The University of Clayhurst

[JBSimio]

Jack:  Thank you!  The color scheme is almost becoming a standard for all the University buildings at this point.  The brick is always the same with only minor variations... usually meant to show age.  The other textures change from building to building, but I tend to keep them all within similar "parameters" for lack of a better word.  My plan is to do lighting as an "event in progress."  The lowest windows are offices, training rooms, etc... so those will be the only ones that may or may not be lit up.  Nearly every other window will be.  The signs and bell towers will be part of EP2, yes.

Zach:  Thanks!  Back to your question in a moment...

Guillaume:  Thank you!

Metarvo:  Thanks!  I'm glad you like it.

Ernst:  Thank you!

TiFlo:  Thanks!

This isn't really an update... more of a comparrison to garner public opinion.    I did make the necessary texture tweaks, but I haven't had a chance to start lighting just yet.  In the meantime, Zach asked about having the building on a 45 degree angle.  To be honest, way back when I first started planning the three athletic facilities, it was always my plan that this would be the one to do just that.  However, I also had a VERY different arena style in mind at that time.  Initially, I read the comment and thought,  "It would have worked with the original idea, but I'm not so sure anymore."  Then I thought about it some more through out the day... fortunately my mind has a dual core processor so I didn't burn any children's food while doing this... and decided to give it a second look.  Here is how the building would look rotated on said 45 degree angle.  (The views follow the same order as the previous update, for ease in comparing)









There are a few things that look better in the original orientation, but in many ways I think I almost like the look of things better this way.  There are several things which also seem to show up much better in this version.  The major drawback in going this route would be the lot itself.  Because of the odd shape of this building, rotating it like this actually makes it a tighter fit on the lot in some rather key areas.  I won't know until I actually export the building for good, but this version may wind up requiring a larger (8x8 perhaps) lot compared to the old version.

So there's the pros and cons that I've seen.  Now let the voting and feedback begin!  Please don't ask for both... I won't completely rule that out, but I'd much rather pick one or the other!    Which would you, the good people, prefer?

JB

Edit:  Darn it!  I just knew the page was going to change with this post!  Sorry for the extra work involved to compare now...

[metarvo]

I support the 45° angle.  If there's one thing this game needs, it's more diagonal buildings for improved variety, particularly if the other sports buildings are going to be orthogonal.  The bigger lot, if one is needed, would give you more room to provide details if desired.

[Lowkee33]

Please don't ask for both

Oh

I agree with Metarvo that the more 45 degree buildings the better.  However, my feeling is that athletic buildings are generally orthogonal with respect to the playing fields.  Since our field textures/models are all with the grid, then the athletic building should be too.

So, make all of the other buildings at a 45 degree.     

[Sciurus]

WONDERFUL , my little "arena" is not as beautiful as yours! But I must say that's not the same tall too

Guillaume

[Zacharuno]

I like the front of the building in the original more, but the rest of the building tends to 'pop' more at the angle. A minor suggestion, ignoring what you asked me not to do, is that you only lot one of the two and leave the other as a prop for people to lot as they please. In either case I'm voting for 45 degrees since it was my request to begin with. 

[Jack_wilds]

Hey JB

Trust all is well with you in the sunny CA as its rainy spring day here in WI...

Ortho:  I like this option best. It shows the front and work into the overall campus better, particularly if one wants to make work with athletic fields/ facilities

Angled: I like that it shows off the back and its details better, and that a few details from the right side also seem to 'pop' more and that it lends to an overall more dramatic appearance... but the lot size comes into question and then situating to work with other athletic facilities however being a larger lot, it can be afford for lot creativity ie parking, service access drives, versus a simply ortho lot...

perhaps something else could be made at an angle to break up an overly ortho campus... and so their is my two cents worth of thought

Jack

[Aaron Graham]

Looks great, I'm loving the textures and roof junk. Keep it up!!!!! 

[Utvaw]

Man I am really torn between the two.  The ortho view looks like the front will be gorgeous, especially lit up, but that angled view is a nice variation and shows off some of the little details.

I guess if i HAVE to choose, I'll pick angled.

Maybe a beautiful Auditorium in the future can make up for the loss of the front-on view. 

