New Graphics - Blender ".blend" thread (Works In Progress)

[Quinnyowns]

I really like it Nice job for an hours work at any rate. Keep it up!

[Ben_Robbins_]

When making tall buildings there’s always the urge just to replicate 1 modeled floor, but I think this is a mistake. Try splitting the floors into blocks of 3-4, (dividing them with something noticeable like a ledge) and make the ground floor taller and quite different. Then add some details to the very top and I think that would make quite a difference. Good start anyway, lets see it develop.

[Ethical]

Thanks for the comments. Bioharard.. I used arrays to rotate each level the same as the level before it, I can change the amount of rotation to anything really. I don't know if it is worth developing, maybe, add some sunken earth spiral around the base in a reverse manner?

Ben Robbins, thanks for the info, if it is worth modifying, I will definitely tune up the general modeling plus add plenty of fine detail.

Basically, just trying to inspire some people into firing up blender again.

I've been working on a real skyscraper from my home city. Only about 50% complete, camera isn't setup, textures are only to give a rough idea of what they will actually be.

[ZxBiohazardZx]

Thanks for the comments. Bioharard.. I used arrays to rotate each level the same as the level before it, I can change the amount of rotation to anything really. I don't know if it is worth developing, maybe, add some sunken earth spiral around the base in a reverse manner?

Ben Robbins, thanks for the info, if it is worth modifying, I will definitely tune up the general modeling plus add plenty of fine detail.

Basically, just trying to inspire some people into firing up blender again.

I've been working on a real skyscraper from my home city. Only about 50% complete, camera isn't setup, textures are only to give a rough idea of what they will actually be.

missing roofs... bigtime... also it feels wrong...., maybe its the line of view or dunno what, the building looks nice but rendered from a wrong angle, atm its (for me) more like a bad drawing to me:( but its already better then the hexagonic one;)

[Ethical]

Ahh.. Yep, I haven't done the roof sections, it isn't in the ottd camera rig yet, so I can have abit more freedom while I am modeling. Hence the 50% complete. Though, it has taken the last couple of nights straight to get to that point, roofs are simply a polygon made to the same shape, tonight after work i'll see how much of the roof sections I can get done. Don't expect an ottd camera view until I am 99-100% completed, that thing is huge, I'm not sure how I am going to break it up for OTTD.

[Ethical]

An update, now with roofs, and starting on the mast.

[Field-Mouse]

That building looks waaaaay to big for OTTD if you ask me.. Nice work though
I think im gonna try again to finish my building too, but im in the states at the moment, so i dont have my modeling computer with me..
Its nice to see some more buildings though, there hasnt been A LOT of them posted recently.

And oh, does anybody know if theres been any progress in the code?

[Ethical]

Ok, I took a break from the skyscraper. Heh, and yep Field-Mouse.. I also am thinking that the scraper will be too big, but maybe not, I guess when it is ready, we'll have to see what our height limit is.

So while I took my break, I modified the first building, as attached below. I have a few more questions though. First. I used the standard material glass and only varied the color to 2 other shades, though, when close to each other, they somehow detract from the overall material, maybe the material is no good for changing shades? And so onto my other question, if we were to make a textures thread, could anyone see themselfs using such a thread and the resulting .blend library?

Last Question, this is relevant to any building structure, out of the objects I am lacking in the bauilding, which say top 2 things come to mind? Any suggestions how to implement them? The reason I ask, and the reason I am working on this building is to get a good workflow to lay out a tutorial for anyone who ever wanted to contribute but was too scared of blender to try. For example, a building like that takes about an hour to put together. One with more complexity can be applied by the same method, though, is still taking me a considerably longer time. Worth the result, considering I have practically no artistic talent.

Dont be scared to post a reply, lets make OTTD 32bit happen

[PPT]

Tall buildings can be cool to look at, but they obscure too much.

[Ethical]

Sure, but thats why there is a transparent setting. Also, 1 or 2 large skyscrapers in a city are going to block very few tiles. As it is, large cities already obscure road view. Though, I will show in my tutorial how it can be used for smaller house sized stuff or industries, stations etc anyhow. It doesn't bother me if those buildings are too big/unwanted. I guess what I am trying to say is I am trying to drum up abit of motivation and support for those who have already put so much effort in the past and get some fresh artists confident enough to take some pressure off the old ones.

