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Rayline Tower

Started by RadicalOne, September 17, 2009, 05:54:11 PM

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RadicalOne

Quote from: swat-medic on September 20, 2009, 09:18:35 AM
There's always splitting the model up.

I do not understand.


EDIT:
I'm completely remodeling the main part of the tower. The new one should be larger and have simpler geometry.

Strategist01

Now, you don't have to take my advice on this...I have almost no experience with BAT, so don't bite my head off...

Anyway, what if you were to make the tower shorter, say 40 stories, and then maybe make it a whole double tower on one lot sort of thing? Maybe copy the tower, and then do something else with the roof. Also, when you're rediesigning, I suggest that you make it shorter, and wider. Like someone took an hand and squashed it. Then I siggest making a fairly large lot, to make everyting fit together, maybe adding a park or two into it...think of these towers near a city centre, with enough space to do almost what you want.

I ahve to go now, but I'll return to let you pick my brain a little bit, how does that sound?

RadicalOne

#22
Quote from: Strategist01 on September 20, 2009, 10:17:44 AM
Now, you don't have to take my advice on this...I have almost no experience with BAT, so don't bite my head off...

Anyway, what if you were to make the tower shorter, say 40 stories, and then maybe make it a whole double tower on one lot sort of thing? Maybe copy the tower, and then do something else with the roof. Also, when you're rediesigning, I suggest that you make it shorter, and wider. Like someone took an hand and squashed it. Then I siggest making a fairly large lot, to make everyting fit together, maybe adding a park or two into it...think of these towers near a city centre, with enough space to do almost what you want.

I ahve to go now, but I'll return to let you pick my brain a little bit, how does that sound?

The idea is good - HKABT likes to do that - but it won't work in my case. All my lots need to be 3x4 or smaller. Large lots waste much of their space, and worse, rarely find a place to grow. This is exacerbate by the fact I do not make plop-ables.

EDIT:
Here is an update - I've used the lobby's shape for the tower, and made a new lobby. I've also added an elevator shaft (up the back, not visible here).

Strategist01

Ok, I didn't realize the size constraints...maybe, if you were to make another tower, similar to this one, maybe have a different thing on the roof, and make that a commecrical tower? LIke a whole company that owns these towers and makes residential towers and commecriacl towers? Call yourself Rayline Industries, and then make a small, growable 2x2 industrail lot, and it could be a whole set of BATs...anyway, my 2c for the day ;D

joelyboy911

#24
I had an interesting idea that I might try to do when I BAT a tower, but I'll share it with you.

You could model a single storey of the building, and when it comes time to lot the thing, stack them on top of each-other. You could model 5 or 6 (or however many you like) different variations, with lighting in different spots, and different balconies etc, and put them in a prop family. This would mean a much smaller thing to render, and you can create heaps of different lots, midrises, highrises, you could make multiple bases and tops - all without too much repetition.

Of course, the modding is a little more complex, but you seem to be an aspiring giant of the BAT world so it would probably do you good to learn some of the more advanced techniques!

There are plenty of people (myself included) who have some knowledge of such programs as the Reader and others, who would be happy to offer some advice. There are also some real experts :P

As for your current model. The window textures are a little bland and too dark for my particular liking. And the night windows are a little bit too blue as well - just think if your lightbulbs emitted light that colour. I would recommend you try something like what you can see in this post [linkie] by APTX in the Japanese devotion area. What it involves is changing the textures present in C:\gmax\gamepacks\BAT\Maps\NightWindows to something more varied. I think this is a fairly widely used method, though I am not entirely certain.

Also, and this is a very personal opinion, I am not a fan of big decorative elements - I prefer more utilitarian things. Form follows function. I appreciate good design, but I don't like your big fins - not a problem with your model, I wouldn't like it on anyone's TBH. Also, in New Zealand's windy conditions, such a thing could be a danger. If you implemented my earlier suggestion, you could please me, and people who do like big glass spires - as well as cutting down your render time. Also, by editing your textures, you can get a more interesting BAT without increasing your poly count, and as a result your render time.
SimCity Aviation Group
I miss you, Adrian

SimGoober

Like the break for the mech area, adds visual interest.  Here's an experiemtn for you.  Google "sky" and find a darker blue sky pic with some wispy clouds. Then take all your windows, group them together, and apply a UVW map to the group, and apply the sky texture.  Play around with a few different shots and see if anything catches your fancy. It will break up the solid color of the glass.

