SC4 Devotion Forum Archives

It has been quite awhile that I wanted to open this thread here on SC4D, and now since I am rarely posting at ST anymore and got implicated with the GRV II Project here on SC4D, I might as well move in and show what's to come with Nexis Bats and Lots and what I am regularily "cooking" on my computer.
I have more than a hundred projects in mind, some 30 already started.....lol....that I will show later. I got stuck with some (several) projects simply because my knowledge of BATting is still quite limited, and hopefully I will find enough help here to finish at least some of my projects, which some of them are already several years old.

But just introduce my BATting, I will start of with something I started about 6 months ago, around x-mas or so. Nexis Lots have been around since the beginning of SC4 (and even SC3K), ever since the LE came out and some Nexis BATs also have been available for some time now.

Here's the story of this new BAT, of course it is a "simmlish story", like most Nexis stuff.

««Sims have finally done it and surpassed humanity again with developping the first athmospherical molecule energy. Drawing energy out of the athmospere by splitting molecules into fraction and fusioning them back together with solarheat while filtering them through synthetic hydromandates, makes it one of the most reliable, stable, safe, environmental friendly and cheap energy possible. In other words, the best yet! It is still under construction, but plans are ready and everything will soon be constructed and ready to try. Of course this new energy will be experimental at first, but once finalized, it will be powering a medium sized city for little costs.»»

Here is a fraction of the complex. This will be the solar heater part............

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F43%2Fathmosmolenerg.jpg&hash=06942383f7b3b7233aa21ed11c34afb0f92accfa)


Thanks for your interest ;)

Fred

Wow, Fred!  The sky's reflection adds so much realism and detail to the BAT.  A variety is always desirable, and this new form of energy is quite innovative.  I'm looking forward to seeing more of the legend that is Nexis.

&apls

ooooh Fred your CML sooo fits, In Fred We Trust!!!!

Wow, thanks for mentioning it Pat, otherwise I would not have noticed. Never look at things like that anyways.
Now....have a question, what is a CML anyways? Is that Good?.....lol

Fred

Yes Fred it is very good indeed and it stands for Custom Member Label... they are assigned by the staff and given out by them to member who they believe deserve it... You can see a complete list here [linkie] (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=47.msg245113#msg245113)

Quote from: Pat on May 12, 2009, 08:21:32 PM
Yes Fred it is very good indeed and it stands for Custom Member Label... they are assigned by the staff and given out by them to member who they believe deserve it... You can see a complete list here [linkie] (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=47.msg245113#msg245113)

Thanks Pat...this is soooo coool! Thanks to the stuff, I am honored.

Fred

Here are some more project models that I have started without bringing you the whole of my gmaxfolder.

The Aircleaner model is supposed to become a series of underground facilities sucking down the air and filter it while releasing it further down. Sofar the "suckdown" part of the air-filtering system is done. Originally there were supposed to be three airintakes (1 done) and one outlet in form of a chimney looking like model.
Still three more models to make, get the nightlights done, ctreate the lot and tweak it so it cleans a lot of air in a polluted industrial city.

Beside and below it is my new Water-treatment plant which is about finished. It was supposed to become a modular set that you can plop with one main-building and several bassins, all depending on the size of the city you have. Now I am not sure if I should make it so and only create one simple lot that cleans the water. What do you think?

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg395.imageshack.us%2Fimg395%2F3040%2Faircleann.jpg&hash=bc531dc1b40feb85c69154826bed51c507d79275)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg395.imageshack.us%2Fimg395%2F214%2Fairclean2.jpg&hash=86ef2a24cfaf3e3752430010ce9221e556a75f01)

Without going through my whole collection of real-life north-american barns that I have fotographed in my nearby townships and re-created in 3d, here is one that I actually own myself and only use it for storing my old Mustang (car). Built in the 40's it has a unique wooden cedar silo. The textures are completely different though, mine looking more decayed and greyish. There are several other barn models that I am also almost done with included two modern ones and another round barn, which we have quite a few still standing in eastern Québec/Canada. They should become growables.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg395.imageshack.us%2Fimg395%2F6645%2Fbarn.jpg&hash=df56d561532f64c40a4ca5d83dcc690580e2f4eb)

This is an older model that I have been working on for several years, bits by bits. It must be 4 years old by now and can even be found as my avatar on ST. In the beginning it was to become a modular set of a University, which I abandonned when I almost finished the first model realizong the time it would take to make a whole set of these. So now I am planning to make it a simple college and a different version (one third of the model) of it as Residentials. (R$$)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg395.imageshack.us%2Fimg395%2F4919%2Fcollege.jpg&hash=937bc812844c12bdc1df7fd81aa108ffa1ba1790)

Another Energy producing plant, this time regular natural Gaz. Still a lot of work to be done on this one and it only has been quickly textured for the show. I still have to learn more about nightlighting, which I only started a short time ago, because I have no idea how to give this model some lights yet. Because the original Maxis one is too much polluting imo, this one will be less.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg395.imageshack.us%2Fimg395%2F2536%2Fnatgas.jpg&hash=564d968cb679ca86f1ddc35c02aa2b34df1d5636)

Some of you probably have already seen a good part of my "Logging set" in my CJ/MD *The Winding River Project". This is a very new model, the last one I worked on. It will be a modular set that you can create your own size. It will have all you need "Logging" props from A to Z included, such as loose logs, packed logs, floating logs and rafts, stranded logs, piled logs, others, and all the products deriving from logging. It will come in handy with some other props from different Creators to make complete logging scenes. I am working on this project now and hopefully it should be finished in a couple of weeks, so it can be tweaked and tested for general upload.
The textures of these buildings you see below are for my CJ/MD only, because it is the story of a new sawmill being built, but for the public upload it will have more "used" textures to give it a little better rundown look.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg149.imageshack.us%2Fimg149%2F2483%2Fsawmill1.jpg&hash=e3a74f7ffc87764734fa982b1ea9f338625c8968)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg149.imageshack.us%2Fimg149%2F8168%2Fsawmill2.jpg&hash=98bbf96d21ed29823ac41a17d274b98b6d1ef007)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg149.imageshack.us%2Fimg149%2F8657%2Fsawmill3.jpg&hash=81238524d4aa6716d2df2691fb1e351d2a4852ef)

And last, not least, some more solar powered BATs. Not sure yet if I will release it in a single unit or create a bigger one. (how about a really big one.....lol)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg149.imageshack.us%2Fimg149%2F7633%2Fsolar.jpg&hash=f83b236dbdbd0c9e7dbbb862a1ca3dab27b772a1)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg149.imageshack.us%2Fimg149%2F905%2Fsolar2.jpg&hash=4fcc56407106896f20c9bfc9d94ca4ef46c1dfa9)


So this is what I generally do with gmax without showing everything. Hopwe you'll like some of them. Let me know, I might finish and upload them. ;)

Have Fun with Nexis !

mrb

I love the water treatment plant and the solar power, those textures are so realistic. If you decide to upload those I'd be very happy  ;)

-Stijn-

Wow I love how realistic your bats are. I especially like those solar panels, they might end up being a very important resource of our total energy someday!

I'll be looking foward for their release.

Fred OMG ashtounding work here wow!! I am sooo drooling!!!!

 &apls &apls wow excellent all these bats. They are veery original and i`m sure that you gonna have succes with those beauty.

I look forward to all of these creations of yours.

i have been waiting for that college building for soooo long...

Thanks fo the comments. I guess I must finish them and then have them uploaded. There's one that I finished some time ago and I was going to keep it for my MD/CJ, but I guess I will make a growable lot out of it and send it to BarbyW for the professional tweaking and testing.
It is a part of the College/University BAT that I transformed into $$ Residentials.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg262.imageshack.us%2Fimg262%2F6669%2Fsandboxcity1.jpg&hash=51cea536a3ddd4c64e04709a4786f9b10fda02bc)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg262.imageshack.us%2Fimg262%2F8199%2Fsandboxcity2.jpg&hash=2bef95abfae8a99a72d74544884193aff06bae9c)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg262.imageshack.us%2Fimg262%2F4746%2Fsandboxcity3.jpg&hash=fca92360dba458861e6c9cf6bcf1643cd23dbf53)

Right now it is on a landmark, but I'll make a growable with it. It needs a 3x3 lot including the parking. I'm just wondering how many R$$ sims it should be able to host? Any ideas?

Fred

Great bat! In my opinion the building could host about 150-200 sims

Send me the model, Fred, and I will make you a basic lot in SC4PIM which will have the correct number of residents.

My only criticism about the lot is that you should use prop families for the parked cars. That way there will be more variety each time the lot grows. Prop family A000003D contains car props that appear during the day and prop family A000000F contains car props that appear in the evening/night. Most of Maxis' residential lots use A000000F for their parking lots to represent the people being home after work.

-Jan

I like alot , would fit nicely in my small towns  :thumbsup:

The texturing on some of these is excellent.  I like the idea of the water treatment plant; personally I would recommend one lot instead of the modular appraoch, but that's just my style.  I'd make my own lot out of it if you released a modular set...  ;)

The air purification lot I made was very, very popular. I would bet a water treatment lot of a similar fashion with these models would be very popular as well.

Quote from: io_bg on May 14, 2009, 02:11:25 PM
Great bat! In my opinion the building could host about 150-200 sims

That's what I had in mind also, about 150. I guess BarbyW can figure that out better.

Quote from: BarbyW on May 14, 2009, 02:21:55 PM
Send me the model, Fred, and I will make you a basic lot in SC4PIM which will have the correct number of residents.

I'll do that, but I just remebered, I never use nightlights in my game so I never build it on my BATs. Better ggo back and do at least some windows lit etc, right? I will do it this weekend (rain they announced) and send you the model right after. Btw, can you get out the modelfile of a datfile? I have this Peg Bat but he always uses a datfile and his lot is not to my liking at all. If you can, can I send you the link?

Swamper77 , I know what you mean, but there's a big problem, I have no idea how propfamilies work, not even a bit idea of it. I guess I have to find a tut and then get to learn it first, but time is not my side this spring.

SimGoober, Thanks for the comment. Do you have a linkie to your air purification lot? I probably will release a modular set after I made a single water treatment lot. Good idea.

Thanks everyone for helping and encouraging.

Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on May 14, 2009, 07:54:54 PM
Swamper77 , I know what you mean, but there's a big problem, I have no idea how propfamilies work, not even a bit idea of it. I guess I have to find a tut and then get to learn it first, but time is not my side this spring.

Prop families are collections of props. You simply place them like any other prop. The game then randomly chooses one of the props in the family to display. So a prop family could have 5 different cars, each a different color. When the lot is plopped or grown, one of the 5 will be displayed at the prop family's location.

-Jan

Quote from: Swamper77 on May 14, 2009, 08:34:24 PM
Prop families are collections of props. You simply place them like any other prop. The game then randomly chooses one of the props in the family to display. So a prop family could have 5 different cars, each a different color. When the lot is plopped or grown, one of the 5 will be displayed at the prop family's location.

-Jan

Thanks, but this , more or less, I knew. Is there a tutorial on how to make propfamilies? Can this be done with the LE?

Fred

I don't have a link offhand to the tutorial. However, the prop family numbers I provided you with earlier are existing ones that Maxis made and shipped with the game.

-Jan

Prop families cannot be made in LE but must be done in Reader. You also need to request a range of IIDs if you want to make prop families of your own. The tutorial (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=211.0) takes you stage by stage through making a prop family.

great work fred &apls &apls

Thanks Jan and Barby for the help, much appreciated. I will have a serious look at the tutorial and hopefully understand it to be able to create my own lots with propfamilies one day. I will ask for request of iid's later, Barby.

Nice to see you here Jackie.

Fred

Of course, Fred, the mythical X_Tool is closer to release and that will make all lot production very. very easy indeed, including making building and prop families.
When I offered to make a lot for you with the residential lot I was not offering to prop it. Just to make you a bare lot with the building on for you to finish with textures and props as you want.

Quote from: BarbyW on May 15, 2009, 09:24:18 AM
Of course, Fred, the mythical X_Tool is closer to release and that will make all lot production very. very easy indeed, including making building and prop families.
When I offered to make a lot for you with the residential lot I was not offering to prop it. Just to make you a bare lot with the building on for you to finish with textures and props as you want.

X-Tool? .......something new? Woohoo, if it's easy, I'll buy.....lol.
I know you offer to make a simple tweaked lot only and that I'll do the propping (or whatever it is called)  and that's why I will have to learn how to create propfamilies. Thanks Barby. ;) You're very helpful and appreciated.

Fred

You don't have to learn how to make prop families to use the car clusters that Jan mentioned. They are all Maxis prop families and can be found under Add Family in the Props tab of Lot Editor. You might find the BSC Mod Prop Family Names (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1562) useful. Al made this a long time ago and Swamper77 updated it. It gives names for most of the Maxis Prop Families which makes it much easier to navigate the list.

Thanks Barby,........is there a tutorial on how to use the Maxis propfamilies? Is this done with the Reader also?

Fred

Fred, you just select the Maxis or any other prop families in Lot Editor.
In Lot Editor  select the Props tab (1) then select Add family(2)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy171%2Fbarbyw%2Fpropfamilies1.jpg&hash=5369628d9151b1e5c5c14612e606b4c72bbf3c33)

When you select Add family you will see a list on the left of all the prop families that you have available.(1) If you have Al's mod from the link in my previous post then most of them will have names as well as their family ID. On the right of the screen in Lot Editor(2) is a list of all the props in that family.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi5.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy171%2Fbarbyw%2Fpropfamilies2.jpg&hash=becde9b67993a0831869e2e39b0b6a5bf7328f72)

Any of the props in the family may show on the lot so there is a lot of variety from using just one family.

Of course this would be easier and quicker in 2 or 3 weeks  ::)
IMHO families are never used enough. I can't emphasis enough how much variety it give without overloading your game with thousand of different lots.
If a lot use family for building and all props, you can have an impressive amount of variety with only one lot file to load.

Wow, sounds good wouanagaine.
Thanks BarbyW, I will try this later tonight, rioght now I am having trouble with the nitelites showing of my residentials. I guess I have to re-read the light tutorial again to see what's wrong. Once finished, I'll send you the modelfile.

Hope I will be able to learn how to use propfamilies, that will be great. :)

Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on May 14, 2009, 07:54:54 PM
SimGoober, Thanks for the comment. Do you have a linkie to your air purification lot? I probably will release a modular set after I made a single water treatment lot. Good idea.

Here's  link to SG's air purification lot:

LINK (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1968)

OH AWESOME, Fred has a bat thread :) Cant wait for more stuff, and that stuff you are doing now looks awesome :)

Joe

PS:

Quote from: wouanagaine on May 16, 2009, 07:23:59 AM
Of course this would be easier and quicker in 2 or 3 weeks  ::)

was that a subtle hint in a hidden backwater thread? :D

LoL Joe I was going to ask the same thing butttttttttttttttttttttt you know the old saying around here lol....

"It will be Ready when its Ready"

So I was trying to avoid it hehehe but since you asked first, is that the one thingie in development for the past umm almost 3 plus years now Wou???

 ::) ::) ::) IINRFR ;D ;D ;D

PWNG LoL I guess that was coming lol

I have been working on this model for several years, on and off, and I am about to finish it. I rendered it temporarily last night and now I am wondering about the scale. Although in gmax I tried my best to keep the scale compared to other buildings, once rendered and plopped in the game , it seems to be a little too big in my opinion.
I would like your opinion also on this. Maybe I will have to resize it. Thanks

This is the whole model, parts of it I have used to make $$$ Residentials (see page above). These also will soon be finished and sent for tweaking.

Also, I don't have the time, knowledge nor the desire to make nitelites, so it doesn't have any besides the ones I will put on the lot. I never use nitelites anyways myself, many others do the same.
This will be a College once finished and yes, it will have a different lot, I only put it temporarily on this plein and empty lot to see what it looks like ingame before I create a good-looking lot.
It will sit on a 6x6.

I will send it to BarbyW to tweak the stats.

Thanks for the feedback and your opinion.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg34.imageshack.us%2Fimg34%2F5316%2Fsandboxcitycollege1.jpg&hash=9a3aea7772d93ab3b64bc88735ec7b70cfd15b2c)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg34.imageshack.us%2Fimg34%2F5080%2Fsandboxcitycollege2.jpg&hash=dda6298abbac3ae610eea0b7a0c0da881952db20)

The scale looks very good to me. It's a large buildings, but it doesn't look out of place at all.  &apls
Imho it's a pity your not going to add nightlights to it. It's only a matter of adding some omni light at some strategic places and add 'nitelite' before their names. Not difficult at all and it takes about the same amount of time as reading this post  ;)

Whenever I play around with nightlights something else gets messed up or they don't work peoperly or only a few work and not in the way I would like to, so nightlights I gave up. You wanna do them for me?....lol

The last time I tried to create nitelights, I "killed" a model that I spent 12 hours on and I was stupid enough not to keep a copy of it in the condition before making the lights.......hope you understand.

Fred

Those are some really cool buildings!  &apls
I would definitely put the residentials in my cities.

Since this post started off about renewable, futuristic power, I have sort question. I am wondering if anyone has created a wind turbine that is ploppable on water.

There are some small ones in existence, but not on the ocean where they would produce enough energy to be commercialbly viable. This is because where there is good wind, the water is deep, and therefore, a large structure like a wind turbine cannot be constructed. There are some in development (or still concepts), such as these.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.livescience.com%2Fimages%2F060918_wind_turbine_02.jpg&hash=ba7ed17163217cbe6d81b7820204dcb79e7cd787)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alternative-energy-resources.net%2Fimages%2Fwind_farm_along_ocean.jpg&hash=3f8518a1f388dbe7cf71cc8415b8731b18120e36)
This one would look really cool in SC4!
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.windpowerninja.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F01%2Fv-wing-wind-turbine.jpg&hash=d4590258d30621a9a841ca02f4066da5e0ab54c2)
I don't have much experience in BATing, and I don't think these would require nightlighting... ;D

Simbot, unfortunetly I don't take Bat requests. I don't even have the time to finish all my 40 or so BATs, not talking about others that I have in my mind. As an example, the College above I have started a little over 3 years ago.

Offshore windmills have been batted I think, I remember that I saw them somewhere. I have made some myself several months ago, but they're not quite finished yet (need tweaking) , but eventually will be uploaded somewhere. If you want them before , just pm me with your e-mail address and I'll send you that ones shown below.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg91.imageshack.us%2Fimg91%2F2862%2Fcentralriverdistrictpow.jpg&hash=09329cd7829423dde56f03213372f23138e75745)

mrb

Hey, it's time again to do some BATting. I haven't done anything during the summer, besides , I was gone most of the times anyways.
In a couple of weeks I will have more time to go back and finish my BATs. So , last night I opened my gmax and worked a little on a model, to see how it would look like in a prerender, I opened the BAT menu and clicked on *BAT*.....Whoooa....*Script error* appeared, just like on the picture...., then I tried again and again and then some other models and it is the same with every other model. What happened?

Anyone has a solution to this? Help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg441.imageshack.us%2Fimg441%2F2690%2Fscripterror.jpg&hash=a4f8006e419d3723baec5c07a94e9effa1aad3e6)

Seems like you might be having troubles with this file ...

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2FMrBscripts.jpg&hash=820bed89b3776494a0643e7a30bbe2e4f3cc8f25)

I have a USB drive that I use to back up the household computers. The first thing I'd try is to pull a known good ms file into the scripts folder.

Note - this script is a part of the Maxis BAT Tool - so you could always try to reinstall the Bat Tool and see if it overwrites existing files.

I don't recall ever getting that error message - that's the best help I can give. 

Jim Myers

Thanks Jim, I will try to overwrite with the Maxis BAT this weekend. I'll get back to you, if it does or not work. Thanks again, much appreciated.

Fred

Sorry for being late, but to be honest, I completely forgot to thank you. I reinstalled the Bat and it overwrote the existing files I guess, because now the problem is gone and I can get back to work on my BATs.

Thank Jim, great help. ;)

Fred

Hey Fred, Just wondering if you could tell us what other BATs you are doing. You said you had like 40 or did I read that wrong?

Quote from: Driftmaster07 on October 05, 2009, 06:39:57 PM
Hey Fred, Just wondering if you could tell us what other BATs you are doing. You said you had like 40 or did I read that wrong?

Sorry for being late to answer again, but I have some real busy and problematic real life problems at this moment and didn't have much time to visit my favourite site on the Net and play on gmax.
Hopefully it will be over in a about two weeks and I will gladly show, or make a visual list of most of my BATs started. Yes, you read right, there are more than 40 BATs that I am working on and some have been released on the new Third Volume CD from Simtropolis. These I promissed to Dirk will not be uploaded anywhere else until late fall or early winter, but don't worry, they will get here too intime.

I have asked BarbyW earlier this year to help me out with tweaking my creations, because I am no good with the Reader. She agreed to help me out and probably is waiting for me to send her some finished BATs since a few months. Every winter I have a lot of free time and this winter I will concentrate on releasing most of my Bats.

Here is a starter, my first Hi-Riser.....sorry for the bad picture, but that's the only one I have at the moment without prerendering it.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg203.imageshack.us%2Fimg203%2F7433%2F25467.jpg&hash=7b0db6fe56150a8f62620781d0d016ef7f2bfedd)

Fred wow that is amazing!!! I love that high rise!!

It looks really nice.

Wow, 40  BATs, that ought to be something impressive indeed.

Well, winter is coming and I will have a little more time in a few weeks (around Christmas) to fully get back into BATting. I know, I know......this time I promissed myself to finish a few of my 40+ BATs before spring comes around again.

I only started one new BAT this fall and that just to round up the number of my BATs under "construction" to 45. This new BAT I will build within this thread, piece by piece like so many do around here, mostly to get ideas for improvement and detailing and maybe for some help in BATting, which I haven't mastered yet at all. I am still an apprentive in the first stages, guessing and cheating most of the time with this tool that I don't understand.  %confuso

If you already have looked at the pics below, well....Yes, Nexis is going Medieval this time. It will be my first and probably one of the biggest and most complicated ones I have done yet. It is a castle, Frederick's Castle, I called it, and it is 100% fantasy and a product of my imagination. I thought there weren't enough castles available and it would be something completely different for me to do, since I almost touch everything in BATting.

The first walls and partial roof of the mainbuilding have been started, details will be added as soon as I will find time and everytime I am on the BAT with this project I will add an image of it to the thread. I will also be working on some of the other BATs at the same time, which I will show once in awhile.
Hopefully I will start by the end of the month. I will first have to take care of my GRV II competition thread.

So here it is, my first attempt for medieval architecture.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg526.imageshack.us%2Fimg526%2F8973%2Fchatofred1.jpg&hash=15ab8a2dc291043c589cc4ccca9605fa22d9a656)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg517.imageshack.us%2Fimg517%2F1385%2Fchatofred2.jpg&hash=7f0ef8d586389800d3fa2912e8cfae746a91494a)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg517.imageshack.us%2Fimg517%2F8836%2Fchatofred3.jpg&hash=5390a1a8084c7ab9986d54eed4cfd6a6cf5fef94)

Ideas are always welcomed, not that I will use them everytime, but who knows. Please no requests, since I only BAT to my liking. Thanks.

Fred

beautiful textures but the walls of old castles are very thick. Your windows look underscaled in relation to the rest, and make the stepped gables look very overscaled--one of them (or both in tandem) has to change  ;)

btw, 45 unreleased BATs? Now that's what I call procrastination!

Very nice work on the Castle Fredric. Just like gottago, the first thing I noticed is the thickness of the walls, they really could do with some "meat".

Impressive work on these walls! I liked a lot!!!  :thumbsup:

EDIT: Sorry about this posting, my wife openeda session (logging in) without closing it on my computer, that is why my post is under Lynn's name. sorry about that.

