Mickebears Istrinian BATs - Getting ready to a CJ

[DuskTrooper 316]

All of this stuff looks great! The textures are just sublime, except for the roof. Tone that down, and you will have some truly exceptional work(not that the model isnt already exceptional...)!

[SYM Productions 7]

Absolutely beautiful, inspiring work Micke!  I dunno what your CJ will look like, but I know it will be fantastic with custom content like this!

- CDI_spy , proud part of SYM Productions

 

EDIT: 4th fantastic page!

[Mickebear 2]

Hey DT,

BIG thanks for your comments - I know that my roof is really in dire need of repairs

 

Anyway, I am currently searching for good textures to work on as roofs, because - obvious to the game's view - it is the part of the building that most exposed to human eye...

 

Hoi SYM Productions,

 

Thanks to welcome us to the 4th page - in a thread like this I never thought of reaching it so far (I started in August). Take a look at CJ section and Istrinia - Many Nations, One Region.

 

But to reveal something - I am also planning a CJ of my own, to showcase the work that I have done, and if popular, also to release my BATs in STEX.

[Mickebear 2]

Alright, now the rooves are toned down on Arcazzian Embassy:

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//ArcazzianDraft3-2005-12-30.jpg align=baseline>

[cammo2003 20]

The roof still doesn't quite convince me - it's a touch too sharp - right now it just looks like a random diffused pattern when I'm sure it's some sort of roofing. The colours are great. Or were you just a little heavy-handed with the sharpen tool in your image editing program?

[Mickebear 2]

Yes, cammo, image was edited with sharpen tool.

[Kwakelaar 92]

Really a lot of improvements happening here, great work Mika, and sometimes it is better to make the changes to a new model. Your buildings are already unique and certainly good enough to use in game.

[Mickebear 2]

Thanks so much Kwakelaar - I am starting to believe in my skills.

On the side, I have been working on growable models - they are always needed in the game, I think.

 

I have started with R housing, here is one of the latest creations

 

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/2142/villa003draft200601042im.jpg align=baseline>

[Kwakelaar 92]

Interesting model, I assume this will be for the rather wealthy part of the population?
The wall textures are very good, custom made for all the uprises?

[Mickebear 2]

kwakelaar: indeed, this one is for R$$$. I have started to make every texture specifically for each building - like this, I can be sure that each BAT has individual feel to it.

[Mickebear 2]

Well double-posting to my own thread may not be the best of ideas, but just wanted to announce that my Istrinian Central hospital is uploaded in STEX , in case it is interesting...

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//MBEAR_IstriHospiCVer5_DT1.jpg align=baseline>

[vester_DK 477]

On the night picture there are a small light leak at the corner. You haven been able to fixed or is it just an old picture ?

Beside that, as I stated before 1st. class work.

[decola 0]

That's an amazing BAT, the wall textures are simply stunning. Top job

[Mickebear 2]

Arne, I wasn't able to fix that unfortunately... the original model got corrupted, so either I make everything from scratch, or just try to do some magic to my GMAX to revive (a few) model(s) when I have less creative and more troubleshooter mood...

Decola, big thanks, the textures are custom created for this BAT only, and will never be found anywhere else to download. I decided to go to that direction to ensure better visual quality.

[TheCrybKeeper 301]

I am using your hospital Mickebear. If it all pans out; this can easily become a great fix for medical coverage.

I like the patient and cost ratios. They should work fantastic in my gridded zone neighborhoods.

 

The read me's are all good. I particularly like your attention to giving credits to other contributors. Very wisely thought out.

 

approximately 15,000 patients covered at a cost of 300 or so simoleans. Does that sound correct?

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//mickahopie3th.jpg align=baseline> 

[Mickebear 2]

Hi frndo,

Well the cost is honestly way too low, should be bigger, but this is something that I need to study looking at other (realistic) hospitals / civic buildings.

 

Otherwise, if you were happy, that is good. I released in STEX yesterday, but haven't had time to see whether it has been popular or not, or if anybody has discovered bugs, like happened with my Elementary school.

 

Thanks so much for helping out.

 

Mika

 

EDIT:

 

Progress on the villa project:

 

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/9723/villa003draft20060106s0fj.jpg align=baseline>

[SYM Productions 7]

Hey Micke!

I have been so impressed with your work lately... would you consider joining SYM Productions?  We have a great team of 25 people of BATters, MODders, LOTters, TESTers, and MAPpers... think it over, than PM me with your answer.

 

- CDI_spy , proud leader of SYM Productions Custom Content Team

[cammo2003 20]

Mickebear: love the villa. We could really use more variety in the R$$$ Low-density department...

Love the roof on the hospital, BTW.

[Mickebear 2]

SYM Productions / CDI Spy: Interesting proposition, I need some time to think.

Cammo: Big thanks, happy you liked it

 

I will present you my new problem child (rendered in low quality to test the BAT size / dimensions:

 

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3720/villa003draft20060106vill0ly.jpg align=baseline>

 

1: Villa Bettina Moderato

    A: details like flowers on the balcony or

    B: shutters on the windows

are to make the villa more lived in, just as I was proposed during the building of the Istrinian hospital. This is my first test with shutters (volets in French, proposed by n74704 ), and I am quite happy with the test.

 

However, compared to 2 Gate (Embassy of Arcazzio | made for petriknl, not released), 3 Window(Embassy of Istrian Republik | made for Fredval; not released) or 4 Window (Toscanan farm house, made by swi21, released as Chateau Toscan by BarbyW, BSC ), the dimensions are too big, windows just simply too large, and this villa is already taking dimensions of an important public building, which is not what I want.

