Xannepans creations

[xannepan]

Thx Girafe,

Hahaha.. indeed a large project file allright . FYI: the only way for me to handle projects like these is to approach them as a sculpturer not as an engineer. With that I mean: I don't pay any attention anymore to naming objects or aligning them perfectly to grids, or to each other (perhaps only for the basic elements I do, just to make sure the overall proportions are correct). All I'm focused at is how it will look in the game. Additionally, I used modifier on top of modifier on top of modifier (meshes, boolean, deformers etc etc). Furthermore, I have learned to take into account the specific simcity lighting setup (for instance for fine details I found out that lines/splines with 5 sides still show up after rendering while lines/splines with 4 sides hardly show because of the way the lighting casts shadows etc). I know I'm probably breaking many rules of professional 3d-modellers with this, and my 3ds files are a mess. But again: I'm focused on the rendered end result, not on a perfect model. As a result I can also make giant BATs like these much faster as ever before. Hotel de Ville sofar took me 2x5 hours in my weekend and several hours on several nights during the last 2 weeks.

As for the shadow issue: I think I understand what the problem is now... However, to fix it will require a complex LOD as my "pool" walls are quite complex.  I'm not sure my computer will be able to handle it. I'll give it a try. But if not, then I'll have to turn of the shadows in the reader.

Finally: I'm struggling with the flags. I could off course render two models, one with and one without flags... And perhaps the flags will only show on quatorze juillet . 

[Girafe]

We have each our way of batting as lot of sc4 batters learn by themselves. I think it doesn't matter how you do, just the result counts. And with your approach to focus on the render in game, I think you are right.

But I stay amazed by the mountain of work achieved in a short period. Seems you are like Koreans at Stracraft 2, they have 4 hands   

For the pool I will check tonight again. I am asking if the problem comes from the fact that the pool is not closed or by the fact that the size of the LODs are not exactly the same of the LOT (pic right down on my last IG pic).

In the second case the only things you have to do is to extend the sidewalks until a multiple of 16m. Up to you to do complex LODs if you want to add props after on LE but I would say not necessary.

I think it's a pity to not keep the shadow, but it will depend on what you will be successful.

The idea of the flags is just a personal thing, and at my taste makes the BAT more realistic. In another hand, people in their MD, maybe do not want a french or UE flag. It remembers me the problematic of the Peninsula and Hong kong "Parliament" of Pierre (STEX).

Anyway, hope to see good news and new pics of Luxembourg's garden     

[xannepan]

...the size of the LODs are not exactly the same of the LOT...

Unfortunately that didn't solve the problem. But after rendering it five x 50 minutes (good thing that I was working at home today) I have managed to fix the problem.
I have rendered the building without basement ("pool" as Girafe refered to it) and without base/pavement texture. Next using the same LOD. I rendered the basement only now with base texture. From the latter model I created a prop without shadow, while the building itself does have a shadow. Now all I had to do is make sure the prop and the building are properly aligned in the LOT editor. There are very minor graphical glitches, but hardly noteable.

Thx for your help girafe!
-Alex

[Lowkee33]

Now all I had to do is make sure the prop and the building are properly aligned in the LOT editor. There are very minor graphical glitches, but hardly noteable.

You've pretty much made a foundation out of the basement.  If your model is only of the basement, you should be able to go through the whole "export process" with it (re-fit LODS, export to BAT...).  However, when you render the LOD in BAT, select "foundation" rather than "building".  I think it's there in the LOD section.  Then do the rest of the MAX export process.

With this foundation model, go into PIMX and drag it to the "foundation" section.  Once you have a Building exemplar of the actual building, add the property "Building Foundation" and set it to point to the Instance that PIMX made for your foundation.  The foundation will never cast shadows, and will always be directly center with the building.  No need to worry about LE for that part.

If you have already rendered the basement, I think all you have to do is change the 5th digit in the S3Ds to 1 (so something like 0x00031000), for all of the 20 S3Ds.  The process through PIMX would be the same.

[xannepan]

Lowkee.... how could I forget... this is exactly what I did for Burg Eltz. How stupid of me, it all comes back now: exactly the same problems there.
Thx for reminding me!!

[kelis]

Hi xannepan

I really love your work, your bats are amazing and its a pleasure use them, as I can see you love Paris, I can understand you, Paris is a beautiful city with a lot of beautiful buildings, I know that, but you are from Netherlands Right ? In Netherlands exist many interesting buildings, Do you think to create some bats from Netherlands ? Could be interesting see some  new buildings from Netherlands created by you 

Greetings

[xannepan]

Kelis, you are correct.. I am indeed from the Netherlands. ANd there are some fine buildings... Just think about amsterdam central station. BUT.. Currently I am addicted to Paris buildings.. So the chance that i will switch themes is very low.