I got back home this morning.
Thanks folks for the comments, You were right, gottago and kwakelar, those walls are a little too thin to come from this era. About the windows though, they seem to be correct for now, you will see with further updates.
Just to remind you, this is totally of fantasy and not copied from any existing castle. I could'nt say right now what exactly I am doing with it (small surprise) but this will be new to SC4, kinda different. I hope it will work out though. You'll see with time.
For the first few pictures it will look like a regular castle, but I have something different in mind.
I thickened the walls for now and I will be working on it tonight again, maybe bringing a later update.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg410.imageshack.us%2Fimg410%2F4655%2Fchatothickwalls2.jpg&hash=ded92520de762cf1064378092aa004f85eac9205)

Well, as I said , I am working on it.....lol
Here I did some details, like windows and a first tower on the corner of the mainbuilding. The walls of that building will also be the protecting outwalls at the same time.
Since most details won't be seen ingame I will only make those which are important and will not go into the detailing of every part of the BAT. I guess I'll continue a bit tonight since this is fun and going well. ;)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg35.imageshack.us%2Fimg35%2F7674%2Fchatothickwalls3.jpg&hash=9bb3f19f5496e5726ddcd00e7f096dafd0582e4a)

EDIT: I'm back again. I added some more things to the BAT, a lowtower and walls, and now I'm going to bed, starting to look like something. Enough gmax for tonight....ZZZzzzzzzzz

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg341.imageshack.us%2Fimg341%2F740%2Fchatothickwalls7.jpg&hash=5e1aa3dc516dbed4e935ebc90afef1fe9e188ec1)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg209.imageshack.us%2Fimg209%2F900%2Fchatothickwalls10.jpg&hash=0c5972c0228f644f380f5a1047c846bf64a7039c)

I like where you are going with this castle. You are right, we need more of them :). Only the walls look like an afterthought. To massive and without a parapet not really fit for a castle. Looking forward to more.

Looking good, maybe a walkway on the inside of the walls, and bringing the height down to the corner tower or the make the tower higher. Now it seems like a weak spot in the defence of the castle. I think the thickness of the walls is no problem, the sloping of the walls on the outside would be illogical for this period building. Would make it easier to storm the castle, straight or with an overhang would be better.

Looking much better with the thicker walls, though you've got a texture problem on the edges. To avoid it I'd slightly shrink the length of the transverse walls so they fall inside the outer ones and add coping stones to the steps of the gables to carry the limestone texture. Then you'll get much more unified stonework across the facades.

The slope on the crenellated walls is a nice, realistic touch, but I'd turn the slope facing outward, and like Kwakelaar suggested, add  raised wooden walkways inside from where defenders could throw boulders and drop hot oil on the besiegers below. ::) The whole thing is starting to beg for a moat, too.

There's also a slight tiling problem on your roof texture, it's producing subtle vertical stripes.

 nrmn67 / kwakelaar , lol....you didn't give me time enough to make those walkways (parapets). I wantred them to be in wood. They are details and these I haven't come around yet to make. Anyways, here are more pics of what i did this morning. I even started to make the inside court windows.
The tower up front is made low for a specific reason that you will see and understand later on, like I said, this will be a somewhat different BAT for special uses.
Maybe this afternoon I will do some more on it. I will take a look at the texture problem, gottago, something I hate to coke with and not sure that I know enough "gmaxing" to be able to solve (besides I don't think that these small details will be seen ingame). I cannot do the moats though because of the special feature of the castle.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg403.imageshack.us%2Fimg403%2F1523%2Fchatothickwalls12.jpg&hash=65c6ba22137101d7c0f9b3d06848f449ca840d66)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg267.imageshack.us%2Fimg267%2F679%2Fchatothickwalls13.jpg&hash=7167245c3152d9bfd26d71e31398fd6afebb45b1)


;)

the walkways are great! the stone texture is really excellent too, just perfect. You can avoid that texture problem entirely by making the step-gabled walls less wide and letting the facade walls slip in front of them. Those vertical piers they create now will just vanish. Easy  ;)

As for the roof texture tiling, you'll have to do some cut/paste/move of sections of the original texture in PS to break up the stripes.

Quote from: gottago on November 29, 2009, 09:23:12 AM

As for the roof texture tiling, you'll have to do some cut/paste/move of sections of the original texture in PS to break up the stripes.

To be very honest gottago, I don't see what's wrong with the rooftextures or let's say: what are you talking about?  %confuso ....lol....sorry. They seem alright too me, so please explain in more details what you see that I don't, thanks.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg209.imageshack.us%2Fimg209%2F900%2Fchatothickwalls10.jpg&hash=0c5972c0228f644f380f5a1047c846bf64a7039c)

No prob. If you look at the small view in the LR corner, you'll see the roof texture is creating alternating vertical stripes of lighter and darker tan. It's not so  noticeable in the large views, but the smaller one is what you'll see ingame.

Thanks for pointing it out, gottago. I haven't really looked at the smaller views, but more at the view 5 to find these lines.  I'll try to change that later with my paint program.
Here's some more pics of what I ahev been doing this afternoon.
I added some more walls and smaller towers. Now I will start working on the bigger tower this week. I've done enough for today.
I also installed the Main-entrance and it will have a small bridge there too later on.

Fred

Looks kinda empty, but I will add a stable and some bldg's inside the walls, there will be only a very small centered plaza.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg403.imageshack.us%2Fimg403%2F6366%2Fchatothickwalls16.jpg&hash=a6dbee90ac45e8a1d61ad2e3042483beb953dda2)

This is a closer view of the front of the castle where the bridge will be....

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg42.imageshack.us%2Fimg42%2F8650%2Fchatothickwalls17.jpg&hash=b90dba7e37e4a3e5e939135890e3ecde57e21e25)

....and another one from the hind view of the castle.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg69.imageshack.us%2Fimg69%2F6256%2Fchatothickwalls18.jpg&hash=0ddf861749c6e2aca5541e4c54182e3ff2bb842b)

Oh i just discover this baby. Very nice my friend. You choose a great texture and the design is excellent &apls &apls. Looking forward

Love it Fred, especially as it's your first attempt at the medieval period. I am particularly drawn to the wooden walkways, what a nice touch. (don't know how safe I'd feel walking on them though!) It's always great to see people tackling different stuff like this: about as far from a skyscraper as you could get. Look forward to finding out what it's "special uses" are...

Thanks for the positive comments.

Well, I had a few hours of free time this afternoon (which is very hard for me to find these days) to relax, forget my daily worries and have some fun working with gmax on my castles.
Now it's starting to look like a castle, still far from finished, there are some entrance towers to build, stairs, windows and doors, chimneys and many smaller details to add. As I have gone through google pics with the words of "castle"(english), "château"(francais),"Burg"(deutsch), "Slott"(Svenska) and "Kasteel"(nederlandse),  I have seen a lot of differences when we go from one Nation to another and look at their castles. Although they all look similar ,roughly built, big and bulky, protective etc, but as you look closer there are certain, sometimes even major differences.
In my castle I have started to add a few of those details from several civilizations, which should make it more interesting and fantasylike, I hope. And that is what I have in mind, I don't do real life reproductions or copies (except for my Hummer model), never have anyways.

On the third picture we can see a "crack" where the walls join, don't worry, I know of it and I'll fix it later.

time....yeah, that freakin' time!!......That is something I hope I will have during the christmas season more to concentrate myself on this gmax-modeling, my MD Winding River Project and the GRV II Challenge.

Here are the pics from three different angles and the last one is a more closer detailed view of the mainentrance and the court. Hope you like it so far. Don't forget, this is the first time that Nexis goes medieval......;)

pic1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg187.imageshack.us%2Fimg187%2F3809%2Fchatothickwalls19.jpg&hash=19731389cf48c88af6fa1ea3d4744bbd41784170)

pic2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg402.imageshack.us%2Fimg402%2F7590%2Fchatothickwalls20.jpg&hash=1a0b45d621301f222efee322caa9a8328f2b6dac)

pic3
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg187.imageshack.us%2Fimg187%2F5458%2Fchatothickwalls21.jpg&hash=6a9ef7b18e78e986ab0e63e260b615cf672f5ad3)

pic4
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg402.imageshack.us%2Fimg402%2F9898%2Fchatothickwalls21a.jpg&hash=d87021332d4295cba0b67fcc3a57a193096fa876)

Before I started this castle model above in this thread, I have started the same model with a different view, which I was to do in the first place, but seeing that it was small and things were going great, I decided to start the bigger one, but I am still working on that one also, making it possible to offer a smaller "Baronlike" version of the same castle. I have included two preview pictures of it below and will show some more pics of those in a short time. One is with a roof on top of the grand tower, and the other one without a roof.....yet to decide which one I will use in this second smaller Version.

pic5
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg692.imageshack.us%2Fimg692%2F9391%2Fchatothickwalls22.jpg&hash=c18ad19d6d9c6c1a790467313ad038064a5d2a5e)

pic6
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg402.imageshack.us%2Fimg402%2F1047%2Fchatothickwalls22a.jpg&hash=4276ce8d98726b002f8e4ba7046441e23f10fa3e)

Thanks for the comments, whether good or bad or instructive. Thanks.

Fred

Very nice Castle The textures is great and the model is very beautiful  &apls

waiting for more update  :thumbsup:

Great work on that castle. Maybe the roof texture it's a bit too clean.

This is a beauty, Fred! :)
For the smaller one, I'd prefer the rooftop! ;)

On the bigger one I'd remove these (copied) windows though:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi232.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee198%2FRippleJet%2Fchatothickwalls21ax.jpg&hash=099cacc422ea59d376546cbbf56bb8f5178c7e55)

 &apls &apls Very nice work. I really like the tower on the last pics. Original and very well done :thumbsup:

Thanks everyone, glad you'll like it sofar.
I know RippleJet, those windows don't fit there. The problem is that I don't know how to fill those Bolean holes for those windows, does anyone know here?
I hope I will find some time later tonight to do some more *gmaxing* and maybe start the bridge on the smaller model and get some details for the big one done also. Then I will need some help for the nighlights, I have no idea where and what kind of light to use. It must be simple though, because I am no lightexpert.... ;)

Fred

3 Hours of gmax and voila... :sleeping:

I was able to make the bridge that I planned for my castle. Now you can imagine what I was saying before, that this will be something different. I will try, can't promiss it yet, to make an overhanging prop-like thing of that castle, so you can plop it on top of one small alone standing cliff and having a bridge that reaches out to another bigger mountain for the descend.
I looked for a picture on Google for something like this, but couldn't find anything, probably doesn't exist, I suppose it's all fantasy.
Not being good with 3D modeling at all, I had a hard time to find out how to bend things (bridge), but I got around to it while trying everything out at least once and ruining some of my work....lol..., but the lower part of the bridge itself is made entirely with modifying the positions of the vertexes only....geeez, what a job, like I said: 3 hrs.
Now, there are two models, one largely overhanging with a big span and another much smaller version for steeper cliffs. I will probably use the larger one. How I am going to made this fit into the game, I have no idea and don't ask me neither.....lol....but surely I will be able to figure out something, maybe with help from you.

In the beginning it was supposed to be the bigger castle that would sit on top a cliff with a bridge, but somehow on the way I changed my mind and I will do the smaller version for the cliff and the bigger version for a big mountain (maybe beside a cliff) with a different mainentrance.
I know some glitches, errors (of my part) and adjustings are still to be corrected, but I would like to generally get the whole thing up before I start the finetuning, as I call it. I also have some minor problems with textures someplaces I just saw, still have to figure out how to repair that.

The rooftexture of the smaller attached towers will eventually have the same texture as the roof of the tall tower. I will keep the roofed tower model only for the smaller version. (something like a Dracula Domain)
Let's hope it works out, because that could be a nice thing to have and see in SC4, a Castle on top of a cliff, right?

;)

Let me know what you think.

Fred


(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg17.imageshack.us%2Fimg17%2F9128%2Fchatothickwalls24a.jpg&hash=fbf4bf343db70407398124c76d9ca3b6156d61b6)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg509.imageshack.us%2Fimg509%2F7996%2Fchatothickwalls24b.jpg&hash=caf0a420d0b79d4dd0ce9d333c4f868e4204c6b8)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg10.imageshack.us%2Fimg10%2F2319%2Fchatothickwalls24c.jpg&hash=503c58a6f58797ebc02013693e33ae03000223c4)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg509.imageshack.us%2Fimg509%2F3295%2Fchatothickwalls24d.jpg&hash=246e36ff8dee5bb880bfd2ff32cec7c9429400cd)

......and here's the smaller bridge version.......some smoothing to do with the vertexes on the lower part of the bright on the left side.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg526.imageshack.us%2Fimg526%2F9440%2Fchatothickwalls24e.jpg&hash=5d23310501954202b0cd658fedbcfe72a0588ca1)

This is an impressive project, very nice castle  &apls

The only thing I'd say would make it look better is turning the smoothing off in the polygonal towers and roofs.

Quote from: DebussyMan on December 12, 2009, 04:06:43 PM
This is an impressive project, very nice castle  &apls

The only thing I'd say would make it look better is turning the smoothing off in the polygonal towers and roofs.

......sounds good, but I have no idea what it is and how to do this. Is this for the texturing?

Fred

 &apls &aplsWow excellent those bridges .Great idea :thumbsup:

mrbisonm: Under edit mesh, select all polygons and then clic on "clear all" in the smoothing groups section of the said panel.

Quote from: DebussyMan on December 13, 2009, 08:22:23 AM
mrbisonm: Under edit mesh, select all polygons and then clic on "clear all" in the smoothing groups section of the said panel.

Well, I did what you said Debussy, thanks for explaining me, never knew this before and it surely will come in handy sometime.
I am not sure though if it looks better this way for this type of Bldg, what do you think? Roofs at these medieval ages weren't all that arightangle and squarelooking, but more rounded of because of certain materials used and know hows.
We can see the difference on the picture below.....interesting I find and hard to decide which one to use.....hm.??
What do you "Lurkers" think which one should be used for the castle? You will be the one also to download and use it later. Let me know.


Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg692.imageshack.us%2Fimg692%2F5562%2Fchatothickwalls25.jpg&hash=4668dbd3cd796ac3626c95e8b3bcdf3abce985e3)

  hmmm.... I'd have to say I like the base on the right, but like the roof on the left... And I'd have to agree with you on castle making in that era of history. There really wasn't too many angles in roofing, only what they could find and use to make said housing, fortifications, and so forth. They were skilled craftsman back then of stonework and such, but having a stone roof would be somewhat less desired if proper supports could not be found or made, hence the usually wooden, ceramic, and natural looking roofs of that age.
   I do like the darker texture for the stonework, that I really do. And like I said I rather like the smoother roof of the first one, as it looks better in my oppinion. :)

I think keep the smooth ones in this case, but it's good info to know. I also prefer the darker textures and love the long bridge.

Thanks for the feedback and comments.
I didn't have much time yesterday to do much more and I won't have much time this week neither, but here I did the supporting bricks under the bridge arch.

One problem though, I couldn't find any "idea" rocktexture that would fit there perfectly. I tried almost anything I knew to get them right looking, but that's the best I came up with, not quite satisfactory. Does anyone know where to find a better texture for this? Thanks

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg691.imageshack.us%2Fimg691%2F3760%2Fchatothickwalls26.jpg&hash=95b8eb19e9b36b050145cf7085315ab12accf08a)


EDIT: I almost forgot, I also did some modification on the shape of the roofs of the smaller towers and changed their texture to fit better with the big tower, and on the last picture, I copied two entrance towers. There will eventually be some kind of a gate there also.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg696.imageshack.us%2Fimg696%2F8205%2Fchatothickwalls28.jpg&hash=bf947a4b77ddcbb855239d587123bc5a46f38df2)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg192.imageshack.us%2Fimg192%2F3380%2Fchatothickwalls28a.jpg&hash=cd005c86c0c37ffb1c36f3996a7c0c69a711dd47)

This castle is coming along very well. The stone looks very nice and the bridge is a fine addition to it. I am eager to see how you progress on it.

I discovered your new Bat and I must say it is really successful. More like this  :thumbsup:

Thanks guys for the comment and I'm glad you like it sofar.

I couldn't help myself tonight and I had to render it just to see if the size is right and how to adjust the bridge compared to the castle. I didn't do anything more in gmax though, just a simple and quick render in low definition.
The size seems to be ok, maybe a tiny bit bigger, but the bridge is still a problem to come, I think. It will not be easy to have that baby adjusted to the terrain...I will surely need lotsa help with that later... &mmm

Anyway, meanwhile enjoy this :

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg64.imageshack.us%2Fimg64%2F537%2Fchateaufrederic1.jpg&hash=0602df3c932e9b13d037a00c31dd12c6670db0c9)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg101.imageshack.us%2Fimg101%2F146%2Fchateaufrederic2.jpg&hash=c7e98a58606d473cba1165bab6fdf10993905650)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg101.imageshack.us%2Fimg101%2F7006%2Fchateaufrederic3.jpg&hash=6233ea7cb0ab9eaddafd84b9afd04a3c670faca1)

Fred ;)

that looks brilliant &apls &apls
like a fairytale book, or the end castle in a video game. Really impressive to see it in context.

Great job  &apls

Just  :o :o &apls &apls Very good looking

This is looking very nice, the span is looking too big for this kind of building, but as you have said it is more of a fantasy castle, then that really does not matter. Your idea with the bridge made me think about an image I know I have seen somewhere.
And I managed to find the book again: This is the image that came to mind.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg8.imageshack.us%2Fimg8%2F5866%2Fburgwildenstein.jpg&hash=42b22f155eabd7c3d73fb026848667d38c09ff28)

Thanks for the encouragements and comments.

kwakelaar, yeah, I thought that I have seen this (castle and overlapping bridge) somewhere before, couldn't find a darn picture though.
The length of the bridge is a matter of the easiness of the terraforming ingame. It will be harder to terraform a narrower passage (canyon) since I already had some difficulties with it in the last pictures. I know it looks a bit too long, maybe I could try harder to make it a little shorter. The one on your picture could be another project, maybe Drak'hula's domain in Transylvania.......

All this castlebuilding me perhaps another idea for my next project perhaps, a far back Mountain Monastery. Maybe something like this below. We haven't got one in SC4D yet. (at least haven't seen one). This should be fun to create and nice to plop. What do you think? Pictures anyone?  &Thk/(

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg69.imageshack.us%2Fimg69%2F4703%2Fgeghartsmall.jpg&hash=473dc4422d4b4d8809d49c69f320313ca539651c)

I don't think that it will be before next weekend that I will be able to continue on this castle project, but keep the comments, help and ideas coming. They're all appreciated.

Fred

The castle looks very nice in-game, just majestic!

I don't understand what's the problem with the bridge, to me it seems it adapts quite well...

About the monastery... I belive Kwakelaar made a very nice one some time ago...  ;)

Debussyman: You mean that modular Monastery pack, with a separate pack for modular walls for the Monastery...? That is a very nice couple packages...



  I do have to agree so far that the bridge to me is fine, as I have seen that kind in movies... Namely the cartoon kind... Like Black Cauldron for one example, and many of the princess movies... From the looks of it though it is coming along nicely, and I am patient enough to await its' finishing touches and release. The more patience the better things tend to be. :)
  Although making another monastery wouldn't hurt either, as I personally love having variety... ;)

Thanks DebussyMan , I have searched for kwakelaars monastery and didn't find any, nor have I found any from any other BATter.
The bridge has a clear problem when plopped , but it is not shown on the picture. I want to finish the model first before I go into the glitches it produces ingame. Maybe I have a solution by making the bridge a different prop or plop (a 2 file Ploplot) We'll get to that later.
The problem seems simple, On the side it shows the bridge walls which are supposed to be underground.

Quote from: tamorr on December 15, 2009, 06:53:47 PM
Debussyman: You mean that modular Monastery pack, with a separate pack for modular walls for the Monastery...? That is a very nice couple packages...



  I do have to agree so far that the bridge to me is fine, as I have seen that kind in movies... Namely the cartoon kind... Like Black Cauldron for one example, and many of the princess movies... From the looks of it though it is coming along nicely, and I am patient enough to await its' finishing touches and release. The more patience the better things tend to be. :)
  Although making another monastery wouldn't hurt either, as I personally love having variety... ;)

Where can that modular Monastery pack you mentioned be seen ? I would like to see it, because I haven't heard of it. Thanks

Fred

Hey,
this is the modular monastery, http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=15336
and check this page for some more kwakelaar monastery BATs http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?page=1&Keyword=Kwakelaar&view=all

Quote from: thingfishs on December 15, 2009, 09:40:05 PM
Hey,
this is the modular monastery, http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=15336
and check this page for some more kwakelaar monastery BATs http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?page=1&Keyword=Kwakelaar&view=all

Hey thanks for the linkies, I knew about kwakelaar's castle props, but not about the monastery. Dohhh, I'm too late to be the first on this then, no matter, the idea of a monastery I have is a little different, so I'll do it.

I have a question to those experienced specialists out here: How do I make a Landmark that doesn't need a roadaccess? Does anyone know? Thanks


Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on December 16, 2009, 08:10:37 AM
I have a question to those experienced specialists out here: How do I make a Landmark that doesn't need a roadaccess? Does anyone know? Thanks

Don't give jobs to it.
In other words, make it an eye-candy landmark (not a "functional" landmark) ;)

If you've already added jobs, remove the following properties:

• Capacity Satisfied (if they are commercial or industrial jobs)
• Demand Created  (if the are civic jobs)

Quote from: RippleJet on December 16, 2009, 08:28:21 AM
Don't give jobs to it.
In other words, make it an eye-candy landmark (not a "functional" landmark) ;)

If you've already added jobs, remove the following properties:

• Capacity Satisfied (if they are commercial or industrial jobs)
• Demand Created  (if the are civic jobs)

And that will the trick that the no-road zot doesn't appear? That easy?.......Thanks, that was some good and helpful info.


I had some time to fool around with the gmax this evening and I added some details to the bridge. I also added some protecting-like statues of Knights in the middle of the bridge to somehow shorten its appearance a little bit. I like it. But I am still looking for a better texture on those locking stoneblocks under the bridge, that hold the whole thing in place. Anyone has an idea where I could find this?

Another question for the gmax: Is there a way to make a *mirror duplicate* of a small model with a click or do I have to redo the whole model? I am talking about the statues that I would like to have an opposite from. Thanks.

Now here are some sample pics of the bridge......

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg35.imageshack.us%2Fimg35%2F1055%2Fbridge1g.jpg&hash=c74a1cf8ae6b35d971a1789cb4231c33bea50a2c)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg199.imageshack.us%2Fimg199%2F7259%2Fbridge2i.jpg&hash=5067a727993c23480f96df7070741bac5c8d749b)

...some details.........

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg191.imageshack.us%2Fimg191%2F2807%2Fbridge3j.jpg&hash=bec1a4a75a68c584602cc8b5d3375bde26aba830)

.....and finally a full view of the bridge.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg707.imageshack.us%2Fimg707%2F4762%2Fbridge4.jpg&hash=5392b89aef0d362aae95bc2d3822f8dd59d4d610)

Thanks for the feedback and help.
Fred

I love the statues in the middle of the span... :)
There's something Middle Earth/Gondorish over them... ::)

   Nice, the statue make it even more interesting.... I am unsure of the underside, but as for the mirroring isn't there a button for that along the top left looking simular to  >|< 
   Of course you'd have to define an offset to which it will be duplicated, and whether it is clone or Instance copy... I don't claim to be an expert, it is just I find myself using that particular button to do certain things without having to do the whole thing again just to make a copy. :)

   I must say I like the separate idea that way it might make placement a bit easier, assuming you could get the lot to line up with the other part....

The statues are a nice touch.

 &apls &apls I like this thouch too. It will be nice too to see some people on it too ;)

Quote from: RippleJet on December 17, 2009, 01:48:29 PM
I love the statues in the middle of the span... :)
There's something Middle Earth/Gondorish over them... ::)

I had the same feeling when I saw the statues like this on the bridge.

tamorr, thanks you're a great help, that >|< button on the top right of gmax makes exactly what I was I was looking for.

Thanks folks for the comments.

