non-asian branch of SimFox' pixel torture chamber

[SimFox]

is there other way to do it in MAX? Nurbs?

anywho here it is:



mi-26

PS
btw should any stretch be applied to the planes/helicopters for SC4?

[mmorales2]

Hey Fox. That is pritty cool helicopter you made there. Do you plan on using this as the Hospital helicopter or Police helicopter? Oh, and how is the Russia Tower coming along? I hope to see more. Thanks. 

[Jasoncw]

It's looking good.   

I think you should stretch this as well.

[SimFox]

RT comes a long... well most modeling of the tower itself is done. From last time main change would be completely remodeled ray structure. Pity that no one had noticed that some counter rays were missing. Anyway now the distribution is much better and more "practically believable"



Now I'm  bit stuck deciding what sort of material would those load barring rays be plated with. Some people suggested to as Lord Foster  .  In terms of modeling one remaining issue is the integration of the tower into the street level of the game. It's triangular shape will be challenging for games rectangular (or 45 degree) grid. So I'm thinking on the way to turn this form mishap into advantage. I do have some ideas already but need to test them. I've been distracted with that helicopter/planes thing for a while. But that 's good modeling something entirely different gives a perspective.
Th main issue with ground level stuff is that well, much of it would be going bellow ground. As such that will be antishadows that would have to be dealt with manually. Given immense size of the tower I dread the thought of it. So If anyone who has ever been working with such problems came up with solution? I mean had all those underground plazas been manually edited?  Or is there some way to use foundations for that?

BTW giant machinery that has been stockpiled on the plot had finally came to life:






photos by igor

That would have to cut huge whole in the ground - 50 meters (height of a normal 15 storey building!!) deep to lay foundations for the supporting rays

So does anyone have any suggestion on the cladding issue?

[Jasoncw]

From the rendering it looks like it is a vague shiny metal  .  One question though, is how do you want the seams to run?  Should they run perpendicular to the rays (meaning the metal plates would be rectangles), or should they be horizontal, independent of the angle of the rays?  It's not a big detail though.

In response to the Russian economy discussion from before, I'm happy to hear about Russia's progress.  The US used to have big proud and productive initiatives (sometimes for the better, sometimes not  ), but we don't now.  Through a lack of government leadership (in urban planning, foreign policy, etc.) we have developed the economic and social problems we have today that prevent us from accomplishing what we are capable of.  Meanwhile Russia, who has more and deeper economic and social scars than the US, is still able to accomplish things.  Even with what we are building, we can't get over designs like the Chicago Spire, or names like "Freedom Tower" (and I won't mention all of the faux historic architecture that's being built).  I appreciate that this Russian building your BATing isn't getting hung up on anything, architecturally.  It just is what it is.  It's modern like that.  If it's guilty of anything it's looking like it came out of Blade Runner.   

I don't know what to say about the underground stuff.  I think everyone's stuff in the past has just not dealt with that problem.

[pilotdaryl]

Wow your helicopter looks really nice!  Although that may be because you are a MAX user...   I'm lovin' that tower as well!

[Une_ame]

The Mi-26 musn't be change!!! The picture you show yesterday shows nearly perfect dimensions. And NO, it can't be a police or hospital helo, it 's way too big!!!! The roof of the Hospital will collaps if you try to land this huge baby on it( ) !

[mmorales2]

Yeah, I guest Une is right  . But it would have been cool anyways.  Oh, and Fox, the Russia Tower is BEAUTIFUL. I can't wait until it comes out for download.

[mmorales2]

Oh, by the way Fox. The construction pictures you showed is that the Russia Tower being constructed ? If so when did they start and what is the projected time of it being completed. What Year?

[SimFox]

mmorales
yep that is a actual photos of construction of Russia Tower under way...
There was a "start-up" party on the site sometimes last autumn (september-october) with Luzhkov  - almost omnipotent mayor of Moscow and Foster present...
For that big part of the lot was laid with concrete blocks (so that VIPs wouldn't get any dirt on their handmade shoes) and huge tent erected when champagne and caviar buffet was served. After that there was some pause (I guess because of winter) and starting february-march huge machinery started to assemble on the plot - one of those tools you see on pictures apparently it is a biggest "cutter" in the world (supposedly one of 5 or so in existence). And couple of weeks ago actual work began - building of housing for foreign workers (almost all construction is done by them in Moscow) and some digging started.

[SimFox]

here is a first sketch of the lot.

I know how people don't like that bated LOTs but here the shape of the tower and it's size make the construction of one in LOT editor very problematic.



I'm not exactly sure how the Lot will be realized, Will it be in one piece with the tower (not too likely) or like a separate prop, or some other arrangement. The principle is however most likely shall stay same - underground garage entrances and entrance to underground station/mall.

If you have suggestions, voice them!

[toxicpiano]

I think you may pull off a pretty favourable one there so I wouldn't worry 

Suggestions? Maybe utilise the default maxis sidework texture

[freedo50]

My suggestion would be to make an overhanging version too so that two edges can be put next to diagonal roads and the other next to an orthogonal road. That would be really cool.

Fred

[toxicpiano]

My suggestion would be to make an overhanging version too so that two edges can be put next to diagonal roads and the other next to an orthogonal road. That would be really cool.

Fred

This is also a good idea

[Yoder7652]

I would nix your grass spots and render with nothing there so that you can use the maxis grass to match. Using the maxis sidewalk texture is a good plan too.

[callagrafx]

Biggest problem you are going to have with a BATed base are the shadows.  You may be better off making the underground entrance & base steps separate props, then you can "turn off" the ground shadows for these.

[SimFox]

Freedo:
I don't think it will work. Diagonal roads in the game are at 45 degrees, aren't they? Here, on the other hand we have a 60 degree angle. So it wouldn't really fit, and that sort of 15 degree gap would look really ugly.

Yoder, I can match Maxis grass pretty close (almost indistinguishable) also in BAT. Here is an example of texture matching:


So there is no problem there. The fact is that flat portions of the lot are, in fact, functional. they cover from sight the parts of the model that go below the ground level. What I mean is that now from the camera point nothing will go beyond LOD shell. This should insure that there will not be "anti-shadow" present. If I remove the grass I would then have to to manually edit all the masks for all elements (if they would be separate elements) or one large element. At any rate this is tons of work, particularly given the irregular shape of garage entrances, and quite pointless one.

I can't be sure 100% yet, but I think after I faced this issue with Naberezhnaja Tower, I now understand how and why it happens.
Problem comes from the fact that although LODs only cover the above ground part of the model, the one supposed to be visible, the MASK dos go beyond ground and is mixed with standard black. That mask extension is in fact what is perceived in game as "anti-shadow". When I simply edited masks for Nab. tower the problem has been solved.

So this time around I specially designed all underground and ground level elements so that it wouldn't happen.  No part of the mask is beyond the LODs. This, however remains to be seen. I''ll try to render clay model to see if I'm right about it...

Cal:
if I turn off ground shadows for props wouldn't it mean that those props will be receiving shadows?

[sithlrd98]

Man , that tower is Massive! Looks great 

[Shadow Assassin]

I don't think it will work. Diagonal roads in the game are at 45 degrees, aren't they? Here, on the other hand we have a 60 degree angle. So it wouldn't really fit, and that sort of 15 degree gap would look really ugly.

If the lot base is made like a right-angled triangle, it really shouldn't be an issue, to be honest.

It just takes a little creativity.

[M4346]

Is it only  me, or does it appear as if that bird is crapping on the building?