SC4 Devotion Forum Archives

I think this is the right place to post my thread :-[

Recently I decided I wanted to try my hand at BATing, and decided to start off simple with some houses from my neighborhood. I started off with the house across the street from me since it has the easiest angles for a beginner like me. I wanted to show the progress I have now, along with seek any opinions on what I could do differently (thus why I wasn't sure if I should post this here or the help forum). So without any delay:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FWIP.jpg&hash=71c90cc09e79f15c70ac896f3f25e72706323391)
I wanted to get opinions before texturing it. Colors are about accurate to what they will be (other than the purple roof and yellow shutters). The boxes on the windows are window air conditioners (and yes, the real house does have 5 of them). The basic area of the house is about 8.5x8.5, and wanted to try to stay as close to scale as I could, though the windows are a little smaller than the real ones.

I didn't want to over detail it too much, so left out the water pump on the side of the house. Any opinions on if I should add it or not? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/000_0054-1.jpg

I'm not sure if I want to make my own textures, or use existing ones. One question I wanted to ask on that, should I use GMax or ask a friend that has 3dStudio Max for the rendering?

Hi Xia - you look to be off to a great start with the modelling.

Regarding your question, I would say that you can add as many details as you see fit. A bat rarely suffers from having too much detail. On such a small model, you don't need to be frugal as additional details make no difference to the render time. I notice, though, that your occupants like their window air-conditioners :P

As to making custom textures or not - it's hard to advise given that I'm not sure exactly what you want the final product to look like; for me it is rare to use a texture without any sort of manipulation in a photo-editing program, so I suppose they are all 'custom' textures. On that count I'd just say experiment and have fun.

Thanks for the reply :)

I went ahead and added some details earlier today, along with started to texture it. I decided to just go with it and try to learn things on my own with the assistance of tutorials poking me in the right direction. Here is the progress; it still has some things I want to fix, like weathering the texture on the base and the porches and fixing small areas where the textures aren't lining up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/WIP-2.jpg

Something I've been curious about when looking at tutorials and other BATs, I notice a lot of them have slight reflections of clouds in the windows. Shouldn't it be grass since we are looking down at the buildings? :-[

The textures look great!  I suggest that you do the fake raytracing tutorial here:
http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=140&threadid=76233&enterthread=y
Also, can we have a zoom five preview?

Was actually my next plan :) I put on the textures to tile so I could see how I liked things spaced out before I did that, since right now this was all I was using for the siding (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2Fsiding.jpg&hash=1d536f1a3fe6e1c4026b20ac7dc3c0c113f2cfbe).

I think this is about zoom 5? (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2Fzoom5.jpg&hash=1789fa0162c0c77941e97ca30e0e7e3aff6ebfc3)

For a proper preview go to the side panel, click on the hammer, then on B.A.T.
Then click on the + in front of Preview. Then click on Day. You can then render some preview from some other angels afterwards.

Thanks  :) Ok, here we go. Updated the textures on the siding and the roof. Still need to finish the windows (finish the textures and to darken the windows I already have finished) and the chimney, then do night lights. Anything else?

Edit: (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2Fzoom5-1.jpg&hash=1348920075c5012168d05a47d3070da38a875f57)
Finished the above mentioned. I think all thats left is the night lighting, unless someone sees something I should change?

Double edit: (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2Fnitelighting.jpg&hash=b978b9d890a29a2fe63c4b656651816553edc62a)
Night lights/windows done. ;D

Looks great to me, the textures really are what makes this BAT.

Fred

Looks beautiful and realistic!  :thumbsup: Great job  &apls

Thanks guys ;D Does anyone see something I should change before I move onto my next project? The porch light on the right side of the render on the right, should that be any brighter? And this isn't something I see mentioned in tutorials; can you overlay colors onto textures in GMax, or do you just need to make a second texture for the different color? I showed this to my friend and they remarked they thought it looked like a Monopoly house, so I want to make a green variation :D

And good news you guys like the textures. I've been planning on making a series of houses from my area, and I'd say 75% of the houses have nearly the same siding/roofing, though in different colors. So I should be able to get away with using these a few times $%#Ninj2

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FGlennpreview.jpg&hash=b85b07772bc29caa6a8e7a29abd24596ac260d37)

New neighborhood building completed. Modeled after the house at the end of my street :) Its going to be a R$$ when all is said and done. I may add gutters to the edges, but not sure yet. Any opinions?

Looks good, but you'll have to fix the tiling issue on the roof.

Also, maybe it's a good idea to think carefully about the size of the building compared to Maxis R$$. I found that SimGoober's R$$ was massively overscaled in proportion to the default Maxis R$$, and maybe you should look at keeping the building around 1x1 or thereabouts. If it looks too small, keep it at 2x2.

With your first model, it's perfectly fine as a 1x1 and should fit in nicely with the Maxis set. You should make one with a darker roof, though.

Thanks for the reply.

The first building here is going to get a second color scheme (green with a dark roof) and be placed on a 1x1 lot, and the white version posted here is going to be an accurate to scale 1x2 lot.

This building is also going to get a second color scheme, red with the same roof (at the friend who lives there's suggestion). Going to fix the roof textures also like you mentioned, I didn't realize it stood out that much until you pointed it out. I'm planning on having this 2x3 (after I make the props for an accurate yard), and making the red version 1x2.

I agree with SA about the roof texture on the latest bungalow, but I like what your doing here.  With so many people doing big buildings there's always a need for people to come in and fill the small residential niche.

The proportions of the new bungalow look really good.

Glad people are liking the small houses :) I was planning on doing 4 before moving on to shops, but I think I may stick to these for a little longer. There is a lot of variety in the houses around where I live, so I think I can find something to match a wide array of city styles.

Edit: Fixed the roof, and added gutters. Not sure if I like them though.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FGlennpreview-1.jpg&hash=7ff9cbf4367a908ca1ac695e926f7cd667c160c6)
And alt colors done
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FBurgessalt.jpg&hash=52365678e31fad1c044dc89974039d1bc7a61882)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FGlennalt.jpg&hash=6262bb1ed9563807f9908defc97b699768e08c35)

Wow, its been that long since I posted? ??? I've been working on some props to go with the houses I've made/have planned to make. Since I actually got my graphics programs working again, should have something ready in a few days.

Also, any lotters a little bored and want to make some small house lots? I haven't learned how to use the LE yet (been waiting patiently for the X Tool :D)

QuoteAlso, any lotters a little bored and want to make some small house lots?

Of course there are.  :) I'll do 'em for you.  :thumbsup:

Great BAT's, by the way.  ;)

That would be great, thank you. I want to finish up some of these props first (yard swing, mailboxes, grill, yard gazebo tent, then I can send you a Google Earth shot of the actual property so you can get a feel what it looks like (my original plan was to do one lot true to life, then 3 or 4 per house). I was planning on making the ground textures for the accurate lots (once I learned how to do that to... I need to get with it don't I? :D), so may still be a while for that.