I was away to the civil court in Alberta for a few days again and didn't have much time to come and visit my thread, but I had some time to work on my projects that I took along on my laptop in the lonely evenings in my motel. I didn't do much, but I have done some improvements on different models.

First I finished my College model that also can be done as a R$$ wealth ploppable and growable residentials, only a third part of this will be used though......

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg710.imageshack.us%2Fimg710%2F1205%2Funim.jpg&hash=ef8ee92c484305acb9045556f570e33922f5859c)

........then I also had some need to work on my Energy plant a little bit, adding some more structures and details..............

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg710.imageshack.us%2Fimg710%2F5155%2Fenergyplant.jpg&hash=d5857009c2ed6a5e685597ad8c771e1020093252)

.......and then I added a gate and some more details to the Castle Bridge and finished that one.......

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg682.imageshack.us%2Fimg682%2F1017%2Fbridge5.jpg&hash=675632b9d7dd0993cd2f98d64b63e54a1e922220)

.....and again I also finished the smaller castle with details and improvements, showing four pics below from all directions of the finished product....

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg683.imageshack.us%2Fimg683%2F2940%2Fchatothickwalls29.jpg&hash=0cd92549f1be6af8437847e96a7695a5c72e445a)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg706.imageshack.us%2Fimg706%2F3372%2Fchatothickwalls30.jpg&hash=b8ec618e623fd057d7f306ecc66fb55e02ac76de)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg710.imageshack.us%2Fimg710%2F1082%2Fchatothickwalls30a.jpg&hash=58442420cb895bbbef1f44a60e6ba91a6c9285e5)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg96.imageshack.us%2Fimg96%2F2184%2Fchatothickwallsdetails3.jpg&hash=2e1a33dc958a06175e5c55acf547044c5f1137e6)

....and finally I also worked on the big castle, now starting to add some buildings and details inside the court.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg685.imageshack.us%2Fimg685%2F2184%2Fchatothickwallsdetails3.jpg&hash=6a3f7915254ae7029941037e7a87c6bf66d2269e)

Hope you like what you see. I will soon contact BarbyW for some help and advice for the finished models and then render and plop them on some fine Lots to be uploaded here on SC4D first and next year on ST.

Fred

Amazing work on the castle Fred! The star apartments and the energy plan are also a pleasure to look at  &apls :thumbsup:

 &apls &apls Fantastic work mate  :thumbsup:

   Your Welcome... The buildings looks like they are coming along nicely... I didn't even notice your power plant that is enticing so far... Really like the flower Apartments... Star Apartments... I only said flower due to fact it was first thing I thought of, as a triple split petal in a circle reminded me of a flower I once saw in central USA. Between Ohio to Indiana... Anyways it is good to see you have at least some progress on many of the models you are working on. ()stsfd()

Very nice work on the castle.  :)  &apls

Just to let you all know that I am not dead yet. ;)
After all I have been through irl last summer and fall, I decided to disappear right after Christmas for some *Metime* to my favourite Country, New Zealand, and spend relaxing moments away with my wife from all the stress and problems that were following me. I just got back last night.
Now that I am back home, other problems reappear....lol....Dohhhh! (smaller ones though)
The water pipe in one of my barns froze because of the two weeks of -20 C we had in Quebec/Canada and one of my apprentices decided to drop her studies in the architecture line and start something else, plus problems with my gaming computer, which one of my sons greatly abused while we were gone and some more minor things. In other words: What a mess! ;)

So, I will have to get all these things straightened out first, get used again to normal life at home and get myself back into Simcity play. I suppose this will take a couple of weeks.
Don't panic, nothing will change, everything will continue in a regular way. I am still on vacation until the end of March, besides the regular things to do at home and on the farm.

I have posted this in all my three threads: Nexis Works (Batforum) - GRV II - Winding River Project (MDforum). I will continue my BATs and my MD/CJ soon and GRV II will be fully back online also.
For those who haven't filled all the challenges in the GRV Challenge, now is the time, because I will start to calculate the points for the last challenges next weekend and once they're all done and uploaded, the last two challenges will be on their way.(I only hope that some of you are still with us)
Concerning my BATs, some of them will be released soon. And my MD will be fully back with regular updates also.

Sorry, it took so long, but before paying myself a fullsized heartattack because of all that stress and fatigue from last summer and fall, I decided to think of myself first for the last months.
Thanks for hanging in there and have a wonderfull year 2010. ;)

Fred

Well, I finally made it, I got gmax installed on my new computer and I "took it for a spin", as we call something we try out for the first time here in my region. I came up with the model below, that I have started some years ago and that I am about to finish together with some other models that will go along with this BAT.
This weekend I will concentrate myself on the castle again and try to get it ready for tweaking (should I make a Reward or a LM?).

I am not sure yet whether it will be better to make just one model or two out of it, I still have some visual problems with the pillars of the bridge, because sometimes the part that is supposed to be *lower* than the ground, seems to be "above" the ground depending on where you plop it, and this , I don't like yet. Anyone has an idea?
I will get a picture of it later this weekend to show what I really mean.

Meanwhile I will get the last details fixed and added and continue on my College/or Residential Model (1st pic on this page)

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg6.imageshack.us%2Fimg6%2F6343%2Foiltank.jpg&hash=998e1a84278c7fdf3b2305a377caa8d663ba67a4)

I posted this under General Support before I found the Nexis Works Thread. Maybe this is the better place for it:

Years ago I started using Nexis Mini Utilities to cover large areas in mostly rural cities. I noticed today that they were not functioning correctly. For instance the Nexis Mini Emergency Dept. has only 1 truck not 2. Then I went into my plugins folder and could not find any plugin that could be the Nexis Mini Utilities. So, it was odd that they are in my SC4 menus at all. So, I found a download for them again on the STEX (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=1847) and downloaded the ZIP. The ZIP contained four files with no file extension that I assumed were supposed to be .dat files. I put these into the plugins and there is no change in the not-working quite right properties of the Mini Utilities. Does anyone have any suggestions? Are there any alternative lots I could use?

EEEK! I added the .dat file extension to the files and restarted the game. The Utilities went disasterously south. There funding kept changing on me and the coverage area was insignificant. Fires! Crime! Strikes! Chaos! I sure would like to sort this out.

SOLVED!
It is the THL Realistic Civic Mod that I have installed and it includes modded versions of the Nexis Lots. That is why they have different attributes and that is why I couldn't find the DAT. Sigh!

dahemac,
I know that some of my BATs and Lots have minor problems with certain mods or not. I have a *free time* problem since a few years, but one day I will redesin and mod every Nexis lot. Glad you got that solved, if you ever encounter a problem with any Nexis lot or BAT, just let me know and I will surely try to find a solution to improve it. Glad that you brought that up.

Fred

I like all the green energy in the beginning, although everything is good. :)  The textures make all the difference.

Well, I'm finally back. Slowly I will continue BATting in the next months, most likely once the snow stays on the ground in my area.
I did a few things on some of my projects (above), not enough though to show you the changes yet, but there is this waterpump that I made for my MD. I think I just finished it today.
Anything I might add before I start lotting and tweaking it?
I would like this waterpump to be able to supply water on a medium citytile. How much water does it have to pump, anyone know?

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg593.imageshack.us%2Fimg593%2F3613%2F86755.jpg&hash=13b6c548e8b70cf0afd1fd8603a550895d340b78)

Any help or suggestions are always welcome.

Fred

I started texturing my energy plant and since it is the first time that I use a bricktexture, I have these repeating lines. Could someone tell me how to get rid of them please?

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg12.imageshack.us%2Fimg12%2F739%2Fbrickwc.jpg&hash=a15b905820db4451878e42362de2e65f036e10d8)

I can't leave it like this, it looks worse than bad. :thumbsdown:


Fred

your texture is not tileable and is darker on one side, so when the BAT tiles it you get the horrible lines.... find a new texture or edit that one.

mightygoose beat me to it, you need a tileable texture, basically one that is the same on both sides, so when they line up they dont look terrible, like your texture does  :P

Thanks mightygoose and travismking for the tip. After having tried about 15 different textures I finally found one that doesn't look too bad with the repetetive pattern. Although not quite the colour and style that I wished for, I will use it. Maybe with some tweaking in Gimp I may come up with a better version of it.
Thanks again, much appreciated.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg836.imageshack.us%2Fimg836%2F4287%2Farena2o.jpg&hash=50cb1f7b857efcabe95ae9b71bc9910e0af665d6)

Btw, have a look at my waterpumping station above, think it's ready to upload or should I use different tex's, add or delete something on the model?

Thanks

Fred

With brick texture you can try something else with the old one, you can check the option mirror in u or v and you will have twice less problems. Sometimes it gives nice result  ;)

Quote from: Girafe on November 11, 2010, 09:23:55 AM
check the option mirror in u or v and you will have twice less problems.

::)
May I quote you on that, Antoine? :)

quote me quote me Tage   :D

always the word to laugh

Quote from: Girafe on November 11, 2010, 09:23:55 AM
With brick texture you can try something else with the old one, you can check the option mirror in u or v and you will have twice less problems. Sometimes it gives nice result  ;)

I tried it, well.....actually it was kinda better but still showing some repetivity, just enough for me not to like it. Thanks for this info though, might come in handy one day. ;)

Fred

Hello mrbisonm,

I started reading NoG. It took a little bit to find especially since the search didn't turn up anything.

A question that came up was where your BATs were located. I started to rebuild my plugins. (I'm getting reading to build another computer.) You had mentioned you have a lot of stuff on the LEX. I can't find much here and was hoping for some help in locating your fine stuff.

(sorry have to vent.... but why on earth does UPS ship from New Jersey to Chicago during a blizzard, when it should of gone to St. Louis which is closer.)

Hey Flash,

If that's what he said it must have been a mistake. mrbison only has two files on the LEX (both maps - unless he has files under another name) whereas he has a ton on the STEX. ST is down yet again at the moment so I can't send you a link. Just search for him there when you can.

thingfishs,

It was a long time ago. He mentioned about a 100-150 lots on the Lex sometime in 2004. So, I knew it was possible that they disappeared or converted like GrampaAl's being remade by Barby.

Quote from: Flash on February 03, 2011, 09:02:25 PM
thingfishs,

It was a long time ago. He mentioned about a 100-150 lots on the Lex sometime in 2004. So, I knew it was possible that they disappeared or converted like GrampaAl's being remade by Barby.

Sorry for being late to answer this, but I was gone on vacation .
I think you must have missread it, because I surely only have 2 maps on the LEX. but more than 150 on the STEX at Simtropolis.com. If the search engine still works on this site, just enter the name " Nexis "  and you will have all my Lots and BATs displayed. Nexis is my upload's name, naturally everything I have uploaded starts with that word.
Have fun with my *things*...lol....

Btw, I have started a new CJ/MD here on SC4D,* The Winding River Project* , come and check it out, there are a lot of new BATs again and also those that I am working on right now. See you there:
               http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=7189.1140

Fred

I'm back! Well, in this thread anyways, never left this site.... ;)

In cooperation with FrankU in his Lotting thread, where he will use some of these upcoming farmprops that I am about to finish, I have decided to create a Mega Modern Farm Prop Pack (MFP1), since new and modern farm buildings and accessories are somewhat missing or almost non-existant in Simcity4.

Go see FrankU's thread for more info on his lots:

http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=9146.180

Sofar I have done about 40 models of all kinds of stuff, ranging from barns and stables to manure piles, pits, haystacks and silos of different types and sizes. Polycounts are kept low to ensure not to fill up your plugins too much. Most of them can be seen in FrankU's thread or in my MD/CJ *The Winding River Project*, where I will also test the models and show ingame pictures also. This will be the first of two Prop-Packs I have in mind creating, and they will be available for all the lotters out there, once FrankU has done and uploaded his sets. The second set (propack MFP2) will come out later this year, maybe this fall.

Making the models and texturing them quickly to show on pictures was fun and easy to do (some of them can be seen in FrankU's thread and in my MD), but now I am doing the "finetuning", which is a whole lot more timetaking and difficult than I thought. The models on the pictures below took me almost 8 hours only to "finetune", meaning altering the textures with Gimp until the right ones are achieved and working more on the details, getting them to fit nicely with the model.
I didn't think that it would take that much time, but now that I have started and am already too deep into this, I will force myself to finish them as quickly as I can. Almost half is done.

The pictures below show the finished "product", the ones that I already have completely finished "finetuning", sized, textured and detailed and these are ready for the next step, the rendering process. With final progressing all my other model props, I will keep on showing the upcoming models here until the whole lot (proppack) is finished and I am ready to start rendering them all and creating the .datfile, which will then be delivered to FrankU for his Lotmaking of different farm growstages. There will be a great variety of each model. I will eventually make some ploppables of them also, mostly for myself in my MD, but also available for everyone if asked for and wanted.

BTW, I got the idea to make these props when I saw the wonderful Dutch farmlots FrankU has created sofar with what he was able to find and which seriously inspired me to make these farmprops of modern and today's farms, both euro and north-american (mostly Canadian and New England).

More are to come soon. ;)
MFP1 means: Modern Farm Proppack Vol 1

I started with the larger props, the buildings, stables and barns. They're all below. Enjoy... ;)

Model 224
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg402.imageshack.us%2Fimg402%2F9121%2Fmfp1m1green.jpg&hash=5b68d73736e0d58eda1c387ba737f83a0c297a2d)

Model 225
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg811.imageshack.us%2Fimg811%2F5631%2Fmfp1m2red.jpg&hash=f32c78f563e50617720e0956c2ff2c09253519ac)

Model 226
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg7.imageshack.us%2Fimg7%2F958%2Fmfp1m3grey.jpg&hash=92537d8dd03fdb6179f2fd62ce85c3b332a21cbb)

Model 217
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg190.imageshack.us%2Fimg190%2F4849%2Fmfp1m1.jpg&hash=2adf2dba447646dec92122f7017e28b0398aac44)

Model 218
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg836.imageshack.us%2Fimg836%2F6604%2Fmfp1m2.jpg&hash=5aecd5c8d7d3e13b015b63b67c4ce296facc472e)

Model 219
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg135.imageshack.us%2Fimg135%2F9967%2Fmfp1m3.jpg&hash=c450aaf6cb99bf3c9bf8389c5f0c55ff4524e09e)

Model 220
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg20.imageshack.us%2Fimg20%2F9671%2Fmfp1m4.jpg&hash=6294cd81f533f8aab29b2469de5171d251581587)

Model 221
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg59.imageshack.us%2Fimg59%2F9573%2Fmfp1m5.jpg&hash=fe551f7561041abe9e8c9bf280b4c5c1e3a2dc8f)

Model 222
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg641.imageshack.us%2Fimg641%2F9461%2Fmfp1m6222.jpg&hash=018aef1ed9495d1bdbf26448d57402eede6e7930)

Model 223
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg863.imageshack.us%2Fimg863%2F356%2Fmfp1m7223.jpg&hash=12fef0d9fa1e415a5663ae27ed3b411b0b4be7cf)

Model 231
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg96.imageshack.us%2Fimg96%2F5414%2Fmfp1m8231.jpg&hash=27b124da3a3226a4a6ac67c67661d7a2ab33207e)

Model 227
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg97.imageshack.us%2Fimg97%2F4138%2Fmfp1m4brick227.jpg&hash=330f07929800504d7b7fb74fd39aba538c948d29)

Model 228
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg221.imageshack.us%2Fimg221%2F4092%2Fmfp1m5darklumber228s.jpg&hash=90e3e57a6d4071ead2916661f6473e97a90191cd)

Model 229
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg69.imageshack.us%2Fimg69%2F7900%2Fmfp1m6sheetmetal229.jpg&hash=5574c3e2cfd861bd0f8e2ec34c93bc1070d5e7f1)

Model 230
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg820.imageshack.us%2Fimg820%2F4638%2Fmfp1m7wood230.jpg&hash=b0e44b25e1239371c9d41b5d734d6a052b5fc272)


Hope you'll enjoy this proppack and FrankU's lots.

Fred

Hi Fred,

We can meet on several places now.....
The barns look beautiful . I will definitely use some of them on my lots.
If there is time for a request.... Barn model 229: if you could do a variation of this one with olive green/dark green as color for the side walls this obne will be a perfect and common Dutch barn.
But I understand yyou have al ot to do already, so I won't push on it.

I am waiting.... and so are my lots. Which gives me time to find out some modding stuff on prop random chances and the like....

FrankU, you mean this green?

There are two choices, vertical planks and horizontal, which one? Or both? ;)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg30.imageshack.us%2Fimg30%2F9426%2Fmfp1m8greenvinyl232.jpg&hash=5909c4538afa9347289d2523b9428ae96a23b3c0)

Fred

Since the site was *out* for the renovations, I have continued to create my BATs and showed them on my BAT-Thread on ST. (Nexis BATs again) So here are the next sets that I have been working on during the *outtime* of SC4D.

This time it's the grainsilos. All these below come in two (2) different sizes, medium and large. The large are shown below. Differences of the 6 models are in texturing and also in detailing, ex: some have ladders and logos, some don't.
The logos (Purina and Co-Op) are those that we have most here in Quebec/Canada and are probably among the most known too. Others are not known worldwide such as Shur-Gain etc. If there are any other Feed logos that some would like, now is the time to come forward and say so.

FrankU, do you have a well known company in Holland that delivers feed and would you like its logo of it on one of the grainsilos?



models 234 and 235
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg51.imageshack.us%2Fimg51%2F392%2Fgrainsilo1.jpg&hash=d536ca6f369283ac5efbe349670bcf4e228e7f58)

models 236 and 237
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg593.imageshack.us%2Fimg593%2F8572%2Fgrainsilo2.jpg&hash=ee14e5f05a1a2cc56ae047a45e8ac7e336d4b23a)

models 238 and 239
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F1542%2Fgrainsilo3.jpg&hash=5d69a382002d71ac03b4265ac026d95b590a5c13)

...and to continue the Proppack, here are the manure pits. There are 2 different models with 4 different details and textures each.
The round manure pits are a little smaller than 1 gametile, approximately the scale of them irl compared to other buildings, although they exist in many sizes out there, but let's not exagerate, right?. The pits have 4 roofed or covered and 4 open models. Each one of them has either a different texture or some different detail, simply to supply the LOTter with a wider range of props or to create a propfamily. They do not come in different sizes.

models 240/241/242 and 243
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg97.imageshack.us%2Fimg97%2F3658%2Fmpmodelsclosed.jpg&hash=9898d1e1748e814613a87f61095fa9f7a6bc1fec)

models 244/245/246 and 247
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg535.imageshack.us%2Fimg535%2F2435%2Fmpmodelsopen.jpg&hash=674dfd56ae7dd97b99190415988678f257ab87e3)


Next are the Manuresheds that we see more and more in Canada, mostly Quebec, because of the new environmental law, that wants to stop the exposure of manure to the sun and rain/snow and other intemperates. Sun causes more bacteria growth which will produce gazes in return, rain and snow add liquid to the manure, which will make it more dangerous for the environment and so on. These are buildings which look like the barns/stables. I don't know if they have them in Europe.
Most of the times (because of the solid manure), they are drive-ins, meaning a tractor/loader can drive right into them to get the manure.
I made five (5) models, different in sizes, textures and styles. Four have a roof and only one without one. These last ones , we hardly see thwm anymore in most regions of Quebec. I don't know yet about the rest of Canada, which is a little less concerned with the environmental issue than Quebec.

The models are made with real life reference that I noted from my region. Model 251 is my own, build in 1999, and now by law I will have to close the walls before June 2012.

model 248
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg190.imageshack.us%2Fimg190%2F6320%2Fmanureshed1.jpg&hash=dc10c572b8f5679b5d625ea26b728b7eca1927b2)

model 249
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg155.imageshack.us%2Fimg155%2F4396%2Fmanureshed2.jpg&hash=8dba8b105e7a645080614ba43958357f7bb4f963)

model 250
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg6.imageshack.us%2Fimg6%2F9656%2Fmanureshed3.jpg&hash=ad6364b3ef101fca597b0c50922a2b8d63255a3f)

model 251
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg844.imageshack.us%2Fimg844%2F3315%2Fmanureshed4.jpg&hash=02234ff326778dc5a8bc059588a9e67b5c4bd2c6)

model 252
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg38.imageshack.us%2Fimg38%2F8660%2Fmanureshed5.jpg&hash=bd4d64a7367817b2b9c4d204fbfe9756d5e85bca)


Hope you like them. ;)


The next ones are groundsilos, a cheaper and less expensive way to storage silage. The plastic on top usually keeps the moisture away. In Europe they are darkcolored and here they are light, such as blue and white tarps. The reason to use lighter colours is better because dark ones produce a lot of heat below and can cause the growth of a more or less dangerous mushrooms which in their turn can cause severe coughing in cattle and sheep.
Some places manure is stored like this above also, covered to be sure that the solids do not become liquids with the rain/snow and cause "runoffs" of pollution. There are more of this category to come. I think that I must have 5 or 6 more of this kind, but different models and textures. Hope you like those also.
(I know that I have to readjust the texture on the 261 model... black shiny plastic seems hard to make....oufff )



model 254
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg717.imageshack.us%2Fimg717%2F7405%2Fgroundsilo1.jpg&hash=9fef1ca11039c1b0841d77b8416e65858210b005)

model 255
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg19.imageshack.us%2Fimg19%2F4508%2Fgroundsilo2.jpg&hash=66aeb5adb8a3b2bcc3b694977599783cac7a52e3)

model 256
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg89.imageshack.us%2Fimg89%2F7376%2Fgroundsilo3.jpg&hash=ef86a9427eb49692c42621233ce221bb2f7f541a)

model 257/258/259 and 260
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg820.imageshack.us%2Fimg820%2F6871%2Fgroundsilo5.jpg&hash=b21a2b5f9278989387d1e1b4b418796fdfbf6b35)

model 261
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg715.imageshack.us%2Fimg715%2F7003%2Fgroundsilo6.jpg&hash=9946413fa4b46c16f2e892b962f2a684526b9b13)

model 262
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg13.imageshack.us%2Fimg13%2F2351%2Fgroundsilo7.jpg&hash=2fe90d4a3610655f31d6177bc88fb66694bf1571)


Voila, some more groundsilos, single ones, full and empty and some piles of...whatever...that lie around the buildings and fields.

model 264
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg228.imageshack.us%2Fimg228%2F2584%2Fgroundsilosingle1.jpg&hash=1a89cae188d4304e6f81853c69ca74902cbd588e)

model 263
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg220.imageshack.us%2Fimg220%2F2200%2Fgroundsilosingle2.jpg&hash=ea92d90d1b3711893ed080982ad5ac07635aae43)

model 265
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg143.imageshack.us%2Fimg143%2F3897%2Fgroundsilosingle3.jpg&hash=0be2a8e8a63c937af00096ef64e2b80862a87400)

model 266
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg707.imageshack.us%2Fimg707%2F5928%2Fgroundsilosingle4.jpg&hash=cc3921eff11e8402d95dd21088c777f70c9f45d8)

And the last manure piles. These should look behind buildings or on the field where the farmer usually brings it when the other ones near the barn are full.

models 267/268 and 269
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg190.imageshack.us%2Fimg190%2F3703%2Fmanure1.jpg&hash=dc7ff8690ed8425d1b5e7d5655c65a344a00459f)

...and finally here is a Bonus that I will add to the propack. It will also be on the Stex as a LM on a 4x4 lot later on.
This is actually NOT a real part of the Nexis MFP1 ([color="#008000"]Modern Farm Proppack Vol1[/color]) but only as a bonus. I haven't finished all of the props yet, but this afternoon I felt like Texturing this BAT that I created from a real Life barn (my own) 4 years ago. It can be seen in my older Bat-building threads.

