The FrankU and Nexis CO-OP

[jmyers2043]

...That's some good looking sh*t! Sorry, couldn't resit  ...

That bat looks like crap! I couldn't resit either  


- Jim

[bat]

Nice work on the farms and new models!!

[FrankU]

Hi Fred,

Wow! I didn't receive the models yet, but after having seen the images I want to say this:
1. The models look great.
2. The greenish and greyish dirt on the concrete looks realistic.
3. The coloring of the manure is very good.
4. The shapes of most manure piles is nicely rounded and "accidental" looking, except in models 28a and 28b; there I see some straight egdes and sharp corners in the manure pile. That could be improved. I also agree with Vortex that the diagonal lines in 28b and 28c, the water's edge, look a bit awkward.
5. Why did you add the conveyors to models 28a, 28b, 28c, 28d and 27a and 27b? Isn't it easier to make manure pits without conveyors and then combine them with the separate props M22a and M22b on the lot if I want a conveyor? Or is making the custom lods so complicated that the models are in each other's way?
Separate props are always more flexible in lotting, because I'd probably like to use some pits without the conveyors. If combining two props of manure pit and conveyor in LE does not work because of complicated custom lodding I kindly request some of the M23 series without conveyors.

But all in all: beautiful! 

Let's face it already, readers. I thought I'd finished my lots more or less. I fear now that I have to do some real extensive relotting once Fred finshed his set.
So if anyone is waiting for my set in order to start a fresh new rural region: please take the chance to build an urban region while waiting. Sorry for letting you wait.

[noahclem]

Yeah, pretty crappy looking 

3. The coloring of the manure is very good.

Yes, healthy animals 

But seriously, very nice work. And of course a fun topic!

[turtle]

[delurking]
Hi Frank & Fred,

Wow, awesome work going on between the two of you here. I love those models, and with Franks great lotting skills and knowledge, this sure is going to update the look of farming in SC! 

Though, a little disheartening it is to hear it being postponed, because I am preparing a region for these farms. On the other hand, since I'm planning on rebuilding my plugins folder for the new region, which means it's litterally empty now, I wouldn't mind helping out testing them, should you need it.

A suggestion, if I may; why not make the manure piles as timed props - filling/emptying with the seasons? Maybe to much of a hazzle on account of manure?

-Thomas

[FrankU]

Hi Thomas,

Seasonal props, that might just be fun to make! I'll think about that.

[mrbisonm]

Thanks for all the comments guys, and I like the idea of seasonal props too, although I will leave this to do to someone else. This is definitively something I have no knowledge of and no time for.

Lets answer some questions.
True that the lines for the liquid rain accumulated in those tanks on Model 28 look a bit too "straightlined". I will work on that.

I will also work on those straight manure lines on M28 A and B.

I added the conveyors to have ready to plop models because it will not be easy to combine the two everytime because most of these props do NOT have custom LOD's, to save on the size of my proppacks. If I make custom LOD's for every props, then the pack will raise its weight from 25 to 35 %. That's the idea of my ready to use models. But there will be empty tanks available in the same proppack (not every model is shown here in this thread, gotta keep some secret from the players, don't I ?)

The M23 will be available without the conveyor (not shown) and these are M23C, M23D and M23E. They will be in the Testing pack I will send you, Frank, on monday (sorry, can't do quicker, have a family pic-nic planned on First Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire this weekend.)

[delurking]
On the other hand, since I'm planning on rebuilding my plugins folder for the new region, which means it's litterally empty now, I wouldn't mind helping out testing them, should you need it.
-Thomas

Hey, nice to see you "delurking", Thomas. What took you so long??? ....lol
Maybe Frank will need a Tester for those LOTs he will be making soon, I'm sure that can be useful.