Sounds good.  :)

About the base textures, I would hold off for a bit. If you could send me that google earth shot, I could browse around in the LE for matching
textures, I have an enormous selection.  :)

One of them is probably going to be easy. The first house I showed here has a few close textures that I know of.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FBurgess-1.jpg&hash=325c6a949a4caf2b0b547a28db551b4b969f1004)

Here is the other house (and you can see a few of the props I'm making too). In terms of textures its nothing too bad other than the walkway to the front door and the back porch area. The trees don't really show up too well in the picture sadly.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FGlenn.jpg&hash=f833a79769f544517647b0c05ed2140392bb3506)

I also have an idea for one of the props that I want to test out (they are allowed to overhang towards the road correct? or would that cause issues $%#Ninj2 )

That second pic- I know of a texture that could work well for that path.  :)

QuoteI also have an idea for one of the props that I want to test out (they are allowed to overhang towards the road correct? or would that cause issues?

I assume you mean the driveway? It won't cause issues at all, good idea.  :thumbsup:

WoW XD those are some amazing houses.... great Job on that my friend  :thumbsup: &apls

Thanks Pat  ;D Mostly done with my next house also. Just need a few minor details and its done.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/Reiterpreview.jpg
*edit* I forgot to place a shutter on the house. Fixed it after uploading :-[

Note: Final preview is now lower on the page.

really nice homes!  &apls

I am looking at your reply #22. You've done a good job with the roof. I can see that you've done some spots where dirt has settled leaving smudged areas. The house is an interesting shape and I like the realism of the air conditioning unit. The night lites on the side deck is well done. How does it look in the game compared to other homes as far as scale?

You should also consider different colors to make the best use of your model and the time you spent on it. Colors such as earth tone yellows, greens, tan, or blue.  Color corrdinate the shutters as well.

Thanks Heblem :)

Quote from: jmyers2043 on October 05, 2007, 09:43:06 PM
I am looking at your reply #22. You've done a good job with the roof. I can see that you've done some spots where dirt has settled leaving smudged areas. The house is an interesting shape and I like the realism of the air conditioning unit. The night lites on the side deck is well done. How does it look in the game compared to other homes as far as scale?

You should also consider different colors to make the best use of your model and the time you spent on it. Colors such as earth tone yellows, greens, tan, or blue.  Color corrdinate the shutters as well.

Thanks. My earlier buildings I didn't have to dirty the textures (the real life versions of the houses have both been resided/roofed within the last 6 months), so this was my first real attempt at it. I'm glad it turned out well.

I haven't gotten it in game yet, however I can say that the house not counting the front and back porch is 15.8 meters long and 8.4 wide, fit to scale with the real life version of the house. So basically 1 tile x .5 tile. And thanks for the ideas of the alt colors. I wasn't really sure what to go with. I'll probably do a tan with the brown shutters, then maybe a lighter blue with different siding. Maybe give the blue one white shutters.

that's a pretty good first atempt.  This tends to be rare, but I really have no critiques to give here, these are looking good :thumbsup:

Glad you guys are liking them :) I just have to finish the porch junk now and this one is done. Then I can start part 2 of my secret project (and finally post some previews $%#Ninj2)

QuoteI haven't gotten it in game yet, however I can say that the house not counting the front and back porch is 15.8 meters long and 8.4 wide, fit to scale with the real life version of the house.

The best thing to do (before you get much further) is to export your current model. Make it into a prop using the Maxis PIM. Then go to the lot editor and open up one of the parks. Place your house prop onto the park lot and 'save as' XXXXXXX. Then open up the game and search through your parks until you find your new lot. Then start to plop that park/house around your residential areas. Plop it beside some of Simgoobers stuff as well. He did an excellent job at scale. You'll soon get the sense if the house is properly scaled or not when comparing it against all the other models in the game. If you think that your home should be a R$$ then plop your version next to other R$$ homes in the game.

As far as scale? You can't really depend on real life numbers when making bats. As an example - You almost always have to increase the height of your building due to the top down angled view of the game. The other thing is that Maxis did not use hard and fast rules as far as scale goes either.

What do you do if the scale is not right? Gmax has a scale tool. You can make things taller, longer, overall smaller, etc. . .. Just play with the controls to get the desired affect. Don't forget to save before you start.

Good Luck.

Quote from: jmyers2043 on October 06, 2007, 05:47:26 AMAs far as scale? You can't really depend on real life numbers when making bats. As an example - You almost always have to increase the height of your building due to the top down angled view of the game. The other thing is that Maxis did not use hard and fast rules as far as scale goes either.

Thanks for the suggestion. Here is the comparison you wanted:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FRLSsmallhome.jpg&hash=58b0d0637ad7beeb3db061b8bb33c3ccec4ad4a2)
Goober's RLS small home is about the closest thing I could think of to match my house next to. I think it turned out pretty well. I did two more comparisons also, next to the 2 floored Rod Stuga, and homefryes' American Four Squares:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/RodStuga.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/4square.jpg
I'm pretty satisified with how this current house turned out, though my second house (the blue one) is going to need to be enlarged a little. The only thing I really think I need to change on this one is to make the chimney just a little bigger.

Oh MY Goodness this is really looking Great XD you are truely walking up to goobers homes lol... SGXD  ;)

Thanks Pat ;D Still a long way to go before I feel that comparison would be valid, but that means a lot.

QuoteI think it turned out pretty well.

I think so too!

And you're right about the chimney.

Updated preview:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FReiterpreview.jpg&hash=6dd5851429f3961bc20c063efb624eda0a01c671)
And two alts done:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FReiteralt.jpg&hash=204bb83b35072bc771a842a36abd9a4e72108c92)

XD hehehe anyways its notta problem... the new shots are wow also there M8

Currently working on more parking lot textures (10 bases textures and 46 overlays). To go with this, I am working on a prop pack to replace the grass/curb textures. I figured this could save some objects on the lots, and allow for more customization in lots since placing props has less restriction than overlays. I chose to leave the grass area bare so you can layer a tree or bush prop onto it to give it a more unique look. Since the props are rather easy to make, I figure this would be a more flexible alternative to overlay textures.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FParkingpropspreview.jpg&hash=6dcd93550c49ce5329bb4a1560440af0612f207e)
Not pictured above are the two other speedbumps of varied lengths (also note that I haven't textured the speedbump above, thats just the naked model). I still have at least 11 more props to make.
Here are examples of the textures I've finished. A huge thanks to Pat for laying these out and testing them.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg526.imageshack.us%2Fimg526%2F7983%2Ftest7zl0.jpg&hash=81898cf587f31009988305e988cbc50f9fb5f47a)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg388.imageshack.us%2Fimg388%2F479%2Ftest6sa7.jpg&hash=bc0ed99a549b6ce576b4dcc931d7cf0de684c6b7)

XD its been my pleasure to help you out my friend... Its good to see this out of the closet so to say lol

excellent work! really nice home!

I see something odd, about the quality in game of your home... did you exported it as draft export or high? looks different in comparison to gober home...

Now again incredible work about your props and that parking lot... about the parking lot i suggest you in make the asphalt a bit more white and the yellow line not too much wide... if you want help in making that parking lot count with me ;) I could edit that texture better  :)

Hope not to disturb you, i just love your work...

Quote from: Heblem on October 07, 2007, 08:16:02 PM
excellent work! really nice home!

