Nexis Works

[mrbisonm]

...rendering...
(everything above and more is being rendered.)

Well....That's it, half of it is done and shown below. This is  the MFP1 Vol 1 Part 1
I have decided to create two different datfiles for this pack for the simple reason that some players would only like the barns, while others the accessories. So there's a Part 1 and Part 2, two datfiles.

The first half of the MFP1_Vol1 (Modern Farm Proppack) contains all the barns and stables of the pack. These are mostly european models (some north-american), but can be easily used for other countries, since modern building style of farms are more or less similar in most countries these days. It contains 21 barns/stables models, all have different textures and different details to make the variety more interesting.

It took me a couple of weeks to remodel, re-size the models and re-texture some of them, besides the usual malfunction of the gmax render that sometimes only renders half or bizarre forms etc and myself not being beside my computer all the time.

But I've done it. The other half will contain the haystacks, manurepits, silos, sheds and other smaller things on a farm. It will be easier and also faster to render because of their much smaller sizes.
The MFP1 Vol1 Part 2 should be out within two weeks. I already have started remodeling some of them.

Now, later this year, there will be a MFP1 Vol 2, which will contain more north-american and some african and asian barns and other "farmstuff". There will be only one file though.

And this winter I will make the MFP2 set, which will contain some goodies for "other kind" of farming (kept secret for the moment). I don't know yet, if there will be a Part 1 and 2, because the ideas I have sofar are close to be made into two big files.

These files will be send to b]FrankU[/b] for the lotmaking first and when he has finished his lots, only then will the proppack be released for everyone to create their farms. I might do some north-american farms lots (growable) later myself, maybe even add some new and/or more realistic cropfields if I can think of some.

Meanwhile I will continue to render the second part of this set.
Hope you farmlovers will all enjoy these.

Fred

Wish me better luck with the darn gmax render.......geeeez, I wish they would make a program that works 100% sometimes.



Not all the 21 models are shown here......

[jmdude1]

these will definately be appreciated by all once they are released, as props, and as franku's great lots.  fantastic work and dedication.   

[Badsim]

Hello Fred ,

I'm following the progresses of that stunning rural props collection . Great collaboration with Frankiboy (  ) ... humm , sorry ...

Can't wait to play myself with most of these jewels ( the most european ones ) ... 

Thank you in advance !



Cédric.

[mrbisonm]

Thanks jmdude1 and Cedric,

I am sure it will be quite pleasing to play with the lots that FrankU will achieve with these. Wait 'till you see the rest....

fred

[mrbisonm]

Some news about the MFP 1 Pack (Modern Farm Props).
Since I had some health problems lately, I am a little late on rendering these dozens and dozens of modern north-american and euro (dutch) farmprops. Now that I have all the time needed to finish them, so FrankU can soon start his lots with these and other props, I am glad to announce that I am about to finish them all. It' all a matter of a few days.
Right now as we are speaking, I am on my laptop that I took along to Aspen, Colorado in the US.(glad that I installed my gmax on it yesterday, but forgot some texturepacks) I have some finishing buissness to do here for maybe a day or two and then I'm back in the plane to home, where I will continue rendering hopefully on Tuesday.
While one computer is working everytime I have some time (which I have a lot these days, since my docteurs told me to take it easy on me), I am on another computer working on my MD "The Winding River Project" and already starting to build some props of the MFP 2, the second Modern Farm prop pack.
This one will be covering the futuristic department of agriculture like today and tomorrow and also the farming that we don't see too often. (sorry I won't show a picture because I want to keep this idea for myself at the moment). To show or to give you a glimpse of what the second Pack will contain, here is something (1 of dozens again) under construction. These models will not be science fiction, but buildings etc that are in the planning, developping, building or already existing since a short time.

Hope you will all enjoy the first pack with FrankU's lots soon and my north-american modern farms coming later.

Ok now, let's see if I brought along something warm to put on, kinda frisky here in Aspen tonight.

Fred

This will be for cabbage....

[Terring7]

Oh yeah, more futuristic stuff

[FrankU]

A beautiful glass house Fred!
It is that you are going to add the glass, aren't you? Otherwise it may only be a very expensive lightning distractor?

[mrbisonm]

add the glass, aren't you?

Yes Frank, I am in the learning process of creating transparent texture with gmax. Looking for tutorials......


fred

[DaveN]

Farms are great, but it seems that the textures are a little too clean. They imparted to stain lightly, and sometimes some rust on metal roofs.
Besides, they are great.

[mrbisonm]

Farms are great, but it seems that the textures are a little too clean. They imparted to stain lightly, and sometimes some rust on metal roofs.
Besides, they are great.

You didn't look carefully enough, there are several roofs with a little rust. Old farm buildings have a lot of rust, I agree with you, but this pack I am doing is a MODERN FARM PACK (MFP) and buildings are usually less than 10 years old. I own a farm myself, 14 years old, no rust, no stains and all other farms around me aren't stainier or rustier, unless they're old farms (25 years or more), of which there are already many props available on the Net.

Fred

[rambuckel]

Great ideas, great building! Keep it up!

