Spa's Atlantic Retreat

[XiahouDun]

Looks good, the one thing I'd suggest though is making the windows look a little less transparent. Right now it kind of looks like there are no windows there at all.

[ky72x]

Well, with summer just around the corner, it's no surprise to see the work easing up for you finally.  More time for new BAT's, sweet! 

Glad you had a fantastic time in SF.  It's one great city, there's plenty of things to do, pretty nice temps and not to mention some awesome food.  That's also one really beautiful picture, too.

Now onto your recent work, which is excellent, as always.  Both the Fantino Fusion and Pier 1 buildings look wonderful, and it's good to see a bit more mid-rises in the pipeline, those seem to be a short supply as well.  I agree with XiahouDun about those windows, they do look way to transparent (at night).  Otherwise, it's another pretty unique creation that I'm eager to start using.  Same goes for the other mid-rise, I can't wait to see your rendition! 

- Kyle

[threestooges]

Excellent work as always, and I'm glad to hear the SF trip went well. The Tramway building looks like it turned out well, and I'll be looking forward to seeing the CPI Building when it's done too. I have a question for you, if I may. It looks like you have done something I have been trying to figure out for a BAT of my own. On the Tramway building, in the top left of the second picture, you put the faces that are in the real building. In the shot just to the right, it looks like the window texture has turned transparent, or at least you can't see the faces as well. I am trying to achieve a similar effect (mirrored windows that look transparent when the lights go on) so if you have any advice, it would be much appreciated. Also, congratulations on the successful defense of your thesis, and congratulations on the two Masters degrees. I'll be keeping an eye out for your next update.
-Matt

[simdad1957]

Another Tim Horton's on the way, Huzzah!!!

[simdad1957]

BTW, with the Canada Permanent Insurance Building, what are you going to do about that steep grade that the building sits on? I presume you are going to ignore it and give the building a flat foundation.

[spa]

Xiahoudun: I'm assuming you mean at night? I maybe over did it a little but it's a take it or leave it at this point. I don't play the game in night mode myself so I limit how much time I devote to it. Thanks for the comment.
Kyle: Indeed. It's all wrapped up now which does mean more time to bat
Matt: The way I setup the windows in this bat and in all of my more recent ones (ever since I released Attica) is I used my glass texture as an opacity map. I set the opacity at 25, which is almost opaque and picked some vaguish textures for the floors. The windows appear to get more transparent at night because of the lights I have shining on the floors. To overcome the 25 opacity setting, the lights on the floor are blindingly bright (a multiplier of about 10), but from behind the windows they don't look it. The extremly bright lights overcome the nearly opaque windows and show through.
Simdad: Thanks. You presume correctly. Many of Halifax's building's require some adjustment to bring into Sim City since it's such a hilly place. The back of the Canada Permanent Insurance on Argyle doesn't really have anything on it so it's not big loss

So I said the other day that I would try to post a little more as I work on things so here's a work in progress shot of the Canada Permanent Insurance Building.

Not much to say at this point. It came together rather quickly. Modern buildings are just so much easier to make compared to older ones. As you can see I have two versions underway, a long one and a short one. The two versions will be almost identical, it's just the short one will be for a 1x2 lot and the longer one will be for a 1x3. I have just kind of started the roof stuff and it's based on what I could see on the real building but it's not identical. The big thing is I'm not putting a rooftop patio up there. There is one on the real building, but I'm fairly positive that it was added when it was converted into residential. Since, in Sim City, it'll be 1950s office once again, it just really doesn't feel fitting to have a patio up there. Anyway, I'll probably add some more to this tomorrow.

[threestooges]

First, thank you for the window tips. I hadn't thought that, from the soft look of your lights, that they could stun a passing moth. I'll have to give it a try when I get back around to that building I'm working on. I had tried messing with the opacity map, but I had it backwards somewhat. Secondly, the progress on the Canada Permanent Insurance building looks good so far, and the little details you add (like the little platform in front of the door to the roof) really bring the building to life (as I have probably said before). There is one thing though, I don't see the entrance, though it may be on the side that doesn't show in the preview. Both versions look good though so far.
-Matt

[spa]

Oh they won't stun a passing moth they'll vaporize it! Think of those bug zappers, that's the lights I use  Here's a pic of the Tramway Building's ground floor at night when its not filtered through nearly opaque glass.

Blinding isn't it? Here's the texture settings for the glass that I use that turns blinding into mellow while allowing me to keep nearly opaque glass during the day.

And here's the settings for a typical light (the yellowy colour shade is the same as JBSimio uses on his buildings).

The only thing that I would add to my explanation is that when you're setting up your light, use a target direct and aim it straight at the floor. Leave only a tiny distance between the light source and the target (the floor) so that you can make good use of the attenuation parameters. With a light set this brightly, you don't want it to hit anything except the floor so you'll need to use the attenuation settings. Notice how on mine the distance from the light source to the target is just .092 and the attenuation settings are the same meaning the light will not shine any farther.

