The Portland & Oregon BAT Team, Chapter 1

[bixel 1,228]

Well...I am going to try and figure out the window textures next..meanwhile another update

Another Update!! Now will start work on the base.

[Sim shady 12]

looking good!

[bixel 1,228]

So Double post - but I think this deserves it. Here is some ingame shots - tho I am going to have to fix the tile textures - they are coming out too white and not silver aluminium-like. So they will get darkened...moar details for the roof soon, and a possble fire-escape tho, I wil have to squish the building to make the fire escape fit. So I just might leave it out. Sadly the Commonwealth Sign is not even ledgable - too small, Your thoughts?

[Andreas Roth 629]

Yeah, a tad bright indeed. I'm also wondering about the windows a bit - they cover all four walls entirely, so the building is basically a "cage", covered with windows. So I can only assume that the floors don't have any solid inner walls, but only lightweight ones, or maybe just cubicles and the like. If this is the case, you'll have to rework the nightlights a bit. At the moment, some corners have lights on one side, but not the other, which isn't possible. The only "convincing" room is the one in the fourth floor of the right building in your last pic, where the long wall has three windows lit and the short wall has two.

[bixel 1,228]

Yeh. you are correct. I will fix the nightlites. Prolly another update tomorrow night.

[Glenni 1,447]

that looks very good bixel, oh and btw, i got a little request for you, think you could upload some of your roof junk? i mean i use 3ds now and there's nearly just gmax  models to get on stex...

                                                                             

[josefmayor 8]

NICE Bixel!

[Jasoncw 11,949]

Other than what you've said, what others have said, and what I've said (I must insist that you redo those upper windows ), I don't think there's much for me to say.

I also recommend scaling it up.  I don't know if you were planning on doing that or not, but I think it would be good if you did.  Also, it would make it fit in with Sparky's stuff, since he scales things up.

The ground floor seems kind of dead.  I would somehow add some life to the ground floor.

The massing of the blue area looks great.

[bixel 1,228]

I agree with all the recommendations here, Its does look short! Though the upper windows- I dunnno what you mean. Is it because the window frames are not inset? The base will have more going on. There is an architecture firm on the right, a flower shop in the middle and a ubiquitous Starbucks on the left. The rear building will have more going on, The real building does not have any windows on the lowest floor on its rear side. So I could get rid of them.

[Jasoncw 11,949]

Yeah, the window frames aren't inset.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Wow, there's sure been a lot going on lately with the Commonweailth Building. It is looking good so far Bix, but I do agree that it looks too short. Bump it up a bit on the Z axis and let's see what that does. The ground floor looks weird, but I guess I am used to seeing the awnings over the entries.

Just to add to the buzz, I have lightened the BofA windows:

[Spike345 20]

A Starbucks? OMG DO IT! lol

[ricb 19]

Sparky, believe it or not I know the Commonwealth a fair bit. I used to serve on the Disability Services Advisory Council for Multnomah County Aging and Disability Services. They are located on the third floor of the Commonwealth. We usually met in the large conference room with a great view of Sixth. If memory serves me isn't there a marquee style canopy in front of the building?

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Wow Ricb, you probably know a bunch about that building! The Commonwealth's Bixel's baby, and he actually works in the building! I do believe there are marquee awnings hanging over the sidewalks. Just don't know how many and where exactly. I know there are at least 2 of 'em...

Bixel, I was thinking about your BAT on the way back from PSU today. And it occured to me that a gradient texture over the metallic frame would look very good if you can swing that. Also, it looks too white. it is supposed to be a silvery aluminum. Pietro Belluschi was absolutely OBSESSED with aluminum at the time.

I like how you put in those really funky half-windows at the base, but I think it's only on the SE corner and the rest are nearly sidewalk-to-ceiling windows. Not sure on that though.

Oh, and don't forget the painting of the rose on the back of the tall, long blue section! I can show you how to add that if you like. Just a little trick I figured out in building the New Fleidner Block.

BTW, Does everyone like the new BofA windows?

[bixel 1,228]

Yah. Show me how to add that - cause I've no idea. + we need a photo of the rose or some picture of it.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

I just wanted to check in and let everyone know that I haven't forgot about BATing. Just really busy, burried in college assignments! The load is lessening and I hope get back to it before Summer term starts...

[Sim shady 12]

awe ur taking summer classes? My friend tried that out and said it was okay. Alot of his friends stuck to regular spring/fall schedules, so he was kind of lonely, but also said that it was easier in the summer. goodluck

[hamsterTK 93]

geez talk about perfectionism lol

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Yeah, I'm doing Summer Term. I think its like the only term where they offer a whole year's worth of foreign language in one quarter. Getting 12 credits by only taking one subject sounded good to me! I haven't spoken German in over 10 years, so its about time to get caught up.

Classes are just about wrapped up for Spring '07. All my papers are done, the house is clean, the cats happy, and nothing to worrry about except BATing now! Its good to have such a worry...

Soi I have taken this time to finish up Bank of America. Bixel's still working on the COmmonwealth Building, but I'll let him tell you about where he's at on that. Just gotta get a pic of that rose painting...

Here's what I am going to release as the FINAL Bank of America Center, minus the final lot touches (which shouldn't be much):

(I moved the parking entry asphalt out of the garage a bit, and darkened it more)

These balconies are paradise to the smokers that work here!

The neon hat's lookin' good at zoom 4

The hat's a little off the farther zoomed out you go. Making it bigger makes it look bad, but no worries, it's propped in! Don't like it? You'll be able to remove it in Lot Editor.