[threestooges]

I'd say go with the angled one. It's relatively rare to see a building set like that in the game, and if you're going to show one off like that, I think this would be the one to do it. It's somewhat rounded shape lends itself well to being angled on a square lot I think, and with a facility like this, I think people would need to leave space anyway, so the extra lot size shouldn't be a problem. Nice work on this one Jon.
-Matt

[allan_kuan1992]

Both are worthy in their own merits. I like how the entrance is brighter in the ortho model, but the details do pop out a little more in the diagonal.

[JBSimio]

Metarvo:  Thank you for your input!

Carl:  Thanks!  I understand the need to integrate practice fields, but I also feel that it wouldn't make a whole lot of (or at least as much of a) difference for this particular building.  First, it's an indoor arena... second, the lot would have to convert all paths, etc. back to the ortho orientation anyway (especially in the modular setting).

Guillaume:  Thank you!

Zach:  Thanks for your thoughts!  Providing both models is the main reason for me hoping to avoid doing two versions.  The model files are always the largest piece of the "custom content puzzle"... and it also takes a long time to generate them.  If I'm going to make the extra effort to export both versions, then I might as well make both lots too... which wouldn't take that much extra time. 

Jack:  Thank you for your input as well!  Things are busy but getting ever warmer here.  Spring has arrived and the ground is finally drying out beneath the dense cover of redwoods. 

Aaron:  Thanks!

Utvaw:  Thank you!  The ortho version of the front is actually one of the views I liked least!    The extreme difference in shadow on the slightly angled walls really bothers me and seems much better in the angled version.  An auditorium/performing arts building is in the plan and I think you would be quite happy with the front of that one. 

Matt:  Thank you for your thoughts!  I particularly agree with what you said about the rounded shape making this a prime candidate.

Allan:  Thank you!  (and welcome back)

Nothing new on the arena yet.  I haven't made a firm decision on the angle yet and probably won't until the lighting is done.  In the meantime, I appreciate all the thoughts and input very much.  Thank you!

Switching gears for just a moment... I decided to export and lot the two bell towers.  The gothic version was extremely easy to lot as it sits on a 1x1 lot!    (I did make a slight adjustment to the lighting of it, by the way)  The smaller bell tower is probably not finished yet.  First the pictures and then the reasons I'm not sure about that one just yet.





I'd much rather have lower ground covering flowers between the circular path and the tower itself, but I haven't found a combination I really like just yet.  The other option would be to have the entire area "paved" with out any plantings against the tower's base.  I tried that first, but didn't really like it much.  So I'll keep tinkering with the landscaping to see if I can come up with a better alternative.  This mainly just demonstrates where I'm going with things.  On second (or is this the third?) thought... I could also simply do away with the idea of connecting the four main paths all together.  Since the base of the tower does provide a means to "cross through" the area anyway, those extra wrap around walkways might be an unnecessary headache.  Hmmm...   

I also tried the gothic tower out on my own university campus in Covington just to compare with everything else.  Here's a bonus look:





I forgot to snap a far zoom shot, but the lighting really stands out at a distance... makes for a nice effect I think. 

More in the (hopefully) not too distant future,
JB

[Aaron Graham]

Lovely night lights. The bell tower look amazion!!!!! 

[Zacharuno]

JB. I understand where you're coming from. For me, lotting takes the most amount of time. Either way I will be pleased. The two towers look great. As for lotting the smaller one. I would say make the entire area around the base pavement. If that were on my campus, I would avoid walking up those stairs, lol. If you choose to make the arena ortho, purhaps some future dorms or academic buildings could be angled instead. At any rate. I await to see what you come up with next.

[metarvo]

I can hear the bells playing out dreary music on midterm or finals day just by looking at the pictures.  The nightlighting on the gothic tower stands out beautifully.

[Jack_wilds]

Hello JB,

luv the updates concerning the bell  towers...   

The Gothic tower is very good, the tweaked lightening gave it some subtlety that lends towards a  plot location for a story...