And all those are outdoor decks?  Needs some variation, but that will add polys.  Maybe make a deck every 5 or 10 floors, not every one??
When life just blows ... Fukitol!

RadicalOne

QuoteI had an interesting idea that I might try to do when I BAT a tower, but I'll share it with you.

You could model a single storey of the building, and when it comes time to lot the thing, stack them on top of each-other. You could model 5 or 6 (or however many you like) different variations, with lighting in different spots, and different balconies etc, and put them in a prop family. This would mean a much smaller thing to render, and you can create heaps of different lots, midrises, highrises, you could make multiple bases and tops - all without too much repetition.
That would cut the render time greatly, but at a huge cost - game performance. Can you imagine what happens when five or so of these grow, each with 50+ LODs for the game to manage? It's an excellent idea that might work in some cases, but not here.

QuoteAs for your current model. The window textures are a little bland and too dark for my particular liking. And the night windows are a little bit too blue as well - just think if your lightbulbs emitted light that colour. I would recommend you try something like what you can see in this post [linkie] by APTX in the Japanese devotion area. What it involves is changing the textures present in C:\gmax\gamepacks\BAT\Maps\NightWindows to something more varied.
The color of the light is not reminiscent of the color of the interior lighting - white light would become blue by passing through blue glass. But you are right about the daytime textures.

QuoteGoogle "sky" and find a darker blue sky pic with some wispy clouds. Then take all your windows, group them together, and apply a UVW map to the group, and apply the sky texture.  Play around with a few different shots and see if anything catches your fancy. It will break up the solid color of the glass.
I like that idea, but would grouping them all together destroy the nightlighting? (the lights all have different intensities, and thus different names).

QuoteAnd all those are outdoor decks?  Needs some variation, but that will add polys.  Maybe make a deck every 5 or 10 floors, not every one??
Most towers have them every floor - how would you feel if you didn't get one with a balcony? (This is R$$$, remember.)
Take this triple-tower in which I live. It's a good demonstration of the "array" tool, with every floor essentially identical, except for the top few.
it also has good examples of the "decorative elements" that serve no other function.

callagrafx

Quote from: RadicalOne on September 21, 2009, 02:39:46 PM
I like that idea, but would grouping them all together destroy the nightlighting? (the lights all have different intensities, and thus different names).

Grouping them doesn't change the individual object names...nightlighting will still work.  However, SC4 is a rooftop game and any reflections in glass should reflect what's on the ground, not the sky (sorry Goober)... What I've done in the past is taken a image from one of the many fantastic MDs that best reflect the type of development the building would grow in, then add some blur/streaking and apply that as a map (but changing the diffuse bitmap setting to lower than 100).
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it

RadicalOne

Quote from: callagrafx on September 21, 2009, 04:45:36 PM
Grouping them doesn't change the individual object names...nightlighting will still work.
Good.

QuoteWhat I've done in the past is taken a image from one of the many fantastic MDs that best reflect the type of development the building would grow in, then add some blur/streaking and apply that as a map (but changing the diffuse bitmap setting to lower than 100).
I've done that before, and unfortunately, I haven't gotten it to work. I can't map one image onto the whole tower - it gets pixelated unless I use a small UVW, and if I do that,I have the cityscape repeating up the tower...

callagrafx

if it's blurred you won't see the pixelation...but don't blur it so you lose the idea of cityscape :thumbsup:
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it

SimGoober

LOL.. the age old debate, reflect the clouds or the street.  To be correct, you should do as Callagrafx stated, and use a reflection from the ground.  But most people see buildings from the street, and expect to see a sky reflection as if they were seeing a real building.  It's "wrong", but looks visually appealing.  Whatever works for you, will probably work for the community as well.

And patios on every floor is fine, just an idea to save polys...

And WHEN do you plan on BAtting your own building?  hmmmm....  ;)
When life just blows ... Fukitol!

RadicalOne

#31
Quote from: SimGoober on September 21, 2009, 06:10:25 PM
LOL.. the age old debate, reflect the clouds or the street.  To be correct, you should do as Callagrafx stated, and use a reflection from the ground.  But most people see buildings from the street, and expect to see a sky reflection as if they were seeing a real building.  It's "wrong", but looks visually appealing.  Whatever works for you, will probably work for the community as well.
To be perfectly honest, the sky idea sounds much more attractive to me.

QuoteAnd WHEN do you plan on BAtting your own building?  hmmmm....
I doubt I could to any appreciable extent.