I see something odd, about the quality in game of your home... did you exported it as draft export or high? looks different in comparison to gober home...

Now again incredible work about your props and that parking lot... about the parking lot i suggest you in make the asphalt a bit more white and the yellow line not too much wide... if you want help in making that parking lot count with me ;) I could edit that texture better  :)

Hope not to disturb you, i just love your work...

Yeah, I just exported that house as a draft to test (I'm impatient, why wait 3 minutes for your test when you are going to delete it right after? :D)

Yeah, I went back and thinned a few of the lines since that preview (also cleaned up around the handicapped spots). I tested it again earlier, and I may need to go in and narrow it more :'( This is my first time using alpha textures, so there was some rookie mistakes on my part. The reason I went with the darker asphalt "blacktop" style is just to give some contrast to the majority of the lighter colored parking lot textures in existance. I could lighten it up some though. Its one of the things that has been bothering me, since I wasn't sure if people would think it was too dark or not.

hehe dont worry even I dont know how to make alpha textures... I just know make simple textures  :D

About the darker textures you can make it to match the the Road or avenue asphalt texture, and at the center of the driveway make it a bit darker for realism, I can help if you want ;)

take care

I think I may just lighten the base color and leave the driveway how it is. I think once I get the base fixed, the driveway will look more real (yay for keeping my PSD :D). And thanks for the offer, shouldn't be too hard to do. The only thing I'm really dreading is the Alphas (not that the work is hard, just tedious, and I've already redone every alpha 3 times ()sad())

This will be a little delayed. Windows file was corrupt on start-up, had to reinstall. Didn't lose any files, but I need to install all my programs.

oooh wow XD im glad to hear you didnt loose nothing....  looking forward to seeing some more devolpment though - pat

Ok, my little hiatus is done, ready to get working on the parking lot objects. Does anyone happen to know the size of the average light post in SC4? I found a few real world models I want to make, but want to be sure I have them not too oversized.

Hey XD Welcome back and to answer your question just look at SG parking lot lights i dont know the heights but they are pretty close...

QuoteDoes anyone happen to know the size of the average light post in SC4?

The street lights are all 11 meters high. The lamp posts are 8 meters high. Hope I am not too late with your answer.

Quote from: jmyers2043 on November 06, 2007, 01:53:30 PM
The street lights are all 11 meters high. The lamp posts are 8 meters high. Hope I am not too late with your answer.

Not at all, I needed a little break, so I didn't even check until now. Thanks for the numbers, I was using a range of 10 and 13 depending on the light, so guess I was pretty close. Ok, now that I have my scale, project should go smoothly. Still have to fix all my alpha textures still... Maybe I can get this all done by New Years :-\

I was wondering if there is anyone experienced with making textures that could help me out. I continued work on my parking lot textures, and an issue has come up with both Pat and myself testing in. The textures show up properly in the lot editor, but don't work in game. Here are Pat's screenshots of it:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg185.imageshack.us%2Fimg185%2F1993%2Fthemsoftgr1.jpg&hash=c3ef032ca0ce316b510d9961c9938ba829373769)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg185.imageshack.us%2Fimg185%2F5823%2Fparkingtestph3.jpg&hash=854360674448c5a0a779fbb986764930885ffe3e)
Any suggestions on whats wrong with it? The only thing I can think of is maybe I saved the bitmaps wrong, but I just saved the reworked textures over the ones that were tested successful earlier in this topic.

On the BAT front, work on the lights is coming a little slower than expected, mainly because I am distracted by old games :D I will hopefully have a screenshot of all the light fixtures by the end of next week.

Im still tweaking and what not trying to figure out what if anything might be conflicting XD,  I cant wait to see the screenies on the parkinglot lamps...

Quote from: Pat on December 28, 2007, 07:27:01 PM
Im still tweaking and what not trying to figure out what if anything might be conflicting XD,  I cant wait to see the screenies on the parkinglot lamps...

I can't think of any conflict. I tested it on an empty plugins folder, and the textures before worked with the same IIDs in the past. I thinking I messed something up with the BMPs, or some kind of error occured when the texture pack was created. If nobody has any ideas I'll have to plunk around in photoshop to see if I messed up somewhere. Definately going to take a break from texture packs after this one :D

LoL naw you shouldn't at all unless you want an ulcer lol.... No really XD I love the parking lot textures and it took me for ever to figure out how to set that layup, well maybe simpler and easier textures next time would be better cause it seems parking lot textures are a nightmare lol.....  I have noticed one thing though that look by the one tile to the left of fountain the yellow texture seems to be shooting across the whole tile and also one tile down from the fountain same issue... Hmmm OK it is weird that last textures I tested seem to work with out a problem, I do hope you can figure it out or someone with knowledge stops in...

Quote from: Pat on December 28, 2007, 07:46:50 PM
I have noticed one thing though that look by the one tile to the left of fountain the yellow texture seems to be shooting across the whole tile and also one tile down from the fountain same issue... Hmmm OK it is weird that last textures I tested seem to work with out a problem, I do hope you can figure it out or someone with knowledge stops in...

Yeah, I noticed that too, but thats more a LE issue. When you tested the textures before that showed up, but not in game. There shouldn't be anything there on the texture itself since both the texture and the overlay for those pieces have nothing actually there.

You must pay special attention to the texture ID. Can you tell us this information pls ?¿
Anyway, the fifth digit in the ID texture is related to the lot wealth. This means that if you used a wrong value in that digit, and it does not match the lot wealth, the textures wont show up.
Once I can see the texture ID I can try to help more  ;)

---

ops. I forgot this:

http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=9.0

;)

Thanks Jeronij, now I know exactly where things went from. SC4Tool wasn't working for me, so I sent the textures to a friend along with my range. Forgot to tell them about wealth levels... :-[ The first texture was assigned the IID 0xF3700000. Well ok then, thats an easy fix. Thank you.

Also, light cones for lighting props, anyone experienced out there willing to help me out with those? I've got my light poles modeled, but reading the steps of how to turn them into lighted props has me thoroughly crosseyed :D

Hey XD when lotting you can add light cones from Peg in and its in the STEX but since its down atm i cant get it but its the MTP resource vol 1 and it has light cones in there....

Now that I think about it Pat, thats a good idea, I'll just go with the KISS method.

K =  Keep
I  =  It
S =  Simple
S =  Stud <---- Edit for family friendly site lol


Is that about right XD???

After much delay, a preview of my parking lot props. I have a few more ideas for the islands on top still:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FParkingLotPropStarterPack.jpg&hash=fa35795d5cfa3127e0fff95eec0f9323444e2ce0)

I'm pretty happy without things turned out. The handicapped signs didn't turn out like I thought, and the base of the Stop sign on the left didn't show up on the preview render, but it is there :-[

This is a nice collection of props. Very complete. My only suggestion would be to use more elaborated textures, I mean, all the pieces look too clean and nice  ;) . Perhaps some degradation in your textures woud help to give them a more realistic look. There is a (very basic) tutorial about creating your own textures here: http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=4.0
Oh, for the handicaped marks you can use the Maxis one. It looks right, it fits in every world's parking, and it is a dependency less.