Concerning the "Bell Tower Square"... after some consideration I think that the 'ring' walk needs a different config of either square or 45 angle then the inside space between the 'ring' walk and bell tower deck wall would be the flower gardens...

my reasoning is the tower and the base and its deck walls are all square, trying to place a round ring around it -being a tight space for such arcs, although would work ok-good in RL but in Sim-life square or angled will compliment the structure better lending to a pleasing effect of repeated geometry at differing elevations... I'm I making sense or is it getting muddy; notions for consideration anyway... its a great tower that lends to a landmark meeting place on campus

Jack

[peter007]

Great lights.
It looks very realistic.
I'm curious about what you're gonna do next.

-Ernst

[jgehrts]

I really like the notion of removing the circular connecting paths around the larger tower lot.

[Lowkee33]

@Jgehrts:  That may be a good idea.  I for one would not walk up those steps just to walk down them again though.  I feel like this building wouldn't be in the center of things, more like at the end of a path at the top of a hill, but now we are way too far into my opinions

Carl:  Thanks!  I understand the need to integrate practice fields, but I also feel that it wouldn't make a whole lot of (or at least as much of a) difference for this particular building.  First, it's an indoor arena... second, the lot would have to convert all paths, etc. back to the ortho orientation anyway (especially in the modular setting).

Good point.  Hmm.

I'd much rather have lower ground covering flowers between the circular path and the tower itself, but I haven't found a combination I really like just yet.

Are you still taking ideas?  I think SG vol 01 has some curved hedges, but I know there are some in the dependencies for a cp tree controller.  This little park I made has them (Link, around the gazebo in the upper left) and they look about the right size.  Perhaps some larger bushes could fill in the corners?

Be well.

[JBSimio]

Aaron:  Thank you!

Zach:  Thanks!  I've made all sorts of adjustments to the shorter bell tower's lot... you might have to climb a couple steps, but hopefully you'll like the result anyway. 

Metarvo:  Thank you!

Jack:  Thanks!  I agree with your opinion about squaring off the "ring path" which made perfect sense to me once you brought it up.  I tried it, but still didn't have much luck getting something I liked.  I think I finally managed to get a nice balance in the end though.

Ernst:  Thank you!

Jgehrts:  Thanks!  That's what I ultimately ended up doing. 

Carl:  Thank you for your suggestions... which I am certainly always open to.  When lotting all these campus pieces, I try to stick to only the prop packs listed in the top stickied post.  Your suggestions were included there, but I wound up going a slightly different route.

Not a whole lot of time today... in fact I have to go back to work and make dinner here very soon.  I played around quite a bit more with the shorter bell tower and I think I finally came up with something I like.  It's a bit more of a "formal" landscape job than most of the campus lots have been, but I think it fits the tower quite nicely.  Of course, in the end, your opinions mean just as much as (if not more than) mine!  So here's the latest...



In other news, I also exported the Field House the other night.  I've gotten a start on that lot, although there is still plenty to do before that one will be done.  Here are all four sides for a little sneak peek:









I will be paving that entire grassy "median" in the back where the trucks are parked, but I have to make a couple textures for that.  I also need to make a better transition between the paved area and the brick path on the east side... or just find a way to hide it.     The one thing worth mentioning is that the path leading to those triple entry doors on the west side is NOT one of the two sizes used in the normal campus system.  It is however the same width as the BSC Parks "wide path."  There may be a little need for adjustments there, or I could simply make a piece that transitions between the two widths to better fit the other campus puzzle pieces.  We'll see how that goes.  (Or you could just always put that side against the street like I did here)   

Back to the kitchen I go...  see you next time!
JB

[Jack_wilds]

Hello JB...

Like the updates 

Concerning the bell tower, its the sort of 'meet me spot' that me and Cathy would meet to go wherever... I think you found a reasonable solution to the 'ring walk'... personally I think it appeared to conflict geometrically due to the SC4 game limits and viewpoint... so the flower planters and hedges with the 45 angle make a better transition and approach to the tower deck... the game makes for views from a bird's eye, while I look at it student eye level and imagine it as I approach it... I like it over all 

Concerning the CU-Field house... no real issues, you have it in mind what to do with the rear service area... as well as the walk transitions... I think its a good to go lotting as its simple, utilitarian, and effectively grounds the structure as well... 

Jack