In the mean time I have spend all my time in modding... Not sure it will be worth the effort, but puzzle solving is something I just like doing. I will pick up hotel de ville and the senat soon.

[xannepan]

Time for an update.

I have been working on place de l'hotel de ville for which I have created dozens of props to make it more lively. I have added 2 additional special lots next to the regular one. One with a market, and one with a concert by Queen for celebrating my birthday. Too bad there is no sound in these images... but Freddy actually sings three songs which I have added as ambient sounds that play between 20 and 2 hrs (Still fine tuning the effects) and the crowd applauds and cheers. Unfortunately, I did not succeed to make the sounds seasonal, otherwise I could have just made one lot with he market and concert showing up in the desired season.

Nightlighting changes depending on the month of the year. There are 3 states. One projecting my red-lion avatar on hotel de ville in may (my birthday) and special lighting in july to celebrate quatorze julliet. Same goes for the flags displayed during daytime. I will consider making a "non-seasonal" version of hotel de ville for players that just want one state of nightlighting.. it is  fairly easy to mod.

Trees are all HD (I will re-release the trees for quais de seine) and the majority of props are also HD (not all of them.. for some props it just doesn't look good).

Well that's all for now... RL is keeping me very busy these days so I'm note sure when I will be able to finish and release (same goes for the Senat). I'm also a bit of a perfectionist and there are many little things that I'm not 100% happy with right now.. on the other hand solving these small issues (as well as modding) seems to take more time than modelling buildings such as hotel de ville itself..

[xannepan]

two more pictures

[noahclem]

Awesome pictures    This one's looking really promising 

[MandelSoft]

I'm gonna get me one of those... This one is from extraordinary quality, even considering your already diverse high-quality oeuvre.

[mattb325]

Amazing stuff, Alex! The nightimages are stupendous 

[Girafe]

Looks really nice,

Regarding the trees:

Reflexion standard parameters:
reflexivity 0.3
glossy: 0.38

you are a little bit too blue and you can try to scale the leaves at 110-120%

EDIT: your flag are not so good 

[Aaron Graham]

Looks great.

[Schulmanator]

The concert looks like a LOT of fun! I will be in the audience for sure!

[xannepan]

The updated version for Quais de Seine with HD trees and Hotel de Ville + place de l'Hotel de Ville are now on the LEX.
Let me know if you find major issues.

Enjoy!

Alex

[kelis]

Hi Alex 

These last projects are an amazing add to our game, The Paris city Hall looks amazing, as always you did a great job with the model and textures and also with the nightlights and the lots, so I just can say THANKS for your great work !!

Ok, I have got a request for you, not difficult, you only have to do some changes in the Paris Quais de Seine, of course if this its possible  I was thinking that many people use for your cities the Euro asphalt sidewalk.

http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/files/file/17351-euro-asphalt-sidewalk/

Can you make a version with these textures? I think that could be so good for us 

Thanks my friend and greetings.

# Jonathan

[toxicpiano]

Hi Alex 

These last projects are an amazing add to our game, The Paris city Hall looks amazing, as always you did a great job with the model and textures and also with the nightlights and the lots, so I just can say THANKS for your great work !!

Ok, I have got a request for you, not difficult, you only have to do some changes in the Paris Quais de Seine, of course if this its possible  I was thinking that many people use for your cities the Euro asphalt sidewalk.

http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/files/file/17351-euro-asphalt-sidewalk/

Can you make a version with these textures? I think that could be so good for us 

Thanks my friend and greetings.

# Jonathan

I second this request

[WannGLondon]

You are a true artist, Alex.  Just started using 3ds max 2012 and i hope to one day model and BAT as well as you.

[xannepan]

Hi guys,
I understand your desire for more texture variations. Unfortunately it is not as easy as it may look like. To make quais de seine i had to be extremly creative but in the end i ended up in rendering the sidewalk textures as part of the models. Changing them would mean i would need to re-render all those files once more..that would be a months work if spend every evening on this.
I did share the 3ds max model files though, so if anyone feels up to it....
It would require you to use 3ds max (preferably version 9) with chris' bat4max and then some simple (butnboring) steps:
1. Open the 3ds model file in max (only those that contain sidewalk textures)
2. Change the sidewalk texture (do not make an other changes, especially not to the LOTs)
3. Select the matching .sc4model file as output for rendering
4. Render

Repeat for each file.

If anyone feels up to it, I ' d be willing to support the effort ..

-alex