History: That barn was built in 1886, with piled up rockfoundations on a mainroute between Quebec and New Hampshire (US), received some reparations in 1925 (windows and roofed add-on) and a new roof in 1958 together with the Milkhouse (the little addon on the side). The roof is actually (believe it or not), pure Aluminum sheets, maybe a little fortune in that. When we came over to Canada, and when my father bought the old farm, it was the only barn standing. When I built my new barns in 1982, it was somewhat abandonned and used for the storage of machinery and all kinds of stuff that hang around a farm and is out of use, so to speak. In 1999, I hired some folks to tear it down and just about when the workers came, my beloved wife Lynn gave me "hell" for wanting to do so. She loves that barn that is standing just beside our driveway.
Today the barn is still standing beside the mainroad, our driveway and the old farmhouse, the windows and doors are all new and the neighbor farm (on the opposite of the road) keeps his heifers (young female cows) and steers (castrated male cattle) there in the winter. I couldn't use it because it is more than 2 kms from my mainbuildings on the old farm, so renting it seemed good enough to keep the barn in shape. The rent is in exchange to keep the building in good shape,no money involved, which is not expensive for a solid 100 year plus old barn.

I BATted it three years ago and then left it behind because my texturing was totally bad looking. Today, I am a little better with texturing the models and finally got to finish my barn. I will make a ploppable LM lot (a 125 year old barn is a LM in North-America) ;), which will be available after the Propack is released.
Hope you will enjoy this babe, which took me more than 4 hours of texturing only and finding the right textures.
Thanks all for the comments.

mrb/Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg828.imageshack.us%2Fimg828%2F715%2Fbonusbarn.jpg&hash=5d4f82b4b9fa1ce89d6160062dcc3c662bf9193d)

I will be back with more soon, working on haybales at the moment, all kinds of piles, racks, stacks and barns. Thanks for all the comments and ideas.

Fred

Big an great work you did! &apls

Guillaume :thumbsup:

Fabulous models  &apls I can't wait to see it in FrankU's lots  :thumbsup:

Hi Fred,

You haven't been idle, now have you?

I have a lot to say, so I start with the most important:
Fantastic work!  &apls  &apls  :thumbsup:  ()flower()

Many of these will be very useful to my lots. I surely did right to put a hold on development until you are finished with your models.

(in the meantime I have found a purpose to an additional state 6 set: historical estates or manors with an agricultural atmosphere)

The grainsilos:
These are beautiful models and very versatile. As you may have noticed on the pictures I showed most of the silos that are used around here have no logos on them. It won't hurt my lots though if the silos in game will show one. The most common firm that provides stuff here is Forfarmers. You can download a logo from their website: nl.forfarmers.eu
I like the simple beige ones the best.

The manure pits are simply great. No further comment necessary.

The green manure shed is very useful. It can be plopped on any farm that is above stage 2, because Dutch farms are full of this kind of sheds. They contain anything that fits through the doors. The other ones are beautiful too, but not really useful for Dutch farm lots.
I like the open one with the nice wooden construction though. It would be nice to have one without manure, but with the ability to put tractors, hay or other stuff under the roof.
The open manure pit could also be useful for seaports or construction sites. Just pretend it isn't manure but sand, gravel, grain, or something else brownish.

The silage silos are very nice too. And what a lot of variation!
One comment though: I still think the tires are too gray and are too sharp edged. To me they look too much like metal rings or something.

The manure piles are always welcome. They will come in handy on spots that look too clean or empty. I just drop some manure or one of the other small things that you are making.

Your Landmark barn (125 years? That's last year to us  ;D) is totally useless for my purposes, but it is a beauty! The textures are very realistic. Maybe I just find some weird reason to put it in my region anyway.

And the last:

Quote from: mrbisonm on June 27, 2011, 07:12:50 PM
FrankU, you mean this green?

There are two choices, vertical planks and horizontal, which one? Or both? ;)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg30.imageshack.us%2Fimg30%2F9426%2Fmfp1m8greenvinyl232.jpg&hash=5909c4538afa9347289d2523b9428ae96a23b3c0)

Yes! I indeed meant this green. It's perfect.
We use vertical planks around here. The horizontal don't show on my computer here, but it's a low res office machine. At home I'll see them propbably the way you meant them. But, why not both? Someone else may be very happy with it.

And for the future developments: If you make the models, do you also make props? I can make the prop families, but maybe we should agree on what families we think are useful to ourselves and to the community? Do you have ideas already?

outstanding work!
i finally discoverd ploppable farmfields so i cant wait to see the completed lots :)

FrankU, first of all thanks for the compliment.

Quote(in the meantime I have found a purpose to an additional state 6 set: historical estates or manors with an agricultural atmosphere)

That sounds great.

Can't wait for the pack to finish, so I can see your lots. Still got a few BATs to finish and some models to make. (maybe around a dozen or so). I got another set of pictures of finished models to upload in a few days.

Here is what I will do, once everything is finished.
First they have to be rendered. I will take them to my office computer to render them, because it is a lot bigger and faster than my gaming and creating computer. Then they will be made into props with the SC4PIM.(that shouldn't take long) All model and desc files then will be packed into one datfile, which will be the final Propackfile.
I was wondering though and if anyone here knows about this, please explain.

Is it possible to make a lot with an independant single modelfile that will later become part of a datfile? Will the game still recognize the same model and desc file? Is that possible?

If so, then I could send you FrankU a few model and descfiles which I have already rendered and while I continue to create the rest of the propack, you could already start creating some lots. You then simply delete the independant model and descfile and use the datfile as reference or dependency once it's created and finished.
You can also do your propfamilies this way.

Anyways, to reply to your comments: The green manure shed, I will keep only the vertical one, because here too you seldom see the horizontal sided ones. The open barn I will make into a hayshed also (see picture below and yes, there will be several different models with different textures - sofar I have about 5 done already) and the silo, I made a beige one with the dutch forFarmers logo.
About the tires, Of course they could be more rounded off, but the thing is then they will have a lot more polycounts, (too many to my likings-about 12 times more) which I want to prevent. If the props have too many polycounts, then the pack will be "heavier" for the game, meaning filling up the Plugins with Mb's faster, and I don't think that we will be able to see the difference in the game anyways, so I will probably leave them like this. You know it is possible to make better and more detailed BATs, but not everyone has a "supercomputer" that can handle all this. This is also why I hate HD models, which take the space of 5 to 10 models, meaning again that we can use only smaller amounts of lots in our game. I always say, if the model looks generally fairly good and we easily recognize what it is supposed to be, than it is worth keeping. I myself have no high polycount BATs in my Plugins, which is already 14 Gb's big.
About the brightness of the tires, yes, they will be made a little darker. TWrecks already mentioned that also in my ST thread.

Yeah, my old barn. I know that it is totally useless to you, but I wanted it to add as a bonus to this pack, even though it doesn't really fit in there, but I am about to make a ploppable LM lot with it and upload it to the LEX and Stex. This is a typical New England, New Brunswick and Quebec wooden barn, we still see here all over the landscapes. There will be a similar Bonus in the second Modernfarm Proppack from me, an old barn that partially collapsed.

Anyways, let me finish the next series of props, which I will show in a few days. It will contain, haybales and shacks, machinery sheds, corndryers and propanetanks (for the corndryers and heating of pig, rabbit and chicken farms.

Any comments and suggestions are welcome. If you like something, say so, if you don't, well say so too! I'll correct it if it's easy and makes sense. ;)
Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg833.imageshack.us%2Fimg833%2F4870%2F4574.jpg&hash=10847f97ae6b4bd8a79a800d724028f520c8a0e5)

Wow! A lot of great models here mrbisonm  :)
Looking forward to the lots made by frankU..
Are you also planning to release it as a prop pack? (would be great!! ;))

Regards Iskrem

Quote from: iskrem on July 07, 2011, 08:00:58 AM
Are you also planning to release it as a prop pack? (would be great!! ;))

Thanks for the interest.

As a matter of fact (and mentioned before) this set of models is going to be a Nexis Proppack, first for FrankU and then for everyone. If you have read my last 3 or 4 posts, you should know all the details.
It will be (all the above shown pictures) the * Nexis Modern Farm Proppack Vol1*, as mentioned above, there will be a second Vol coming later this fall. Uploads will be to the STEX and LEX and hopefully to toutsimcity.com and simcitykurier, if they're interested.

Excellent works !!! Thank YOU  &apls &apls &apls

I'm back with some more pictures of finished models for the MFP1 (Modern Farm Proppack Vol1).
This time some propane tanks used for heating chicken, turkey and Piggy farmbuildings during winter and for drying corncobs (model still under construction).
Then Hay and strawbales. The haybales seem to be a little too green for some reasons on the preview picture, but I have tested them ingame and they look just fine. Also the bales are increased in size on the pics below to show the details. Look at the haysheds, which have the actual size.
I also added some hayshacks or sheds and two corncob dryers, one more dryer and three more sheds are under construction.

Enjoy. I will be back soon with some more sheds and also some high silos, which will be the last part of this set.

Let's start with the strawbales....

model 275
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg263.imageshack.us%2Fimg263%2F144%2Fbales1s.jpg&hash=e11217c75e9867a4210fef55e5733be5aa9d4ec2)

model 276
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg818.imageshack.us%2Fimg818%2F8471%2Fbales2.jpg&hash=c02045771755da2d3c449118dbcb513d213ce69c)

Like I said before, the Haybales (next) look better and less green ingame. I will show a picture of them soon.

model 277
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg813.imageshack.us%2Fimg813%2F738%2Fbales3.jpg&hash=72fb82b0d65f355e0a8330ae31ff0fd39c29c245)

model 278
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg577.imageshack.us%2Fimg577%2F5553%2Fbales4.jpg&hash=7f12a14bbf85be18f9861a3037873be26f26844b)

...some stacked round bales, also the green is different ingame.

model 279
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg819.imageshack.us%2Fimg819%2F1872%2Fbales5.jpg&hash=a0120f31d6c4f9cab56846d2a4b0bab97e3104a5)

This below is just an example of what can be achieved in the LE by stacking different props of above together...

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg69.imageshack.us%2Fimg69%2F7569%2Fbales6.jpg&hash=59ca10a1aeca0d04954644cb60053ff2153e6cf6)

...and here are the sheds, still 3 or more under construction at the moment, different sizes, styles and textures.

model 280
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg3.imageshack.us%2Fimg3%2F4435%2Fbales7.jpg&hash=367f6f60e65cc4b10599c96153a8073e84471558)

model 281
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg143.imageshack.us%2Fimg143%2F9186%2Fbales8.jpg&hash=ef60afe5d367e72f57df53db8ab7d6ebe8d6e48b)

model 283
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg807.imageshack.us%2Fimg807%2F3493%2Fbales9.jpg&hash=0e0c41471c8d55a0823e6c889fc808c96152a9e0)

model 284
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg577.imageshack.us%2Fimg577%2F56%2Fbales10.jpg&hash=8e066aa4462bb38f879b6c5e28f34af592a69c84)

This one below will be in three different textures, roof, wood and hay.

model 285
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg849.imageshack.us%2Fimg849%2F8812%2Fbales11.jpg&hash=f67cb6ee60a0edb312e018be6bdd2b6d81801191)

And now the propanetanks, there are only two sets, one single tank and one double.

model 270
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg804.imageshack.us%2Fimg804%2F5746%2Fpropane1.jpg&hash=2f9d068ae7319158f1dde5056a1c768ded730e48)

model 271
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg546.imageshack.us%2Fimg546%2F3024%2Fpropane2.jpg&hash=8e48e47e83e038e9deaaba6e45b00617f82e0d4a)

..and finally for today, the corncob dryers. First the one that dries the cobs with the wind, they can still be seen near the farms in the middle of fields in the Montreal area and the lower St-Lawrence river valley.

model 287
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg97.imageshack.us%2Fimg97%2F1210%2Fcorndryer1.jpg&hash=6fc008fbcdb70817b447b2d4d402240669cf492b)

...and the blowertype, which blows fresh air into and in between the cobs inside the "box". (made in Europe by Delux Farm Products)

model 288
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg853.imageshack.us%2Fimg853%2F3901%2Fcorndryer2.jpg&hash=d13072127b619a12671ab254b15e8ec9baf49b3c)

That's it again. Now I will have to make an update for my CJ/MD this weekend, but will be back with more props by the beginning of this coming week.
If you think you will be using these props once they're uploaded, say something, now is the time. ;)

Have a nice weekend.

mrb

Great looking stuff here. You continue to impress with all you do.  ;D

Hi Fred,

The hay- and strawbales look great! The large round ones look a bit too artificial: the shapes are a bit too perfect.
There is a difference between straw and hay, but I think most SC4 players don't see or don't care about the difference, so I don't know if it is worth your time to make difference in the models.

The open sheds are nice.
The roof of model 283 looks very new. Maybe a bit more dirt would make it better.
The roofs of models 284 and 285 look a bit weird. What material is it? Or is it my perception/computer?

Propane tanks are always nice and these look great and realistic.

The corn dryers I have never seen, so I don't know what to say. They look beautiful to me. Textures and colors look realistic.

And your question:
As long as you do not change any property of the model or desc file it is not a problem. As you might remember there were lots of small prop and texture packs flying around on SC4 sites. Then some people started putting these together into Mega Packs. Someone even invented the Cleanitol tool to help deleting the old files.
As long as you pack the models and other files into one with dat-packer there is no problem.

But before you start sending me props: I think I wait with relotting until you have finished the whole pack.
Otherwise I might feel obliged to re-relot some after you have sent me another new prop. I'll better wait and do it in one take.

Hi Fred,
I think, YOUR excellent agro serial is without any end - all objects are really fantastic  &apls &apls &apls
WAITING IT  &hlp &hlp &hlp

Thanks Schulmanator and Silur, glad to hear that from you guys.

FrankU, the roof of model 283 is supposed to be new looking and irl it looks like this, besides I have done a barn and a manureshed with the same texture already.

Roof texture of 284 and 285 is wornout green sheetmetal.

I will wait then for the whole pack to be finished, shouldn't be long anyways before I start rendering all this.
I guess you will have a lot of work after that.....lol. It will be my turn to sit back and watch your work on the lots. ;)

Fred

Here are the last haystacks of this pack. Now all there's left to finish are the silos and maybe some machinerysheds. (not sure if I will do them for this pack though)
Maybe this propack is already too big, but I still have over 40 different "farmthings" to create, but we'll wait for the next pack with that, I guess.

I made these haystacks a little more "old-looking", where the hay itself already is starting to fall out of the bales. Although on the pictures it seems like I am using always the same basemodel, I will change this when it comes to render these.

Here are the tarp covered haystacks, with blue, black and white tarps.

model 309
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg849.imageshack.us%2Fimg849%2F2066%2Fhaystacks1.jpg&hash=d639dd5d2cbf3990e80c9078f9d922f591354fa8)

model 310
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg14.imageshack.us%2Fimg14%2F4017%2Fhaystacks2.jpg&hash=7d4f180a8a8b391765d55aa96ea369f4d1683bcf)

model 307
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg163.imageshack.us%2Fimg163%2F4210%2Fhaystacks3.jpg&hash=1781ad6fa3510d693dd039cdd77f8a34c8e840c4)

Then a smaller one, not covered...

model 306
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg14.imageshack.us%2Fimg14%2F7564%2Fhaystacks4.jpg&hash=eba4f9b7550d026159dd56e145570a1f898455bd)

...and three different haystacks with roofs.

model 312
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg814.imageshack.us%2Fimg814%2F6122%2Fhaystacks5.jpg&hash=8ea8ca6aa3aa9f1221964e9e3e8df9097be0b309)

model 311
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg851.imageshack.us%2Fimg851%2F7132%2Fhaystacks6.jpg&hash=f4e788f03e2ddc2dc64c539781925b0201758b86)

model 313
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg34.imageshack.us%2Fimg34%2F9950%2Fhaystacks7.jpg&hash=fa495c6fdd7cf24fda24e31ce66a0c218046c23f)

And the last one is the rest of the three corncob dryers set. This one is heated with propane gaz. (see tankmodels earlier)

model 289
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg600.imageshack.us%2Fimg600%2F4576%2Fcorndryer3.jpg&hash=e333ecd986bd6694b6593127dc54ee91cc25bf16)

That's it again, more to come later this week. We're nearing the end of this propack that FrankU is waiting for. After this I will continue to make the Modern Farm Proppack Vol 2, but taking my time with it, while continuing my MD also.

Fred

Hi Fred,

The haystacks you presented are nice!
But do you remember my haystacks?
Where have they been? You think it is possible to try to make one or two of these?
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi277.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk63%2FFrankU_bucket%2FNederland%2520Boerderijen%2FHooibergHO.jpg&hash=5a2068c10983786d18cb2d27ac060683cd303606)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi277.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk63%2FFrankU_bucket%2FNederland%2520Boerderijen%2Fhooiberg02.jpg&hash=9f655696b7acc4d39d3a0d6941b56b83da00d785)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi277.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk63%2FFrankU_bucket%2FNederland%2520Boerderijen%2Fhooiberg01.jpg&hash=3b4f043eed65c6df6a3801f0fdf9771ed1c0575b)

If you could add four poles on the corners to the roofed Haystack M1 you have a typical Dutch haystack.
The images above are all six sided stacks and they have three poles in the centers of three sides. Another quite common one (but not on the day I made the images) is square with four poles exactly on the corners. Their roofs are either corrugated steel or thatch.

Your announcement of machinerysheds make me curious. I'd like to have one or two on my farm lots. And all the other plans you have....
And 40 other props? Wow!
Maybe I just wait until you finish your prop pack 1, then I lot my lots and finish the set.
If you or someone else (the TSC people are breeding too, I guess, and maybe my own BNL team members start Batting when their vacation starts?) comes up with something new I just add new farm lots!
There is so much going on, if I wait until everybody is finished I'll be dead...

Hm.....I thought I did. Models 311, 312 and 313 are for the dutch set. I looked them up on the net and chose those 3, which come from Holland. None of these exist here in Canada, at least I have not seen any of them. With all the wetness (snow and rain) we get here, these protections would easily spoil the harvest.

I will try though to create 1 or 2 of these showed above. I'll do my best, ;) Be back in a few days...

Fred

Felt like playing around without really doing something useful and I came up with this. I put together a few props just to have some fun and  a preview of what we can do with this proppack. And I was surprised of the diversity of it.
Just imagine what YOU could do with this. If this mega pack doesn't revolutionize the farmbuilding in Simcity 4, I don't know what could. Anyways, I personally like it. ;)

Preview of a few of these props soon available to FrankU first and then everyone else. Imagine.....

Here's a possible nice Mega-Dairyfarm....

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg607.imageshack.us%2Fimg607%2F2043%2Ffarm1z.jpg&hash=98b7bdd00b30ade4031e7ac19d1dfb7d726e4a12)

..or how about a Piggery...

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg11.imageshack.us%2Fimg11%2F9828%2Ffarm2u.jpg&hash=0adb1c8da4ddb15e60ce9fa49ea68d2d8e9ea9d2)

Hav a nice weekend, enjoy

Fred

In one word: Beautiful!

Thanks FrankU.

I have created and uploaded the Old Barn to the STEX, available here:

http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/files/file/26534-nexis-tourist-farm-landmark/

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg94.imageshack.us%2Fimg94%2F7070%2Foldbarn2.jpg&hash=f5c58d8bfcf97ad661190d6b752fe7698ac99b08)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg600.imageshack.us%2Fimg600%2F6609%2Foldbarn3.jpg&hash=fa2b76d8f63c4ebb2ed6f4baaf459577af65ab9c)

Right now I am working on the last props for this pack and I also started rendering the first models. Somehow I seem to have a small problem with the sizes/scales of some props. Something that ain't easy at all to figure out and also something that I have always been struggling with.
Because of the many different scales that we find in the game, I never know which one I should use.
Example: If I make the scale suitable to compare with some other agricultural buildings, they will look just fine when we look at them in farmlands, but as soon as we have these near residential or commercial sites or other farmbuildings, then they seem to be totally out of scale. Ingame and in gmax, the scale are two things, and when it comes to test them ingame, I usually have to render my props two to three or even four times sometimes to fit them fairly enough into the surrounding scales.....oufff. I suppose that everyone has that problem, right?
Luckily these models are smaller props which don't take too much time to render.

Thanks for being patient, I will be back this weekend with the rest of my propack.

Fred

I am sorry to hear about your struggle. However there is nothing I can really contribute to a solution. Only one thing that I think is important: if the props are in scale with the Haarlemmergold Dutch Farm pack your props will be OK for my farms. Not that Haarlemmergold has made such intelligent scale or something. It is just that I use them in my lots and all other props seem to fit quite well next to these. And this means that a large amount of props by Gascooker, Simgoober, Swi, D66 etc are OK too.
The scale issue is indeed complex. There is, for instance, a very nice old farm by Vanderaap, but it is too large compared to all other farms, barns and houses I use in my lots, so it is not applicable to me.

Meanwhile I am indeed patient, but not bored: I am trying to mod a Dutch style replacement for the Maxis Mayor's house. It is more complex than I thought. SC4Pim gives me the opportunity to make a building that promises to be a Mayor's house, but it does not replace the Maxis one and it turns out into being a simple ploppable lot. So there is some digging to be done.

Quote from: FrankU on July 20, 2011, 02:28:02 AM
Only one thing that I think is important: if the props are in scale with the Haarlemmergold Dutch Farm pack your props will be OK for my farms.

Any specific ones in mind? Maybe a link? Thanks.

QuoteI am trying to mod a Dutch style replacement for the Maxis Mayor's house. It is more complex than I thought.

Good luck with that, I surely won't be able to help you there.... ;)

Working on the silos, finished the machinerysheds and that other haystack.

Fred

Hey Fred!

QuoteI suppose that everyone has that problem, right?

Welcome to my pain.  :D 

You're right about Maxis sense of scale. The tractor is a good example. It's gigantic. I've used it on lots but don't dare place it near any other building or prop. The Maxis farm buildings a suffer similar fate. Farley's farm and Bartletts stables are good examples of two models that are way too small ... when compared to other Maxis farm buildings.

All one can do is to achieve a happy compromise. Not too big, not too small, just right.

Good Luck

- Jim

Hi Fred,

The STEX is down at the moment.
I can show you an image of the Dutch Farm Pack, though:
This is the barn and one of the two houses.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi277.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk63%2FFrankU_bucket%2FDutch%2520Farm%2520Lots%2520-%2520growables%2FStage3farms-0004a.jpg&hash=5b5a3b6694fe156a12aa06c57bb037dabbcb5175)

The second house you will see here:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi277.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk63%2FFrankU_bucket%2FDutch%2520Farm%2520Lots%2520-%2520growables%2FStage3farms-0005a.jpg&hash=403f4c022caae11bd2dbd9cf5ec794662c62e1c6)

The size of the barn is one and a half tile wide and two and a half tile long.
I'd say that your large barns should have more or less the same size.

Another barn that I like a lot, and will use on the stage 4 and 5 is the RP industrial shed:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi277.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk63%2FFrankU_bucket%2FDutch%2520Farm%2520Lots%2520-%2520growables%2FFrankUFarmFieldsready-0002a.jpg&hash=9a87591a85ed739ac6755fbbe1d58b311faef6ce)

This is a 2x3 lot, so the shed is a bout one by one and a half tile.

I hope this is of any help.

Waiting curiously........

Ok, I will adjust my BATs (more or less) to these sizes. I will need the links for the green barn in the first picture and the barn in the second picture. I cannot find them anywhere and I will need the model files for the LE (to compare)I am almost finished with the rest of the props, maybe a day or two and I will start rendering all that stuff.

Thanks

Fred

Ok, here we go and let's try to solve my headaches that I have with the *freaking* (to stay polite) scale of this game.