I hope my comments can help you to improve an allready excellent props set  ;D

Thank you for the reply. I was thinking about touching up the grass and curb textures, along with the roofs of the covered cart returns still, and fixing the textures on the larger light poles. As for the tutorial, I actually used a bit of the technique in the process of making the speed bumps ;D The only reason I threw in the handicapped signs was to give it a little bit of variety as well as match it with the rest of my props, and since its only two small inclusions I figured it wouldn't hurt too much to involve them :D. Have I missed any kind of obvious prop that could be added? Should I add a few more of the longer islands? Your comments (and praise) help a lot, I'm always looking to make things better, as well as soak up whatever advice I can get.

Edit: Reworked the textures, quick sample :)
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I threw together a quick texture sample if anyone sees any errors or room for improvement:
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I have the texture and prop packs all set up and I'm happy how they've turned out. I could really use some testers to go over them to see what they think (since I don't have too much experience with making lots, its kind of foreign to me still). What I need out of testers is to see if they can't find any bugs or small details I missed, testing the props with different textures (and in the case of the light posts, testing them with different light cones since none are included in the pack), the overlays with different base textures, their opinions on the functionality of the textures and props, and any suggestions to improve the pack. If there is anyone willing to help, it would be greatly appreciated. Just post if you are willing to test and I can PM you a link. Thank you.

In game preview of the props and some of the textures (there are 50 total overlays, so I tried to just got the widest variety)
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I noticed a small issue with the speedbumps in game. Would this be cause by the being too small maybe?
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hmmm thats a good question there XD... See my PM to you about testing  ;)

BTW I just noticed this weird number for a post 3333, So what would the square root of that be?

Refit the LODs on the speedbumps and the problem is gone ;D

Before starting my next house, decided to go back and fix the night lighting on my first two houses that I just wasn't happy with. New lights:
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Eric that is stunning !!!    great job on those...

Latest house completed other then the finish touches unless someone sees any issues.
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Alt color scheme finished. House looks like its made out of chocolate now :D
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Your homes for my point of view looks realistic, you could do with that same home different variation of textures and modeling sections to make more and have variety. Keep on  :thumbsup:

Also I really like your props of your parking lots, i find them soo useful, except for the parking lot texture I think those need some work etc. Again I offer my help for the textures if you want, just by making a remplacement with your same IDD or better making new one? what do you think? also I could help making diagonal texture parking lot textures I have been working on LBT Prop Pack 3 and one of my main goal is making parking lot stuff realistic, as you see i have done several cars for the parking lots (including families of diagonals) I was thinking in doing almost the same props like you did but i think I could be a waste of time doing the same that you did! So my idea or plan is to make a new texture set using your props and my props, what do you think?

In a near future I'll be making many US-style restaurants and department stores with those props and textures as main dependency, so this just for to have a better organization.

Thanks you! Sorry for my bad English  ;D

Since the textures are already up on the LEX, I'm kind of timid to do any changes to them now. I really pretty happy with how they turned out. So really it'd be better to make a new one that kind of works together with it. I have no problem at all with you using my props, or expanding upon them (which is why I named it a starter pack, so people could use them or their own variations mixed in). I look forward to seeing what you've got in store :thumbsup:

LoL Eric that is looking sweet the chocolate house yummies....

I love your parking textures, I'll be using them shortly. ;)

Houses look great too, the textures especially.
By the way, my offer back on page 1 to lot and/or mod the houses for you still stands.  :)

Quote from: Travis on February 05, 2008, 03:32:31 PM
I love your parking textures, I'll be using them shortly. ;)

Houses look great too, the textures especially.
By the way, my offer back on page 1 to lot and/or mod the houses for you still stands.  :)

Thank you. I remember and am still considering it. I still have props to go with these so there is still a while before I'm ready to lot them

The house in your reply #67 ... It's well done. A couple of vent pipes or furnace flue would be the icing on the cake.

Quote from: jmyers2043 on February 05, 2008, 04:25:10 PM
The house in your reply #67 ... It's well done. A couple of vent pipes or furnace flue would be the icing on the cake.

... I knew I missed something, I couldn't find what though :D Thank you.

Oops, noticed another missing thing too $%#Ninj2

edit: (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FPackarddetailed.jpg&hash=e3e6033ea20c4e2bc1cc7bd2aa0a5f88e2aec3c5)
3 small details added.

Sweeeet much better and as Jim says that defintly puts the Chocolate Icing on the Chocolate Cake!!!!

HUGE thanks to Pat for helping me by modding/lotting/testing these for me. Helped me find where the issues in my BATs are. Have a few fixes to make thanks to this test, should help my future houses too.

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Little bummed the lights are shining through the rails to the ground on the last house I made, since I think that effect looked great, but I'm more than happy just seeing my things in game

I think whats scary is I am somewhat getting good at this sorta thing.... XD it was my pleasure in getting this done for you and I would be more then happier to help you out when ever!!! I also didn't plan for the houses to grow like that either, it just happend and that scared me lol...

Oh hey, just noticed one of the houses is backwards $%#Ninj2 Reiter house should be facing the other way :D I should have noticed that one right away since its my house lol.

As for how they grew, that ended up perfect since it lets me check scale to various houses in game.

heheehe whooopsie, If Im thinking right the Reiter one is the long one? I will see what I can do about getting it right for ya's...

NB: is the right angle for the house?

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Yup, thats the proper angle :thumbsup: Sorry for the delayed reply, working on props.

Its all goood XD and I did save a corrected version let me know if you need it....

Using the information gathered from Pat's testing, I have updated the BATs:
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^Adjusted the night window and made a slight change to the chimney
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^Complete redo of the night lights since they weren't working in the test. Also fixed the roof texture.
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^Reworked the lights for the to appear properly on the walls.

sweet looking real good there Eric and if you want to send me those new models i will plug them into the lots and send you the V2 lots same way as I did...

The lights are coming together nicely!   :thumbsup:  The exterior lights look near perfect.  You could probably turn the interior lights up a little more if you wanted to, as they never seem as bright in game as they do in gmax.  On a totally unrelated note... I really like the decks in the third picture.  Nice touch!

Very nice work.

Thanks for the feedback guys :) Wish I could take credit for the decks, but I'm just replicating what the house looks like in real life.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/house4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/house15.jpg

I don't know if its how I modded these lots but I get them growing pretty good.... Just an FYI, lol I do really like how the houses I got XD look ingame... It gives off a nice added class  ;)   I cant wait to get ahold of V2 though ;D

I can send you the 8 finished BATs right now if you want :D I still have a lot of props to make, and have one more house I want to do before I think about releasing anything.

8 sweet Id be happy to tackle them and at least start something on it and show off devolpments here.... Once you get the props done I can easy like throw them in at right angles as Hilton is out of my hands at the moment and the Palermo Uno is waiting a few idea's more on my end...  So Id be really happy to get moving on them ;)

Early work in progress of my next house. Still needs doors, windows, detailing, texture touch-ups, and night lighting.
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Looking real good there eric and are those pink spots supposed to be skylights?

Yeah, still working on the textures for those, so left them pink :D

*snickers* heheeh OK!!! I cant wait though to see them finished off...

