The Portland & Oregon BAT Team, Chapter 1

[Chris M 406]

Cool..I hope to see Union Station.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Yup I am alive, although burried in an never-ending deluge of homework and study...

As for Jtportland, I have no idea whats going on with him. I hope he's doing OK. He's probably in the same boat school-wise as I.

 

I'm thinking about doing the Galleria as the next project. The Galleria is home to Western Culinary Institute, which probably has more than a few Sim City fans among its ranks. There was some discussion about it on Jt's city journal thread, and so it is a candidate now. It looks relatively easy to BAT for an old terra cotta building.

 

I've been looking for decent photos of it online and in my stash, but nothing really useful has presented itself. Time for a drawing trip. That way. I'll kill two birds with one stone! I really need to fill up my drawing journal anyway.

[Chris M 406]

Date: 2/19/2005 5:19:28 PM Author: sparkythepenguin  

Time for a drawing trip. That way. I'll kill two birds with one stone! I really need to fill up my drawing journal anyway.

quote>

 

Could we see some of your drawings ?

[crazyarchitect 7]

sounds great too bad about the homework

[Chris M 406]

Date: 2/19/2005 9:54:42 PM Author: crazyarchitect sounds great too bad about the homework

quote>

Well if he has to draw it doesnt sound like bad homework to me.

[ardecila 125]

Well, it's typically more than just drawing. You're drawing to try to capture the sense of the area - which most often includes proper scale, accuracy, etc.

It may sound fun, and to most architecture students, it is somewhat fun. Why do you think they're studying architecture in the first place? If they didn't enjoy it, they'd be in journalism.

[crazyarchitect 7]

yeah, I don't mind drawing homework, but there's probably math, english and other junk that us drafters and architects don't need, ok maybe math

[Norwegian Neko 12]

Let it be known that there is a world of difference between drafters and architects. So much so, that it isn't even funny.

Kind of like the difference between a nurse compared with a neurosurgeon.

Having a good background rooted in a liberal arts background will really go a long way towards an architectural education - as does being very visually oriented and analytical.

Drafters just pump out autocad drawings with a 2-year associates degree.

[Lord_Bertrum 3]

Date: 2/22/2005 11:58:04 AM Author: zilfondel Let it be known that there is a world of difference between drafters and architects.  So much so, that it isn't even funny. Kind of like the difference between a nurse compared with a neurosurgeon. Having a good background rooted in a liberal arts background will really go a long way towards an architectural education - as does being very visually oriented and analytical. Drafters just pump out autocad drawings with a 2-year associates degree.

You sound a little upset there, I sensing that you're not a drafter then?

[MTLT_17 27]

Hey,

 

Yes being a drafter is a very different job then an architect, being one myself. Using autocad2005 is what I do most of the time, also fixing computer systems (also having a degree in IT) Lastly I work with architects all the time, some are really freaked out by how fast I can make their dreams reality. Then make a 1/50th or bigger scale model. So yes there is a huge difference.

 

I understand his being upset with this matter. Power to the people who make buildings reality! (AutoCad PRO'S)

 

-MTLT

 

P.S. I understand what some of you might be thinking. If you can do these so fast why aren't you making them left and right? Well after working in-front of a PC screen for 7 1/2 hrs I NEED a break! I will finish the Trump World Tower! I will just enlist some help from my fellow Cadders (is it a word, dunno use it at work a lot) anyway PM me if you have a request and I may try to squeeze it in.

 

YES THIS DOES MEAN THAT YOU CAN NOW REQUEST (SKYSCRAPERS ONLY) TO MTLT (AND HIS CREW)

 

Don't be shy!

[Norwegian Neko 12]

sweet...someone understands me.

=\

Course, I have about 4 years left of school...hehe.

[crazyarchitect 7]

I'm sorry I started this feud about Drafters and Architects, I really didn't mean that architects and drafters are alike, but I kindof assumed they had a likeness because my college puts us together in one room and mainly take the same classes, except they take some additional classes to get them into MSU where they finish off their years, so I'm sorry that I compared them, we may work together, but we're not that much alike

also I didn't mean to hijack the thread either

[sfobb 0]

Have you guys considered Pioneer Place?

I think it would make a great addition to any city's downtown area.

[baldy 0]

If you mean the Pioneer Park Building, jtportland already created it.  Do a search under his name and you'll see a bunch of nice creations.

[sfobb 0]

Actually I meant the shopping center that is in the middle of downtown Portland, the one with Saks Fifth Ave.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Well, I've given some thought to Pioneer Place in the past. I like to sort of plan things out in my mind before I actually attempt a project, and it'd be awesome if I could do it the way I want to. The problem is modding the transportation network: I don't know how to do it.

Here's what I have in mind:

 

Pioneer Place, taken as a whole, takes up four blocks of downtown real estate. There's the two mall sections, an office tower called Pioneer Tower (which houses part of the Saks Fith Avenue facilities plus the underground food court), a parking garage, plus the MAX light rail platforms on Yamhill and Morrison. Skybridges connect the two mall sections and the Saks part of the office tower.  The Portland Transit Mall's Falling Rocks (as I call it) sculpture sits in front of the office tower.

 

In all, I'd make it a solid 9x9 peice. Jt and I have agreed that 4x4 blocks make a Portland city block, so this would be 4 Portland blocks plus strips through the middle acting as public streets/MAX line as I envision it.

 

As for modeling this, it'd be quite simple to do those buildings. However, In my mind, it's not accurate if the skybridges are left out, hence why the transportation network is needed.

 

As for the MAX station, I've thought about consolidating it onto Yamhill for this superblock BAT. (in real life the MAX trains run westbound on Morrison and eastbound on Yamhill through downtown, both transitways are single-tracked, rejoining eachother as double-track outside downtown).

