whatever im a currently playing with...

[callagrafx]

@HabLeUrG:  It's a fairly simple process using textures. The simplest method is to make the diffuse colour a darky blue colour...set the reflection map to "Raytrace" then in the bump material, use  the Noise map and play with the settings until you reach the water effect.  It's not good for more rough water (for that use a displace modifer) but it produces a fairly realistic effect.

[HabLeUrG]

thanks alot callagrafx! will try that out later, if there something wrong ill send you a PM  agan thanks!

[Pat]

Mg that is stunning i love that water effect 

[mightygoose]

yeah cal is correct it is fractal noise in the bump setup, you have to tweak around with the settings to get the required affect...

[jacqulina]

awesome details and work

[mightygoose]

meh sculpting each rib was getting repetative. and along with my other current WIP's it ended up in over a week of total apathy towards max, i was sick of it, but i found some inspiration on yet another new thing.... i will leave this one open to guesses, see who works out what it is first....

[Krio]

Avenue roundabout-thingy like Glenneh planned it?

[Pat]

yuppers i agree with bengt there... its a rundabout fill, like what Glenni is working on with the building as an
overhanging prop...

[mightygoose]

we all know that but which famous real world building is it.

[Pat]

World Museum?

[freedo50]

Its the london iMax cinema isn't it?
It looks really good!

Fred

[callagrafx]

Looks like a volume knob...does it go all the way up to 11? 

[sobol]

So, was the ship named?

[toxicpiano]

Definately the London IMAX at Waterloo! 

[mightygoose]

yeah thats right guys... the ship is still being worked on im in northern ireland with relatives atm so not much time to model, however ent to dublin for the day today and the city is crazy, where the old docklands are they have gone crazy for post modern euro contemporary urban renewal. lets just say in one day i took about 600 photos so plenty of new ideas.... all kinds of architecture i was really amazed. im sure there is something here for everyone. although there seems to be an unatural prevelance of yellow hotels

[mightygoose]

back from relatives.... and well it doesnt look good.

i cant seem to get the IMAX to render....

the LOD's fully cover the model above ground and tightly fit. the exact specs are 3 cylinders of radius 22.6m height 23m and 160 sides.
named LOD3/LOD4/LOD5

i have the model names patch for gmax.

i use MAX 9 and its mental ray daylighting draft.....

result....



now i know the window frames dont show up because of the draft setting and the roof interference is exaggerated by the draft setting too. however the missing half of the render is the problem. it is odd that the full image is displayed in the menu.


[edit]

well i got the LOD's to produce the correct shaped image but as for the image well.....



now what??

[SimFox]

MG: you should open your SC4Model file in iLive Reader and check the individual slices (FSH), It might be that the problem is with messed up IDs so that FSH tiles do not much S3D slabs. Options would be either to correct it manually or (in most cases faster) to re-render it. That colourchecker thing in LOT editor window is often an indication that particular texture is missing. Was it your first export from Bat4MAX?
One thing, it I may, having LOD with 160 sides defeats its purpose. LODs in SC4 are supposed to be simplified representation of the structure with details achieved by bitmap textures with backed in lighting and all other stuff. May be you really should try simple box LOD and then go from there , but still try to keep it simple. I'm not sure if there are any, but there could be some limitations of LOD complexity - like number of polygons and so on... The only benefit of very tight LOD is the ability to place some props right next to the walls of you model. Given that only set rotations of 90 degrees are possible in LOT editor  it wouldn't be possible to place vast majority of props  (say like benches  and anything else the is not circular) around your models with any convicting effect anyway.  In the end it is your decision. I'm not trying to push you one way or another just few bits of information for your considetation.
BTW I don't mean it as disrespect for your work, but Callagfx offered you help and very worthwhile advise. You are totally free to take it or to stick to your own ways. He took time to read this thread, to find those tutorials and to write. so just be little bit more easy, nobody is forcing you to give up YOUR ways, just offering alternative so you would have more options. And that is definitely a good thing!
Wish you luck with IMAX!

[Glenni]

the problem is Simfox, he can't have a simple box for this, he needs a circle LOD for this to work for roundabouts.

[vester]

Try this:

Select everything.
Save selected (file menu)

Start a new model

Merge the save file (file menu)

This has help me out of trouble quite a few times.

[callagrafx]

This problem is caused (normally) by mismatched IDs.  Simple to fix.

1. Open up your Max Model.
2. Delete the Xref.
3. Click on the South preview to re-initialise the Xref
4. Turn the LODs on and select them.  Simfox is dead right, 160 sides is way too many. 16 segments would be much more appropriate as the curve will be handled by alphachannel.
5. Export selected to 3ds format.

6. Close Max.
7. Open BAT and import the LODs into a clean scene (remembering to turn convert units off)  Save the file.
8. Click the South preview to make sure the views match (i.e. S in Max is S in BAT)/
9. Export the model.  Find the model name in Plugins and copy the name

10. Open Max.
11. Merge the model into a new scene.  Click the S preview to reinitialise the Rig.
12. Change anti-alias to Catmull ROM (ignore if using MR as renderer).
13. Save the model.
14. Paste the name into the export box.
15. Export the model.  IMPORTANT:  DO NOT SAVE IF ASKED.
16. Upon completion of the render, click FSH Batch Build.
17. Click DAT FSH insert.

Everything should be hunky dory after this.  Whenever you update a model, you need to go through this entire process again otherwise you will end up with conflicting texture refs.

Good luck 

Edit: Glenni, you can still have the LOD as a simple shape, as the transparency is handled by the alphas and as long as there is no massive overhang, there will be no glitches.