Quick teaser preview of progress. Should have a full preview tomorrow after I tweak some things and add the final details.
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That is looking real good there XD!!!!

Detailing done, I may touch up the textures once more.

New preview method:
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Love the new preview method but I am wondering about the color of the siding, it seems a tad to brite...

That's a really nice house.

I like this one, XiahouDun.  I agree with Pat that the siding may be a touch bright.  The windows on the rest of the house have a nice trimmed out look, but the garage doors seem rather flat by comparrison.  I like the overall shape and especially how the roof changes pitch on the back side.   :thumbsup:

Ok, I'll adjust that texture a little and see what I can do about the garage doors :thumbsup: Thanks for the feedback guys.

Updated with the suggested changes, I like how its looking now. Also added small ramps into the garage to give it some extra realism.
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Its looking really nice!!  :thumbsup: I hope you do a great lot aswell (not boring as maxis one)

Eblem

Thanks ;D I still want to get a few more props done before I start lotting these.

Something fun from an earlier exporting (was the first full preview)
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So if exporting sends you back in time, does that mean you have to do it all over again?  :P

The house is looking good.

-86011 seconds  ??? ()what() theres something wrong with your bat, i imagine...  :-[

Can wait for more homes  ;) keep on

Was actually just that one export (which worked in the LE btw). Since then it reports just fine, 363 seconds for this house on the most recent.

Heblem: I have a few more planned, then going to the commercial services. Lots of shops near me, so I have plenty to make :D

Quote from: XiahouDun on March 07, 2008, 01:57:27 PM
Heblem: I have a few more planned, then going to the commercial services. Lots of shops near me, so I have plenty to make :D

Yay! commerces I'm willing to help you in making some (if you get some good pictures of different commerces)  ;D

I'm just going to stick to the standard ones for a start, probably some you've already done too :D Variety in game is a good thing. Like, in my real life city there are 4 McDonalds, all with different designs.

Well if you have some interesting pictures of commerces I could do some more "variations", actually I need some more for my BAT thread, im getting empty  ::)

None at the moment, winter is putting my reference shots on hold :'(

No problem, i hope until summer... I'll go to United States (for visit) and may a chance to take some pictures in San Antonio or San Marcos stores in Texas.

I was thinking in doing an Outlet (as like Tanger Outlets and any other i can't remember) that will include about 100 stores in BAT, modular of course  ;)

Thanks anyway  ;)

XD that is funnier then dog snot to see that happen!!! I do wonder the same thing though if you lost time in the render do you have to remake it????

The reason the bad calculation occures is based on how the timing works in the bat script.  It takes final time - initial (24hr clock).  But what happends if you go from 10pm to 2 am, or 22 to 2? you get 2 (final) - 22 (initial) to get -20 hours.  It's a bug in the script that I often get (when's the best time to do a render other than sleeping  ;D?)

Yeah, thats what happened with me. Was a 6 and a half minute render that I started at like 11:59pm.

LoL that makes sense there Auto... See XD there is a reason not to render at that time of the night lol or is that a real good reason???

My buildings aren't big enough to justify doing it over night, so doesn't really matter to me when I do it.

well just for big bats that takes more than 5 hours of exporting, in my case I use to export all my buildings on medium quality (theres isn't any different with high) so usually takes from 10 to 30 minutes of exporting...

Updated previews on everything I've finished so far (except the most recent house) in the new preview method, along with some of the minor changes made since finishing them.
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Great job on these. Will be nice to have more early stage Res to replace the Maxis.  :thumbsup:

Delayed reply (didn't see the new post $%#Ninj2)

Thanks! ;D I have a few more houses in the works, more props, then onto some early stage commercials, maybe a megalot or two $%#Ninj2 Yeah, I know, I've been saying these things for a while, and I'm not the fastest worker, but I stick to my word :D

and to add to that Dont I owe you a few lotted houses? Whoopsie with the leave I had to take for a few days and now being sick after getting home my brain went to smush...  I will show off here later what I whip up on the house pack you gave me XD...  In time good things come to those who wait is my response to you saying your a slow worker lol...

Nice homes those will be a great addition to the game  :thumbsup: &apls

Hey Eric a wee later but I do have some pics to show you....

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and yes they do abandon too

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Sorry it took awhile to get to these but Im done and if you dont see any changes needed I will PM you the fileden location to these wonderful houses....

Looks cool Pat. Thanks so much for testing them for me. I started playing around with lotting the other day, so I think when I'm done with the props I can put together some lots (going to make one lot with each set that is true to the real life house in size and the objects on it). I could definately use your help with that along with the modding.

Side note, Burgess Rd. and Reiter St. houses are backwards ^^;;

Wow Eric, houses are looking great. :thumbsup:

You know what would be a good idea? Making megalots out of these. :) I will definitely do so once these are released. ;)

Eric glad you love them and I it would be my honor to mod for you sir  ;)

Side note, OKies will get those fixed asap lol

Small update after I put some final touches on it.
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ooooooo now I likies there Eric WoW!!! Though the 1x2 tile i can almost gurantee it will not fit for that one, nor would it look right lol....

NB:   Here is the corrected pics as promissed XD...

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check your PM for the file den info on both the compressed and orginel files...

yep that home looks really nice  :thumbsup: would good to if you make some two floor homes, just by taking from the current you have  ;)

Oh, Pat i like these lots, my suggestion is too add more props for the garden, like fences, trees, maybe a small plastic pool or anything, for my taste looks somewhat empty..  ;)

Looks great Pat :thumbsup: I'm debating if I should make custom textures for my lots or not (at least the ones I am trying to make true to life). I like the lack of fences too, since most houses near me don't have much in terms of fencing. Put those lots in my game and seeing if I can get them to pop up in Lakeville.

And I'm amused there is a chalk outline right outside of what would be my window on the blue variation :D

Quote from: XiahouDun on March 31, 2008, 04:19:41 PM
I'm debating if I should make custom textures for my lots or not

go ahead  ;D textures for homes are really needed, i think there are only by maxis one, you could do some realistic variations like the parking garage entrance, backyards sidewalks, etc  ;)

I agree custom textures for your lots would be great addition....   I know aint it kinda creepy that the chalk outline appeared on that lot!!!!  OK Eric who did you shoot outside of your window  :D

Looking at these homes, I could really see them used as farm houses as well as in the suburbs. Looks like a very nice variety.
As for the chalk outline, well that's what you get for using Maxis trees.  :P

Quote from: xxdita on April 04, 2008, 04:33:58 AM
Looking at these homes, I could really see them used as farm houses as well as in the suburbs. Looks like a very nice variety.
As for the chalk outline, well that's what you get for using Maxis trees.  :P

I was aiming for small town in general, so huge yay for me there :D

And I like the chalk outline, especially since it ended up right outside my window. Its like I shot someone for making too much noise while I was trying to sleep.

So... I have a new project. Should I give a very early preview, or tease it slowly while I work on it, giving small hints? $%#Ninj2

hmmm hints or the hole thing??? I say more please lol... I love to see bits and pieces personaly, btw Eric I gotten the house X-tool stats set if you want the new pack let me know...