 

I'm taking all online classes this quarter, so I'll probably have time to BAT again. If anyone knows how to do transportation modding, I'd be glad to model this and re-start Union Station provided the modder can transit-enable the BAT's.

 

 

[MallowTheCloud 41]

Hey, this thread isn't dead! Great, I hope we can get this project up and running again (I understand, though, that school can drain attention from this. School first, Simtropolis second ).

[sfobb 0]

Wow, I didn't expect such a fast reply! Thanks!

I think Lloyd Center is the best mall on the STEX but it seems kinda out of place in the middle of a downtown area.

Seattle and San Francisco both have malls in their downtown areas, Pacific Place and San Francisco Shopping Center respectively, but they are more vertical with small floors rather than horizontal like Lloyd Center. Honolulu has Ala Moana Center a few blocks from the financial district; sort of like Lloyd Center before it was enclosed. Just thought I'd share this.

BTW, Sim City first, school second is the motto I live by.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Well, looks like there's a lot of interest in Pioneer Place!

I wouldn't go so far as to describe Pioneer Place as something in league with the Lloyd Center. In some ways, Pioneer Place is superior, in others deficient compared to the Lloyd. For one thing, Pioneer Place is more tilted toward higher-income destination shoppers. They only have one major anchor (the only Saks for miles around), with few of the common stores at other malls. Electronics Boutique, Claire's, the Gap, and Borders stick out like sore thumbs next to the Sharper Image, the Austrian Crystal shop, and the rest of the higher-end stores that mostly make up Pioneer Place.

 

As a poor college student, I don't really buy anything but lunch there. And even the food court is a bit more pricey. The Mc Donald's there is slightly more expensive than the rest downtown. It also doesn't do too many of the specials common at the other ones.

 

However, in layout, it's a lot like Salem Center to the south, but it's got more anchors and is less dependent on destination stores.

 

Also, the theater that's just opened up tends toshow more of the Sundance/Cannes artsy stuff than the big blockbusters.

 

It's an interesting set-up. All four blocks are connected together through the main basement area. In the mall buildings, there's about 4 stories of shopping. In Pioneer Place II, the fifth floor is a Regal Cinemas.

 

Anyways, I'll start looking at modeling the main buildings in the complex. I'm sick with the flu (?) and bored and in need of something to do

 

Oh, and BTW, JtPortland, where have you been?!?!?!? I'm sure I'm not the only one who misses ya here

 

[Lord_Bertrum 3]

Sparky, can you post a picture of The Pioneer Centre for all the non-USA gamers here?

Also in an earlier thread you mentioned skybridges. Some of the guys who are starting the Split Building Initiative may be able to help you with creating The Pioneer Centre as one giant lot with transport enabled roads running between buildings where you require them to.

[ardecila 125]

I've already signed on as the TE guru. And yes, it does count as a split building.

As for pictures, see here: http://www.cmr.cc/gallery.htm

It's an Oregon construction company that helped to build Pioneer Place. I just found it off Google.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Well, my attempt to go and take photos was a total disaster today. I left the house without charging the batteries in my camera!

 

I'm going to try to do it on Monday or Tuesday and will post some good shots of the overall complex. Sorry 'bout that! It's been a real chaotic day for me today...

[Blue Ice 0]

Clackmas Mall off 205

[jonesla6 0]

This thread can't die!

 

Any progress on the Pioneer Square Project?  If completed, it would be a welcome addition to anyone's downtown... all of the potential jobs / transit capabilites.  Would be pretty sweet.

[Norwegian Neko 12]

The street which you decide to carry the lightrail traffic should be conbined with the Ground Light-Rail mod (which is a modified El-train that travels on the surface) to provide us with real trams. Considering that hardly any actual cars travel down either of the max streets due to the narrowness of it & the stop signs, this makes a lot of sense to just completely convert it to a max-only street.

However, the Pioneer Place Mall is 2 blocks East of Pioneer Courthouse Square (which is adjacent to Nordstrom's, Meier & Frank, the Old Pioneer Courthouse, and kitty corner from Fox Tower. So these should be two different projects.

Here is an aerial view of Pioneer Courthouse Square:


As you can see, there are no skybridges that connect to Pioneer Courthouse square. Further to the East (right in the pic) is the Pioneer Place Mall, which has them, but its not part of the Square.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Well, here's an aerial of the site. I outlined it in red and added text to explain what the names of the buildings for reference. (don't mind the mispellings, caught those after I flattened the image) MAX stations are indicated by the train logo and their names are indicated under it.

 

align=baseline>

 

Pioneer Square isn't on this photo, but would be to the right of Pioneer Courthouse between Yamhill, 6th, Broadway, and Morrison. Meier and Frank is on the lot just above Pioneer Square.

 

I got the pictures (inside and out) finally and am working on drawing everything to get a good understanding of what I need to model (and how to model it). I'll post some pics sometime later. It was a rainy day and the lighting was Portland-typical uber-crappy/rainy the day I took them.

 

[thecitiescenter 3,059]

woohoo sparkys back =P

[MallowTheCloud 41]

Now, if only jtportland would return...

[mpetryni 0]

I think Portland is clearly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Just my two cents. Great work you guys!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

OK, it's been a while, and some good things are happening! There'll be a Sim City Day at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), and I have been asked to help out. So this has just totally re-energized me, and I'm back at BAT!

Just started this one last night. Still has a ways to go, but it's going to be great! So, without any further ado, ODS Tower is going to be my next BAT:



Enjoy and will be back on tomorrow with hopefully more progress. Time for a BAT-less 2 hour trip down to Eugene... Nah, it'll be fun!

(For pictures of what the ODS tower really looks like, go here to The Emporis (skyscrapers.com) ODS Tower factsheet )