Nexis Works

[lak47]

Lovely! Will deffo find a lot of uses for these once they're available!!

[mrbisonm]

Thanks guys.

I started testing the scales of my models ingame and have come close to what I would like, I think. This is a lot made with several of my props, also including 2 small building props from Maxis (toolshed+little shed), and some other most used Maxis props (sims,tractor etc). Here are some pictures of the MFP1 and I think, only the barn needs to be upscaled just a tiny bit, compared to other buildings and props from the game. The props like the silos, manure, hay etc seem to be just fine.
Once I have figured out the best size of some of these below, I will then be able to compare them to the others and start rendering the whole series.

Just to get another player(s) to confirm the scale and my opinion, so....what do YOU think?
Thanks.









While making this lot above and going through the list of props that I created for the MFP1 Pack (Modern Farm Prop Vol1) in the LE, I realized that the variety and possibility to make many different looking lots is so great that it seems to be a lot of fun going through them and testing 1 or 2 only to exchange them with the other 3 or 4 and so on. It is almost limitless fun for those who like modern farming buildings to create the immense variety and combination of lots possible.
I myself, have so many in my mind at the moment, that I am almost lost and don't know where to start, but that is FrankU's problem to become now......lol .

When I started this, inspired by the great looking lots of FrankU, I never would have thought that it was possible for me to create so much in so little time. This, besides *NoG* ( my CJ from 2004 to 2008 on ST "Nexis of Genesis") is my greatest project yet.

So, if YOU got anything to say, whether about the size, props or textures, now is the time to do so, because rendering starts on monday and then it'll be too late. Remember, YOU're the one who will be using them. Have fun.

mrb

[mrbisonm]

I totally forgot to show you the last "batch" of props for the MFP1 Pack that I created this week, the upright silos. I was so occupied by the scales that I left these aside. Here they are...
There are 2 materials used for them, one made with cement (concrete) plates and another one with steel (darkblue) and these come in 8 different models (6 shown below) and three different sizes, small, medium and large. (small not shown)

Hope you like them.


Fred

[lak47]

These are looking good, and would fit in well with SPAM, to make some tasty LOTs.

[jmyers2043]

Hey Fred

I'm not sure if you're looking for a comment on the silos or not. But here it goes - I deal with white glow the following ways ...

I did a sphere inside a sphere using a texture set to 70% opacity for this water tower. Adjust the opacity to achieve the amount or the lack of amount of shine you're shooting for.



Adding the second object works fine but my first choice is to add a glossiness map to the texture. Other maps will probably work but I didn't experiment that much. Change the shader basic parameter to metal. Adjusting the specular level and glossiness for a wide short hump will get you in the ball park.



The drivers compartment of this cement pump truck would be a total white glow otherwise.





Good Luck

- Jim

[mrbisonm]

lak47, glad you like 'em.

Hey Fred

I'm not sure if you're looking for a comment on the silos or not. But here it goes - I deal with white glow the following ways ...

I'm always looking for good advice and comments, thanks for the help. If I understood right, it is because you feel that my silotops are too bright? (glow too much)

Fred

[supremec]

Your props are very good mrbisonm!   

[FrankU]

Hi Fred,

Indeed I think the barn is a bit too small. The rest looks very good to me.
For me, you don't need to hurry right now. This week is my last week before my vacation. I'll be in France for two weeks with my family. I will leave Saturday the 6th. We will return Sunday the 21st. After that I'll have time to lot. I can't wait!

Have a good time.

[mrbisonm]

supremec, thanks.
FrankU, don't worry, I am not hurrying anything, I just go as I can. Have a nice vacation btw. La famille en France, es-ce que ca veut dire que tu parle francais aussi?

Hey Fred

I'm not sure if you're looking for a comment on the silos or not. But here it goes - I deal with white glow the following ways ...

I did a sphere inside a sphere using a texture set to 70% opacity for this water tower. Adjust the opacity to achieve the amount or the lack of amount of shine you're shooting for.



Adding the second object works fine but my first choice is to add a glossiness map to the texture. Other maps will probably work but I didn't experiment that much. Change the shader basic parameter to metal. Adjusting the specular level and glossiness for a wide short hump will get you in the ball park.



The drivers compartment of this cement pump truck would be a total white glow otherwise.





