The Portland & Oregon BAT Team, Chapter 1

[bixel 1,228]

Good idea Sparky, I'll do just that later tonight.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Welcome to page 24!

Well, thought that the batteries in the camera were all chrged up, but weren't So I'll try again soon for pics of the Yeon Building.

Now for the Hatfield:

Here's the roof and the Cubbyhole scheme. Kinda makes it look like 1960's funky designs:




And with a depression creating ribs through it:



These both need work still. I did these using Boolean Differences, which sometimes result in weird texturing or modeling errors. The floor of the cutouts is a seperate object which I could add solar panels to. However I am keeping it metal, as the real roof, as seen in aerials, looks like a big solid metal chunk.

With just leaving the roof the way it was, these are the other two ideas at present that may make it out to the final render. However, I am letting everyone else decide! Cast your vote by posting your preference!

[bixel 1,228]

I like the 2nd option, though I still think the original is fine.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Real-Life Syndrome (RLS) is setting in for a few days. Luckily it has cropped up just at a time of BAT burnout for me. With Christmas, new years, and a birthday near them, I'm quite busy at the moment with the holliday rush!

I'll try to get back into things around New Years, but I will be follwoing things during this time-off. A few days off of the BATing will do me some good, and clear my mind hopefully.

Please take a look at the Hatfield roof proposals and indicate your favorite! My short break should allow some time for everyone to take a look at it.

[Andreas Roth 629]

Hmmm, tough choice! But I think I'll go with the second version as well. Great idea with the solar panels!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Two votes for #2! That's leading so far... Also please indicate if you want solar pannels or some other decorative texture as opposed to plain metal. Thanks so far!

[jtportland 184]

hey sparky! i say #2~! the first one doesn't flow as nicely.

as for the textures, you might want to make it look more matallic, more shiny. try something like this:
http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/4032/metaltexture096sa.jpg
(might want to make it a little more darker though)

also, for the main building texture, you might want to make that texture go from dark to lighter as the building goes up. right now it looks too momocolor. like this:
http://img459.imageshack.us/img459/631/marble097fg.jpg
(this is just an example of the contrast changing that i'm talking about)

these changes will give the courthouse more depth and make it look more realistic. also, i think that's plenty of roof junk, i wouldn't want it looking too busy.

This is amazing!!!!!!!!

i can't believe we made all of those portland buildings, just beautiful.

Rickk, real nice job! your's is a lot more accurate than the one i made, mine was kind of a mix of two portland buildings lol.i can't wait to see it textured and in game.

bixel, your holiday park plaza looks fantastic! looks very realistic and will fit in real nicely next to lloyd center. it's too bad it's too big to grow, or actually hasn't the BSC figured out a way to grow lots larger than 6x6?

keep up the great work everybody! all of these amazing works almost makes me to want to start batting again!

[Andreas Roth 629]

Date: 12/24/2005 3:13:55 PM Author: jtportland 

it's too bad it's too big to grow, or actually hasn't the BSC figured out a way to grow lots larger than 6x6?

 

 

Yes, there is a way to make growables larger than 6x6. BarbyW posted a tutorial some time ago; I think you can find it on the STEX (or maybe it's in the Omnibus, I'm not sure at the moment).

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Kinda funny JtPortland, I left Umpqua Bank (Ben Franklin Plaza) out of the group photo.. 200 Market and Memorial Colissieum could have made an appearance, but they're not even close to ready yet.

I tried the metal texture that you linked to first! It had all those annoying lines in it though, so I scrapped it in favor of a lineless one.

The wall texture is supposed to be grainy, but each time I export it, it isn't showing up the right way for some reason. I may get the missing texture fix BAT script from the official Sim City website. From what I read, it looks suspiciously like this is the problem. I can still go and take the grainy texture and make it get slightly darker as it goes down.

Still taking a break. Just too busy and frustrated to BAT right now... Once all this social stuff is out of the way, I'll be refreshed enough to start work again.

