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MGB's Mods and other stuff

Started by mgb204, May 04, 2015, 04:48:16 PM

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mgb204

#180
A couple updates to show. First is a small shop that I'd previously not been able to get right:



I completely changed the roof textures, adjusted the windows, added some detailing and now I'm pretty happy with it.

Secondly is just a group of Lots I've been working on. These work next to FAR-3 roads and comprise of a 3x6, 3x7 and 3x8 lot set:


art128

The Buildings are from Ill Tonkso if I'm not mistaking? It's nice to see then having a completely different use. The shop is nice looking too!
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

Props & Texture Catalog

mgb204

#182
Yup, Ill Tonkso  :thumbsup:




I should preface this a little. So my little supermarket/store was designed to mimic a specific one in the real world. As such it won't necessarily look 100% authentic with different branding. However, from it's inception, I wanted the building to be a bit more flexible. As such, I've made the Signage into separate props that attach to the main model in the LotEditor. This way I can use prop families to randomly pick a brand when the store is placed/grown. Here's what I've already come up with on that front:



That's 6 British (Morrisons, M&S Foods, Sainsburys, CoOp, Waitrose and Tesco) and 6 German (Rewe, Real, Edeka, Globius, Penny and Tegut) brands to start with. Users can pick from either pack or both to install. I want to add a US-Themed set of brands too, but I'll also consider requests at this point for other regions/brands. I'll also be bundling some resources so those inclined can make new brands/props themselves. This way the shop will never be an M&S Supermarket, it will simply be a supermarket.

Simmer2

Very nice! I especially like the user choice on install  &apls

Nick
________________________________________________________________________________

APSMS

Robin, what US stores were you thinking of?

As a request, could you make some stores from So.Cal (I'm thinking mainly small ethnic chains, since they can't typically afford larger spaces, or make do with the smaller stuff anyways).

Mostly stuff like Ranch 99, Zion Market, Vallarta, Stumps/Carnival, and Northgate Market. Also Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or Henry's/Boney's/Wild Oats, since these are the kind of stores I would expect to fit into a building that small. Maybe also a Seafood City or Vien Dong (Vietnamese/Chinese supermarket)

Actually, some of those stores are a little on the bigger size. Still, how big exactly are the supermarkets that you're trying to imitate? That lot and building appear pretty small.

-Absalom
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

My Mayor Diary San Diego: A Reinterpretation

art128

Since we are throwing some requests :D How about some Japanese convenience stores? 7/11, Lawson, K-mart, Family mart etc
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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simangel

Would love to see some Australian Stores.....Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Foodland ect.

mgb204

#187
I fear I'm not being totally clear with my intentions. I won't be going through the work of remodelling the store to fit other countries/brands, that's a bit too much work. But I figured it would be a nice bonus, if at least the brands could be localised. For example, a US user would probably prefer to see a US brand, even if the store itself isn't authentically American. There may well be other models down the line that will utilise the props, perhaps a collection of small and large supermarkets. But again I will design them around the UK, since that's my focus. It may be that differently sized or grouped brands will then be needed. For now, I'm just looking for brands that fit with the small market shown.

Quote from: art128 on August 13, 2016, 01:18:27 AM
How about some Japanese convenience stores? 7/11, Lawson, K-mart, Family mart etc

Quote from: simangel on August 13, 2016, 02:03:14 AM
Would love to see some Australian Stores.....Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Foodland ect.



Thanks for the suggestions, could you let me know if these samples are correct?

It would be a huge help to get a link to the actual branding you want. In the case of some of these brands, the logo's vary from country to country and it's not always obvious which logos would be the correct ones. Also, using "ect" doesn't really help, I've simply no knowledge of what brands exist in other regions of the world.

Quote from: APSMS on August 13, 2016, 12:45:32 AM
Robin, what US stores were you thinking of?...

Actually, some of those stores are a little on the bigger size. Still, how big exactly are the supermarkets that you're trying to imitate? That lot and building appear pretty small.

As before, I really have no clue about US brands, hence I'm open to suggestion. I'll take a look at some of the brands you mentioned though, thanks.

Lastly - The "Aldi" problem
I have deliberately excluded Aldi and Lidl brands thus far, despite them having a large presence in the UK/Germany. This is because I can't think of one example where either brand used a banner such as the model does. Instead, it's almost always just a logo, as such I just didn't think either felt right for this use. There is a limit to how flexible these props can be, since the model must have LODs that allow a prop to be attached to it.