I am totally lost, I mean, I don't really know where to go anymore and scale all my props (over 60 of them, geeeeez) so that they look right for everything and everyone.
If I make them right for the farms then they look weird with houses and other models, and if I make them look right for industrial models then they look weird for farms and houses and so on...omg...(now, where's that darn big hammer to knock on 'em)

Even worse, I made them right looking for the farmbuilding props that FrankU asked me for, but then they don't fit so much with others anymore. I'm not aiming for perfection, oh no siree... because I don't think that exists, anywhere. Nothing is perfect, (not even youuuuu!) So I don't bother with it, but something that looks good for the gameis what I would like to achieve.....
I don't want to render my props in a scale that ONLY fits one modeltype, but all....I'm starting to think that's impossible....dohhh

First let me explain the way I scale, maybe it is THIS that I am doing wrong, but it's easy. I open gmax and start building without scaling first, meaning no measurements are taken and I don't bother using the grid as reference. ( I used to take measurements before and screwed up almost all of my models before) Everything is done by eye judgement, which I am best at. Then I merge an older model that I know that it was very well scaled and compare the sizes beside it in gmax. Using that square scaling option I increase or decrease the size of my new model until it looks excellent beside my old model. Then I render them in draft and look at the scale to fit them with props and other game models. Sometimes I rearange the scale a little again. Most of the time it works just fine, but not with all these farmprops. Why?...I am asking myself, but I cannot find an explanation why it doesn't work out fine this time.

So...any ideas on how to make the "excellent fit" that suits most of the game models, whether they're Maxis or custom? Or... is it even possible to do so? Help would be appreciated, anything to make me feel better.....lol.

Here are two pictures. On the first I made sure that my model (machineryshed) has the right size for all the smaller props, like sims, bales and trucks, they all fit inside the shed, but then on the second picture it doesn't really fit in with the other buildings, like barns and especially the houses. (the Maxis tractor is a little out of scale, but still tightly fits in there).

Pic1
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg193.imageshack.us%2Fimg193%2F5691%2Fscale1.jpg&hash=03916fbdac8ead84c6204ed99a91e70211f2ade9)
Pic2
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg811.imageshack.us%2Fimg811%2F1737%2Fscale2.jpg&hash=0c7653c134dbadb08e1da87a7ef2282ff69e3a0a)

I posted this over at Simtropolis also, just to make sure that I get all the comments, ideas and help I can find. These props will be used by you anyways.

Here are some other props that I finished, the machinerysheds. I didn't show all of them, but they exist in different shades and sizes. They can all be easily filled with any props of the game, so they look "occupied" and "used", but they are all empty rendered, for you to fill with anything that suits you in LE.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg705.imageshack.us%2Fimg705%2F2340%2Fsheds1.jpg&hash=841ba57e54974065b7d925449db29b9e73d2545e)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg52.imageshack.us%2Fimg52%2F9606%2Fsheds2.jpg&hash=0cd48b7220d64720eed944b63c8a2b37672b5bcc)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg38.imageshack.us%2Fimg38%2F7899%2Fsheds3.jpg&hash=25e9b45bc07c96309213ad46b29748668bb9db59)

I am still working on the upright silos, the last set of the MFP1, but it will not take a week to finish them too. So I will be ready for rendering them soon. Thanks for comments and anything useful you got to say. ;)

Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on July 24, 2011, 08:15:06 AM
I am totally lost...any ideas on how to make the "excellent fit" that suits most of the game models, whether they're Maxis or custom? Or... is it even possible to do so? Help would be appreciated, anything to make me feel better.....lol.

Fun - isn't it?  :'(

Maxis creators all used a different scale: it is also compounded by the fact that even amongst the same creators, they used a different scale within different wealth levels. Take a look at their low wealth commercial and low wealth residential - often they are shorter than a sim! So, heaven help the rest of us trying to figure it out.

But luckily for us, in most custom buildings as a general rule the usual floor height for will sit around the 4.0-5.0m for most RCI types.

Grand commercial foyers for instance can have a ground floor up to 6.5m, low-wealth applications may have less than 4.0m, high wealth buildings may be closer to 4.8m, but largely the above number is a happy medium for custom content.

This also conforms reasonably to the 1.33 scale on the Z axis that many users will quote. Mind you, the visible in-game diference in a 4m floor and a 4.5m floor is only a pixel or two.

There are some exceptions to above, and some of these deal with the odd viewing angle of SC4. Notable ones include:
* skyscrapers - the higher you go, the smaller the upper floors;
* low rise buildings which are quite wide and shallow should be scaled up to avoid the 'squished' look;
* buildings with a considerable visual bulk in the X,Y & Z axes can usually be scaled down a bit as these tend to look overscaled;
* The custom content european W2W use iterations of a 5m per floor scale (EG 3 floors at 5m = 15m; or ground floor = 6m + first floor = 5m + 3rd floor = 4m still = 15m);
* Smaller props - are overscaled so that their details can be visible (otherwise they become a blur).

There are other examples, and of course many people will express a different opinion, but the best option is to compare your creations to similar Maxis content (as you have done) before deciding on whether a building is over or under scaled

Based on the way you say you create a GMAX model, if I were you I would download one of the sim height markers from Simtropolis to have in your model as a reference guide (look under the old 3ds models on the STEX for a link). This will save merging multiple scenes before deciding on a scale and will save you some headaches.

Hi Fred,

Two topics to reply on.

First: scale.
Yes indeed. Fun, isn't it? This might even be one of the main reasons that I refrain form BATting.
While searching for useful props for my Farms Set I found many props that look good on their own lots, but that are hard to put together.
I already mentioned the Vanderaap farm house(http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/files/file/2802-ter-aar-aardamseweg-2325/).
Another one is the SFBT "Alter Schuppen" http://kurier.simcityplaza.de/details.php?file=1089.
I use it on this lot:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi277.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk63%2FFrankU_bucket%2FDutch%2520Farm%2520Lots%2520-%2520growables%2FFrankUFarms-0010.jpg&hash=aa7aa741daf97c207f469c30650eb850823301c6)

It has the same problem as your machinery shed: next to a house it is too large.

Haarlemmergold's Dutch Fram Pack is here: http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/files/file/19453-dutch-farm-pack/
And the other shed I showed is here: http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/files/file/11328-industrial-unit-1/

I also use this shed a lot:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi277.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk63%2FFrankU_bucket%2FDutch%2520Farm%2520Lots%2520-%2520growables%2FFrankUFarms-0016.jpg&hash=681edc85a3a92fd053c5ef407a0820f3ffc4c35a)
It is by Citynot and I am quite sure you can find it in here: http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=613
I can put vehicles under this roof. At least Simgoober's farm vehicles fit in. I don't know for sure about the Maxis tractor.

I hope you will find a reasonable solution.

Secondly:
Your machinery sheds. They look beautiful and really useful. :thumbsup:

Quote from: mattb325 on July 24, 2011, 10:48:23 PM
Fun - isn't it?  :'(

lol...Fun?.....lol, not sure about this. ;)

Thanks for the list of measurements, which will surely help me to find the "ideal scale". (one day) Appreciated.

FrankU,

I have downloaded all the models you provided the links with and I surely will make serious size comparisons with my models, but I also would like to have them fit with other models.

I think that the modeling was fairly easy and fun, the texturing was a little more difficult, but the scale will be a real spurr in the a** compared to the rest. lol
But don't worry, I know that I will get around it. I always do. ;)

Only two more models to finish and then....wooohoo, ready for rendering.


Fred

By now you probably all know how much "I love" manure.....lol. Well, I added another one to the set. These are manure ladders working with chains and delivering the manure outside the building onto a pile. I made three models, one can be seen below. Still often seen in remote areas of Canada and the US, these will soon disappear once and for all.
These props can be added to whatever barn or building in the LE.
I finished all the props now, will show the last ones tomorrow and then start rendering. ;)

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg163.imageshack.us%2Fimg163%2F4644%2Fmanure.jpg&hash=0ce133b188f244871618ca7f52a5ca5dcd8a2955)

Here is the last "manure" prop, an elevator or whatever you call this in english. In french it's called: *Montée de fumier*.(manure elevator) You can use this prop in many ways just as most of the MFP1 props. It attaches easily to any building or other model.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg42.imageshack.us%2Fimg42%2F8527%2Fmonteedefumier2.jpg&hash=c442e6976961c995cb065b047056d7cc7b30eb7a)

And here are two ways to use it together with other props of the MFP1 Package.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg32.imageshack.us%2Fimg32%2F1216%2Fmonteedefumier.jpg&hash=81ee5a0c23aa2121ff6db5af59e86f122eebb7a5)

I finished all props tonight. There are too many to count....lol, or let's say I'm too tired to do so right now. ;) Tomorrow I will start rendering all these props and show you what some of them will look like ingame.

Fred

Awesome work. Those hay stacks at the beginning at the page are beautifully realistic.

Can't wait to see these.  :thumbsup:

,marsh

Lovely! Will deffo find a lot of uses for these once they're available!!

Thanks guys.

I started testing the scales of my models ingame and have come close to what I would like, I think. This is a lot made with several of my props, also including 2 small building props from Maxis (toolshed+little shed), and some other most used Maxis props (sims,tractor etc). Here are some pictures of the MFP1 and I think, only the barn needs to be upscaled just a tiny bit, compared to other buildings and props from the game. The props like the silos, manure, hay etc seem to be just fine.
Once I have figured out the best size of some of these below, I will then be able to compare them to the others and start rendering the whole series.

Just to get another player(s) to confirm the scale and my opinion, so....what do YOU think?
Thanks.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg195.imageshack.us%2Fimg195%2F4477%2F4466.jpg&hash=452eb99387a245dd724bbaf5891dee4ef89f0777)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg194.imageshack.us%2Fimg194%2F9710%2F4655y.jpg&hash=a3a00fd1cb9c530f2f7e621398348d099dc4ab04)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg153.imageshack.us%2Fimg153%2F9071%2F6455.jpg&hash=eec89a99820f9d1d58ec90ff250440e6520328f4)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg714.imageshack.us%2Fimg714%2F6771%2F6544n.jpg&hash=a1cdc9b581a6c527f5569bf74d7c8e981fdae336)

While making this lot above and going through the list of props that I created for the MFP1 Pack (Modern Farm Prop Vol1) in the LE, I realized that the variety and possibility to make many different looking lots is so great that it seems to be a lot of fun going through them and testing 1 or 2 only to exchange them with the other 3 or 4 and so on. It is almost limitless fun for those who like modern farming buildings to create the immense variety and combination of lots possible.
I myself, have so many in my mind at the moment, that I am almost lost and don't know where to start, but that is FrankU's problem to become now......lol ;).

When I started this, inspired by the great looking lots of FrankU, I never would have thought that it was possible for me to create so much in so little time. This, besides *NoG* ( my CJ from 2004 to 2008 on ST "Nexis of Genesis") is my greatest project yet.

So, if YOU got anything to say, whether about the size, props or textures, now is the time to do so, because rendering starts on monday and then it'll be too late. Remember, YOU're the one who will be using them. Have fun.

mrb

I totally forgot to show you the last "batch" of props for the MFP1 Pack that I created this week, the upright silos. I was so occupied by the scales that I left these aside. Here they are...
There are 2 materials used for them, one made with cement (concrete) plates and another one with steel (darkblue) and these come in 8 different models (6 shown below) and three different sizes, small, medium and large. (small not shown)

Hope you like them.


Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg37.imageshack.us%2Fimg37%2F486%2Fsilos325.jpg&hash=2cfc26272fdb8f7329718507bcc9ed9130db2bc9)

These are looking good, and would fit in well with SPAM, to make some tasty LOTs.

Hey Fred

I'm not sure if you're looking for a comment on the silos or not. But here it goes - I deal with white glow the following ways ...

I did a sphere inside a sphere using a texture set to 70% opacity for this water tower. Adjust the opacity to achieve the amount or the lack of amount of shine you're shooting for.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fgmaxpaint_01.jpg&hash=6c528504ee203a4dc4aa73e513c92eedb069f19d)

Adding the second object works fine but my first choice is to add a glossiness map to the texture. Other maps will probably work but I didn't experiment that much. Change the shader basic parameter to metal. Adjusting the specular level and glossiness for a wide short hump will get you in the ball park.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fgmaxpaint_05.jpg&hash=50ef6d4bd7fcb5d1fdae28e6364f2de9bc33acc2)

The drivers compartment of this cement pump truck would be a total white glow otherwise.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fgmaxpaint_02.jpg&hash=75cdff8e1d67ff333e47680c11fe6a2dc34d31ad)



Good Luck

- Jim

lak47, glad you like 'em.

Quote from: jmyers2043 on July 30, 2011, 04:29:16 AM
Hey Fred

I'm not sure if you're looking for a comment on the silos or not. But here it goes - I deal with white glow the following ways ...

I'm always looking for good advice and comments, thanks for the help. If I understood right, it is because you feel that my silotops are too bright? (glow too much)

Fred

Your props are very good mrbisonm!  &apls  &apls

Hi Fred,

Indeed I think the barn is a bit too small. The rest looks very good to me.
For me, you don't need to hurry right now. This week is my last week before my vacation. I'll be in France for two weeks with my family. I will leave Saturday the 6th. We will return Sunday the 21st. After that I'll have time to lot. I can't wait!

Have a good time.

supremec, thanks.
FrankU, don't worry, I am not hurrying anything, I just go as I can. ;) Have a nice vacation btw. La famille en France, es-ce que ca veut dire que tu parle francais aussi?

Quote from: jmyers2043 on July 30, 2011, 04:29:16 AM
Hey Fred

I'm not sure if you're looking for a comment on the silos or not. But here it goes - I deal with white glow the following ways ...

I did a sphere inside a sphere using a texture set to 70% opacity for this water tower. Adjust the opacity to achieve the amount or the lack of amount of shine you're shooting for.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fgmaxpaint_01.jpg&hash=6c528504ee203a4dc4aa73e513c92eedb069f19d)

Adding the second object works fine but my first choice is to add a glossiness map to the texture. Other maps will probably work but I didn't experiment that much. Change the shader basic parameter to metal. Adjusting the specular level and glossiness for a wide short hump will get you in the ball park.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fgmaxpaint_05.jpg&hash=50ef6d4bd7fcb5d1fdae28e6364f2de9bc33acc2)

The drivers compartment of this cement pump truck would be a total white glow otherwise.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fgmaxpaint_02.jpg&hash=75cdff8e1d67ff333e47680c11fe6a2dc34d31ad)



Good Luck

- Jim

Well Jim, bad news......lol
I tried what you showed me, but nothing works and I cannot find the way to go where it says. I am not that far into "gmax'ing" yet, I don't even know how to make things transparent, using the opacity changes nothing in my gmax,  and I'm not even able to open the pages (left side) you showed above....lol. Maybe it's better to leave everything as is. Thanks anyways, surely appreciated.

Fred

Quick question, are you planning on releasing these as lots at all? Or just a prop pack, as with some other of your files.

,marsh :)

Bonjour Ferd,

J'ai appris le français à l'école, mais je parle très mal.

So, please, let's continue in English?

I saw a small thing on your images that I overlooked yesterday.
In the third image you can see that the three grain silos are standing behind the stack of pallets. Nevertheless the silo covers the upper corner of the stack. Suddenly it appears to be floating in air. I see that behaviour on more props. It is quite annoying. Because I do not BAT I don't know what to do about it. I guess it has something to do with LOD? Is it repairable? That would be nice.

Really good work on a subject which was deserted. Farms in this game have always been so far from what we have in France an globally in Europe.

Thus I enjoy your new addition more european and more realistic.

I join FrankU you surely have a problem of LOD (picture with harvester) but you can fix it easily.

Keep going on this way :)

Quote from: marsh on August 01, 2011, 12:11:42 AM
Quick question, are you planning on releasing these as lots at all? Or just a prop pack, as with some other of your files.

,marsh :)

Yes, these will be released as a Proppack first (MFP Vol1), but ONLY after FrankU has released his farmlots made with these and other props. After all this, I will continue to model my MFP Vol 2 Pack and then I will make some lots myself to be released also. Meanwhile, maybe others will create some lots with these props and upload them, which I will certainly allow to do with my proppack.

MFP = Modern Farm Props

Girafe, thanks and of course I will "fix" it. ;)

FrankU, yes this floating prop is caused while a prop is within the limits of another prop. The barn and the grainsilos were rendered (as a landmark) in one piece, therefore creating a bigger prop with bigger LOD's and I didn't bother customizing the LOD's for this, since this was supposed to be only a simple example picture of what could be done with these props.  In this case, it looks like the grainsilos are floating, but it is the Maxis prop (Palletstack) that is causing it, being inside the LOD's of the silo/barn render. I should have tossed the Maxisprop over a little before making the picture, but I didn't see it (or recognize it) in the LE.
Actually this is not a problem at all, it is all a matter of placing the props in the right places, no repair needed, the actual and final render will take care of that.
So, don't worry, you will be able to make your lots as before without "floating" props. Nothing different with my props as all the others you have worked with. ;)

Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on August 01, 2011, 07:29:13 AM
Yes, these will be released as a Proppack first (MFP Vol1), but ONLY after FrankU has released his farmlots made with these and other props.

So this is just to put pressure on me in order to let me finish my farm lots as quick as possible!
OK, I will do my best once my vacation is over and the props are available to me.

Maybe in that respect it is a relief to you that I skipped the idea of making custom queries. I have been fooling around a bit with queries, but I felt a bit lost. And I also felt that my urge to make queries is smaller that the complexity of the matter.

Quote from: FrankU on August 01, 2011, 07:47:28 AM

Quote from: mrbisonm on August 01, 2011, 07:29:13 AM
Yes, these will be released as a Proppack first (MFP Vol1), but ONLY after FrankU has released his farmlots made with these and other props.

So this is just to put pressure on me in order to let me finish my farm lots as quick as possible!
OK, I will do my best once my vacation is over and the props are available to me.

Maybe in that respect it is a relief to you that I skipped the idea of making custom queries. I have been fooling around a bit with queries, but I felt a bit lost. And I also felt that my urge to make queries is smaller that the complexity of the matter.

Nah, pressure? Not from me, just take the time needed to make the lots, they....ehem &Thk/(....can wait. ;)

You'll be in topshape anyways when you come back from vacation, aren't you? ???
Glad that you decided not to make custom queries, I wonder even if some of the players really look at them, I don't. ::)

Fred

I hardly ever look at them too. Just when I am playing with CAMeLots I sometimes take a look what growth stage a certain lot is. I'd like to add that information to my queries, but hey... as you said: we surely can live without that.
I could always make a version 2.0 of my lots when I have mastered the art of querymaking.

I decided to take some vacation with my wife, so rendering all these will be done only next week or so, depending if I take 10 days or more to relax in the old town of Québec City. :)

Fred

Vacation well deserved :)

Really impressive work! Looking forward to it's release.

...rendering...

(everything above and more is being rendered, it takes a long time....oufff, most barns and stables are done, starting silos and manure pits maybe this weekend.)

Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on August 19, 2011, 10:31:08 AM
...rendering...
(everything above and more is being rendered.)

Well....That's it, half of it is done and shown below. This is  the MFP1 Vol 1 Part 1
I have decided to create two different datfiles for this pack for the simple reason that some players would only like the barns, while others the accessories. So there's a Part 1 and Part 2, two datfiles.

The first half of the MFP1_Vol1 (Modern Farm Proppack) contains all the barns and stables of the pack. These are mostly european models (some north-american), but can be easily used for other countries, since modern building style of farms are more or less similar in most countries these days. It contains 21 barns/stables models, all have different textures and different details to make the variety more interesting.

It took me a couple of weeks to remodel, re-size the models and re-texture some of them, besides the usual malfunction of the gmax render that sometimes only renders half or bizarre forms etc and myself not being beside my computer all the time.

But I've done it. The other half will contain the haystacks, manurepits, silos, sheds and other smaller things on a farm. It will be easier and also faster to render because of their much smaller sizes.
The MFP1 Vol1 Part 2 should be out within two weeks. I already have started remodeling some of them.

Now, later this year, there will be a MFP1 Vol 2, which will contain more north-american and some african and asian barns and other "farmstuff". There will be only one file though.

And this winter I will make the MFP2 set, which will contain some goodies for "other kind" of farming (kept secret for the moment). I don't know yet, if there will be a Part 1 and 2, because the ideas I have sofar are close to be made into two big files.

These files will be send to b]FrankU[/b] for the lotmaking first and when he has finished his lots, only then will the proppack be released for everyone to create their farms. I might do some north-american farms lots (growable) later myself, maybe even add some new and/or more realistic cropfields if I can think of some.

Meanwhile I will continue to render the second part of this set.
Hope you farmlovers will all enjoy these. ;)

Fred

Wish me better luck with the darn gmax render.......geeeez, I wish they would make a program that works 100% sometimes.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg828.imageshack.us%2Fimg828%2F2479%2Fsandbox227.jpg&hash=619de087a1dc5c7649f27bdc2148fc220520af99)

Not all the 21 models are shown here......

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg27.imageshack.us%2Fimg27%2F4840%2Fsandbox228.jpg&hash=3d03598c0692cd8235ef9773d525e7ab2cfb689f)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg577.imageshack.us%2Fimg577%2F5721%2Fsandbox229.jpg&hash=a456102eb9bf81a2b5cce9e36ce7011a62a3995e)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg585.imageshack.us%2Fimg585%2F6347%2Fsandbox230.jpg&hash=d13fc00d34f2f873edcf505722a5b2c4429658f5)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg850.imageshack.us%2Fimg850%2F7933%2Fsandbox231.jpg&hash=b52f6f56a07fdf9323d675a072143136d8e81d42)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg687.imageshack.us%2Fimg687%2F4442%2Fsandbox232.jpg&hash=97a7ed7c84a1b220600d5c9d97edf0cc4d17fde1)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg813.imageshack.us%2Fimg813%2F8989%2Fsandbox233.jpg&hash=50a1a4e425c7fd5f5e6b43349e4a8e785def2c3f)

these will definately be appreciated by all once they are released, as props, and as franku's great lots.  fantastic work and dedication.   :)

Hello Fred ,

I'm following the progresses of that stunning rural props collection . Great collaboration with Frankiboy (  :D ) ... humm , sorry ...

Can't wait to play myself with most of these jewels ( the most european ones ) ...  ;)

Thank you in advance !

&apls &apls &apls

Cédric.

Thanks jmdude1 and Cedric,

I am sure it will be quite pleasing to play with the lots that FrankU will achieve with these. Wait 'till you see the rest.... ;)

fred

Some news about the MFP 1 Pack (Modern Farm Props).
Since I had some health problems lately, I am a little late on rendering these dozens and dozens of modern north-american and euro (dutch) farmprops. Now that I have all the time needed to finish them, so FrankU can soon start his lots with these and other props, I am glad to announce that I am about to finish them all. It' all a matter of a few days.
Right now as we are speaking, I am on my laptop that I took along to Aspen, Colorado in the US.(glad that I installed my gmax on it yesterday, but forgot some texturepacks) I have some finishing buissness to do here for maybe a day or two and then I'm back in the plane to home, where I will continue rendering hopefully on Tuesday.
While one computer is working everytime I have some time (which I have a lot these days, since my docteurs told me to take it easy on me), I am on another computer working on my MD "The Winding River Project" and already starting to build some props of the MFP 2, the second Modern Farm prop pack.
This one will be covering the futuristic department of agriculture like today and tomorrow and also the farming that we don't see too often. (sorry I won't show a picture because I want to keep this idea for myself at the moment). To show or to give you a glimpse of what the second Pack will contain, here is something (1 of dozens again) under construction. These models will not be science fiction, but buildings etc that are in the planning, developping, building or already existing since a short time.

Hope you will all enjoy the first pack with FrankU's lots soon and my north-american modern farms coming later.

Ok now, let's see if I brought along something warm to put on, kinda frisky here in Aspen tonight.

Fred

This will be for cabbage....

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg341.imageshack.us%2Fimg341%2F6058%2Fmfp2preview.jpg&hash=023a44a1872e8a395b05c46caa66bfabc54163ce)

Oh yeah, more futuristic stuff &dance

A beautiful glass house Fred!
It is that you are going to add the glass, aren't you? Otherwise it may only be a very expensive lightning distractor?

Quote
add the glass, aren't you?

Yes Frank, &hlp I am in the learning process of creating transparent texture with gmax. Looking for tutorials......


fred

Farms are great, but it seems that the textures are a little too clean. They imparted to stain lightly, and sometimes some rust on metal roofs.
Besides, they are great.

