Zero7 - BAT studio

[vester]

That looks like a great start. Keep it up.

[autoVino]

Looks great  , but I notice an odd illumination at the edge of the bridge in your last picture...
never mind, I think I see it now. 

[vester]

Looks great  , but I notice an odd illumination at the edge of the bridge in your last picture...

I bet that is for a tunnel for the pedestrian path to go through.

[BarbyW]

Looking very smart, Z7. I look forward to seeing your transition lot too.

[zero7]

I bet that is for a tunnel for the pedestrian path to go through.

That's right!  I think the light is a bit too bright for daytime which is why autovino thought it looked a bit odd.  I'll make this one the nightlight and will add a lower intensity version for day.

- Richard

[zero7]

I've now got the start of the lock to bring the SG-CAL canal down to my level.  The red box is the size of a narrowboat for scaling purposes.



Now the basic shape and the level drop is there it's just a case of making it look pretty 

[Pat]

Z7 that is looking really great!!!

[autoVino]

Awsome!  I just love those reflections.

[zero7]

Awsome!  I just love those reflections.

The reflections have really added something to the new canal sets.  Theoretically you could up the realism a stage further with a proper water material, caustics and changing day/night sky maps, but that might be taking things a little too far for SC (and limit the number of people who would be able to expand the canal options with new sets).

[autoVino]

Yeah, caustics would be great.  For a proper water material try using the mia (arch & design mi) water texture (in 3ds max 9).  Now taking it really out of this world would be having an animated water material!  (But that will kill the game, wouldn't it)

[SimFox]

There is a slight issue with the reflections though...
They seem to be brighter then the stuff they reflect... and it just not realistic. I know it may sound as looking for something to nag about, but if you do reflections why not to set it right. First of all it would look more natural, secondly you would right from the start learn to do it right way. Reflections (unless we speak of a perfect mirror) are ALWAYS darker since some of the light is absorbed and some refracted.

[zero7]

There is a slight issue with the reflections though...
They seem to be brighter then the stuff they reflect... and it just not realistic. I know it may sound as looking for something to nag about, but if you do reflections why not to set it right. First of all it would look more natural, secondly you would right from the start learn to do it right way. Reflections (unless we speak of a perfect mirror) are ALWAYS darker since some of the light is absorbed and some refracted.

I'll watch out for that on future models that use reflection.  In the case of the canals, they need to match the existing CAL-SG ones, so I'm very reluctant to start playing with the texture that's been used for the water (which to me still looks quite false, but is much better than the flat texture that it replaced).

The need to match the existing canals is also the reason why I've not switched my lighting to a sun/sky rig yet, though I've been doing a lot of experimenting in the background which will hopefully pay off in future buildings.

[zero7]

Here's the latest on the canal stuff ...



The bridge needs some rails for the steps and a more defined texture for the top edge of the bridge walls - at the moment it looks flat when it isn't.



Before I can release a usable basic pack I'll need to do an inside and outside corner piece (both pretty quick and easy) and a bridge that can span 3 or more tiles (not so quick and easy).

[callagrafx]

In the case of the canals, they need to match the existing CAL-SG ones, so I'm very reluctant to start playing with the texture that's been used for the water (which to me still looks quite false, but is much better than the flat texture that it replaced).

There's a good reason why they still look a little false and that's the tiling issue.  I had set the water as a proper water texture with reflections much more realistic, but they never tiled properly, hence the toning down. As for a lighter reflection than the object being reflected, I never found the cause of that...I suspect it was the BAT lighting rig which I had to use so the pieces could match in with pre-existing pieces such as the Coal Wharf LOT props, as it certainly never happened with the sun/sky rig.

In any case, these look bloody great and I'm glad someone else is making use of what Goober started.

[zero7]

There's a good reason why they still look a little false and that's the tiling issue.  I had set the water as a proper water texture with reflections much more realistic, but they never tiled properly, hence the toning down. As for a lighter reflection than the object being reflected, I never found the cause of that...I suspect it was the BAT lighting rig which I had to use so the pieces could match in with pre-existing pieces such as the Coal Wharf LOT props, as it certainly never happened with the sun/sky rig.

The lighter reflections may be to do with the fact that the water texture is blue coloured rather than getting its colour from a reflected sky.  Still, as I said above, to keep it easy for anyone to come along and add new components it's best to stick will the maxis rig even if it does bring numerous limitations along with it.  With one-off buildings you can afford to do your own thing ...

In any case, these look bloody great and I'm glad someone else is making use of what Goober started.

Thanks.  I just got fed up with having to choose between canal sets and with your reworking of the SG ones the Oppie ones had to go.

[SimFox]

They really do look nice!! As for the reflections being brighter then the thing reflected, it isn't result of any light but as Zero7 mentioned the water material. The way it is set - it's defuse channel, it's reflectivity etc. If you have anything but black in defuse channel then that color, or to be precise it's luminosity component would be multiplied with reflection - producing miracle energy from nowhere. Basically you have 2 reflections here. Defuse color is already a reflection just an extremely blurry one  - reflected rays are scattered all over the place. So when you add ANOTHER reflection you get that multiplication effect.

There is one tinny mechanical problem () with the lock - I think you wouldn't be fully open the Upper gate because of the mooring thingie...

[zero7]

There is one tinny mechanical problem () with the lock - I think you wouldn't be fully open the Upper gate because of the mooring thingie...

I had to go back to the model to check, but the arms of the lock gate will clear the mooring posts (is that what you meant?).  The perspective makes it look closer than it really is.

[callagrafx]

If you have anything but black in defuse channel then that color, or to be precise it's luminosity component would be multiplied with reflection - producing miracle energy from nowhere.

That's more than likely it...the texture has a aqua blue diffuse colour set as the base colour as a reflected colour looked bloody awful with the BAT lighting (I spent about a day trying to get a consistent effect), especially with the channels, locks and overflow, where the shadow cast from the opposite wall caused some differentials.  As with anything, a compromise had to be found that fitted the game palette.

Nice job with the Lock....now all you need are some fishermen props 

[mjig_dudy]

those canals are excellent, I really like cal's new version of SG's canals and these extra pieces will be most useful, thanks

[zero7]

Time for an update ...

The canals are getting close to being ready.  I now have the basic set of pieces that makes them usable - straight 1x1, straight 1x1 with ramp, inside corner, outside corner, bridge span 2 tiles, bridge span 3 tiles and the lock to transition from the SG-CAL ground level canals.

This is the minimum to allow a release as I need a bit of break from them.  I'm just working on lighting at the moment and then I'll package them up and get them on the LEX.

A night shot of the span 3 bridge piece ...



I've also started on a new building which should progress pretty quickly once the canals are out of the way ...