 $%#Ninj2
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To give a scale idea:
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that is real sweet looking XD and I hmm I bet you are doing that baseball park??? Yea I say that scale is massive compared to your home lol....   BTW I think your sig needs a little updating to reflect the house project lol

Cool! A ballpark, would this be another AAA park or are you going for a MLB Park?

Yeah, updating the sig now Pat. Ironically when I started the ballpark I was just in the BAT to make props for my houses, so I am still working on my housing at the same time :D

Its going to be a minor league stadium Skyliner, its modeled after a minor league field near me.

That preview is a few hours old, let me update you guys:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FScoreboard.jpg&hash=f1d3b004fa00a1fe953e045b7869775080c1ae7d)
Field texture is just a placeholder.

niiiiiiiiiice very nice there XD!!!!!! I cant wait to see how this finishes out!!!!

Progress: (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FConcourse.jpg&hash=931660b0e64a8cc537fd3a7f1934a88a4dea8d8e)

So, for the seating, should I make each individual row, or just have each section a single piece and let the textures show the depth?

I think that doing it individually would do wonders but maybe texturing could work as well... I would suggest trying both options first...

How about a little update huh?
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2Fbasicdetailing.jpg&hash=6a37540a80f1679c8de00521edf9fad8038fb4d8)
The stands aren't going to be those single pieces, just going to be using them as guides.

Thats real sweet there XD!!!!!!!!!

Oh, just a note, thats not the final texture for the field, I just needed to accuately place the foul poles. It does give you an idea of what it will look like though

Thanks for the explaination. I was wondering if I needed to make a suggestion <ha ha> ... Actually, this looks to be a good start to a ball field and I wish you luck.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/Stands.jpg

Some progress has been made. I accidently made the blue seats too large in that preview, so I've already taken care of that. I need to touch up the textures for the metal bleachers too.

Still using the placeholder texture for the field btw.

Looks really good, I really like it

Loooking real good there Eric!!!!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FStands-1.jpg&hash=7fd58827e9f0d9e385a12909aea28f025e52423e)

There we go, made the mentioned adjustments and finished the first base side. Going to move to third base, then the backstop area.

While replying to a topic here yesterday, I came up with a thought that I'd like your opinions on. For houses, do you like seeing gutters modeled on or left off? I've been leaving them off since they aren't visually appealing to me, but I wanted to know other people's opinions.

youre doing a great baseball stadium  :thumbsup: as for the gutter for my it not a problem, leave it off  ;)

Very great work XiahouDun, you have impressed with baseball park, very interesting.

Thanks for the feedback guys ;D I've gotten more done on it, debating if I should post it tonight or not...

Great stadium.
It's really Beautiful, go on.

Just wanted to update so you didn't think I gave up. Memory became an issue witht he stadium being so large. Once I can get some more ram and a few more reference shots, I'll be finishing this work up. I am thinking I may wait until next season to get the all new outfield ads. I HAD tickets to go to the last game of the season this year to get the shots, but the game was cancelled :'(

I have a few things I am looking at to work on now. I'll keep you updated :thumbsup:

your Bats are fantastic XiahouDun  &apls

I thought you had forgotten here Eric but I am glad you havent and I hope you can get more RAM ASAP!!!

Nice stadium  :thumbsup:

Very great work but I don't like textures! :D

Quote from: sciurus54 on October 20, 2008, 09:42:03 AM
Very great work but I don't like textures! :D

The only texture on the model that is going to be on the final product is the texture that makes the seats. The field texture is a guide so you can get an idea how the field will fit into the stadium ;)

So, since the stadium is on hold, I started a new project last night. Let there be progress:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FDisneytextures.jpg&hash=ec116c9fbec49c12b270767fea619de07f286b11)
These are just base textures, so please refrain from commenting that the textures are bland :-[

it's a great start  :thumbsup:

Vety good start! :thumbsup:

Quote from: XiahouDun on October 20, 2008, 05:31:37 PM
These are just base textures, so please refrain from commenting that the textures are bland :-[

Well Eric that just sucks all the fun out of it siiiiiigh lol  :D :D  No honestly here Eric looking good and btw what is this going to be?

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FDisneyRoof.jpg&hash=f28524e37ef98aa195c51fcd910a9cbaf5558620)

Laid out a texture for the roof. Still have detailing to do on it, plus roof junk.

Nice roof texture  :thumbsup: Amazing building  &apls

very stunning job on the building so far XD!!!  :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 $%#Ninj2 Just wanted to let people know that these projects aren't abandoned. Using a new computer now, and going to get back to BATing some. Thinking I'll finally finish up my houses...

oooo Swwweet XD!!! I cant wait to see the new stuff!!

Revive my little thread $%#Ninj2

Ok, no new previews, just me getting bored and having some fun. I've gone HD:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FXDReiter-1.jpg&hash=662fd70d760e0e8c2c8864ee5469ee3d1e0e80ab)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FXDinHD1.jpg&hash=bef5ba26ad19d3ed08ea3b882696be28fb75b3e1)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FXDinHD2.jpg&hash=6675d85935c58e0ef00301157a4c73956cf5216f)

Seeing my house that clear makes me notice some shortcomings in my skills. Though that second parking lot prop... really makes me want to rerender all of them into HD $%#Ninj2

ooooo Eric those are stunning in HD!!!

Thanks Pat :D

I like the idea of HD props, but will wait till someone makes a tool to make them with. I am scared I'll mess them up.

It really wasn't that much different from a normal render in Gmax, not sure how much is different in 3dStudio. :-[

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FXDinHD3.jpg&hash=2b3e7474845b34a2d4b4aace0107a7a3fea502cf)
Quite a notable difference.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FXDinHD4.jpg&hash=fe058aa8fc8fed0261fd156127d87e10ed28c30d)
Even on Zoom 5 if lookts better

I think the 7kb difference between the two files is well worth it. If that ratio stayed the same for every prop in the pack, it would go from 410kb to 615kb.

not to big of a diffrence at all there Eric to go HD and man its worth it for sure!!

A question for someone that may have the answers. What are some prop packs that have light cones in them? I remember Peg's Mountain Theme pack had one, but what are some others? $%#Ninj2

Hey, great to see you back!

thought I'd chime in on the HD thing real quick.  A good idea to go off on the subject is that small props that need the extra detail are good candidates, though buildings are a harder sell, for examples why, check Ennedi's post Here (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=7464.msg252040#msg252040), and further, Tage's post Here (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=7464.msg252548#msg252548).  Due to the types of degredations potentially seen in buildings it's advised to limit HD renders to smaller props where detail is important and are small enough to be unimportant in further zooms, which will additionally also save considerably on file sizes since the increases in size are minor for the smaller props well suited to HD renders.

Chris

I've been playing around with the notion of "how big is too big" for the HD renderings, and where "smaller props" ends and larger buildings begin (if that makes sense, it did typign it in my head :D). Basicly a similar approach to Ennedi's post on the same page where he lists some things that should be in HD. I could actually get some test lots together of all the houses I've made and share them, since I have a copy of all of them in SD and HD. Houses in terms of file size still stay pretty modest in HD. An example would be the house previewed on this page. In SD it is 64kb, while HD does see a jump to 160kb. Almost triple the size yes, but in a ultimately not too large of a difference. To give a comparison, The last image Ennedi posted on the page you linked is 192000 bytes. Its definately something I want to play around with more to see if I can find what I feel is the best looking. Thank you for the information you posted.