Quote from: DaveN on November 07, 2011, 12:26:58 PM
Farms are great, but it seems that the textures are a little too clean. They imparted to stain lightly, and sometimes some rust on metal roofs.
Besides, they are great.

You didn't look carefully enough, there are several roofs with a little rust. Old farm buildings have a lot of rust, I agree with you, but this pack I am doing is a MODERN FARM PACK (MFP) and buildings are usually less than 10 years old. I own a farm myself, 14 years old, no rust, no stains and all other farms around me aren't stainier or rustier, unless they're old farms (25 years or more), of which there are already many props available on the Net. ;)

Fred

Great ideas, great building! Keep it up!

- rambuckel

hello how's it goin' man...where can i find those rail guards/chain link fence you use on your lot/bats (nexis water pumping station)? are they included in any prop packs? thanks bro

QuoteWish me better luck with the darn gmax render.......geeeez, I wish they would make a program that works 100% sometimes.

mine does ^^

very nice barns, I could use them yep :) and the futuristic farm looks nice too, just need some glass XD

Quote from: jlasao790 on March 04, 2012, 04:58:40 AM
hello how's it goin' man...where can i find those rail guards/chain link fence you use on your lot/bats (nexis water pumping station)? are they included in any prop packs? thanks bro

These fences are Maxis props, just open the LE and look for "Solar power fences", somewhere in the UT section on the bottom of the Maxis list.

Quote from: gn_leugim on March 04, 2012, 05:29:21 AM

QuoteWish me better luck with the darn gmax render.......geeeez, I wish they would make a program that works 100% sometimes.

mine does ^^

very nice barns, I could use them yep :) and the futuristic farm looks nice too, just need some glass XD

Have a better computer now, they seem to render a little better. The glass is still under progress, have to find a tutorial how to make things transparent first.. ;)

Fred

...sorry, the "edit" button doesn't seem to work....


I am making all custom LOD's with my barn models, but since I am doing all of them (all three) individually and it takes about 4 to 6 hours only to make one, I was wondering if there is a better way to make custom LOD's.
Right now I am doing them using the vortexes and shifting the blue points until they fit better to the model, starting with LOd3, then LOD4 and them LOD5. A real pain in the "whatsoever".
I have been looking for a custom LOD tutorial, but couldn't find one, not even with google. Maybe I am not using the right word, but I would appreciate some help with custom LOD's or a linkie to a complete tutorial how to make them, because I am getting discouraged to make them as I do and spend a whole week only for a few BATs.
Thanks in advance.


Fred

About the LODs I can copy paste a topic I debated on ST before:

QuoteFirst you have to erase the original LODs. Second, don't ever use the "refit lods" function or you will be back to ground zero lol.

then to make the LODs, simply create the shape, in you case I would make, from the top view, a spline with the outline of the building and then extrude to the building's hight. Take that shape, copy it twice and name the shapes LOD3 LOD4 and LOD5, and there you go ;)
(...)
I recommend using a poly rather than a spline for the LODs, or at least converting the extruded spline to an editable poly. I've just had fewer issues making custom LODs that way after it's been exported.

that's pretty much it. I had no issues so far doing this.

given the shape of the barns, I would go front view instead of top. but that is up to you, just model the lods and turn them into a Mesh or Poly and name them accordantly.

about the glass transparency, I have a question, you mean, glass trasparent at gmax or at game??

hey thanks bro.found it

Hi Fred,

I'm creating custom LODs the same way. But I do not create every single LOD. I just modify one LOD and clone it twice afterwards. Just name the LODs "LOD3" "LOD4" "LOD5" when the BAT suggests a name for the clone.

Maybe this helps a little bit.

Theresa

gn_leugim , If I understood this right, I can use just a simple box of the size of the model, copy it twice (3times in all), name them to LOD3, LOD4, LOD5, turn them into meshes and use the vortexes to fit the model tighter, save and render?

Is that all?...... &Thk/(

jlasao790, welcome, and btw, you can stack them twice high to make higher fences. ;)

rambuckel, kinda dumb of me of not having thought to copy paste the second and third box.....geeeeez. &mmm
Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

I wonder why there ain't a tut about custom LOD's...?

Fred

Hi Fred.  There is a tutorial (HERE (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=158.msg5114#msg5114)), but yeah, all a custom LOD would be is a shape you made like any other.  Just name it LOD3 and clone it.  You don't want to make a box though, this is the what BAT makes anyway.


Are you making custom LODs for the barns at the top of this page? Link (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=7835.msg397068#msg397068).  There are few there that I would say need a custom LOD, but such is your (and franks) choice.   There is one barn "MFP1-Barn-LR-SheetmetalBegie-M3" that has a small shed attached to it.  You might want a custom LOD for that, but you may consider rendering the shed as a separate piece.

I don't think it should take 4-5 hours per LOD though.  For your barns that are the same size, you only need to make the LOD once.  Then, with your other models click "File", "Merge", select the first model, and then bring in LOD3, 4, and 5.

The circular manure bins would benefit the most from a custom LOD, and Gn_leugim's method would be what I would do.  The ultimate goal is to have the simplest LOD possible.  For that bin that you sloped the LOD over the manure, I wouldn't do that.  Just raise the sides of the whole thing to make the top of the LOD flat.

Here I have constructed a little manure bin of my own:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg408.imageshack.us%2Fimg408%2F7649%2F87895074.jpg&hash=80d4f9b610f019494faf1bd9df70a85149091318)

To make the LOD, select "Shapes" and then "N-Gon".  Create an N-Gon about the size of your bin and center it (hopefully the bin is centered too :) ).  Once you have centered the shape, extrude it by the proper amount.  The most important fart of this is that "Segments" is set to 1 (The "segements" option is right below the amount you want to extrude by).

Finally, click on the modifier tab for the N-Gon.  Below the radius settings, is an option for "inscribed" or for "circumscribed".  Select circumscribed, this will make the radius be the inner edge of the n-gon (check it out with your own BAT).  Below this option is "Sides".  For this image, I have selected to have four sides (also see that I'm counting 12 polygons, this is the right amount).

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg805.imageshack.us%2Fimg805%2F6610%2F93047481.jpg&hash=ad49f8a6bd1b0a0b9dbdc6a16559c94963784cb9)

When Frank says "This isn't tight enough" ( :) ), all you have to do is increase the number of sides.  I wouldn't make it greater than 8, and I think I would choose to have 5.  The more sides, the tighter the LOD.  However, this is at a cost of game performance.  Simple is better I would say.

Hi Fred,

Hopefully these advices help you to finish the stuff without too much sweatdrops!

Pretty much. we have to think that LODs are just shapes, as all others but, they are very important because they are what we see in the game. was a way for maxis decrease the complexity of the models on game and increase performance. in short, the gmax takes pictures of the building/prop and then snap it to the LODs, accordantly to the zoom and orientation parameters. So in the end what you have after render is a bunch of boxes with snapshots applied to them. If you change the LOD, instead of boxes you will have the new shape you made for the LODs. that simple.

So, some advices:

• first try to avoid custom LODs, I only use them for special situations (like some vine props I made in which I wanted to be able to have other props below visible)
  
• keep them as simple possible. forget the little details, just look at the overall shape of the building/prop
• don't go underground, keep the LOD at and/or above Z=0

Thanks Lowkee33, that was quite simple and easy to understand and very useful. Jeronij's tut I have seen, but way to complicated and not quite applyable to my models I think.

Hey FranKU, I'm back..lol, this time with more info on LOD's and experience. ;)

gn_leugim, thanks for the 3 advices, most useful.

I'll be back on the job now.....


Fred

As much as I tried and re-tried again following all your people's tuts, I cannot seem to make those *!%**&!"|#+§*  models to fit and render with custom LOD's. Whenever I carefully fit them, at the rendering time, the original rectangular LOD comes back, although we can see the original custum LOD in between. Is that normal??
Yes, I made three copies naming them each LOD1,LOD2 and LOD3.
Yes, I saved them like this before rendering.
Yes, I deleted all three original LOD's before making the custome ones.

Being and having become a real timeconsuming and painstaking challenge, I decided that FrankU will have to do with what I can offer. I do NOT feel like going over these props again , for the fourth time....
Let's say that I had enough of these programs that don't work with me and also crash or render wrongly many times before one good one comes out, so...that's it for this Part 1 of the Proppack.
If I don't stop this somewhere, this pack will never find it's way to the "market".
I hope that they are good enough for FrankU to make us some awsome farms.

Here's a picture of what happens before and during renderings,

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg11.imageshack.us%2Fimg11%2F9837%2Favantm.jpg&hash=7b78bd5c7ace08f8890365f1fb4401c49f762b4f)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg641.imageshack.us%2Fimg641%2F7728%2Fapresr.jpg&hash=898e37a5dd1c6e8e79379c2448f422795ad0f58b)

Part One contains all the major buildings, such as barns and stables. There are 24 of them, some euro some northams.
The first part will be sent to Frank this weekend, and I will start rendering the second part, which contain the smaller props, such as manure piles, hay, silos, etc. This pack will be rendered only ones and therefor it will take a whole less time than the first.

Here's one of the newer models included in this Part of the Proppack (one of the largest ones), many others have been shown before in this thread.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg832.imageshack.us%2Fimg832%2F3808%2F351ry.jpg&hash=fff1ec00e33c7ce10413517a4966ea3603f71e20)

Thanks for helping, guys. ;)

Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on March 14, 2012, 06:31:41 PM
Yes, I made three copies naming them each LOD1,LOD2 and LOD3.

Name them LOD3, LOD4, and LOD5.   ;)

Whatever LOD you make though, I'm sure it will be great. :)

Lowkee is right, you should name them LOD3, LOD4 and LOD5.
Mind you: the script will still automatically create boxed-shapes LODs for zoom 1 and 2, and depending on whether you use gmax or a bat4max script you will still see those appear during rendering. But do not worry about the boxed LODs, if you have named your custom LODS number 3,4,5 it should be fine.
Good luck

Alex

Sorry about the "error" in my last post, but I actually named them LOD3, LOD4 and LOD5. I just misspelled the numbers in my post.

If xannepan is right and if I understood correctly , then the custom LOD's should be fine? Even though a box appears when rendering?

Yahoo, I really hope so, because I put a lot of time and energy in these things. I will have a look at them this weekend together with other props close to the model in the LE and then the game.

Thanks guys.

Fred



*
....and while I'm here, here is another new included model in the Mainpack, more of an Euro look.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg688.imageshack.us%2Fimg688%2F6758%2F352p.jpg&hash=7ba23514c022a5be44abe3cc357bbe288222a279)

Hello from South Carolina, Fred!

Quote from: mrbisonm on March 14, 2012, 06:31:41 PM
Here's a picture of what happens before and during renderings,

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg11.imageshack.us%2Fimg11%2F9837%2Favantm.jpg&hash=7b78bd5c7ace08f8890365f1fb4401c49f762b4f)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg641.imageshack.us%2Fimg641%2F7728%2Fapresr.jpg&hash=898e37a5dd1c6e8e79379c2448f422795ad0f58b)

This happens to me about 1/3 of the times when making LODs for foundations. However, my custom LOD will be the one that is exported and used by the game. Even if I get that 'extra LOD' when clicking the export button.  Foundations, water lots such as piers, and I suppose bridges, require very tight LODs. This brings me to my comment. I can understand an above ground LOD at times. Example, if I wish to nestle a specific prop into the rear corner of this farm building. But I can not fathom the need of a custom LOD for the rectangular building in your example ???  And suggest that you may be spending time with little to be gained.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fmrb01.jpg&hash=b28ce1976194e5553be155b8b3bbae6ed44d9e84)


- Jim

Hey Jim, greetings from cold Quebec (getting warmer day by day now ;) )

Yeah, I can understand why you say that I am putting too much time into my rendering of props, but this is what FrankU partially suggested. He realized that putting a regular prop close to my props with boxed LOD's make them look as if they float. Of course this is a sign that one prop LOD is trying to enter the "private space" , as I call it, of another prop LOD.
This can be illiminated by making tighter LOD's. Of course, one can overdo it and that is probably what happened in my case (still new to this)  &Thk/(.

As the rectangular model above does actually NOT need a custom LOD (the slanted roof) in your opinion, I made it so that a silo can be placed, and seen not interfering with the mainprop LOD, right on top of the building auch as the one seen in the second picture below.

But let me tell you, you are more or less right, Jim, when you say that I am spending time with little or no gain. And I learn and probably will make the future LOD's of the props of the second set less custom. (or at least less tighter and/or less complicated)

Here's a picture (the second one below) of such a building with a silo prop on it's roof, as we see quite often here in Quebec, a matter of taking less space and giving more freedom for machinery around the main buildings.
The first picture shows a model that absolutely needs a custom LOD if we want to place silos, manure or haybale piles close to it on the side where the dairyhouse is.

I will finish my first pack this coming weekend and it will be on the way to test and FranKU will be able to start his farmlots with the mainbuildings at least.
Next week I will start rendering all the other smaller props.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg6.imageshack.us%2Fimg6%2F8823%2F356fe.jpg&hash=b9328c0b9c01fce047f9539f699646dd1e580acf)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg213.imageshack.us%2Fimg213%2F1413%2F354h.jpg&hash=1d13f6ac33281423e20a3e0306959b86949c582d)

Hi guys,

The discussion in this thread makes me even more detemined to stay away from BATting....  ;)

Fred, I hope all is going well. At least the extra barn is very good looking with beautiful textures for a less maintained farm! I look forward to your set.
Anyway I will wait with finishing the set until I receive your second set of props, because small barns, haystacks and the like will have a large effect on my farms. I hope I will not feel obliged to redo a lot of them, but hey; that's the risk I took when I started lotting without having all the props. It's an adventure I really like. I just hope it's going to be finished before Simcity 5 takes all our attention!  ()what()  :'(

Frank

Quote from: FrankU on March 16, 2012, 01:32:26 AM
. I just hope it's going to be finished before Simcity 5 takes all our attention!

That will be one expensive game as I'll need a new computer. My compter is nearing it's 10 anniversary as I purchased it in Dec, 2002. I may be the last person on earth still tinkering around with SC4    :D 

Good explanation, Fred. My minds eye sees a family of props that will give the same building/farm a different look. Great idea!

- Jim

Quote from: jmyers2043 on March 16, 2012, 06:41:05 AM
I may be the last person on earth still tinkering around with SC4

- Jim

No, I'll play the game SC4 too ...

Quote from: Silur on March 16, 2012, 07:25:35 AM

Quote from: jmyers2043 on March 16, 2012, 06:41:05 AM
I may be the last person on earth still tinkering around with SC4

- Jim

No, I'll play the game SC4 too ...

me too, my gaming computer is from 2003. I just bought a new one though for the house and on which I am creating and rendering my farmset. Not funny, when you think of it that I got Win7 on the new 'puter and changed it for win XP.....lol...that was almost the cause of a divorce with my wife.......so, I had to buy another one for her, with win7 of course....Geeeez, I hate win7.

Anyways. Hey Frank, don't worry, ALL the props should be ready by the end of the month. I will send you the first set this weekend or on Monday at the latest. I would like you to test them a little, if possible. That would help me out a lot. ;) Thanks.

Fred

Everyone can have absolute certainty that many will still play SC4. especially those who enjoy the game the way the community has changed.

Modify the content of the game along the lines of what happens today will not be possible in the eventual release of the new Simcity (EA have not called SC5) and it certainly will keep many players accustomed to these changes "in which you do not have to pay anything more ". playing in the universe of SC4.

Quote from: mrbisonm on March 16, 2012, 08:27:29 AM

Not funny, when you think of it that I got Win7 on the new 'puter and changed it for win XP.....lol...that was almost the cause of a divorce with my wife.......so, I had to buy another one for her, with win7 of course....Geeeez, I hate win7.
Fred

I had to buy another PC with Win7 for my daughter ;D ;D ;D
Fred and Frank - YOU creating excellent objects. Good luck ... 

dont worry, there will be plenty of people playing and modeling for sc4 yet ^^ like me for instance XD

To make me leave behind SC4 will take one hell of a SC5, which I doubt very much will happen soon. The community has made it so that it will almost stay eternal.

I still play CIV III, although CIV IV and V have been available for quite awhile , and what's even weird, I have both of them, played a little and then.........I got bored and went back to CIV III.
That is most certainly going to happen with SC5, I will buy it, try it for a couple of weeks or months and then nostalgia will bring me back to SC4.

Fred

The OSITM Team has made the OSITM section a little broader and more exciting by introducing works from our resident BATters, LOTters and MODders. 
mrbisonm has been choosen as our first for his remarkable works all around but especially his recent farming models!  A very well deserved candidate!!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi901.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac213%2FBSCLEX%2FNexisWorks5-12.jpg&hash=9996a185a93e96c0bb89806d9f07146c56815cd5)

Let's give a huge congratulations for mrbisonm being our first BATter in the OSITM section.
Congrats from The SC4D Staff!!! &apls &apls

Congratulations on being selected for the first custom content OSITM  &apls &apls

The farm project has been great to follow so far and I can't wait to see what you have for us this month!

Congratulations, your hard work features in many of my MD cities!  Looking forward to seeing what this latest farm looks like! 

Thank You for putting me up here as a first, and I will surely try to fulfill the curiosity of the members with our BAT and LOT project. FrankU and I will be on that projects for the next weeks, maybe even months.

One thing though, especially mentioned for rooker1, our co-operative thread should be here instead of our individual BAT and LOT threads.


http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=14150.80

We will be working there until this project is finished and only use our "other" projects in these threads shown here in the OSITM and which will be more or less quieter than the other thread.
Is it possible to change this? If not, I suppose we will arrange ourselves that you get a full view of the project in this thread.

Here is just a sample of what's coming up and in the working. Thank you for the interest.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg15.imageshack.us%2Fimg15%2F6896%2Fbarnmodel24.jpg&hash=b19b69d5b4a7e0a04efc44906aa8b050f8bbf815)

Fred

All three threads are in OSITM for now.  I have done this because I believe we want your individual threads spot lighted and to recieve the reward, but I can't see any reason right now why a joint thread could also be awarded the a reward for each memeber in the one thread.  I'll leave it this way for now, but you two can use your joint thread for the rest of the month to show case your works.

Robin

So here too: congrats!  :thumbsup:
I love Your BATs, and i use some of them on my island. And i think there is no nexis BAT i missed to download if available.
I will come back, no, i´ll have to...  ;)
Greetz, Carl

Just to give some feedback in my almost forgotten BAT-thread, so you folks know what's going on with my BATting projects elsewhere.

As you know I have been working on the MFP1 Project (ModernFarmProps1) for the last 6 months or more and finished by now the Mainbuildings (barns and stables), also most of the dry manure piles and about to finish the liquid manure tanks. That Project can be seen with many more details  on a co-operative thread with FrankU here:

http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=14150.160

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg217%2F4758%2Fsandboxcity366.jpg&hash=bf65175a3a1224750352645250efdb18001fb9fa)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg855%2F9673%2F434m.jpg&hash=58a431557a0ed4cda1c8b3bbc9faf334ab6cfff8)

Then on Peg's site, I started to work on something different by demand. My first MMP, driftwood. Something to plop on beaches or on old  logged areas to make them even more realistic looking. Here are some pictures.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg545%2F9378%2Fdriftwood2.jpg&hash=b3f04d6cc73a1205370e101801b9b609da2dc89a)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg543%2F7951%2Ftreestump4.jpg&hash=da163c9a6703c8b436ac6b9170b3aa51278d61ae)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg846%2F1931%2Ftreestump7.jpg&hash=251645a571208cd80b4943a82436bc8e8c94d1d7)

Since I have no knowledge on how to make MMP's and no time to learn for the moment, silur will make them for me, while I do the BATting.
There will be 8 to 10 models to plop with different sizes and textures. The last picture will be a final model and alos the last one to plop.

I will keep you all informed here how this project will realize itself, but it will take some time though, since the MFP1 and Real Life is taking a lot of space at the moment.
Some more can be seen on Simpeg's site here:

http://www.simpeg.com/forum/index.php?topic=10276.new#new

Have Fun with Nexis........ ;)

Fred

EDIT: one more picture of that last log ingame on a beach.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg688%2F9338%2Fgoosebay1.jpg&hash=9dc4d4485b5f9d73f34829905ac9619b6b7033ec)

looks great. :D

Quote from: Aaron Graham on June 25, 2012, 03:00:04 PM
looks great. :D

I agree  :P ...  :thumbsup: like the tweaking on the manure pits; the 'scaling' feels more 'right'

Ok, go ahead and laugh.......I simply forgot to bring back the image in gmax to normal view, where you can see the panels, instead of the wireframe. Could someone please help?

(going nuts trying to figure out how it's done)

Thanks

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg232%2F6168%2F339y.jpg&hash=13453fcd56bb0991797d4a5ee9b27e7ae1025cdd)

Right-click on the window title in this case saying "Perspective"
then I think its called View -> Textured or something.

Some great work you are doing.

Doesn't seem to work, no texture something under views.......Thanks.
Anyone else have an idea?

Started up gmax.

Right-click on "Perspective" in the top left corner of the window:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi40.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fe242%2Fvester_DK%2FDiv%2FSmooth.jpg&hash=88c4994357e69e95744bff43262df3c31181e94d)
Click on Smooth + Highlights

Thanks vester, that worked. Now I have another problem, maybe by clicking all kinds of things to get the first one fixed.
Whenever I click on the model or parts and move them, they become wireframe, but get back to full boxes once released, which also makes the arrows on the "select and Move" look different and harder to pick.

Thanks again. And I promiss not to touch anything else anymore without knowing what I am doing..... ;)

Fred


(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg839%2F9384%2F340dy.jpg&hash=9bbf994f09d511f6e11cd72a101cadb294d0f994)

Not that I have a habit to bump my own threads/posts, but in this case I would like to continue to BAT without being obliged to re-install gmax.
I don't want to "try" this and that in case Iwill freak out the whole program anfd make a mess that I will never be able to clear. So please, I could need a little "push" (help) here.

Quote from: mrbisonm on July 14, 2012, 02:10:48 PM
Whenever I click on the model or parts and move them, they become wireframe, but get back to full boxes once released, which also makes the arrows on the "select and Move" look different and harder to pick.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg839%2F9384%2F340dy.jpg&hash=9bbf994f09d511f6e11cd72a101cadb294d0f994)

Thanks folks. ;)

Fred

are you sure is about gmax defenitions and not a problem with that model's normals? does it happen when you create other file and/or open other models?

Quote from: gn_leugim on July 21, 2012, 02:16:18 PM
are you sure is about gmax defenitions and not a problem with that model's normals? does it happen when you create other file and/or open other models?

Nothing to do with this particular model, since the all gmax files are like this when I open them, even if I want to start a new model and backset everything to new.. Kinda keeping me away from modeling my stuff and I don't want to re-install the program again...... Thanks for the help.


Fred

Sorry to say I have no experience with Gmax so my only suggestion would be to ask around in related fora, like TurboSquid (http://www.turbosquid.com/Forum/Index.cfm/stgAct/ForumList/intGroupID/1004). It's probably another checkbox or something, surely someone will know which one exactly. Hope you can go back BATting soon.

btw, did you get this issue (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=14918.msg427839#msg427839) fixed?

Quote from: vortext on July 23, 2012, 12:04:24 PM
Sorry to say I have no experience with Gmax so my only suggestion would be to ask around in related fora, like TurboSquid (http://www.turbosquid.com/Forum/Index.cfm/stgAct/ForumList/intGroupID/1004). It's probably another checkbox or something, surely someone will know which one exactly. Hope you can go back BATting soon.

btw, did you get this issue (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=14918.msg427839#msg427839) fixed?

Oh Geeeeezz, I don't want to become a member over at turboaquid only to ask one question. There must be someone here that can help.

Btw Vortext, I gave up on that other problem that I have with the graphic card or whatever that iit is or was. I don't play SC4 anymore because of that, I had enough trying to figure out what the problem is. I tried what they said to "adjust", but because my computer is in french I couldn't really tell which boxes to check and no one there seems to know neither, so I tried what I thought would be right and screwed the whole thing up even more than it was.
I even re-installed the freaking game about 3 or 4 times and nothing changed.

Thanks


Fred

gosh, or you have a natural gift to mess around stuff or your graphic card is quite bad (maybe)  &Thk/(

Quote from: gn_leugim on July 24, 2012, 07:46:08 AM
gosh, or you have a natural gift to mess around stuff or your graphic card is quite bad (maybe)  &Thk/(

lol......you bet.....lol. I set it back to where it was (glad I kept a copy of the original). But that didn't solve the problem of the game being so darn slow when plopping roads near tracks though.

Everyone......Still looking for help on my gmax problem (above), please?

Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on July 23, 2012, 04:03:06 PM
I don't play SC4 anymore because of that

&mmm  Wish I could stop by with my french dictionary at hand.

Hope you'll at least get Gmax running properly.

Man, I'll try to dig in in what I know of Gmax to see if I figure out what is wrong with you. Somehow I believe you messed up the render software or the graphical definitions of the program. I'll see what I can find

Quote from: vortext on July 24, 2012, 09:25:21 AM

Quote from: mrbisonm on July 23, 2012, 04:03:06 PM
I don't play SC4 anymore because of that

&mmm  Wish I could stop by with my french dictionary at hand.

Hope you'll at least get Gmax running properly.

Well I tried to translate the best that I know, since I speak fluently several languages, including french, but somehow something else maybe is wrong....
I know that I will get gmax working though, no doubt. The worst can happen is that I will simply re-install it or post a thread like this on ST, where more people look at threads and posts. It's just that no one here that uses or knows gmax well has seen this post yet......
So, I will keep this thread alive and busy until someone that knows the problem comes in..... ;)

Quote from: gn_leugim on July 24, 2012, 01:52:09 PM
Man, I'll try to dig in what I know of Gmax to see if I figure out what is wrong with you. Somehow I believe you messed up the render software or the graphical definitions of the program. I'll see what I can find

I don't think it's much of a deal, because it happened to me some years before and I asked somewhere and got a simple solution, which of course with time I have forgotten. So I think it's just another thing to check on or off or maybe a key on the keyboard that I accidently hit.
I just am too afraid to try them all, in case I screw  up something else again.....lol
Oh Geeez, I will write that down when I find what it is for sure!


Thanks everyone, much appreciated


Fred

QuoteIt's just that no one here that uses or knows gmax well has seen this post yet..

well, that is not true lool I do, Simgoober does (I believe) and we are not the only ones.

well, about gmax issues. I may have an idea (which is better than nothing XD). After trying to mess around in everything, like you did, I wasn't able to replicate your issue. but then I remember, there is a lil .ini file that loads most of definitions when you start up gmax. After checking mine, and removing some stuff that would make sense in your gmax (like directories to my plugs and so) I attach uploade it here. So, go to gmax\gamepacks\BAT\ and there you will find gmax.ini. Make a backup of that, just in case, and place this new one there. try to start gmax and see if it fits and solves your issue.

Dl link: gmax.ini (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/43027605/gmax.ini)

Quote from: gn_leugim on July 25, 2012, 02:07:40 AM

well, about gmax issues. I may have an idea (which is better than nothing XD). After trying to mess around in everything, like you did, I wasn't able to replicate your issue. but then I remember, there is a lil .ini file that loads most of definitions when you start up gmax. After checking mine, and removing some stuff that would make sense in your gmax (like directories to my plugs and so) I attach uploade it here. So, go to gmax\gamepacks\BAT\ and there you will find gmax.ini. Make a backup of that, just in case, and place this new one there. try to start gmax and see if it fits and solves your issue.

Dl link: gmax.ini (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/43027605/gmax.ini)

Well, I told you so that I will find a solution to this one day......lolll. The solution is You! That little .ini file did the trick, the program works as before and the wireframe is gone, even when choosing it. Thanks man, that encourages me to go on with my farm building project. Much appreciated, you're a Genius.

BTW, I kept a copy of that file, just in case something like this happenes again and.......of course, I wrote it down what the problem was and how to fix it. ;)

Thanks again.

Fred

(Now, let's see.....what was I working on last week....... &Thk/( )

Proof that it works fine...............
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg12%2F8171%2F391yh.jpg&hash=cd88093f8bde56959d780b91716dc7029def71d8)

glad it worked :D

now keep on making good BATs :)

Quote from: gn_leugim on July 25, 2012, 02:07:40 AM
Make a backup of that, just in case, and place this new one there. try to start gmax and see if it fits and solves your issue.

Great idea. I have re-installed gmax on several occassions because I was working too fast and clicked something and couldn't figure out how to get my workspace back. I'll make a backup of my ini this evening!!

- Jim

lol....that .ini file could be worth many re-installations to me. ;)

I'm back into BATting tonight.¸
BTW, I am still looking for a good rubber or tire texture, does anyone have one?
I am making farming accessoiries at the moment and can't find a suitable texture for the tires.

Fred

hmm, try here http://www.cgtextures.com/textures.php?t=browse&q=1532

And btw, see, more people use gmax :p

The .ini file is a good suggestion.

For future reference, I think your problem is that you inactivated this button:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi232.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee249%2FDebussyman%2Fbutton.jpg&hash=3b8fc1d449a7d1f5244ea8a2622b49943925cc67)

Quote from: gn_leugim on July 26, 2012, 03:15:53 AM
hmm, try here http://www.cgtextures.com/textures.php?t=browse&q=1532

And btw, see, more people use gmax :p

Thanks, but this one I already tried and I can't really find  the "right" one for agricultural texture, unless I do not really know how to use the UVMaps properly. I guess I will have to continue to try tweaking to fit the texture.
Thanks again.

Quote from: DebussyMan on July 26, 2012, 07:27:08 AM
The .ini file is a good suggestion.

For future reference, I think your problem is that you inactivated this button:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi232.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee249%2FDebussyman%2Fbutton.jpg&hash=3b8fc1d449a7d1f5244ea8a2622b49943925cc67)

I kept this info also and surely will try it when it happens again with this problem. Thanks a lot.


Now, that I have some attention..... ()stsfd()...does someone know how to "soften" up the edges and corners of a box and a cylinder? I would like to round off the sharp edges of these models. Thanks.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg846%2F4951%2F392a.jpg&hash=3d184952045daf8bfaa9130642abc648130758d6)

Add an "Edit mesh" modifier, select the all polygons, in the roll out panel, under "Surface Properties" click on the "clear all" button.

Edit: I missunderstood, just do the opposite, select all polygons and click in "auto smooth". Play with the number on the case next to it.

"Thanks, but this one I already tried and I can't really find  the "right" one for agricultural texture, unless I do not really know how to use the UVMaps properly. I guess I will have to continue to try tweaking to fit the texture.
Thanks again."

well, right textures does not exist. what exists is almost good textures which you tweak till you get the right texture ;)

Quote from: mrbisonm on July 26, 2012, 08:10:00 AM
does someone know how to "soften" up the edges and corners of a box and a cylinder? I would like to round off the sharp edges of these models.

Try this http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=13363.msg385837#msg385837 (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=13363.msg385837#msg385837)


Good Luck - Jim

Quote from: jmyers2043 on July 26, 2012, 09:10:32 AM
Try this http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=13363.msg385837#msg385837 (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=13363.msg385837#msg385837)


Good Luck - Jim

Sorry Jim, I already knew this one, but I am looking for something more "smoother" and rounder. Thanks.

Quote from: gn_leugim on July 26, 2012, 08:35:57 AM
well, right textures does not exist. what exists is almost good textures which you tweak till you get the right texture ;)

lol, you're right. ;)

Quote from: DebussyMan on July 26, 2012, 08:14:42 AM
Add an "Edit mesh" modifier, select the all polygons, in the roll out panel, under "Surface Properties" click on the "clear all" button.

Edit: I missunderstood, just do the opposite, select all polygons and click in "auto smooth". Play with the number on the case next to it.

I don't seem to have the "smooth all" button under surface properties, unless.....I'm not in the right place?

Thanks for helping ya all.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg19%2F8540%2F394vco.jpg&hash=24cfe83908d3ce8594485010443496da99d7b54d)

for smother you can use multiple chamfers and apply a smooth in the end maybe.

You have to be under the "Polygon" submenu. Mind you, you should chamfer the box first, otherwise it will look bad smooth allover.

Thanks guys, but I give up. I have been trying whatever I could for the last three hours and now I am sick and tired of clicking on this and that to achieve rounded edges and not getting anything I want, trying to follow what you all specified but never seem to be able to find what you mean . I can't even find the darn chamfer anymore, there are wayyyyy to many freaking submenues of all kinds of stuff on that program. Too much for me! When I had the chamfer earlier, it did......well nothing, I couldn't click on it, nor change the numbers in that little window below chamfer. Imagine......that gmax really hates me.......lol

I never knew how to detail with gmax and I don't understand all this being explained by bit and pieces. Sorry.
(unless I have a step by step from the beginning to the end)
I even tried what Jim mentioned and I forgot how to do that also, although I knew how to before, but.....I couldn't find how to make it poly editable and then find the chamfer......lol
Well, I stick with what I am doing and that's all.

So, Thank you all for the help, but that's it for me and gmax.(concerning the details) I will continue the things I can do, know how to and understand. ;)

Fred

Edit, why couldn't they just have made something easier to round up things anyways and with 1 or 2 clicks, why so freakin' complicated and difficult to find one of those uncountable submenues?.......geeeez. Maybe I could start off with a ball and slowly make it with sharper edges to achieve what I want to make......lol

Darn!

If it's just a box with round edges at the sides what you want, try making a spline rectangle with corner radius and then extrude.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdesmond.imageshack.us%2FHimg809%2Fscaled.php%3Fserver%3D809%26amp%3Bfilename%3Drectangley.jpg%26amp%3Bres%3Dlanding&hash=18b641f76b8e29ce26a76121afa3a5039bac18d5)

Quote from: DebussyMan on July 26, 2012, 05:35:17 PM
If it's just a box with round edges at the sides what you want, try making a spline rectangle with corner radius and then extrude.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdesmond.imageshack.us%2FHimg809%2Fscaled.php%3Fserver%3D809%26amp%3Bfilename%3Drectangley.jpg%26amp%3Bres%3Dlanding&hash=18b641f76b8e29ce26a76121afa3a5039bac18d5)

No, I wanted to make a few things like this below........

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg715%2F9743%2F33231silagewbales.jpg&hash=7150c18529e3bc126478bb16463371faf3d57b61)

and this......

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg855%2F8342%2Fsquarebaleryegrasshayla.jpg&hash=4237fabcdaf6df2c2fa14051835c12bc12216e26)

..and other things like this.

I would be delighted if someone could make me a simple rectangular box and a cylinder with rounded edges. I know how to make them bigger or smaller and wider and longer and higher, no problem.

Fred

In 3ds max, that's possible. In gmax, your only choice is the chamfer thing. You'll have to do it 2-3 times to get it to look right.

Make your box → right-click on it an then convert to - editable poly → change to wireframe view → go to the "edge" roll-down → select all edges → move the rolling case next to chamfer (It will create more sides in your box → select all edges again → chamfer again. Play with this until you have what you want.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi232.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee249%2FDebussyman%2Fboxcham.jpg&hash=b3aac55524f787f22e140fc1e3b6c30c3734b5cd)

For the cylinder it is the same, only that instead of selecting all edges, just select the ones at the top and the bottom (not the vertical ones)

Ok Thanks, got that worked out fine....and understood, but......

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg138%2F1521%2F395ns.jpg&hash=3150e7d4ad9743d31ba82d1aaf9796e7cd29252f)

...it is not quite what I was looking for. It should be smoother, the edges. Any way to smoothen out these edges even more with gmax?
More chamfer freezes my program to a standstill.

Thanks again, DebussyMan, much appreciated.

Fred

Seems like you overdid the second chamfer, you have to do it just enought to give it more smoothness but not so much as to cross vertexes. Just keep practicing. Once you have 2 chamfers (like the pic I make in the previous post), go to the polygon submenu, select all polygons and then at the bottom of the sidebar shoud be surface properties, play with the auto smooth (write a number and click on the button).

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi232.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee249%2FDebussyman%2Fsmoothcylinder.jpg&hash=34df3414621277c77185673e23a2ed51316ad221)

Quote from: DebussyMan on July 26, 2012, 06:32:47 PM
.... play with the auto smooth (write a number and click on the button).

May I know what number you typed for the model above??? Any number in my window do not smoothen it much, as a matter of fact, hardly.

Thanks


Fred

For a cylinder with a 10m radius, 50 should be enough.

Quote from: DebussyMan on July 26, 2012, 07:01:22 PM
For a cylinder with a 10m radius, 50 should be enough.

Thanks so much, it worked!!! Really appreciated. ;)

Fred

I know, it's been a while, but hey, RL has been biting me heavily since spring and time became a matter of my wealth and health. I am sorry for that, I had some busy times and also some problems with customers and stupid laws. Sometimes law can be a real pain in the a**, especially when you haven't been informed properly. Anyways, after having spent a few K$'s this summers on "stupid laws" (lol) and worked hard like an idiot, I am back almost fulltime (still got to take of my family/home/farm now. At least until spring I will be steady.

I still hope that this project, the MFP (Modern Farm Project) will be ready before the new year. Let's see what I can do. If not, well, it'll be shortly after ;)

I have been working a little (on/off) this project all during the summer and fall, but I must be honest, not very much was achieved. I started a lot of things, but never finished them, so here I come, it's time to finish what I started.

The Main Farm Buildings are almost ready, some very minor adjustments and they will be off to FrankU as finals. So are the Manure Packs. Right now I am wortking on the sheds, machinery/accessories and the silos.

So to give you a Preview of what's coming up, here are two teasers (not quite finished, but looking good already.) I will be delivering you updates once or twice (or more) a week now.

FrankU, when the time comes , please tell me if themodels are to your (general) liking, but please....do not be too difficult, since I have lotsa models to finish (I think something still like 60 or so) ;)

Model 101, is an open shed, but it exists in 3 versions (models3different sizes), plus one closed version, both in 3 to 4 different texture/colour versions.

M101A

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg15.imageshack.us%2Fimg15%2F4250%2F101az.jpg&hash=96d71996aa5e25bc469a54ff837fc3801b003371)

Another form of shed is the domeshaped, Model 103, again there are 2 version, short and long in 2 textured versions each. Shown here is the short version.

M103A

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg37.imageshack.us%2Fimg37%2F5861%2Fm103a.jpg&hash=ec17c6b5b565f1f0e55c027b1885bdb2d977077a)

Hope you like them, I will be back soon with more pics. Leave comments please, no matter if positive or negative, every comment will be studied and considered. Thanks,

Fred

Hope your problems are away, and you will recover a better situation.

Regarding the props, they are nice, no problems of texture tiling, details are here. Somethings maybe typical from North America but could fit in European rural scenes.

Keep going on this way  ;)

Thanks Girafe, I made my models hopefully to fit both continents or even multinational. I surely don't have the time to make them with every continent in mind......lol

Anyways, I am looking for farm machinery/equipment 3ds or gmax models to insert into my buildings. I couldn't find much on the internet. Anyone knows where to get them ?

I have done some, more or less simple ones,(see models above) but again I do not have the time to start making equipments and tractors etc on top of all what I have in mind to make.

That would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Fred

Hi Fred,

Good news!
I hope all went well with or withour the laws and it's lawyers.... Hopefully the amount of k$ was spent well and will be a source of new returns.

Models both look splendid. I am just still not sure if you should make the props inside and next to the sheds as parts of the models. Especially the open shed would be fun to be filled with my own choice of props. But hey, if you deliver them like this I will certainly use them.
And the half round shed is not very common in the Netherlands, but they surely are to be found here and there, so I'll use them as well.
The color of the green is a bit too saturated to my taste.
We call them Romney sheds, named after their inventor, if I am informed corretly. They came this way from the States after World War 2.

Quote from: FrankU on December 03, 2012, 03:58:21 AM
Hi Fred,

Good news!
I hope all went well with or withour the laws and it's lawyers.... Hopefully the amount of k$ was spent well and will be a source of new returns.

Models both look splendid. I am just still not sure if you should make the props inside and next to the sheds as parts of the models. Especially the open shed would be fun to be filled with my own choice of props. But hey, if you deliver them like this I will certainly use them.
And the half round shed is not very common in the Netherlands, but they surely are to be found here and there, so I'll use them as well.
The color of the green is a bit too saturated to my taste.
We call them Romney sheds, named after their inventor, if I am informed corretly. They came this way from the States after World War 2.

Hey Frank, well the lawsuit that I had came out pretty well although it has cost me little fortune to get things straight And those american lawyers... oh my, real a**h*les if you ask me. Anyway, it is the time that I spent on this that has bothered me most, almost a year. Besides, and top of all this, I had one of the busiest years in Canada and Northern Europe this year.

Concerning the models, well, here is another "problem". I realized that making the model with the instruments inside is a lot easier and faster than adjusting the freaking LODs that I have enormous troubles with. You will just have to accept it, since for me, it is impossible to make custom LODs inside a building,( unless you want to wait another year....lol).
No..... jokes by side, Making LODs right into a model is way out of my capacities, unless there's someone out there who is willing to do this for us. I could make the model, send it and have him/her make the LODs, then texture, then render.....but, I don't think anyone will have the time and the willingness to do this for all those models.
I will make some outside LODs though when absolutely needed, which are a lot easier and are more or less a lot less timeconsuming. Although I have the freetime, I don't want to spend it entirely on LODding, taking the chance to loose interest in my Modern Farm Proppack.(MFP)

I will check the green on the round shed, maybe I find something better. About the model being more north-american, true, but these models will serve for euro and northamerican as much as possible. As you said, you folks on the old continent surely have something familiar and will be able to use them also. I will try too keep the models "international" as much as I can. In the barn pack already are almost 40 to 45 % of the models European.

Lat night I made another model, more dutch or euro I hope (example from one your pictures), I will probably finish it tonight and show a picture of it later. I will also send you a model file that I want you to test. It is an empty shed (open door), you can test it for "inside" ploppables, but mostly I would like to know your opinion on the scale. Once you agreed on it, then I will have a base to make all the others the same scale. I personnally think it should be ok, but then as you know, I hate scaling for SC4 and haven't been totally satisfied yet with anything I made. ;) Please do not forget that the big red Maxis tractor is totally out of scale and don't use it as comparison.

Greetings


Anyone out there knows where to find machinery models in 3DS or gmax?????? Thanks


Fred

Great work so far!!!!! What kind of machinery are you thinking of?

Quote from: rambuckel on December 03, 2012, 01:49:04 PM
Great work so far!!!!! What kind of machinery are you thinking of?

Anything that can be found on a farm, such as tractors, plowing, harvesting and haying implements, trailers etc.

I just want to have some stuff to put partially into my machinerysheds, because making the LOD's for the inside of a shed is too complicated for me.

Fred

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/ (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/)

Quote from: Girafe on December 03, 2012, 05:00:23 PM
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/ (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/)

lol...yeah, I saw that one, but like I said, it's gotta be 3ds or gmax, I don't have scetchup and these files do NOT work (transfer) in gmax.  &mmm

Here are three more models that I am about to finish.

M105 in two versions, but I will make probably 4 different in all, because this is a common model among farms all over the world.

M105B
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg607.imageshack.us%2Fimg607%2F2933%2Fm105b.jpg&hash=24df28c6846e9f895598b7d42bb2af2c94fb97ad)

M105C
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg13.imageshack.us%2Fimg13%2F7109%2Fm105c.jpg&hash=a2213e2143b6441a63507e0b8d2615199dce4338)

This model below, the M107, I have started only tonight (just to give you an idea on what I am working on at the moment), every form was quite new to make for me, took me a few hrs already only to figure out how to do the halfdomes. I haven't seen this shed model before irl, but FrankU showed some pics (link below in our Co-op thread about half way down the page), so I made it. IT's supposed to be Dutch. I only did two compartments, since 4 like on the picture, I find a little too big.

M107
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg515.imageshack.us%2Fimg515%2F8210%2F107bc.jpg&hash=4cbb8b424023f8e77a63a41219d272bc6ec099b5)

http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=14150.200

I will be back tomorrow. Thanks for the help and feedback from everyone.

Fred

Hi Fred,

Well, what you cannot do, you cannot do. We will work with what you can achieve. No problem.

The new sheds look great.

The 105B model is beautiful in grey. The 105C with whitish brick/blocks is really ugly, although the shingles are beautiful. I don't hope this kind is used in real life?????  ;D
If you could make this shed in greenish metal walls and/or bricks like the piggeries they will be very very useful too.
As roofs you could use cladding in grey, dark grey and maybe wave shaped "asbestos" cladding. I don't know what the stuf is called in english. It's originally a material made of asbestos fibers and cement. Nowadays the asbestos is left out and you see a kind of cement and fibers mixture. The waves are about 10-15 cm wide, the material is matte grey and on older barns you see greenish moss and algae grow on them.

The M107B is getting nice. But remember: this barn is made of a brick or concrete bottom (about the first meter above ground) and the sides and roof are half transparent foil (dark grey or black). The sides are open most of the time and the front often has metal cladding (black usually) and doors (of course). So you can see the cows inside. It's not easy, but if you succeed it will be gorgeous.
And two compartments is great. I can always put two props next to each other if I want a really huge barn.

I have an idea: maybe it is possible that you make this barn out of two models: one is the half domed roofs, semi transparent, and the other model is just walls and a floor. Then it is possible to add JeStarrsor Manchou cows into them. Then in LE we put the roof on the groundmodel. No tinkering with LODs... Is that something to consider?

And yes, it's possible that this is uniquely Dutch. It is a barn that was invented here some time ago as a result of new farming ideas concerning animal health, our climate, our mineral deposit laws, our kind of feeding etc. etc.
But you certainly may copy it if you like. It's just not useful for colder climates: your cows will freeze in winter.

Good luck!

The recent models are looking great Fred  &apls  Hope all your lawyer dealings are soon put behind you  :thumbsup:

Hi Fred, I could offer you a tractor and some mowing - equipment (can be seen somewhere in Framlys MD) as well as the maize-harvester + trailers.
There also is a wooden hay waggon somewhere in my folders ....

If that would help please let me know!

Quote from: rambuckel on December 04, 2012, 08:31:35 AM
Hi Fred, I could offer you a tractor and some mowing - equipment (can be seen somewhere in Framlys MD) as well as the maize-harvester + trailers.
There also is a wooden hay waggon somewhere in my folders ....

If that would help please let me know!

Wunderbar! Just great, I would be honored to include these into my models, of course, you will be fully credited once created and uploaded. Thank You.
When you find them, send them to one of my e-mails and mention the word «Nexis» in the title, so it won't be filtered out. There's no rush. I have sent you my e-mail address in PM.

Nochmals Vielen Dank. Jetzt schulde ich Dir. ;)

Quote from: noahclem on December 04, 2012, 07:25:48 AM
The recent models are looking great Fred  &apls  Hope all your lawyer dealings are soon put behind you  :thumbsup:

Thanks, the complications are over now, hopefully for ever. ;) There's only one more check to sign, not much of significence. The next home I will build in the US will be 50K more expensive.....lol

Fred

New models look great Fred, keep it up!  :thumbsup:

Fred, it's great to see you back again. The BATs look great as always. I can't wait till Frank can use the final version in his lots.
Do you want some help by making LODs for the barns in order to be able to put other props inside? Maybe I can help you. I don't have a lot of time before Christmas, but I don't think it's that much work. If you want, you can send the 3ds max files and I'll see what I can do.
Keep up with your models. :)

-Matthijs

Hey mave94, your offer sounds interesting. I will have to wait for FrankU to have tested one model for the scale first and then scale all the others and of course also finish and finalize them. There might be two to four models where it could be nice to have custom LODs. Thank you for your offer, I will surely get back to you. ;)

Quote from: FrankU on December 04, 2012, 01:48:00 AM

I have an idea: maybe it is possible that you make this barn out of two models: one is the half domed roofs, semi transparent, and the other model is just walls and a floor. Then it is possible to add JeStarrsor Manchou cows into them. Then in LE we put the roof on the groundmodel. No tinkering with LODs... Is that something to consider?