APSMS

#189
Yeah, I understood you weren't going to remodel the store. It already doesn't resemble most supermarkets in my area. But that's beside the point, mostly because I already have things like Tesco and Coles in my cities.

Also, I'm not sure that most American supermarkets place their store name in banners like so (almost all of them use separate lettering), but a lot of the cheaper markets could probably get away with it. Most of the people that shop there don't really care what the lettering looks like.





Click for larger

A few to start; their websites probably have more logos or info on them. While we're at it, that store looks to me more like a restaurant size. How about a Pho restaurant? (Vietnamese soup) (this is the one by my old house before we moved)


Just strip the location bits; it's a basic enough sign, and like I said, when they are selling to locals/people in the know, nobody cares how fancy (or not) the sign looks.

And some Middle Eastern markets:
North Park produce started in a building smaller than the one you BATted, and is now a local Supermarket chain in SD. You used to have to go through the store in a line, one customer immediately after the other because there was no room for people to meander/move about.


Parsian Grill and Market isn't a chain, but could represent the Persian food store easily enough.


Thanks for taking the suggestions, and I'm interested to see what you make of the requests (if anything, I'm not picky or demanding; whatever suits you)
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

My Mayor Diary San Diego: A Reinterpretation

Andreas

Quote from: mgb204 on August 13, 2016, 05:04:57 AM
Lastly - The "Aldi" problem
I have deliberately excluded Aldi and Lidl brands thus far, despite them having a large presence in the UK/Germany. This is because I can't think of one example where either brand used a banner such as the model does. Instead, it's almost always just a logo, as such I just didn't think either felt right for this use. There is a limit to how flexible these props can be, since the model must have LODs that allow a prop to be attached to it.

Yeah, to my knowledge, ALDI and LIDL not only use a (more vertically oriented) logo, but they almost exclusively use the very same building design for all their stores, which obviously is much cheaper than designing individual stores or renting third-party buildings.

I think that's true for most German supermarkets now, but other companies might still have more "generic" stores like the one you designed. It has some typical UK design alright, but I think works nicely in its generic shape and color pattern.

For the German logos, I'd omit Globus and maybe real,-, as they tend to build very large "superstores", but you should include Tengelmann, Netto and Norma instead.
Andreas

eggman121

Quote from: mgb204 on August 13, 2016, 05:04:57 AM
I fear I'm not being totally clear with my intentions. I won't be going through the work of remodelling the store to fit other countries/brands, that's a bit too much work. But I figured it would be a nice bonus, if at least the brands could be localised. For example, a US user would probably prefer to see a US brand, even if the store itself isn't authentically American. There may well be other models down the line that will utilise the props, perhaps a collection of small and large supermarkets. But again I will design them around the UK, since that's my focus. It may be that differently sized or grouped brands will then be needed. For now, I'm just looking for brands that fit with the small market shown.

Quote from: art128 on August 13, 2016, 01:18:27 AM
How about some Japanese convenience stores? 7/11, Lawson, K-mart, Family mart etc

Quote from: simangel on August 13, 2016, 02:03:14 AM
Would love to see some Australian Stores.....Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Foodland ect.



Thanks for the suggestions, could you let me know if these samples are correct?

It would be a huge help to get a link to the actual branding you want. In the case of some of these brands, the logo's vary from country to country and it's not always obvious which logos would be the correct ones. Also, using "ect" doesn't really help, I've simply no knowledge of what brands exist in other regions of the world.

I work at one of theses stores and it makes me cringe whenever I see the logo.  :D  &sly

Anyways it would be great to see some Australian stores in your inventory. The IGA logo actually has variations depending on which state or which part of the state your in. Your example is the South Australian version. In addition there are only four major supermarket chains in Australia. Coles, Woolworths, ALDI and IGA. Hope that helps? ;)

-eggman121

mgb204

#192
These following Russian/US brands have been added:



Quote from: APSMS on August 13, 2016, 09:16:01 AM
While we're at it, that store looks to me more like a restaurant size.

Funny you should say that, it's a converted TGI Fridays. I do plan on converting the model to a TGI's when the supermarket is finished.

Quote from: Andreas on August 13, 2016, 12:30:25 PM
Yeah, to my knowledge, ALDI and LIDL not only use a (more vertically oriented) logo, but they almost exclusively use the very same building design for all their stores, which obviously is much cheaper than designing individual stores or renting third-party buildings.