That's all for now. I'm going to start working on modding this up now.

A little word on future releases: With Sim City 5 in the works, and the future of SC4 BATing up in the air, I don't know if I'll be able to get to everything I wanted to BAT. Especially with my projected classloads. I may take a backseat and just advise here and there from now on. Whenever I can get to making or finishing BATs, I will try to do so, but I got so swamped with college this last term, and that's priority #1 right now.

We'll see what happens, just don't get too worried if I'm not productive with BAT. Hopefully this is not my last BAT, but don't be suprised if it is.

[HONG KONG 74]

Time to comment.......You know I follow this thread from the first day on....

....Nothing much to say but: GREAT WORK HERE  

[sparkythepenguin 90]

OK, looks like Bank of America's going over really well! Makes me want to keep going with BATing, thanks everyone! I still have a bunch of BATs sitting on this PC's hard drive, whether I get them all doen or not os the $500,000 question.

Still waiting for Bixel to show off the Commonwealth Bldg., but I have some progress on Waddles, AKA "The Ducky Diner". Its been sitting in various forms, unfinished since I started BATing years ago. I was reticent to do anything on it as I was unsure of my skills. Now I know what I need to know in order to finish it.

Here's the latest, now with cars!

No textures yet, no plantlife, no roof junk either. But getting the cars optimized and cleaning up and organizing the model has gone a long way toward getting this done. The ground plane is temporary, but is indicative of the lot's size: 4x7. I'm not going to use Lot Editor base textures to make the lot, the entire lot will be BATed. Its the only way I can make the strangely angled parking lot.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Bring 'em on!

[kurtvedder 4]

All I can say is that I am falling in love with the Ducky Diner.

[benvoliothefirst 36]

Really cool looking there, sparky. (Can I call you sparky?) I like the angled cars, too. At first, I was surprised to see that you batted the cars, but after you mentioned the strangely angled spaces, I can understand why you did so. Does this mean when you float the mouse over the building, the cars and all the parking lot will also be highlighted? Might look a bit strange. Building is very cool looking, very 50's.

My only concern is that at 4x7, I assume the lot won't be growable... as a growable only player, I'd really like to see another version. Maybe you can do without the parking lot and batted cars, and just do a simpler lot with the building only? I realize this is somewhat against the basic idea of the building, but personally I would love to have this in my city and I'd love to have a growable. Can't wait to see how the building looks when it's finished.

[Andreas Roth 629]

Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to try your Bank of America Center yet, but it looks marvellous on the screenshots. The diner looks great as well, and featuring that unusual angle, it's definitely a welcome asset to the game. A 4x7 growable is certainly possible, however it requires a small modification that can be done with the reader - I'd be glad to point you into the right direction when it comes to the creation of the lot. As benvoliothefirst suggested, it might be feasible to create a (smaller) lot with some regular base textures and car props as well, since not everyone might have room for a 4x7 version. You could make the parking lot a separate prop, which will prevent it from highlighting when you query the building.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Benvolio: Sure, everyone else calls me Sparky. N/P. I put together some alternate configurations today. Look below to check them out.

Andreas: It's going to be interesting to see what gets in as a prop and what stays as the main BAT file! Still don't know how that's going to work, as I am going to try to have both green and red neon nite lites in this one! I may even prop out the signs too, who knows? Thank goodness for DAT files!

OK I've got off my butt and finalized parking lot configs, where I want landscaping areas

, and added some roof junk and details. Looking through my pictures of the building, I think I'm going to end up working some more on adding details to the awnings.

Here's the current working ideas for the lot:

More to come!!!

[Explodingsims 3]

This whole project is Amazing, and I can't wait to see how that diner turns out.

THE SIMPSONS ROCKS!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Hahah, many of the Simpsons characters are named after Portland streets. I used to pass Van Houten Street (Milhouse's last name) on the bus all the time. Flanders, Montgomery, and Lovejoy streets are easier to get to for a downtown-oriented guy like I am.

OK, I haven't worked on Waddle's since the last update. I'm still waiting imput on which of the lot configurations to use (hint hint!)

But I do have a new suprise BAT off to a good start! Ricb will know this one, if he's still hanging around and reading this thread...

The 511 Building, AKA the Portland Medical Center. This building is mainly a branch campus for Pacific University's medical programs. It was intended from the start to, and still does, house professional medical practices. Some say it's an ugly '60's box. Not so! It was built in the late 40's/early 50's (will have to look that up), but doesn't predate the Commonwealth Building. Best you can say is that it is proto-modern style.

Here's some shots to show you how much farther I have to go:

(Its really reflective! You can see the New Fleidner block to the right)

Roof Junk galore! Even more on the other angles of the mechanical house.

There's a funky parking garage attached, and the rear fire escapes have a ton of pipes and junk continuing from floor to roof. The brick building to the left is a quasi-deco carpet store, which I plan on modeling in as well.

An outdated mural of the skyline (circa 1990), on the side of the quasi-deco store. Part of Mt. Hood, KOIN Center and Wells Fargo Center are currently covered by a large advert for the carpet store. I always thought it was a neat little mural. Have a couple of pics from the same vantage point too...

OK please let me know what you think of Waddle's and of this new one. Provided I have more progress on another project, fans of old buildings may have a treat in store sometime this week!

[sebbyb07 2]

The waddles dinner looks amazing, cant wait for its release. The new building looks pretty damn cool as well.

[Sim shady 12]

wow i like everything im seeing here

[Jasoncw 11,949]

I like the 4x7 and the 3x5. 

The new building is looking good so far.