[SYM Productions 7]

Sorry I haven't been around in a while, Sparky, you know it's what we call holiday time...

Obviously you're taking a break too... you work harder than all of SYM P. combined!

 

My vote is for #2!

 

- CDI_spy

 

EDIT: 700th incredible post in the Portland Project!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Thanks CDI_Spy. Busy here still, sort-of enjoying my break. By sort-of I mean that when I sit at the computer I try to supress the I MUST BAT! urge. After New Year's I should be back at it again. I'm going to need something to really keep me occupied after I quit smoking (hopefully).

On the Hatfield, I have drawn up a list of things to do:

1. Fix, once and for all, the tan wall problem. I d/l'ed the texture fix from SC4 official site. Also, I'm going to try out the wall texture that JtPortland suggested. I'll post comparrision shots of this in-game when I can get time to work on it and export both versions.

2. Based on the responses here, I have decided that #2 is the preference for the roof overhang. I just got to punch the holes out again on a new model (the examples that I showed were just test peices). For now, I'm going to keep everything metal and not add solar pannels inside.

3. So basicly, after all those things, all I have to do is export the final version and package up the lots.

That's my final plan for this one. No going back after this. Hope everyone had a nice Christmas or Hannakuh. Have a great New Year as well!

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Real-life continues on... Finally a break after the holliday! Oh what am I to do with this time? Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy while trying to rest from all the mess that the holliday season was.

Just to get some general information out about speecific things or to specific people:

@Rickk: I have the Yeon Building pics. I finally got my camera working properly and took them yesterday. Unfortuneately glazed terra-cotta and gloomy skies don't really mix, but I think I got most of what could be photographed for you. I will PM you once they are fresh off the camera.

@Bixel: Is anything up with the HPP? Let me know when you want to hand it off to me for lot editing. I can use a break on the Hatfield.

Hatfield Courthouse:

I may place this one on hold again. I found some really buggy stuff with a wall section's mesh grid. Because this makes any texture that is applied over it look really weird, I must rebuild this section. (ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!). At least it is a pretty small and easy to reproduce section in the whole scheme of things.

200 Market:

Another building that is in my list, but where's the progress? It's quite the mystery building. JtPortland built the tower, but never released it. So I'm fusing the landscaped base onto his model. I need to go downtown again and grab some pics of it- aerials just don't do the job. Then I can show you a better screenshot than my first baseline attempt.

If you are curious to see what 200 Market looks like, JtPortland put it in some screens somewhere, but doesn't menton it. It's a big black glass-curtained box of a building.

[bixel 1,228]

Sorry buddy, I'm working on a writing contest for Neverwinter Nights, if I win there is a chance I'll be getting a job in the game industry as a writer working for my favorite company Bioware. I know, I know all I need is some goodies on the decks and the Eastern Block building, when I have some time I can finish it. BTW I just rendered kdrax's Taipei for him, I'm going to re-do the nightlighting on the HPP cause his model really inspired me to do a good job.

[vidioman 21]

In that picture, what is the white building just to the right of pioneer place? I dont seem to recognise it..

[sparkythepenguin 90]

@Bixel: Wow that's awesome news Bix! Good luck on this and hope you win! No prob on the delay.

@Vid: Which pic are you referring to?

I managed to force myself to work on the good ol' Hatfield yesterday. I fixed the wall problem and made a new texture for it that makes it look a bit more like it is in real life. The screen shot is too big to post, so I'll try to get a smaller shot of it for everyone to see. Portlandexpos and Ardecelia like it so far. Thanks guys! Now to get that metal looking the right way...

[sparkythepenguin 90]

OK, more progress, including the Hatfield screens that were promised..

Also, I have sent Rickk the Yeon Building pics. Be on the lookout for it sometime in the future.

Here's a section of the Hatfield with an example of the new wall texture at zoom 5:



Here it is again in full at zoom 4. The masonry seams aren't really that visible:



I may tweak the contrast up a bit. I like the seams, but the whole walls darken as you look lower rule is sort of violated with this. I'll attempt to find a work-around.