[GeekToo]

And so onto my other question, if we were to make a textures thread, could anyone see themselfs using such a thread and the resulting .blend library?

Ethical, I'm a complete newbie to blender, but I sure would like to get to learn it. So I think your idea of a tutorial is perfect. I was already inspired by this thread, but your posts convinced me to download blender and give it a try ( although somebody on this forum stated that a coder ( which I am ) can not be a good graphics artist). After a night of studying tutorials, I'm at the point that I would like to create e.g. a nice house, but could not find a brick texture. So my answer is yes, I could see myself using a textures library or blend library.

Last Question, this is relevant to any building structure, out of the objects I am lacking in the bauilding, which say top 2 things come to mind? Any suggestions how to implement them? The reason I ask, and the reason I am working on this building is to get a good workflow to lay out a tutorial for anyone who ever wanted to contribute but was too scared of blender to try.

Things that come to my mind, in order of importance:
- I don't like the color of the building, imo it's too green, though that may be a matter of taste.
- The bottom floors: as mentioned above need work, I don't see a distinct entrance point, no possibilty for utility trucks to service the building, no car parking.
- The roof: does draw too much attention(too bright). In real life, roof tops are rather dull: pebbles or gray tarmac.
-usually at such a large building, there is an installation for the glass/window washers with a lift/cables, and a rail at to roof

Sure like what you're trying to achieve, to give this topic a boost, so please see these remarks as an effort to make OTTD better, not to criticize you personally, which would not be right, as I think you're a better blender artist than I am at the moment.

Dont be scared to post a reply, lets make OTTD 32bit happen

Don't worry, I'm not afraid to post, and would like to make OTTD 32 happen.

[Ben_Robbins_]

I started a texture library about a year ago. It only has a few textures in it though. It is on the wiki here. If textures are not exactly what you are after then they can usually be changed quite a lot relatively quickly in paint.net/PS/gimp etc, so people shouldn't be looking for exact matches of the texture their after, but something to help create it.

Ethical: I would agree to Geektoo's criticisms for your last render. For a roof texture I'd suggest gravel/roofing felt textures, but more importantly is that the texture varies over the area, rather than just tiling. So puddles, areas of dirt, litter etc. could make the large roof area quite visually complex very easily.

[GeekToo]

Time to ask for some feedback. I've been working on the sloped grass tiles for a while ( and got distracted by an performance code issue in 32 bpp and learning blender..., so the update took a while).
It was more difficult than I thought initially, but I've reached the point I think it's good enough to share with the community, though it still needs working upon

I've attached the original sloped grass tiles, and the updated ones. Please comment on this.

Dont't bother to comment the bottom of the hills, that still needs work.

[athanasios]

They look too much blurred.

[Jupix]

They look too much blurred.

I agree, the completely level (normal) tile in particular looks like I'm looking at it through dirty eyeglasses..

[GeekToo]

@Jupix,

The level tiles are the only tiles I haven't changed in this screenshot, so it's the same as in the end of the grass comparison on page 150 of this thread.
You can of course still comment on that comparison if you don't like it.

@Athanasios,
Some tile are too blurry, especially the east and south ones. I was experimenting with a suggestion somebody made about motion blur. On some tiles it is OK, but on some I don't like it. Don't worry, nothing's final yet.


Some extra info:
-the bottom tiles of the hills are made by using the method of page 150, so they differ from the original.
-Reason I made this screenshot, was because I worked on the shading, and wanted some feedback on that before continuing, rather than on the texture ( but I should have said that more clearly I realize now).

[Field-Mouse]

The reason it looks blurry is probably becouse its A LOT more detailed than the original tiles, since the new tiles are built up from detailed grass it will look blurry from a distance, therefor I think it might be wise to create tiles with "larger" grass straws for use in zoomed out views.

[athanasios]

I have suggested about motion blurr, but not for Blender. It is suitable for flat pixel draw. Tiles are width=2height, so either you resize a skin (1/2 height) or use motion blur. (But not so much. Only ~0.5 pixel.)

[GeekToo]

Field-mouse and Athanasios,

As I said in my previous post, I'm not satisfied with the texture too, but I'm still working on that, I'll add a small preview of that, not finished though, only to show that I mean to improve it. But what I would really would like to have is your comment on the shading, not the blurriness. Btw this is my first real blender post.

[athanasios]

I like it a lot.