And yes, I do realize the file size difference is referencing one house growing that much, so there would be an impact on the overall plugins folder.

Hey Eric don't forget that you can always DAT Pack everything to make it a better size...

Yup, I know. I was planning on packing each individual download, instead of doing a megapack with all my houses, so people can opt out of certain houses if they'd like.

sweetness there Eric, I just wasnt certain if you remembered you could do that to save some space... So are you at a point to even pack a model house at all? Just wondering what size it would be?

Ok, have the SD and HD side by side comparisons ready:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FPackard5-1.jpg&hash=33660d850d25813e2d4fda0189ee58ee1d7ed0dd)
HD is on the right. In my opinion, textures look cleaner in the HD version even at zoom 5. Porch details (like the hand railing) show some of the jagging issues that the SD version doesn't, but they are also more visable than the SD version. Roof antenea on the SD version appears as a grey blob while the HD version it looks crisp (ground texture kind of blended with the HD version on the screenshot, so going off my own observation on a different lot tested). Please not, the chimney on the HD version has been improved to make use of the better details.
File sizes: SD=77.8kb, HD=202kb

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FPackard5-2.jpg&hash=dc46a091310f260b715f64fec087fd9fee17fa81)
Same house from the rear. Seems like the same story here, textures look better on the HD (on the left), but show the jagged edges a little more.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FReiter5-1.jpg&hash=e6c8efeca203c22317289e39ebebd638d24fa21a)
HD on the right again. To me this one is a strong sales point for going HD. Doesn't show the jagged edges as bad except on the roof at the top of the image, textures on the HD version are more detailed. AC unit on the SD version suffers from blurring while the HD version it still looks detailed.
File sizes: SD=64.1kb, HD=160kb

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FBurgess5-1.jpg&hash=1f46a78eb160afba99ecb0d32d356ec79ec4b1d3)
Final house tested, HD on the bottom. Like in the others, HD version suffering from some jagged edges unlike the SD version, however the details on the HD version continue to look better.
File sizes: SD=50.9kb, HD=120kb

oooh wow Eric there is a great diffrence there for sure!!! Size aint that much of real issue at all and the comparission is just amazing...  I like the HD versions of the house soo much better even with the small defect that I honestly cant see...

nice work &apls

Thanks guys :) I'll wait for more import before I make my decision.

So then, about my question on the last page. Can anyone tell me of some prop packs that have light cone props in it? :-[

BSC MEGA Props Misc Vol02 - on the LEX

Thank you Barby :) I've reworked my parking lot props, and wanted to have the readme be more detailed than last time. Expect me in the LEX Candidacy forum again soon :D

Excellent news, XD :thumbsup:

I really like the way some details look with the HD textures, but on the long run maybe it won't be to good because our plugins folder may be too big.

Maybe some textures can stay in SD. For example, the porch on the second picture looks better in SD. The wood on the walls of the house on the last pic also look better in SD. Maybe if you only use HD on some props (like the air conditioner, chimeny, etc) it would still look better and the size wouldn't be to drastic.

Just my thought there. Other than that, I really like the houses, we can never have enough!

Hey Eric that is awesome and I am sooo sorry I thought I gave you some links to the light cones?? My bad there...

So, sent off the HD parking lot props for scrutineering. How about I finally get back to work on my prop pack for the houses? :D It will only take what, 2 years to release them? :-[

moin XiahouDun,

QuoteHow about I finally get back to work on my prop pack for the houses?  :D It will only take what, 2 years to release them? :-[

... hope not, there looking great!

b_schlurf

Those houses look fantastic! That choice between SD and HD will certainly be a difficult one. They both have their strong points and weaknesses. Either way, they're going to look great.

Quote from: beutelschlurf on July 29, 2009, 03:55:10 AM
moin XiahouDun,
... hope not, there looking great!

b_schlurf

I started working on them two years ago already $%#Ninj2 :D I procrastinate too much. Time to get serious about working on my stuff.

LoL Eric that sounds about right for the house pack... But hey you know what good things come to those who wait right?

Hey Xiahou,

I'm having trouble using your parking lot pack, I can't find it anywhere in game. I used the auto installer and the file is in my plugins folder, but won't show up when I play SC4.  ???

Any help you can give me is appreciated.  :sunny:

The parking lot props and textures are dependancy files, not actual lots for in game. There are a few releases out there that use my props and textures though.

 $%#Ninj2

How about some house props?
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FNeighborhoodProps1.jpg&hash=c68d80dda070fc2a0efcbe68a68950011e42de6d)
Top left garage goes with my Packard house, top right goes to the Burgess house. The other 3 are for various lots. More to come on these.

ooo I am sooo drooling there Eric!!! I soo can't to see the new houses and the props to go with them wow!!!!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FNeighboorhoodtexture.jpg&hash=d7fdb73ab57b95597b8932d24f80b833d717c0d9)
Needing to rough up the overlay texture some, but finally working on this stuff again...

Dude, that looks like my grandma's house. Except that the driveway and the garage is on the right and it has a green tin roof.

looking good :thumbsup:
we can never have enough residentials in SC.

Thanks guys ;D Hoping I can get these all done in the next few weeks. Have 4 more lots to texture, then finish up some props and bring it all together :thumbsup:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FBurgesstestlot1.jpg&hash=ffea26b8a9ddb38970bf441f06a96ac0dc215b01)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FBurgesstestlot2.jpg&hash=0d2a510747d7222651274c07c160284ac580a269)
Threw together another test lot. Shows me that I'm going to need to rerender the garage, it went all funky at the base. And I'll probably go in and scuff up those textures on the driveway just a little bit

Nice home. I especially like the painted blue steps at the front.

I was contemplating doing some homes myself - basically, the homes that are my neighborhood. What is the size of your LOD?

Thank you. And in case anyone is wondering, yes, the front steps do just lead to grass.

Thats exactly what I did with these :D The house I just showed is across the street from me in fact.

And size of the LOD for the house or the garage?

 $%#Ninj2 Blew the dust off my BAT and got some things done. Finished some more of the neighborhood props (there are now 10), and did a lot of work on my school. Its now in the final detailing stages :thumbsup:

Are you going to try to put the home on a foundation to make it slope friendly?

... EDIT ...

Here's a house I did recently. Test render of the home, foundation, and overlay textures.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fhouse1.jpg%3Ft%3D1276440099&hash=ce11806e665d190753ec85d40f723b1b035fe10b)

Quote from: jmyers2043 on June 13, 2010, 07:40:48 AM
Are you going to try to put the home on a foundation to make it slope friendly?

... EDIT ...

Here's a house I did recently. Test render of the home, foundation, and overlay textures.

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2Fjmyers2043%2Fhouse1.jpg%3Ft%3D1276440099&hash=ce11806e665d190753ec85d40f723b1b035fe10b)

I should learn how to do that. I have some changes I want to make to some of my buildings anyways (Which I offically will never finish at this rate :D).

*ahem*

Progress on the school, placed over the base that I used for measuring just because I thought it looked cool, and rendered in HD because... well I wanted to really :thumbsup:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/Disney.jpg

Still some things to be done though.

*edit* I realize in that picture there is some issues at the top of the picture from when I didn't line up my screenshots properly to when making the full image. I didn't notice it until right after I posted this

looking good X (and Jim)  &apls

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FBurgesstestlot2.jpg&hash=0d2a510747d7222651274c07c160284ac580a269)

I particularly like this house, and the steps straight onto grass is a familiar sight to me here in Australia. I do think the roof texture is a tad repetitive though..

Thanks :) Was the first thing I ever made, so it has some issues with it, I'll admit.

So, I've now obtained BAT4Max, so I can now explore some of my more complex ideas :D Once I get things figured out...

So I'm playing around in the BAT and having an issue with night lighting. I've set the lighting in this picture to exclude the grey rectangle, but at you can see its still being lit up. To clarify, I am using BAT4GMAX that was packed with BAT4MAX 4.5 (if that helps any). Its their something I'm missing? :-[
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2Fnightlightingissue.jpg&hash=322d4cd33c66e265a42915b16a59632b47d8414d)

Very nice houses :)  :thumbsup:

Manchou- thank you!

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FDisneyingame.jpg&hash=5e0a017c4549a33e9ac92693f88497c04ba20950)
Put a draft copy of the school into SC4 using the SC4PIM. Lot is a minimum of 7x6. I set it to .3 in the PIM and it had something like... 2348 students. Nightlighting is done (very subtle since its an elementary school). Few tweeks to go then I will start working on textures for it. Famous last words, I know :D

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FDisneyWest.jpg&hash=96c650c99d50e7b290a062afa6d38c8c4774e98f)
Western view of the school after my final touch-ups. Thinking I'm going to call this one done and add it to my list of buildings to make textures for/lot.

New project, first attempt at using Max. I think its coming along well so far ;D No starting off small this time, getting right into one of the projects I have wanted to do since I first started modelling.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2Flookylooky.jpg&hash=a197c470aa2c0c4352675ed69cc57c9c951c4e3f)

This new BAT looks to be very interesting - are you basing this off a real building?

Look forward to the progress ;)

Quote from: mattb325 on August 01, 2010, 11:08:23 PM
This new BAT looks to be very interesting - are you basing this off a real building?

Look forward to the progress ;)

Yes indeed, its my work place actually :)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FFoyer.jpg&hash=e47cafa3ce527f5032cefd7a0046ae335629a97b)
HD details:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FFoyerdetails.jpg&hash=89696883bf076d23ec244e667d79e1690b8c06f0)

The entrance promises much ... I'll be keeping eye on development here.

While I'm on this spree, I finished my neighborhood props also :D
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FNeighborhoodprops.jpg&hash=f6727c7952f85435eb6fccb7e72247c157a546a4)
Correction: In my haste, I forgot to make one prop, which I have finished modeling now and just need to texture it:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FPool.jpg&hash=8abab7a8a140ffd8365afac87064ea8e1eb2a20c)

Progress report, to show I have just gotten distracted with something else now :D
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2F08-09sized.jpg&hash=3e799f7ac14b91bc8fce1d6caeeda84599d96f5a)
HD shots are too large to post in the forums, so here you go:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/08-09front.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/08-09front.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/08-09back.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/08-09back.jpg)

Very nice job so far, can't wait to see more progress!  &apls

-DC

Currently in California, so away from my files. Doesn't mean I've stopped working on things though.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FReshall.jpg&hash=35cca3a5179c8b15dea005ce1d7e1c0e80aada4a)
First building in a project I've wanted to do for a while. Still has a lot to be done though.

Proof I'm not dead and still very much working on things:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FBrownHouse.jpg&hash=6c0c12496d4e2e0cf3ec5889231e07ee66f46103)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FSavannahhouse.jpg&hash=ec365e907e6b06ecf80560121e592a97a25f83fc)

And a teaser from my secret project :D
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FTeaser.jpg&hash=2473f4ca596330e6429be8c9807bcdae7a6dd7db)

And now the bad news. All work on my theater building has been lost :( Catastrophic Hard Drive failure, lost most my files. Luckily I had my GMax folder backed up on a disk, so I still have everything else.

Update ;D

Movie theater project is back underway, and almost back up to where I had it before. Made a few cosmetic changes to the foyer area of the building. My render in BAT4Max is being a little wonky, so no preview images just yet. Now for the fun part :thumbsup:

I've been wanting to get the community involved a little bit, so I thought "Hey, how about movie posters?" If anyone would like to have their poster creation/movie title visable on the building's finer details, post it here. I'll be picking my favorite ones and adding them to. They should be 270 pixels wide and 400 pixels tall.

Ah, being reminded that it has been over 90 days since the last post makes me want to work more  :D
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2FMovies14redo.jpg&hash=f07d9e77c862392fe9f6f093c06777351d6b5b4c)

Progress on my theater after losing the last one :'( Needing to figure out the render error on that south west wall...

Well! Don't despair (the loss of old file). At least now you have your gamma sorted!

What would be an error you're talking about? The mesh like section of the wall of the left building?

Indeed. Plus Gmax's limited lighting ability wouldn't have worked with the theater lighting.

And indeed, the mesh on that wall.  It had been doing that to the entrance way when I was working on it, but once I added the left half of this building, it started appearing there instead. I figure I missed some easy step that I can just correct later  :-[

Someone got their act together and worked on their model some more  :D
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2F14front.jpg&hash=87a131afe17bd8b94928429302b5a8f9054aa928) (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2F14back.jpg&hash=7a22d47f138623c1168c5839b2a802e3dff2ce53)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2F14left.jpg&hash=c0af6953087f1e364dc6b64a1a15da971ed33885) (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv151%2Fphoenixcaptain%2FSC4%2F14right.jpg&hash=1cf29a5fccda0c6e630b0cf82e4da34f64eb4a8c)

Still having an issue with my preview renders, hopefully that is an easy fix or only effects previews. I still have the roof junk, poster cases, and textures to make. Original idea was to have people design posters, but had no takers ;) If anyone wants to get in on that, post your made up movie posters here

The work on the model is surely paying off.
It looks great!!

A couple of posters  :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68230900@N02/6233255324/#/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68230900@N02/6233255272/

Thanks :)

I thought about using real posters, but I want to do fictional ones instead.

Setting a goal for myself since I don't like to eat my words. Aiming for a new preview by the weekend. I want to get the roof junk completed. The actually building has 24 HVACs, along with various other roof junk. I know the make and model of 1 of those units, trying to find out the other 3 models they use. Luckily the one I do know is the one used most, with 14 of that HVAC unit present.

Medium HVACs are done (with rough textures). Needing to do the details for the small and large HVAC still, along with some piping and other roof junk.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v151/phoenixcaptain/SC4/Movies14withMediumHVACs.jpg

Still having an issue with my preview renders, not sure what is going on there.

This is looking quite good and realistic. :)