Oh and on the Canada Permanent, I haven't done the ground floor yet. They'll be a proper entranceway then. I don't want to make the sims climb through the windows Thanks for the kind comment.

[Shiftred]

Spa,
have you ever had reports of your buildings' "historical" function not working?    It seems to me some of your creations are replaced by other buildings even after I mark them historical, (i could also be crazy).  I want your buildings to stay in my city.

[Zaphod]

So that's a res tower now? cool.

It must be something to live in a modern building like that. I wish I was rich and owned a condo, I would fill it will all kinds of mod furniture

[spa]

Shiftred: No and I have tested them fairly extensively myself without every encountering any issues (I use the make historic button constantly because the default game just allows for too much change and you end up losing all the smaller buildings). I have noticed, however, that if a historic building is abandoned, it can be replaced by something else when demand increases again or water is restored or whatever the problem was. Perhaps that's what has happened to you? In one of my cities, I once lost a whole streetscape when it went abandoned. Very annoying.
Zaphod: Yep it is. Built as an office building it was converted into condos or apartments (I don't know which since it seems to have happened fairly quietly). Modern furniture would probably fit in well there


So I ended up working on the Canada Permanent Insurance a little bit backwards. I have the top all done, check it out below:

It's a very "busy" building isn't it? I find looking at the side views too closely can overwhelm my poor eyes. There is just too much to focus on It's a bit unusual for me to have the model in this state since I usually start on the ground floor and leave the glass and roof textures for near the end. This one, however, is kind of getting made in two separate pieces. I'm fairly happy with how things are coming along. I'm starting to feel like this could be one of my better creations. Anyway, tomorrow I'll move onto the ground floor. Depending how that goes, this one could be in the render this weekend.

[Shiftred]

Thanks for the reply.  I will have to watch the buildings better to see what happens.

[mightygoose]

i think a subtler lest contrasting roof texture could really help with that overwhelming sensation you talk about...

[Jasoncw]

I agree, I also think that a lighter orange color would do better too.

I like how the glass turned out.

[spa]

Shiftred: I'll keep an eye on things too but I suspect the simulation has played a trick on you.
Mightygoose: Yeah, on the BSC private board that was the consensus as well. I went back and modified the texture to turn down the dirt. I also added tile lines.
Jasoncw: Thanks, but I think the orange is fine. I have dropped it into the game and it seems to mesh well. Thanks for the kind words about the glass. You well know how frustrated I was getting with windows for a while there so it's nice to have it come together now and then

So this weekend between getting fish and seeing the latest Indiana Jones (no Last Crusade but definitely better than Temple of Doom) I have basically finished up the Canada Permanent Insurance Building. Check it out below.

Not much to say at this point. I'm still debating whether to use a less busy texture on the 1st floor or to make the glass a little more opaque, but I might decide to leave it as is. I still have to get the 1x2 version ready, but that shouldn't take long as almost all of it will just come from the finished 1x3. The night lighting still has to be done too. This one should be done this week and then I think it'll be time to finish up the Wright Building. I'll probably have a release week sometime in late June or early July.

[threestooges]

I would leave the texture of the ground floor as it is. The rest of the building is busy, and taking away from the bottom might cause the bottom to stick out, or to be ignored entirely. I like how the glass looks now. Good for window shopping and such. Good work so far and I'll keep an eye out for the nightlighting.
-Matt

[mightygoose]

i reckon that looks about done... great work..

[spa]

Matt: Thanks. Everyone seemed to like the ground floor windows so they're staying as is.
Mightygoose: Thanks. The truly finished versions are posted below.

So I didn't do much batting this past week. I got wrapped up in battling Egyptians in Civilization 4. I did, however, finish the Canada Permanent Insurance Building yesterday/this morning. Below is the 1x3 version in game in both day and night view.

Day




Night

I think the night lighting turned out pretty well overall. A few places where it could have maybe used some minor adjustment, but at this point I'm done with it.

And then there is the mini version for a 1x2 lot.

Not much to say about it, it's just a sized down version of the 1x3. I eliminated some of the penthouse on the 1x2 because it looked ridiculous having such a large complex on a  smaller building. Anyway, I'll package these up in the next while. It's time to go back to Wright's Building.

[threestooges]

Now that is some excellent work. I still have a ways to go before I get the lighting looking as good as yours, but thanks to your little tutorial, I'm starting to pick off a few moths myself. I'll look forward to seeing these released, and also to new updates for Wright's Building.
-Matt

[simdad1957]

It looks like the Tim Horton's storefront in the Canada Permanent Insurance building has disappeared. Is that because you had to correct for the grade that the building is on?