Let's face it already, readers. I thought I'd finished my lots more or less. I fear now that I have to do some real extensive relotting once Fred finshed his set.
So if anyone is waiting for my set in order to start a fresh new rural region: please take the chance to build an urban region while waiting. Sorry for letting you wait.

lol....sorry about his, wait 'til you see what's coming with sheds, silos, machinery etc. I only touched about 5 % in my last updates of the Pack...... Hope you're not discouraged. This pack will be ready more quickly that the first one though, most of the models are already in the state of finetuning and rendering and since they are smaller, they will render quicker. I haven't realley counted them, but there are more than fifty useful props.

Who needs other farmsets after that?


Fred

[vortext]

I only touched about 5 % in my last updates of the Pack...... 

Really?! Wow! Can we get a sneak peek? 

[carlfatal]

Hi Frank and Fred,
i wasn´t active for a while - so much other things - but what i´ve seen now is spectacular! 
Thanks a lot for this brief history, this information was something completely new to me.
Only thing i can say: keep on Your outstanding teamwork! 

Who needs other farmsets after that?

Me! 
As much as i love Your work, i´m addicted to farming during the times before agricultural industry came up. So Your retrospective is a big help for me to plan my new lots for oldfashioned villages and farming. 
Greetz, Carl

[mrbisonm]

Really?! Wow! Can we get a sneak peek?

There's already a sneak preview picture on the bottom of page 6 (last pictures) of what's coming up. You will just have to wait and see otherwise. Tomorrow I will have some new pictures.

Who needs other farmsets after that?

Me! 
As much as i love Your work, i´m addicted to farming during the times before agricultural industry came up. So Your retrospective is a big help for me to plan my new lots for oldfashioned villages and farming. 
Greetz, Carl

So am I, addicted to farming with SC4. There's a lot of good farms out there already, I like SPAM alot, and even jmyer's farms have that typical old north-american look.
You're gonne end up with a filled Plugins, if you stay around long enough until we finish this series and then go on with other farming types (vegetable, fishing, crabbing, fiberfarms and many others.

Fred

[mike3775]

So am I, addicted to farming with SC4. There's a lot of good farms out there already, I like SPAM alot, and even jmyer's farms have that typical old north-american look.
You're gonne end up with a filled Plugins, if you stay around long enough until we finish this series and then go on with other farming types (vegetable, fishing, crabbing, fiberfarms and many others.

Fred

Spam, SimGoober, jmyers, and now your stuff, have made me want to continue to have a farming city to go along with the commercial and industrial cities.  I am loving creating farming cities have less than 40K people in them and wide open farm fields.

[mrbisonm]

Here we go again. More dry manure disposals. The first ones are the empty series, but there are more included in the DATfile, but they will simply be little surprises here and there.



The pictures below are models already shown above, but which I have worked on to make them better looking. Some straight lines still exist but because of the quantity of vortexes I am using in these models, I will have to restrain myself a little here and there, otherwise I will top out the max MB's that I allowed myself for this project. That also goes for the blackish rainwater lines inside the tanks.
With a little variation of the texture I was able to make them better looking without stressing out the vortexes.



Now I will be working on the liquid manure tanks and the roofed and covered ones, not quite as many models as the last set.

Hope you like them because they're off to Frank for the testing.


Fred

[noahclem]

Looks great to me    Well, as good as manure can look anyway 

[mike3775]

such great detail for sh*t lots.  Whoever thought anyone would ever be saying a sh*tty lot looks great?

[carlfatal]

First: congrats on the OSITM! It is really well deserved. 
I don´t want to compare Your work with other sc4 farming stuff cause i think it´s some complete new way. I see how much You´re in this and sometimes i think this work is some kind of science. So much research and background knowledge - wow! 
And i have to admit: i´m in no way a specialist in this (not really addicted to farming  ), only a little bit old fashioned. You´ll never will see real modern stuff in Waldey, i only try to build my dream of a world that´s nearly forgotten now. But i have to look in here cause i love the level of detail You both put into this. And Your thread is a place where i can learn a lot. Would be stupid not to be stunned by this.
Keep it on, i´m always eager for more stuff to read and see!
BTW: these manure disposals are stinking out from the screen. No really, i´m looking at them and smell it! Fantastic work! 
Greetz, Carl

[mrbisonm]

FrankU pointed me to a model that I have missed in the MFP1_Set1. Sorry about that, but there was a time when I was completely screwed up with my files. I guess I had too many copies and half-finished ones.

