SimFox's Pixel Torture Chamber

[SimFox]

Toxicpiano:
Productivity booster is a special add on set available only to subscribers. It was the first installment of Vista compatibility from Autodesk, but later SP2 was released which is free and available to anyone from Autodesk site. It has same "Vista support" implemented in Productivity Booster, but lucks some of additional "productivity" features of PB1.

[toxicpiano]

Ah, Ok! Yeah I have SP2 not the extension   
Also have you seen this:
http://graphics.uni-konstanz.de/~luft/ivy_generator/

[SimFox]

yep!
It is nice!!  Works resonably weel. Of course there is a scale problem with SC4.

[SimFox]

Thanx to Bixel who supplied me with new images of One Silver Sea I discovered that the base was way to small (low), so I have rebuilt it to proper dimensions. Well it is still as you see work in progress. Apart from new dimensions, I've completely redesign "fins" and although they may look similar at first glance they are quite different now. This wasn't just pure "attention to details" correct design is essential to ensure that pieces fit and look good.







So, once more, thank you Nathan!

[Antoine]

  is it real photo ? 

[SimFox]

nope, why would it be?

[spa]

This is quite the model! I do have to say though that those window textures are a tad much. I personally think the reflections are overdone and overdone reflections end up looking fairly silly in game because they don't match what's around a buildling and only a few of the other buildings have reflections (those being other custom content that was created with reflections). It's your model of course and you're free to do what you want and it does probably come down to a matter of individual taste but if it were me I would start over with the glass.

[Pat]

is it real photo ? 

You know i was gonna ask that very same question cause dang the angle and
the background wow... stunnning work simfox

[SimFox]

Thank you guys!
SPA, you are absolutely right! These (reflections) are sort of place holders for me clearly to see the division between clear reflecting part s of the building, blurry reflecting (like those metal parts) and nonreflecting - well practically all materials are reflecting to a degree of blur)
So far I mostly do modeling, it isn't really nearly finished, materials are just to see how some if the detail works, if it is visible, or just a vast of time.

[iamgoingtoeatyou]

wow, what a massive and beautiful building you created, your textures and reflection are adding so much to the game, keep up the awesome work!

[Shadow Assassin]

*drool*

It looks real. If I were a building, I'd be all over it.

[RippleJet]

SimFox, welcome aboard the CAM train!

[SimFox]

I'm made some alterations to the glass material it is less dark and less reflective now.

So what do you think? Is it balanced now? Also some additions have been made to the base – that "drum" like structure. As far as I understand it is a garage ramp. The coolest thing about it (in real life) is that this drum actually shows the rise of the ramp – it isn't evenly "cut". Unfortunately in game view it hard to notice. I'm wondering should I let it be, or artificially hick the "rise" to make more obvious?
After adding "drum" I've discovered that overall proportions of the base were somewhat off again!!! So I had to reduce its width. I think now I've got it right. And since basically modeling, at least on the part of large masses is finished I think it will stay like that.
Also picture I've increase the overall contrast of the output. Do you think it is for the better? Or should I revert to old settings?

RippleJet.
I'm very excited about CAM. OneSilverSea and MetroHarborView are definitely in need of such a mod otherwise they can't be realistic in their stats and would be silly things on they own.
But I also plan to break them done to individual tower or may be sets of 2-3 tower on a common base or even without it. This way they could be much more useful, after all not every city would be suitable for such a behemoth.

BTW, I've added "ridges" to the towers well not to all but some – I think they are clearly visible. What do you people thing do they feel right there? Original towers have them Well not exactly ridges, but some horizontal lines, but I'm not sure about them... Somehow I feel that they break horizontal lines of the structure, reducing perception of height?

[bixel]

Not too sure if the ridges are needed, I dont think the original has them. The Windows look GREAT!!! Oh boy you got me so excited on this one.

[mightygoose]

your wall texture is abit coarse. maybe tweaking the UVW map, also a vertical gradient ramp would add to realism

[SimFox]

Bixel!!!
My oh my!! I was actually mimicking YOU with those ridges!!! Original has something... those are probably not ridges per se, but there some sort of lines. One way to do them would be with textures, But I'm still very inexperienced with that, and aligning them properly seem like a daunting task. Unless making full unwrap, that has challenges of its own! I'll think about ridges , do some testing... I'll also try your suggestion about texturing floors. I think it's a brilliant and very elegant solution! And come to think of it you had it used in Crescent! Although windows there weren't really transparent if memory serves me right...
Given your familiarity with the object in question, I need your opinion on couple of things. Where do you think this entrance is located?

Mightygoose
About walls. hm... coarse you say.. well naturally it is just an approximation... the towers are clad in some sort of natural stone. I just used cellular procedural map to sort of quick fake it. So there isn't any separate UVW maps on practically anything in the scene.  3D procedurals like Cellular don't need them as they exist through our entire space and hence ultimately non-repeating. (and easy ;.) But I'm considering of going tiles with this one to give it more upscale look it deserves. The place isn't cheap! 1200 sq ft 2 bedroom apartment there would cost somewhere around 18 000 000 HK$ (about  1,8 million €) and rent for the same would be about 38000HK$/month (at least that is asking price) Interiors are truly splendid though!
But as far as gradients are concerned... I'm afraid I have strong aversion to those. Despite all the claims those don't add to realism, quite an opposite. This gradient is suppose to mimic ambient occlusion (commonly and very incorrectly called light tracing). But as it is baked in it ultimately fails to do so. You end up of both shadow side (where it might be appropriate) and sunny side where it is totally inappropriate having same look. At any rate this rendering setup takes care of natural ambient occlusion. Of course there are some limitations, as there isn't anything actually present in the scene apart from this model but I would say approximation is rather good, far better than any gradient has ever done IMHO.
But I would really like to hear more of your thought on material for walls... do you suggest to make grain finer? Did I understand you right?

[mightygoose]

thats very interesting about the gradient ramp.

as for the walls currently they look like bricks similiar to these just with more yellow in them



if it is natural stone the variations should be finer than they are. if its sandstone your after look at the variations see how they are finer for the majority with occasional large variations, however, i feel the larger ones would be sanded out before use.

[ussagus]

Simfox, very nice 
Great work !!


Saludos

[Russell]

I agree: spectacular work. 

[Pat]

WoW what a lot of progress here simfox omg that building is looking sooo real wow