Well Frank, there will be still a need for custom LODs, even if the roof is transparent, it won't be easier, but I will surely try it out, who knows, maybe I can do this. ;)


Now, I had a quick look around the SC4 sites but I didn't find a tutorial on how to make things transparent. Does anyone have a link or direction?
And hey, don't laugh at me, although I am BATting for years now, I never had the chance to make something "glassy" yet.

Thanks

Fred

Ok, I have another gmax problem (more my problem than gmax as a matter of fact). I would like to know how to make things transparent, being able to see through and/or make it clear with having a texture, like a colour or something, and please do not come with a full 4 page tutorial clicking on 28 different buttons with 106 possibilities to do that in 342 ways......twice.......lol.

I am already enough frustrated with the problems of texturing and LODding some other models I have and didn't find any tutorials on this and/or  got some tutorials from members that meant well, but that I do not understand or maybe not work. All I want is to understand how to SIMPLY make a piece of model transparent, see through it so we can barely see and identify "things" (in this case machinery and cattle) under the dome. I don't care about shinyness, reflection or whatever freaking details there exist or don't, it just has to be a little transparent and be able to do this with 1, 2 or 3 clicks.

Here is what I need it for. This model has a semidomed roof that I would like to make semitransparent (just a little "letting light in") with a greyish texture.........

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.us%2Fa%2Fimg515%2F8210%2F107bc.jpg&hash=905c1769ccc94541e185d765173e21c4ef97fb65)

....that looks a little like this, a texture with some details. I can make the texture, no problem, also can I apply it to the model, but how can I make it "see-thru" ?

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg12.imageshack.us%2Fimg12%2F5229%2Fimg1229aw.jpg&hash=949971e7a5943322d1bcfe4de92f59301ff99b1c)

I played around with the opacity, but I always loose the texture on the model when I hit the apply button and the model then becomes of an ugly beige coloured one toned colour.....but semitransparent...


Making a texture semi or transparent  shouldn't take 100 clicks nor 2 hrs of studying the program, right? ;) Thanks for helping.


Fred

I think it is simple:

create a material
assigned it the texture map
set its opacity map to something in the middle, you have to play arround here to get it right
voilá, in the gmax is all done

not after that, the model should be tuned/moded to show transparency ingame. also simple

Get Cogeo's Model Tweaker
open your model in it
select the transparency icon (blueish/greenish gradient)
set it on
save it

and you are done :)

simple enough? :D

Quote from: gn_leugim on December 08, 2012, 07:35:48 AM
I think it is simple:

create a material
assigned it the texture map
set its opacity map to something in the middle, you have to play arround here to get it right
voilá, in the gmax is all done

not after that, the model should be tuned/moded to show transparency ingame. also simple

Get Cogeo's Model Tweaker
open your model in it
select the transparency icon (blueish/greenish gradient)
set it on
save it

and you are done :)

simple enough? :D

There is several pages which have opacity, which one do I use? If I use the first page of the Material Editor, it doesn't keep the texture as soon as I hit the apply button. Like I said before, (many times) it becomes transparent, but looses the texture and beomes beige.
If I use the opacity in Maps, then nothing happens....


Thanks everyone, but I give up. I either have not understood, or maybe it has not been rightly explained (so many things, so many ways, so many possibilities, nothing simple here it seems), or my gmax simply doesn't work properly. Anyways, I don't actually and absolutely NEED the freaking transparency. I can do the model without and that will be sufficient. So thank You everyone or trying to help.
I will now continue to concentrate myself on making the models.

Another machinery shed model I made, the roof needs some more texture tweaking I guess and the tractor is not yet finished texturing, but this is to let you know that I am working on the project. ;)

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg405.imageshack.us%2Fimg405%2F3376%2Fm109b1.jpg&hash=f6db60a9c9ae3e05a1c76fa9f3c953cc2ee13066)

Hi Fred,

feel free to send me your model and I'll put a transparent texture on the roof for you. You should have my E-Mail.

Theresa

Quote from: rambuckel on December 09, 2012, 02:18:05 PM
Hi Fred,

feel free to send me your model and I'll put a transparent texture on the roof for you. You should have my E-Mail.

Theresa

Thanks for offering it, I will finish the model this week and send it to you, including the texture by e-mail later. Very kind.

I just received your machinery models and below is a picture when I tried them out to see if we have about the same scale, and....they surely do fit with my buildings. Thanks again. I will give all the credit for the machinery that I will use under my sheds. Btw, can I change some colours (textures) on some of the models and upload them with my sheds pack?

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg846.imageshack.us%2Fimg846%2F3765%2Ftestingmodels.jpg&hash=7507214ce8c002f033977081efd7e2992db91be6)


PS. If you (rambuckel) want a model from me, just say so, anything from my threads or MD. (modelfiles or gmax) ;) I'd be honored.

Hi Fred, of course you can change colours or size. At least change whatever you want. Although I am a lawyer I'm not really picky with all those copyrights and stuff concerning things I create for my SC4-Hobby. At least we'll all benefit from your and Frank's work on all those farms. In case I do need one of your models I'll tell you. At least I hope you'll deliver a prop-pack with all those little items you showed already and with those that will come further on.

Just in case you need help rendering all that stuff just ask. I'm sure I can do some props for you.

When I texture your models I'll send you a tutorial with pictures how to do it :) I might have been a little bit too complicated in the text-version of the tutorial =)

Theresa

Thanks rambuckel for your help and the services you offered, I will come back to you for sure.
And Yes, I will of course upload everything you see in this thread.

I finished another model tonight, a small variation of the M103A, this time with different lay-outs, a darker less saturated roof texture and different props inside the shed, including the haybine model from rambuckel.

Fred

M103B
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg834.imageshack.us%2Fimg834%2F962%2Fm103b.jpg&hash=27b01c172c74a4786e36760cebeba3be694d60e2)

EDIT: I just noticed, on the bottom right model on the picture, the red finishing touch of the roof interferes with the sliding door. This will be fixed!

EDIT(2): Fixed.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg600.imageshack.us%2Fimg600%2F6307%2Fm103b1.jpg&hash=c5bc543a70ac36ecae35eee7ebd960ce3bb88ae8)

well that is what I meant
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi93.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fl79%2Fgn_leugim%2Fopacity.png&hash=6300d491a9b458fe3b4266e46137be6e0e30e9db)

if your model textures turn grey after navigating on the maps, save it and reopen it again, it should work

Ok, I got it.....I think. No one really explained the whole thing COMPLETELY, but listening to one and the other I finally got it.

The thing is that when simply applying the texture to the main window it doesn't help. The texture will disappear when applying the opacity.  I mean the opacity only works if you apply the texture in the mainwindow and the same beside the opacity button again. (why twice=stupid program)

Anyways, I tried it once (see below) and it worked. Thanks gn_leugim, rambuckel and all the others that helped me to understand the opacity "thingy". I only wonder why there isn't a detailed tutorial for this. Unless everyone knew, beside me. ;)

Thank You.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg835.imageshack.us%2Fimg835%2F7263%2F3653c.jpg&hash=f9025c986cb3b77b2a85a801b65209cd4080ac43)

That's exactly what I wrote  $%Grinno$% But maybe not clear enough ;) But nevertheless great that you made it to transparency  :thumbsup:

Quote from: rambuckel on December 10, 2012, 09:04:56 AM
That's exactly what I wrote  $%Grinno$% But maybe not clear enough ;) But nevertheless great that you made it to transparency  :thumbsup:

lol...Now that I read it again, you're right. With help from gn_leugim and you , I finally made it.... ;)
Now I am back BATting full time.

Fred

Quote from: mrbisonm on December 10, 2012, 09:11:17 AM

Now I am back BATting full time.

Great to know :)

Quote from: mrbisonm on December 10, 2012, 09:11:17 AM

Quote from: rambuckel on December 10, 2012, 09:04:56 AM
That's exactly what I wrote  $%Grinno$% But maybe not clear enough ;) But nevertheless great that you made it to transparency  :thumbsup:

lol...Now that I read it again, you're right. With help from gn_leugim and you , I finally made it.... ;)
Now I am back BATting full time.

Fred

thank you and great to know ;D

I just finished another model, the M104B, which exists in 3 different colours with different props. The details and all models will be shown in the FrankU/Nexis Coop thread once they are finished.
This is a longer version of the M103 with some different details and textures. Only one door is half open to show a trailer. (made by rambuckel)  Model 104A has fully opened doors and M104C is closed.

M104B

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg13.imageshack.us%2Fimg13%2F5104%2Fm104b.jpg&hash=b255e05ba408e48c5a31eaeb927e23ef6dd9397b)

I will be back tomorrow or the day after with the last shed model and then continue with the silos.

Fred


EDIT: I almost forgot, there is another model that I haven't even started working on, it's the big modern shed that we see more and more these days (all over the world)
So, there's still two models to work on.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg819.imageshack.us%2Fimg819%2F1057%2Fmoorefarmbuilding.jpg&hash=45a5cf70d187b81981e9fbab9e8e97d11e4ba705)

Just few notes about the transparency thingy:
- Transparency works normally in gmax and 3DSmax, if all objects visible through the semitransparent surface belong to the same scene. For example, a building with a glass roof, but with opaque walls and floor/interior, or a greenhouse, would look OK, without having to tweak the model after exporting. The only thing that may not work well are shadows cast by the semitransparent surface in gmax (it's 100% dense, and you cannot even set objects to not cast or receive shadows, it doesn't work). Tweaking it doesn't help either.
- You need to tweak the model only if you want to be able to dislpay through the semitransparent surface objects not belonging to the scene (terrain, lot or network textures, other models, automata and effects). Strangely enough, the shadows cast by a tweaked model are OK, ie they are as dense as the opacity or the opacity map of the material.
- In many cases, just making the roof semitransparent and tweaking the model is not enough, because some of the scene's (opaque) objects are projected on the top face of the LODshell, thus obscuring every non-scene object that is located behind it. In such cases the solution is to render the roof and the rest of the BAT as separate scenes. For example, to make a tram shelter, with a canopy, supporting columns and some small platform, you have to split the scene into two parts, one containing the canopy, and another onw with the columns and the platform, each one having its own proper LODshell. Otherwise part of the columns might be prijected on top face of the LODshell, thus obscuring the passing tram automata, which is wrong. The two separate models can be combined into one using the Resource Key Type 4 property, or SC4 Model Tweaker's Merge operation.

Hm...that sounds interesting, cogeo, I had in mind to render the model in two parts anyways, but from there on I didn't yet know where to go. Now I will, thanks to you. ;) And thanks for dropping in.
I only hope that it will work because I have the tendency to give up and contour the problems when it becomes too difficult and spending time and time and time on a thing that isn't worth it.
I will work on the transparency project this weekend and get back to you all with the results.

Now I am busy rendering all those previous shedmodels.

Fred

Although I didn't have much time this weekend, because of family visits and the updating of my MD, I was still able to create another shedmodel. The newer style sheds that are simple and not too expensive to build.
The roof I made with Frank's favourite texture, but I will make at least two other models with different roof texture. Maybe I will even add some more details to the model since it kinda looks too clean and simple too me. Any ideas?

This model is the 108B. The 108 will come in 3 or maybe 4 different styles and textures.
The haywagon inside the shed will be available later as a part of my farm machinery pack as Props and MMP's.

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg59.imageshack.us%2Fimg59%2F2731%2Fm108b.jpg&hash=63854a64c69525822a09e6e67837507e0cb8c27b)

Looking good, Fred.

I think the model is fine; simple often works wonders. But I agree that the roof texture isn't for everyone. I think this would look a little out of place in the game. Maybe, without sacrificing the look of cheap synthetic materials, it can be made a little less regular and clean. I'm sure Frank won't mind that.


Cheers
Willy

Hmmmm, apparently there is some misunderstandig about my preferences.

The color of the roof might be the color I like, but as we all are accustomed to interesting textures by mrbisonm we will quickly agree that there is some improvement to be done. The roof is a blank green plane. Surely you have something more interesting at hand? Fred?

But the model is very good and the haywagon looks promising.
A door in the backside too? Maybe? Would be nice as one of the available variations.

Frank

QuoteThe color of the roof might be the color I like, but as we all are accustomed to interesting textures by mrbisonm we will quickly agree that there is some improvement to be done. The roof is a blank green plane. Surely you have something more interesting at hand? Fred?

I have to agree here. apart from that, it looks good :)

Great job on the most recent models, particularly the most recent round-roofed one  &apls  From the angle of the RL picture you showed the roof you made on the most recent shed looks right but I suspect it might appear different from a different angle. For the style you seem to have tried to capture though it looks spot on  :thumbsup:

Kinda right that the roof looks a litlle dull, but it actually has a texture, the same as the beige walls, metalsheet. But somehow in this picture and with this green it seemed to have disappeared, gonna check this out and try to see what it looks like ingame.
Yes Frank, there is the same model with another door in the back and also another one that hasa door wide open on the side that you can fill with your implements. (custom LOD's)
Like I said before, all models with their differences will be shown in our Co-op thread, once I am finished with this set, then I'll be off to silos and machinery last, also a few other sheds, for hay and straw.

Thanks guys for your ideas and comments on this.

Fred

Just an advice, don't pick up the textures and just use them right away in the BAT, you should work around in a image editing software, create a unique texture for the bat and use that one ;)

Quote from: gn_leugim on December 18, 2012, 12:37:19 AM
Just an advice, don't pick up the textures and just use them right away in the BAT, you should work around in a image editing software, create a unique texture for the bat and use that one ;)

;) I know, I always use Gimp and/or Irfanview and sometimes Paintshop to work and /or modify my textures. Thanks.

Fred

Edit: BTW, the texture I used for the model are already improved textures that are in my texture folder, and like I said, there is a texture with this colour, but I don't know what exactly happened on this model that it doesn't show. Usually it looks good. I will fix it.
The one highlighted on the picture below is the texture I used, and it's not the first time.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg43.imageshack.us%2Fimg43%2F2118%2Ftextures.jpg&hash=fa514d565f345b1b2eceac99b5aee79ed524c907)

first, nice collection of roof texts ^^

but as far I get, you edit the textures as they are, and apply them to the models, with no further detailing on them right?

Quote from: gn_leugim on December 20, 2012, 03:04:43 AM
first, nice collection of roof texts ^^

but as far I get, you edit the textures as they are, and apply them to the models, with no further detailing on them right?

Like I said, I use Gimp to darken , lighten and tortion, etc the textures, I don't know how to add details.... and what details do you exactly mean?

for instance, this is a roof texture I made for some apartments I made.

this texture only do for that model, or maybe others if very similar, but that texture is made custom to that particular building.

Hello from South Carolina, Fred! I don't use GIMP but I know it has brushes.

http://mygimptutorial.com/how-to-install-gimp-brushes (http://mygimptutorial.com/how-to-install-gimp-brushes)

I use Paint Shop Pro. Version X5 has a photoshop brush import tool. I now use a lot of brushes when making textures. Some subtle. Some striking. This is one of my favorite grunge brushes.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fileden.com%2Ffiles%2F2007%2F7%2F4%2F1237795%2Fgrunge.png&hash=4c8c6673b676f3a42e71a978a063650f90976843)

Do an image search for Photoshop grunge brushes ... or Photoshop metal brush ... or rust brushes. I mean, I can add rust to a metal roof where I want and the color rust I want. I don't have to search the internet 'forever' finding the perfect texture. A brush is the easiest way to pizazz up a texture. How's the weather up in Canada? We got rain today and it was a bone chilling 50 degrees at noon when I went out for lunch.

- Jim

I can save you some work

http://www.obsidiandawn.com/

one of the sites I use for brushes and so on

Thanks Guys, I have brushes on my Gimp and Photoshop (I don't use Photoshop much), the only problem is now how to use them, but....I searched and found a few tutorials which could be useful.
When I looked for more brushes, I almost fell of my chair, seeing that there are hundreds to download....I mean ..What?? Which one's for what, why and how? I think I will start to get to know the ones that are in the original program first, right? ;)

You see, I don't want to spend weeks or even months to know how to perfectly modify textures. Why learn how to texture that detailed and then don't have the time to model anymore.....lol

Anyways, I will practice and see what I can come up with quickly. Thanks for the info, the comments. the links and the help, always much appreciated.

BTW, Jim....it's cold here, lotsa snow and looks like winter....or better, like christmas. ;)

Merry Christmas everyone.

Fred

QuoteI almost fell of my chair, seeing that there are hundreds to download....I mean ..What?? Which one's for what, why and how? I think I will start to get to know the ones that are in the original program first, right? ;)

well... do a lot of experiments  "$Deal"$

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.clipartof.com%2Fsmall%2F1053324-Royalty-Free-Vector-Clip-Art-Illustration-Of-A-Crazy-Scientist-Conducting-An-Experiment.jpg&hash=95429245581a91754b73526dedbb7549dc680450)

Oh, and merry Christmas :)

Quote from: gn_leugim on December 23, 2012, 02:22:05 PM

QuoteI almost fell of my chair, seeing that there are hundreds to download....I mean ..What?? Which one's for what, why and how? I think I will start to get to know the ones that are in the original program first, right? ;)

well... do a lot of experiments  "$Deal"$

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.clipartof.com%2Fsmall%2F1053324-Royalty-Free-Vector-Clip-Art-Illustration-Of-A-Crazy-Scientist-Conducting-An-Experiment.jpg&hash=95429245581a91754b73526dedbb7549dc680450)

Oh, and merry Christmas :)

I will, I will........lol

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Fred

Well, it is time to ask for help again. I have this runtime Error, out of scripter mempory everytime I open my models in gmax.
Could someone please explain what this is and how to fix it? Please.

Thanks

Fred

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs22.postimg.org%2Fbno3cqnw1%2Fscripter.jpg&hash=9efbab818e6a49424de19be8284b465b144d0b07)

One thing to try, when ever you run into problems:
Open a new scene. Merge the old one into it.

Don't know if it will solve it, but worth a try.

.....kinda difficult to do when you got more than 500 different projects going.....they all have the sam pop-up. And it doesn't exactly explain what's the cause of it......


Thanks, vester, I will try a few though, see what happens.

Fred

Is it all models that you have this problem, or is it just the big ones ?

Keeping my fingers crossed (although I do not believe that it works, it might be worth a try. I could be wrong) that this is not going to ruin the fun....   &mmm

Hi Fred, I googled the error and found this (http://www.turbosquid.com/Forum/Index.cfm/stgAct/PostList/intThreadID/22291).

Quote3dsmax sets aside a set amount of memory for use in scripts, the import plugin you are using is one such script.

Load the Listener window (F11) type "heapsize" and push enter and it will show how much memory is being allocated for use in scripts.

To increase type "heapsize += 10000000" where 10000000 is the amount of bytes to increase by. You can't decrease, reloading 3dsmax will set the assigned memory to default. Don't increase the memory too much, I think default is about 20 meg, try increasing it by 10 meg at a time and importing the file. You could add the heapsize command to a startup script so you always have more memory for scripting purposes, but this leaves less memory for actually working in max.

So it seems to me it has to do with the file size. Hope it helps!

Quote from: vester on March 26, 2014, 08:34:08 AM
Is it all models that you have this problem, or is it just the big ones ?

No, it's just the bigger ones....

FrankU,....lol...don't worry! ;)

Quote from: vortext on March 26, 2014, 09:01:37 AM
Hi Fred, I googled the error and found this (http://www.turbosquid.com/Forum/Index.cfm/stgAct/PostList/intThreadID/22291).

Quote3dsmax sets aside a set amount of memory for use in scripts, the import plugin you are using is one such script.

Load the Listener window (F11) type "heapsize" and push enter and it will show how much memory is being allocated for use in scripts.

To increase type "heapsize += 10000000" where 10000000 is the amount of bytes to increase by. You can't decrease, reloading 3dsmax will set the assigned memory to default. Don't increase the memory too much, I think default is about 20 meg, try increasing it by 10 meg at a time and importing the file. You could add the heapsize command to a startup script so you always have more memory for scripting purposes, but this leaves less memory for actually working in max.

So it seems to me it has to do with the file size. Hope it helps!

Well, I guess that answered my question and also the one from vester. I checked the files and they are not thaaaaat big, I have way bigger files like a big 18x12 lot sized airplane manufacturer (like Boeing) that I am working on since fall last year, and that one is really big, it even sometimes jammed my screen, and it never showed the script error....? I just don't understand why smaller files do this though.

Anyways, it doesn't changed much, since it is NOT a problem at all. It does nothing to my modeling, nor the speed of my computer, it just made me wonder what the heck it was while loading many of my farmmodels all of sudden, when it didn't before. So....I'm continuing with "gmaxing".

Thanks everyone, I will soon be showing some progress here.... ;) Much appreciated having dropped in and helping.

Fred

A small preview...........


The official Logo of the MFP 1 sets.....

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs4.postimg.org%2Fsdvh6ohvx%2FMFP1_Logo.png&hash=e3501f15d883aca65fe68c3c24749f383266da88)

....and the details of some of the prop models found in these 5 sets. The new farm toys for SC4.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs30.postimg.org%2Fm25tfssb5%2Ffarmtoys.png&hash=38c2dbd9368264cfd886cdfec54e0f6aa4a9018c)

Please export the stuff into smaller piece when possible.

Could see the use of conveyor with some of my bats.

Quote from: vester on March 26, 2014, 12:49:26 PM
Please export the stuff into smaller piece when possible.

Could see the use of conveyor with some of my bats.

What you see in the pictures above are actually 14 different props, and yes, the conveyors (5 of them) are all individuals, so are the manure bassins. ;)

Fred

Edit: As a matter of fact, there are 15 individual props, I forgot the mainbuilding, which are two of the same plopped together. The building will be available in a single rectangular piece, if you want the "L" position, you will have to plop two of the same together in LE. ;)

Fred I am drooling over the prop pack here wow!!! I would love to see your Boeing if you have something  :thumbsup:

Nice looking props :thumbsup:

I love the blue tarp on the haybales.  Nicely done!

Thanks,Pat, the Boeing industry is only started, not showing anything solid yet. I only made about 50 pieces sofar, but as soon as it will look like something, I will surely show that monster bat.

Thanks c.p., coming from you I really enjoy and appreciate your comment. You should see the white and black tarp...... ()stsfd() ;)


When I am tired of creating and testing with my sheds and silos and want to experience something else, then I usually go to another folder and tap myself this model I amde in 2007 below a bit each time. Only some minor details left and then some serious texturing. I haven't worked on this "baby" for more than 7 years, only started about two weeks ago to redo it. Now I got more experience with modeling and texturing and it probably will look a lot better than it was intended to be released.
This one will have nightlights though, I will find someone (i hope) who can do it for me. ;) Too nice a BAT to leave it like this, right?


(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs8.postimg.org%2Fedcnquwxh%2Fcollege.jpg&hash=6f6f7f9d8c83464d46ac8bce9335886fe33d658d)

Fred

Excellent for breaking monotony and orthogonal-grid blocks! I am looking forward for development of this nice building.  :thumbsup:

Good to see you back on this.

This building reminds me of Tietgenkollegiet, Tietgens College (student housing):
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emtkjaerfoto.dk%2Fslides%2FTietgenkollegiet.jpg&hash=6ccd1192a2f00db2cc320edae57956dc374bc483)

Thanks bap, I also am looking forward to see it finished and uploaded. I will keep you posted here, probably will need some help with this ...again. ;)

vester, wow, true that there is a slight ressemblance there. Mine is totally fictional. Tietgens has a bigger inside circle, which makes me wonder if it is still possible with mine.....could be possible by adding one more of the individual buildings, because the angles are made for this. I will surely try this, because in the beginning I had this in mind and build something like a statue in the middle with some greeneries (lawn and bushes).

This weekend I will concentrate to finish my silo sets and then go on with the machinery sets which are already about 75% ready.

Fred

In fred we trust is all I gotta say ;-)