Thingfishs is having a B.A.T Downunder (wanna take a look)

[Girafe]

900 props    you added lot of flora items but 900 it's huge anyway it is a good first lot 

For the new BAT, roof is little weird, maybe rework the roof texture

For dimensions, cut the high (/2 or /1.5).

for the lot I am not so good so I prefer to let another members to help you 

[thingfishs]

Thanks Girafe,

I modeled the roof on the real building but the strip down the middle was bothering me. I removed that and played around with the roof texture a bit... better?

Also I have reduced the overall scale of the building by 25% and the vertical scale by a further 30%... better?

There are still some issues with that upper left corner, any ideas?

Also what's the best way to deal with signs like I have on the building? At the moment they are png's with alpha maps used as textures on thin rectangles. However in the RL the main sign actually extends over the top of the roof (see picture), but when I do this there is a shadow given off from the whole rectangle, not just the visible letters. Does that makes sense? Is there anyway to avoid it?



     

[BarbyW]

The amount of props on a lot is not purely a resource problem but is part of the Maxis limitation on lot properties. There is an absolute limit of 1280 properties in a lot - this includes all base and overlay textures. After this limit is reached items may disappear at random so one time it may be a base texture, another it may be a major prop. All lot makers need to be aware of this and normally it is not a problem until you get to very large lots. Petrona's Towers, available exclusively on the DVD, is a 17x17 lot yet has less properties than the winery. The limitation is something that cannot be changed as it is built in to the game.

[thingfishs]

The amount of props on a lot is not purely a resource problem but is part of the Maxis limitation on lot properties. There is an absolute limit of 1280 properties in a lot - this includes all base and overlay textures. After this limit is reached items may disappear at random so one time it may be a base texture, another it may be a major prop. All lot makers need to be aware of this and normally it is not a problem until you get to very large lots. Petrona's Towers, available exclusively on the DVD, is a 17x17 lot yet has less properties than the winery. The limitation is something that cannot be changed as it is built in to the game.

Understood, and I appreciate that the winery is pushing things. But for me it's a special piece and though it may seem as though there are lots of essentially invisible props in the garden: I didn't place them without due care. Every one was positioned for some reason from some angle and zoom. I know that I need to take it easier on the props but Shottesbrooke was my first and I think I'm done with it. Also as I've said before each city would have a maximum of 1 winery so hopefully it wouldn't cause too many problems. (in approaching the limit for props is the concern over prop pox or just in pushing the game harder than it needs to be, or something else?)

[BarbyW]

The problem is that pushing the limit on a 5x5 lot leaves very little manoeuvrability if you make a similarly propped larger lot. It has nothing to do with prop pox but can result in disappearing props if you go over the limit of 1280.

[thingfishs]

I still don't understand... given that the winery hasn't gone over the limit I take it disappearing props aren't an issue.

The problem is that pushing the limit on a 5x5 lot leaves very little manoeuvrability if you make a similarly propped larger lot.

I don't follow this. How so?

[BarbyW]

If you are propping a lot of this size with so many props, many of which are not visible as they are stacked on top of each other, then you may well go over the limit if dealing with a larger lot and prop in the same way.
Disappearing props won't be an issue with the winery as it is under the limit.

[Diggis]

I still don't understand... given that the winery hasn't gone over the limit I take it disappearing props aren't an issue.

I don't follow this. How so?

She's saying don't make a habit of this heavy propping, cos next time you might get too many. 

[thingfishs]

ah, well that's OK then... the lesson has been learnt thanks Barby & Diggis

[thingfishs]

here's where it's up to...

[joelyboy911]

Did you try re-rendering to get rid of the line across it? maybe with a new LOD? Not sure if that would help or not. 

[thingfishs]

nah,  the line hasn't got anything to do with the BAT, it's just in the way unfortunately. It's a NVIDIA issue that I've fixed once and will again, eventually. But at this point I'm not too concerned about it, cheers.

[dobdriver]

Forgot to take my camera to town today to get that wow joint, but I've got to again tomorrow so I'll get them then.

[cogeo]

The "divider" or "gap" line is not specific to this BAT, or to any system configuration. It concerns all BATs larger than a certain size. It's easier to see it in ploppables: if you plop the lot several times, some of lots will have the problem and some others not!

I think it is caused by the partitioning ("slicing") of the model, and the not very much perfect alignment of the model's "segments". Jasoncw from ST knows how to fix this (I think by performing some small changes to the model's vertices). I would suggest that he is consulted.

And if the procedure can be described (specified) exactly, it could a good candidate to consider implementing in the Model Tweaker.

[thingfishs]

cogeo, are you talking about the prominent black line running right through the model? I was told they were called tessellation lines and I followed a tutorial from here to that effect which solved the problem. It's just been in reinstalling Windows 7 that the steps in that tutorial can't work as I'm now missing an entry in my NVIDIA settings. I can only assume it now has something to do with my drivers, I will look into it. But for now I'm not too worried as I know they're not part of the models themselves.

Thanks dobs.

Here is another thing I've had a play around with. This is a (currently) 356m jetty as I am used to them here in Australia. I intend to do a few versions, one without the cover, one just straight for eg.



Any ideas why my shadows stop part way down the jetty?



Also how do I make it so the poles don't look so odd when they go into the water (if possible)?

[joelyboy911]

I  think the shadows get mucked up when you make a model that's over a certain size, and part of it ends up outside the range of the lighting rig - but I'm not entirely sure. 

It looks great anyhow things, sorry I don't know what you can do about the piles in the water.

Good work. A+ (or as we call it in New Zealand 'Achieved with Excellence').

[ShultzCity]

America is more accustomed to the letter gradings (A+, F-, etc.). In Aus I'm pretty sure our educational system doesn't like wasting ink on student's reports.... 

[thingfishs]

Thanks guys, and you were right about the shadow issue Joel.

America is more accustomed to the letter gradings (A+, F-, etc.).

I feel sorry for the student whose teacher added insult to injury by giving them a F-... 

[callagrafx]

Also how do I make it so the poles don't look so odd when they go into the water (if possible)?

You need to make the LODs skin tight up against the model... Best way to do that is clone the legs and walkway, attach them together, clone twice and call them LOD3,LOD4 and LOD5

[thingfishs]

G'day to all,

I've been out of action for quite a while. Varying RL issues have kept me away, but I have spent a couple of evenings making something that every Australian town needs, a TAB. For international readers, the TAB is where you go to bet on horses, dogs etc. I have modelled this on my local one (in making this I've also come to realise that not all Australian TAB's have the same logo - if any inter-staters want their version, I can just swap the logos over...)
There's still a little bit to be done. Ignore the green strip - it's a placeholder for the gutter.