 

Suggestions (but remember that this rendering was done with draft quality!) are very very welcome, as usual. And of course, more you have to say, the better.

[DuskTrooper 316]

BTW, I found this REALLY great tile roof texture that might come in handy some day...

Click here (the image is too big for ST)

[Mickebear 2]

DT, it is EXACTLY what I have been looking for, so thanks.... as big as you can get in Texas

[Kwakelaar 92]

Have you tried scaling it? That would reduce the overal size of the building, you could also just try scaling only the rightpart.
Maybe you are trying to put too much into one building, you could easly make two villa's from this one.

Floorheights - groundfloor - I use 4-5m and the floors above 3-4m for residential buildings.

[mattb325 28,891]

The building an all of its components could very easily be grouped and scaled down to reduce the overall size (it will also fix the windows): it is probably too tall for 3 storied domestic architecture, also agree with Kwakelaar about the right-hand wing.

 

As for the scale of the windows - I wouldn't worry too much about making them fit in with other buildings. An old 3-story building is often the height of a modern 4-5 story building, so, they have higher ceilings and almost never had the same sized windows; they were usually custom made on site to fit what the bricklayer/stonemason had done. 

It matters only that they're not too disproportionate with the buildings around them (i.e one window on the villa doesn't equal 2 stories on Swi21s work)...

 

But, by the way, I really loved the hospital. So intricately crafted. Well done. All of your textures and detailing convey the age of the limewash and the brilliant sunlight of the region

[Mickebear 2]

kwakelaar and mattb325: I have scaled down the building and it really helped. But I ran into another problem when making custom props for the lot, please see below:

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

 

These two marked areas have taken something totally different in the view compared to what the model was supposed to be. Both props are supposed to be flowers - this leads me to think that I have a conflict with the hexacode. I have been given a sequence of hexas by BarbyW to apply, but I don't know at all where to look and what to change - it would take really too long time to re-render, so if somebody has an idea, I'd be very very grateful.

[BarbyW 40]

Mika: the texture range I allocated to you is for base and overlay textures not for BAT ones. As I don't BAT I can't help you with what might be wrong but I will ask one of the BSC team to have a look here.

Barby

[Mickebear 2]

Thanks so much Barby - probably their answer will also help me to deal with the elementary school problem that some people have encountered...

[gascooker 4]

I think this is to do with an old ID conflict that early version of BAT tended to corrupt. Since downloading the patched BAT, or gmax v1.2 this has stoppped happening for all users.

Because MAXIS buildings are showing through yor model, it suggests that you are using old version of BAT. A re-render using new BAT is best solution.

[jacqulina 162]

these buildings are fantastic,excellent work

[Mickebear 2]

Thanks gascooker. My version of gmax is 1.2, but I think the ms script that was from Maxis site was not correct. Let's see what is happening after re-rendering. I will let you know.

And of course, jacqualina, big thanks to you as well!

 

EDIT: Again thanks, gascooker. You advise really helped, and the re-rendering was this time with a good result. I will soon show the results (another rendering going on now)

 

EDIT 2: Although lot is far from finished, rendering went just fine, so big thanks (and bearhugs) to gascooker

 

View EAST

 

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/7154/villabettinafinaldteast5um.jpg align=baseline>

 

Night view from South. Maybe I should work with the lights a bit...

 

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/5894/villabettinafinalntsouth5fp.jpg align=baseline>

[Mickebear 2]

I have not been very happy of the roof textures that I have used so far, so I got an idea when DuskTrooper sent me an image for possible texture. I have been studying these past few days different ways of working with textures and have come up with no less than 22 different roof textures, some of which I like very much.

So, I would like to share this lesson with you - all was made possible by Gascooker's  article in Omnibus about gradients, hues and such... The base textures on the flatter surfaces are actually meant to be floor tiles, and to be downloaded from French infographiste Antoine  Lemog .

 

Please meet ROOF TEXTURES:

 

Roof 1b

 

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/6334/mbeartestroof1b7zd.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 2a

 

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/7561/mbeartestroof2a2ii.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 2b

 

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4914/mbeartestroof2b5ou.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 3a

 

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/4277/mbeartestroof3a6mi.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 3b

 

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/475/mbeartestroof3b3ht.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 5b

 

http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/8195/mbeartestroof5b9fe.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 6b

 

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/5257/mbeartestroof6b7kb.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 7b

 

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/1087/mbeartestroof7b1cv.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 8b

 

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/6461/mbeartestroof8b6ga.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 8 Base

 

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/477/mbeartestroof8bas4ik.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 9 Base

 

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/8601/mbeartestroof9base7uu.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 10a

 

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8470/mbeartestroof10a8bx.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 10b

 

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/8122/mbeartestroof10bd4zz.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 11b

 

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8042/mbeartestroof11b8zt.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 12b

 

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/1465/mbeartestroof12b5hu.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 13b

 

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6734/mbeartestroof13b4hz.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 13c

 

http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/7451/mbeartestroof13c1yg.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 14b ver 2

 

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2988/mbeartestroof14b22xf.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 15b

 

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/1289/mbeartestroof15b6bl.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 15c

 

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/336/mbeartestroof15c6zu.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 16b

 

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4800/mbeartestroof16b2qe.jpg align=baseline>

 

Roof 17b

 

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/4706/mbeartestroof17b9re.jpg align=baseline>