Good Luck

- Jim

Well Jim, bad news......lol
I tried what you showed me, but nothing works and I cannot find the way to go where it says. I am not that far into "gmax'ing" yet, I don't even know how to make things transparent, using the opacity changes nothing in my gmax,  and I'm not even able to open the pages (left side) you showed above....lol. Maybe it's better to leave everything as is. Thanks anyways, surely appreciated.

Fred

[marsh]

Quick question, are you planning on releasing these as lots at all? Or just a prop pack, as with some other of your files.

,marsh

[FrankU]

Bonjour Ferd,

J'ai appris le français à l'école, mais je parle très mal.

So, please, let's continue in English?

I saw a small thing on your images that I overlooked yesterday.
In the third image you can see that the three grain silos are standing behind the stack of pallets. Nevertheless the silo covers the upper corner of the stack. Suddenly it appears to be floating in air. I see that behaviour on more props. It is quite annoying. Because I do not BAT I don't know what to do about it. I guess it has something to do with LOD? Is it repairable? That would be nice.

[Girafe]

Really good work on a subject which was deserted. Farms in this game have always been so far from what we have in France an globally in Europe.

Thus I enjoy your new addition more european and more realistic.

I join FrankU you surely have a problem of LOD (picture with harvester) but you can fix it easily.

Keep going on this way

[mrbisonm]

Quick question, are you planning on releasing these as lots at all? Or just a prop pack, as with some other of your files.

,marsh

Yes, these will be released as a Proppack first (MFP Vol1), but ONLY after FrankU has released his farmlots made with these and other props. After all this, I will continue to model my MFP Vol 2 Pack and then I will make some lots myself to be released also. Meanwhile, maybe others will create some lots with these props and upload them, which I will certainly allow to do with my proppack.

MFP = Modern Farm Props

Girafe, thanks and of course I will "fix" it.

FrankU, yes this floating prop is caused while a prop is within the limits of another prop. The barn and the grainsilos were rendered (as a landmark) in one piece, therefore creating a bigger prop with bigger LOD's and I didn't bother customizing the LOD's for this, since this was supposed to be only a simple example picture of what could be done with these props.  In this case, it looks like the grainsilos are floating, but it is the Maxis prop (Palletstack) that is causing it, being inside the LOD's of the silo/barn render. I should have tossed the Maxisprop over a little before making the picture, but I didn't see it (or recognize it) in the LE.
Actually this is not a problem at all, it is all a matter of placing the props in the right places, no repair needed, the actual and final render will take care of that.
So, don't worry, you will be able to make your lots as before without "floating" props. Nothing different with my props as all the others you have worked with.

Fred

[FrankU]

Yes, these will be released as a Proppack first (MFP Vol1), but ONLY after FrankU has released his farmlots made with these and other props.

So this is just to put pressure on me in order to let me finish my farm lots as quick as possible!
OK, I will do my best once my vacation is over and the props are available to me.

Maybe in that respect it is a relief to you that I skipped the idea of making custom queries. I have been fooling around a bit with queries, but I felt a bit lost. And I also felt that my urge to make queries is smaller that the complexity of the matter.

[mrbisonm]

Yes, these will be released as a Proppack first (MFP Vol1), but ONLY after FrankU has released his farmlots made with these and other props.

So this is just to put pressure on me in order to let me finish my farm lots as quick as possible!
OK, I will do my best once my vacation is over and the props are available to me.

Maybe in that respect it is a relief to you that I skipped the idea of making custom queries. I have been fooling around a bit with queries, but I felt a bit lost. And I also felt that my urge to make queries is smaller that the complexity of the matter.

Nah, pressure? Not from me, just take the time needed to make the lots, they....ehem ....can wait.

You'll be in topshape anyways when you come back from vacation, aren't you?
Glad that you decided not to make custom queries, I wonder even if some of the players really look at them, I don't.

Fred

[FrankU]

I hardly ever look at them too. Just when I am playing with CAMeLots I sometimes take a look what growth stage a certain lot is. I'd like to add that information to my queries, but hey... as you said: we surely can live without that.
I could always make a version 2.0 of my lots when I have mastered the art of querymaking.

[mrbisonm]

I decided to take some vacation with my wife, so rendering all these will be done only next week or so, depending if I take 10 days or more to relax in the old town of Québec City.

Fred

[Girafe]

Vacation well deserved

[snakee8]

Really impressive work! Looking forward to it's release.

[mrbisonm]

...rendering...

(everything above and more is being rendered, it takes a long time....oufff, most barns and stables are done, starting silos and manure pits maybe this weekend.)

Fred