Edit to today's post:

I think I solved the wall problem! Here it is at zoom 4, doing what I want it to do (lighter at top with seams visible enough):



I think that solves the walls problem. I may tweak the rough stonework on the base, as it is pretty much the same color as the main walls.

Too bright, too dark? Please comment! Now onto fixing the metal....

[mattb325 28,891]

This is one elegant modern building. The curved roof dilema has definiately been solved! That one really looks good. I can see it in game next to ODS tower right now :-)

 

I like the colour of the walls. Never having seen the stone base, can't help there, but I'm sure you can allow yourself artistic freedom to use a contrasting colour to ensure that it really stands out.

Otherwise with a lot of skyscrapers I've seen by others, they sometimes don't look properly anchored on the lot with the same material (or colour) all the way down.

[Andreas Roth 629]

Wow, that new wall texture looks awesome! The gradient does wonders, doesn't it?

[SYM Productions 7]

Wow that's BEAUTIFUL Sparky!  Please release this soon! 

- CDI_spy

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Looks like the walls are a definite winner! Been playing around more with Photoshop and the results are paying off

Here's a fun little fact: Most of the textures I use are unique to each building. Earlier attempts were very crudely modified, but each new building I make uses more and more new and unique texturing.

So now, the task is to get that metal texturing finalized, cut the final ribs out of the top overhang, and touch up the lower rough stone. I may mess around with the wall texturing a bit more if it looks too bright in-game.

[mattb325 28,891]

Ah-hah - sercrets of the professionals . Mate, you're a genious, your buildings always look so real, clean and sharp in game. Can't wait for this one.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Date: 1/8/2006 9:27:28 PM
Author: sparkythepenguin
Looks like the walls are a definite winner!

quote>
They are, too! Boy, does this make a difference. NOW it's looking good!

[jtportland 184]

that new wall texture looks great sparky! it really add's depth to the building.

one last suggestion, did you make it so the window's are their own poly? if so you should tottaly do the random window textures, to give it a little variation, just like this:



there's a plug-in somewhere on the stex that will allow you to do this. can't wait to see the finished product

[sparkythepenguin 90]

JtPortland, yup, each window is its own, individual poly. It won't be too hard to do that. The glass texture is actually 4 different textures, as is the texture for the spandrels (non-window glass). Just got to crank up the brightness progressively on each one to get that effect. Oops!

Otherwise, got a new texture for the metal that I made in Photoshop. Don't know if it really makes a difference or not.. Screens to follow later once I get all of today's adjustments done.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

OK Here's those screens that I promised:

This one shows some improvements in the window schemes at zoom 5. The real life building's windows look very uniform in color and aren't extremely reflective. The modeling on this makes it hard to get the differences to show up clearly (the metal bands through the windows obscure the reflection). Also it is a good close-up of the new metal texture I am using.


Here it is again at Zoom 4. Most of the windows differences aren't apparent. The roof is now ribbed, and also the new metal texture is visible here.



I'm pretty happy with this latest work. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on this now. Please keep the comments flowing!

[SYM Productions 7]

That is SO beautiful... could you post RL pics of it?  I bet it looks so cool in real life...

- CDI_spy

[HONG KONG 74]

My comment is, looks like a ten in rating

[bixel 1,228]

Oooh. Very nice. I like all your custom textures.

[sparkythepenguin 90]

Here's a shot taken out of the Big Pink (US Bancorp Tower for you non-stumptowners) featuring the Hatfield. The KOIN Center and 200 Market (black building) are all lined up. The weather was really bad that day. It's been gray, overcast, and rainy lately.

There's also some better, sunnier weather pics of it farther up in this thread.

[screamingman12 30]

If you plan to do an accurate replica of Portland, I'll give you a pre-release of my Portland Vinatage tram (it's an almost accurate replica, exept for the See Portland from Council Crest wouldn't fit, so I just wrote Portland on it)