The model M8A is just another copy of the M8, except for some minor details and a different texture. Strange enough, it was made with Maxis textures.

I will be back with many more pictures this weekend, concerning the second half of the "manure mania", the liquid storages etc.
Poooh, it smells already..........



BTW, anyone has a nice texture for tires???

Fred

[FrankU]

No OSITM anymore, but nevertheless worth taking a look now and then....

May I? =     

Yes, well, after the last edit I guess the MFP1 barns set is complete now.

I can't wait to see your manure productions!

[mrbisonm]

OSITM or not, (that was fun), but I badly need that tire (rubber) texture, have gone crazy last night filtering the net for a goodlooking one. I cannot finish the manuresets without it. Anyone has one and is willing to share???

Fred

[mrbisonm]

I'm still on the project and so you know that I am, here's a little preview of what's cooking on my BAT.
I am on the liquid manure set right now, there will be quite a few of them also. Here are the first four, also the biggest ones (see last picture).

To start off with a covered model, which are becoming more and more often to  see these days, mostly because of environmental laws. First let me explain quickly how they work.
Inside the stable, animals are on a lattered floor. Below is a concrete canal that leads to a bassin(tank) at the end of the stable. Every ditch has a chain with bars that moves forward automatically or on demand, which will toss and grade the solid part of the manure to the same square or round bassin, where a hydrolique piston pump awaits. Once the tank's liquid rises, the pump automatically starts pumping the liquid and solid manure through an underground pipe to the outside tank. A oneway valve will stop the manure from going back.

The first model is the M74C which has waterpipes attached to make it more liquid when needed, especially for beefcow/horse and sheep etc productions, which often produce more solid than liquid manure.



The M74D is a newer looking model with a polished metal roof (Aluminum). Same size, different texture and some details added.



Then there's the M75 series with open sky tanks, same size as the above, starting with M75A, which is made with reinforced cementblocks, mostly seen in Europe and the southern part of North_America, where big frost is not a danger of forcing them appart. This model has semi-liquid manure, usually from any other animals than pigs and chicken.



The same model with different textures and some added details is the M75B, shown here with pure liquid manure only, which with time in warmer temperatures has some kind of algae growing on top. This is usually from pigs and chicken and sometimes from Dairycows which have a protein rich diet to produce more milk.



Sorry for the pictures not being more detailed, but the preview was rendered in low quality because I didn't have the time.

And here's a last one to compare the size of these tanks, which are the biggest in this set. There are 2 more different sizes with many different models and different textures to come.

Please be aware that these tanks in real life are usually build further away from the mainbuildings, probably because of prevention in case of......breaking up, I suppose, which could cause a whole lotta mess with nearstanding buildings.



There will be more this weekend, hope you like them. All comments and suggestions (including pics) are welcomed, remember, you're probably the one who will be using this enormous farmset.


Fred

[FrankU]

Hi Fred,

I am not sure if it is OK that I do the first reply here, because we are supposed to work together and show our results here.

On the other hand: maybe it's good to tell everyone that I have not seen these silo's before, due to the fact hat if Fred and I go through a reply and react PM discussion it would take very long to finish something. So we are doing this in the open. Everyone join in please!

I think the silo's are beautiful. But.... there is always a but and it's up to you Fred to decide if you want to do something with the but...

1. I think the silo's are very large. Maybe a bit too large? Especially in heigth? I don't know about other countries, but I know we have here in the Netherlands sometimes very large manure silo's, but I don't hink they are higher than the barns they belong to. So I think the same diameter, but less high would be better.
2. And the blank aluminium: how long would it be this shiny on a dirty and rainy farm?

But...
Another but, you say? Yes, but this is a but but, meaning after the negative but there is also a positive but.
But I like the textures of the manures and the silo's very much indeed!

Frank