pacific Place looks exactly like the original.

The preview is somewhat dark, but you see.

I love it!!

 

Still two night photos and...... out

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//night_paul2.jpg align=baseline>

[Rymac91 15]

wow Nice work...I got the PM to check this out and I'm impressed...

[Alkaola 18]

great job you people 'i'm loving this project !!

[paulvmontfort 617]

it's time to fuse the 2 towers: the gap remains open until i find out the best way to cut these buildings appart for the puzzle pieces:

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//conrad14.jpg align=baseline>

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Hey, this is coming along very nicely! OMG, it would be so cool if you managed to customize the LOD shell in a way that would allow to place flora props onto those green terraces in the LE... I don't know if that would be feasible, but hey... dreaming isn't forbidden, is it?

[paulvmontfort 617]

Date: 10/7/2005 4:19:38 PM Author: T Wrecks Hey, this is coming along very nicely! OMG, it would be so cool if you managed to customize the LOD shell in a way that would allow to place flora props onto those green terraces in the LE... I don't know if that would be feasible, but hey... dreaming isn't forbidden, is it?

It can be done, i've did it before so why don't do it again, and besides, it was part of the original planning.

 

here, on one of my BAT's you can clearly see props on the roof (Tables and bushes on the sides):

 

http://stex.simtropolis.com/lots/paulvmontfort/paulvmontfort_vm%20headquarters/pvm1.JPG align=baseline>

[bixel 1,228]

paulvmontfort: you got to show me how you place the props in your LE, I can't seem to change the elevation of any of the flora and props.

T Wrecks: hows it going with the Harbourside testing? you got those R$$ and R$$$ files done yet?