I'd agree with that, not that it's got any bragging rights, but I've seen a lot of Aldi's too.

QuoteFor the German logos, I'd omit Globus and maybe real,-, as they tend to build very large "superstores", but you should include Tengelmann, Netto and Norma instead.

Good thinking, Netto and Norma would be more suitable, we don't have any round these parts though. That does also highlight another point. Where possible I've tried to use logos with examples of the banner on stores for authenticity. But of course, such an endeavour will always be fraught with compromise. But who knows, if I ever get enough buildings made or just if others use the props elsewhere, such a modular system could prove a useful investment.

Are Tengelmann still going? I thought they were bought by Rewe or something? I miss the old one which was converted to a Rewe here :(.

vester

Quote from: Andreas on August 13, 2016, 12:30:25 PM
Yeah, to my knowledge, ALDI and LIDL not only use a (more vertically oriented) logo, but they almost exclusively use the very same building design for all their stores, which obviously is much cheaper than designing individual stores or renting third-party buildings.

Well the Lidl and Aldi in Copenhagen don't use the own buildings, but my best guess would be that the rent the space. It would be hard for them to find space for a one level building in the municipality of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg (surrounded by Copenhagen).


MGB: Like the idea with proppack for signage.  :thumbsup:

MushyMushy

For the US brands, you could also include 7 Eleven (the logo looks the same here as it does in Japan) as they're fairly common here. Walgreens is another super common convenience store that's usually the same size as your model. Circle K, which operates in the US and Japan (maybe other places, I didn't look that up), has convenience stores without gas stations as well. Really the size of your model makes it passable as a wide variety of US convenience stores - so I suppose you could take your pick from any of them really (I'm sure there's a list of them somewhere).

Walgreens - The design is different from your store, but I'd imagine on your sign it would just be blank white with the company name in red?


Circle K in the US


Circle K in Japan


I personally would suggest not including Whole Foods though... as far as I know, they only operate full-size grocery stores that would take up multiple tiles in-game just for the building. I could be wrong, but that's just from my experience.

Andreas

Quote from: mgb204 on August 13, 2016, 01:21:31 PM
Are Tengelmann still going? I thought they were bought by Rewe or something? I miss the old one which was converted to a Rewe here :(.
Hmm, I guess you're right, Tengelmann apparently sold some stores to REWE, and very recently, they sold the rest to EDEKA. There never was a Tengelmann store in my area, but I've seen them in other parts of Germany.
Andreas

Alan_Waters

Excellent!  :thumbsup:
I'll look forward to the result. It will beautify my city.
Thank you!

art128

Quote from: mgb204 on August 13, 2016, 05:04:57 AM
I fear I'm not being totally clear with my intentions. I won't be going through the work of remodelling the store to fit other countries/brands, that's a bit too much work.

Oh no worries I understood that perfectly. If you took it that way then I apologize as it wasn't my intention. I am aware that you modeled your store to be in British fashion, but to me it seems like it would fit almost anywhere. I can see it being in use in a mountainous area in Japan for example.
As for the stores, the three you made are all that's necessary.. Obviously there are more than that since Japan has a large quantities of Convenience stores like that but I just gave you the principal brands.

In any case it'll be great to see some variety in the brand signs for this cute like store. :)
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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mgb204

#198
No worries Art. There is nothing for you to apologise for. I just wanted to be clear (generally).

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with ideas for logos to use. As I really don't know how far I can take this, it remains a concept for now. That still leaves almost 30 props as part of what I'm calling, the Retail Signage Pack (RSP).

I've just uploaded the main Convenience Store models/lots too, so anyone can now see this in action. Options for HD/SD MN/DN are all there too. I personally prefer HD, the details in the windows at z6 (best seen at night) came out well  :satisfied:.

In the meantime, I've added two slight variations of the building itself. There are two roof colours, two brick colours and some other minor changes. These will also be selected randomly, along with the logos. If you don't care which brands you see, with all 30 of them / 3 models, there are quite a lot of potential variations too.

As a bonus, as part of the RSP download, I've included 3DS Max / SC4 Bat models/resources, so anyone inclined can make their own compatible props too.

Update: I noticed a small error in the lot's modding that was preventing the Building Family from working as intended. If you downloaded the original version, please update your files to v1.0.1.

manga rivotra

Thanks you very much for your tennis courts ! It's a great addition to the game and a real gift for players who like to do their own lots like me.  :thumbsup: