Prism Tower Condos

[RadicalOne]

Actually, I liked your original fin version with the radiating cones, but maybe instead of a single glass finish you could use something lighter like metal joints or a lattice, with or without glass, in the likes of this.

And that's why I come to this forum. A wonderful idea. I'm going to try using your interconnection lattice idea, seeing how well it fits the existing fin. In all likelihood, it will.

PS
the original idea was not radiating, but rather parallel cones.

Plant life is the hardest thing to model.

You have that right. Most places, even in professionally made games (RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, 18 Wheels of Steel, etc) usually use a series of flat sheets textured with a plant. This is why I just used a boxy shape, given that such plants tend to be ornamentally shaped anyways.

Not sure how subdivided the hedge geometry is but I would suggest using edit poly and varying it up a little.   While it's possible the hedge would be well maintained there is likely to be some dying, some overgrown etc.  This would again break up the repetition of the building.

Wonderful idea. The hedge was not subdivided at all, but it is a quick fix. Unfortunately, the hedge almost certainly would be artificial on such a building. As was pointed out on the other forum, runoff would damage such a building. But there must be a way to differentiate some of them. I just have to find it.

[SimGoober]

Lol... pictures are worth how many ideas???  Here is my "concept" I was trying to explain, with a few of the other ideas thrown in....

[RadicalOne]

Lol... pictures are worth how many ideas???  Here is my "concept" I was trying to explain, with a few of the other ideas thrown in....

That is indeed what I tried - the only difference being I kept the fin's aspect ratio as I scaled it; The fin looks funny - as in stale food funny - when it's deformed laterally. Though a variation on that lattice is indeed being used.

I'm currently working on the ideas outlined in my two most recent posts above.

EDIT:
I've added a lattice to the fin, one whose design was inspired by a yellowwing darter dragonfly wing.
I also varied the hedges a bit. Some are dead or dying - some apparently decided that they wanted real ones, which wouldn't survive well - and a few are tattered, exposing their burlap core, for reasons I'll leave others to speculate. I must confess that I find this change aesthetically ugly.
Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to chamfer/bevel the outer edge of the fin's external frame. If anyone can help in this regard, it would be greatly appreciated.

[jmyers2043]

I can't figure out how to chamfer/bevel the outer edge of the fin's external frame.

Do you use gmax or another modeling program?

[RadicalOne]

Do you use gmax or another modeling program?

Gmax.

[jmyers2043]

Hello Radical ...

How to add a bevel to an edge using the chamfer tool

1. I made a 5X5X5 box.
2. Right click and select/convert the box to an 'editable poly'
3. Select 'edge'
4. Select the edge you wish to bevel.
5. Select the chamfer button
6. Then select the amound of bevel. In this case I chose 1.



The results

1. The box with one edge beveled.
2. This will work with complex shapes like a tube. In this case I selected the outside edges. Could have selected the inside edges .. but what the hay!
3. The result



BTW - I like the honey comb affect. It's probably the best thing you've done with the fin. I hope you are able to give the supporting metal work some visual interst as well.

Good Luck.


<edit>

You can do all sorts of radical things. I made this 2X2X10 box and chamfered every other edge.

[RadicalOne]

When I convert it to a poly - it started as an editable spline - nothing changed. I can't "select > edge".

[Diggis]

Does the object have a thickness?  Otherwise you won't be able to bevel it.  When you edit the poly there should be 5 red icons in the modify panel, a series of dot, some lines... I don't remember the rest, the second of those is edge.

You may have good slightly overboard on the hedges, but in the right direction, just dial it back a bit.  The brown one wouldn't be uniform brown, mix some brown patches into the Green texture so it doesn't stand out so much.  And the dying ones, more leaves with hints of the burlap.

[callagrafx]

A much quicker way would be to use the LOFT tool...  Two shapes are required, the first being the cross section of the frame and the second the shape of the frame itself.

This is for 3dsmax but the tool is the same for GMAX

http://www.youtube.com/v/QaXFzyYG_Jg&hl=en&fs=1&"

[RadicalOne]

Does the object have a thickness?  Otherwise you won't be able to bevel it.  When you edit the poly there should be 5 red icons in the modify panel, a series of dot, some lines... I don't remember the rest, the second of those is edge.

Yes, it has a thickness. I'm having a problem editing the poly at all. Those part select options in the box at the right don't appear.

You may have good slightly overboard on the hedges, but in the right direction, just dial it back a bit.  The brown one wouldn't be uniform brown, mix some brown patches into the Green texture so it doesn't stand out so much.  And the dying ones, more leaves with hints of the burlap.

Excellent ideas. That will certainly fix the odd look that it currently has.

A much quicker way would be to use the LOFT tool...  Two shapes are required, the first being the cross section of the frame and the second the shape of the frame itself.

I have a vague idea what loft is - I did use AutoCAD for several years when I was in high school, and SketchUp at home more recently - but that one in the video is powerful. I'll definitely see how that does.

EDIT:
It definitely works, but for some reason only the backfaces are drawing on the resulting shape.

[Diggis]

EDIT:
It definitely works, but for some reason only the backfaces are drawing on the resulting shape.

You need to select all the faces and invert the nomals.

[RadicalOne]

You need to select all the faces and invert the nomals.

Ah. Gmax is a bit unusual with the normals. In most of my 3D programs - ZModeler, for instance - normals control shading only; both faces always draw.

[Diggis]

The other option is to check the 2 sided option in your material.  What I'm not sure of is WHY it's flipping the normals.

There is a flip normals check box in the loft options, check this isn't on by mistake.

[RadicalOne]

The other option is to check the 2 sided option in your material.

I'll do that instead - it seems more comprehensive, and less prone to error.

There is a flip normals check box in the loft options, check this isn't on by mistake.

It's not - and since I didn't change it, it never was - but for some reason it's not making them backwards anymore.
EDIT:
It has now started to draw them on odd angles...no big deal; the resultant objects can be rotated.
The new frame is done - and looks much better, and the hedges have been made more attractive. An image is currently rendering.

[gottago]

R1 great progress here

Re: the fin and chamfers, here's a suggestion sending it in a different direction (and doubtless no less difficult to render):  how about setting light channels along the outer frame, a bit like those genius chevrons on the crown of the Chrysler bldg? Great for all those nightlights fans out there and a different way to functionally detail the frame of the fin. 2 cents, fwiw

[RadicalOne]

Re: the fin and chamfers, here's a suggestion sending it in a different direction (and doubtless no less difficult to render):  how about setting light channels along the outer frame, a bit like those genius chevrons on the crown of the Chrysler bldg? Great for all those nightlights fans out there and a different way to functionally detail the frame of the fin.

You've given me an excellent idea. Has anyone seen the - rather old - film "Tron"? I noticed that a great many objects in that film, both digital (like the craft thing), and real (like the ENCOM heli) have some neon framing to them. I was using this idea in 18WoS as well, and I think it would look very nice here.
Here is the building's top few floors, and a visualization of the night neon framing I have in mind; how is it, and how would I do it?

[gottago]

Glad you liked the idea!

I have no idea how to do it, but as for how the mockup looks: I'd not light the horizontal baseline, but would outline each triangular panel but would not connect them with neon (those little link-stubs).  The outer frame may be better with just one strip going down the middle, seeing as you have a lot of overlap on the left (receding) side as it is now. 2 more cents

[RadicalOne]

I have no idea how to do it, but as for how the mockup looks: I'd not light the horizontal baseline, but would outline each triangular panel but would not connect them with neon (those little link-stubs).  The outer frame may be better with just one strip going down the middle, seeing as you have a lot of overlap on the left (receding) side as it is now.

Yes, your idea sounds better. Still, how to achieve it?

[SimGoober]

Making Neon in one color is a simple process.... Making it in multicolors is enough to make you dribble and speak gibberish.

One color can be "cheated".  Make a line or such that is .1 meter or thick, the shape of the neon you want. Texture it to make it blend in to the area you want (ie the metal frame).  Then make it have nitelites; choosing a color nitelite that looks like the color neon you want.  Fairly simple, with a catch.  You can't have more than one color nitelites in GMAX, so you can't have different color neon, and you can't use the nitelite textures for windows; you'll have to light them with Omnis or such.

Multi colors in a short version : make a similar shape, but make lights that shine only on them in the colors you want. This is a tedious and time consuming process which leaves many people speaking words which should not be mentioned in public....

[RadicalOne]

One color can be "cheated".  Make a line or such that is .1 meter or thick, the shape of the neon you want. Texture it to make it blend in to the area you want (ie the metal frame).  Then make it have nitelites; choosing a color nitelite that looks like the color neon you want.

I should have thought of that. I'll do it immediately.

You can't have more than one color nitelites in GMAX, so you can't have different color neon.

True. I'll just use the Argon Blue.

You can't use the nitelite textures for windows; you'll have to light them with Omnis or such.

Seeing the results when I did use the nightmaps, I'm going to stick with Omni lighting. I have an in-progress plan for that.

Multi colors in a short version : make a similar shape, but make lights that shine only on them in the colors you want. This is a tedious and time consuming process which leaves many people speaking words which should not be mentioned in public....

Yikes; I'll stick with Argon Blue.

EDIT:
I've added a helipad, as a building of this size would almost certainly have one. As the pad would almost certainly be intended for medical helicopter landing, should I add the Medical Helicopter Gnome (the tag that allows one to spawn there) to it later on? It would mean being allowed to drive the Medical Heli without a Medical Centre, assuming that Prism Tower has grown at least once. Or is there a way to have a nondescript heli spawn there instead (and if so, can it be U-Drivable?)