- rambuckel

[jlasao790]

hello how's it goin' man...where can i find those rail guards/chain link fence you use on your lot/bats (nexis water pumping station)? are they included in any prop packs? thanks bro

[gn_leugim]

Wish me better luck with the darn gmax render.......geeeez, I wish they would make a program that works 100% sometimes.

mine does ^^

very nice barns, I could use them yep and the futuristic farm looks nice too, just need some glass XD

[mrbisonm]

hello how's it goin' man...where can i find those rail guards/chain link fence you use on your lot/bats (nexis water pumping station)? are they included in any prop packs? thanks bro

These fences are Maxis props, just open the LE and look for "Solar power fences", somewhere in the UT section on the bottom of the Maxis list.

Wish me better luck with the darn gmax render.......geeeez, I wish they would make a program that works 100% sometimes.

mine does ^^

very nice barns, I could use them yep and the futuristic farm looks nice too, just need some glass XD

Have a better computer now, they seem to render a little better. The glass is still under progress, have to find a tutorial how to make things transparent first..

Fred

[mrbisonm]

...sorry, the "edit" button doesn't seem to work....


I am making all custom LOD's with my barn models, but since I am doing all of them (all three) individually and it takes about 4 to 6 hours only to make one, I was wondering if there is a better way to make custom LOD's.
Right now I am doing them using the vortexes and shifting the blue points until they fit better to the model, starting with LOd3, then LOD4 and them LOD5. A real pain in the "whatsoever".
I have been looking for a custom LOD tutorial, but couldn't find one, not even with google. Maybe I am not using the right word, but I would appreciate some help with custom LOD's or a linkie to a complete tutorial how to make them, because I am getting discouraged to make them as I do and spend a whole week only for a few BATs.
Thanks in advance.


Fred

[gn_leugim]

About the LODs I can copy paste a topic I debated on ST before:

First you have to erase the original LODs. Second, don't ever use the "refit lods" function or you will be back to ground zero lol.

then to make the LODs, simply create the shape, in you case I would make, from the top view, a spline with the outline of the building and then extrude to the building's hight. Take that shape, copy it twice and name the shapes LOD3 LOD4 and LOD5, and there you go
(...)
I recommend using a poly rather than a spline for the LODs, or at least converting the extruded spline to an editable poly. I've just had fewer issues making custom LODs that way after it's been exported.

that's pretty much it. I had no issues so far doing this.

given the shape of the barns, I would go front view instead of top. but that is up to you, just model the lods and turn them into a Mesh or Poly and name them accordantly.

about the glass transparency, I have a question, you mean, glass trasparent at gmax or at game??

[jlasao790]

hey thanks bro.found it

[rambuckel]

Hi Fred,

I'm creating custom LODs the same way. But I do not create every single LOD. I just modify one LOD and clone it twice afterwards. Just name the LODs "LOD3" "LOD4" "LOD5" when the BAT suggests a name for the clone.

Maybe this helps a little bit.

Theresa

[mrbisonm]

gn_leugim , If I understood this right, I can use just a simple box of the size of the model, copy it twice (3times in all), name them to LOD3, LOD4, LOD5, turn them into meshes and use the vortexes to fit the model tighter, save and render?

Is that all?......

jlasao790, welcome, and btw, you can stack them twice high to make higher fences.

rambuckel, kinda dumb of me of not having thought to copy paste the second and third box.....geeeeez.
Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

I wonder why there ain't a tut about custom LOD's...?

Fred

[Lowkee33]

Hi Fred.  There is a tutorial (HERE), but yeah, all a custom LOD would be is a shape you made like any other.  Just name it LOD3 and clone it.  You don't want to make a box though, this is the what BAT makes anyway.


Are you making custom LODs for the barns at the top of this page? Link.  There are few there that I would say need a custom LOD, but such is your (and franks) choice.   There is one barn "MFP1-Barn-LR-SheetmetalBegie-M3" that has a small shed attached to it.  You might want a custom LOD for that, but you may consider rendering the shed as a separate piece.

I don't think it should take 4-5 hours per LOD though.  For your barns that are the same size, you only need to make the LOD once.  Then, with your other models click "File", "Merge", select the first model, and then bring in LOD3, 4, and 5.

The circular manure bins would benefit the most from a custom LOD, and Gn_leugim's method would be what I would do.  The ultimate goal is to have the simplest LOD possible.  For that bin that you sloped the LOD over the manure, I wouldn't do that.  Just raise the sides of the whole thing to make the top of the LOD flat.

Here I have constructed a little manure bin of my own:



To make the LOD, select "Shapes" and then "N-Gon".  Create an N-Gon about the size of your bin and center it (hopefully the bin is centered too ).  Once you have centered the shape, extrude it by the proper amount.  The most important fart of this is that "Segments" is set to 1 (The "segements" option is right below the amount you want to extrude by).

Finally, click on the modifier tab for the N-Gon.  Below the radius settings, is an option for "inscribed" or for "circumscribed".  Select circumscribed, this will make the radius be the inner edge of the n-gon (check it out with your own BAT).  Below this option is "Sides".  For this image, I have selected to have four sides (also see that I'm counting 12 polygons, this is the right amount).



When Frank says "This isn't tight enough" ( ), all you have to do is increase the number of sides.  I wouldn't make it greater than 8, and I think I would choose to have 5.  The more sides, the tighter the LOD.  However, this is at a cost of game performance.  Simple is better I would say.