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True Earth

Started by korver, May 04, 2016, 08:05:18 PM

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korver

Thanks for the nice comments everyone :)

Just for clarification, pretty much all the models in this update were downloaded and imported into the game from sites like 3d warehouse, as there were no close replacements for certain buildings I needed. These are ingame models imported into the game with 3dsmax, they are like any other BAT you would use. Besides the Petra picture where I added the lights and made the cliffs look a bit better - there was very little photoshop used at all.

vinlabsc3k

#261
Great updates korver!! &apls &apls &apls

I really appreciate your kind and nice words for the archeological sites of my country! &hlp ()flower()
My creation at CityBuilders.



SimCity 5 is here with the NAM Creations!!

korver

#262

- UPDATE 24: Scenes From South America -




Our journey to South America begins in Baños, Ecuador - located in the Eastern Andes, this popular tourist resort town offers lots to do. From restaurants, hot springs, waterfalls, and plenty of other activities to keep you occupied - its an excellent destination for anyone wanting to get a taste of the region. We won't be staying here long though, as the neighboring Amazon awaits..





While Baños may be located in the Andes Mountains - it's also known as the "Gateway to the Amazon" due to its close proximity to many of the Amazon River's tributaries and streams, offering a direct route into the jungle itself. We rent a boat from one of the locals, and we're soon on our way - into the dense, humid climate of the Amazon rainforest..





We travel deeper into the Amazon, and it might be hundreds of miles before we reach the next town or village. The locals here live simple lives - while some are tucked away so deep into the forest that they haven't been reached yet by civilization - others live on the shores of the Amazon and its tributaries with limited contact. We get a chance to meet a group of them, high up on their stilt houses - the brief glimpse into their lives and customary rituals is quite fascinating.





In this part of South America - much of the local economy depends on important natural resources such as oil to keep afloat. Lake Maracaibo, located in northern Venezuela, has been vital for the locals - outside of the Middle East, this is one of the world's largest oil producers since oil was first discovered here back in 1914. Much of the land surrounding the lake is surrounded by endless fields of oil pumpjacks - they've quickly become a common symbol of the region.





We head back into Brazil and the next stop will be a common sight in many of the major cities. From São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro - favelas dot the outskirts and creep up along the mountainous hillsides. The people here might not have a lot - but they make the best of their situation for them and their families, creating makeshift houses from whatever they can find.





Some 1,000 miles west is where you'll find our next destination - one of South America's greatest cities, Buenos Aires. The mighty obelisco rises some 221 feet above the surrounding Plaza de la República and the spaciously wide 9 de Julio Avenue - commemorating the founding of the city back in 1536, its one of the main landmarks in the city and one of its premier destinations.





Our final destination takes us back to the Andes - and although much of the land here is inhospitable and harsh, there's still a number of small, charming villages and towns that you'll want to check out. The small village of Tocanao in Chile stands on the edge of the Atacama Desert - despite the lack of rain (this is the driest area on the face of the planet) - the people here have adapted quite well, making the most of a few small streams that run close by. The bell tower here dates from 1750 - built from volcanic stone, its a unique landmark that's quite striking.





Note: For this update (and others) - custom content creation has been vital. I've been creating custom road texture sets (this is only a small portion of it - there's about 20 or so for the Banos pic), BATing various small buildings from scratch (1, 2), making HD water textures, and much more. I don't know if any of this stuff will make it to the exchange soon as there isn't any documentation, a number of small things still need to be fixed/improved, and I've also been extremely busy with my CJ lately. In the meantime though, if anyone is interested in these then just send me a PM.

Additionally, about the last update - the obscure BATs were not photoshopped in (that would be waay too much photoshop in my book) - they're all ingame BATs I got from 3d warehouse. The Petra pic used a bit more photoshop than usual - I made it a long time ago when I was still messing around with PS - but the pic still uses an ingame BAT from 3d warehouse with some extra effects around it (added lights, made the cliffs look better.) Anyways, if I'm doing a scene and I need something from 3d warehouse, I'll import it into 3dsmax, render it, and use it as a prop in my scene. They are like any other BAT you would use. I already wrote a number of moderately in-depth guides on this in my other "South America" update here - I might consider doing this again (more in depth) if there's enough interest.

Also, all of my scenes with the crazy road textures are really just a big flat prop (ingame props, not some sort of crazy photoshop effect. That would be an excessive amount of photoshop in my book). I'll make a big texture, place it on the prop in 3dsmax, render it, and use that prop in Lot Editor. So it isn't some sort of post processing effect, these are ingame props, no different than any other prop you would use. I already made a guide on this here in my "Year in Review" entry (the Pisa picture) so feel free to check it out.


-korver


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Replies

dyoungyn: Thanks for the comment :)

mattb325: Thanks for the kind words, glad you liked it! It's SC4, just with a looooot of custom content :P

Dantes: Thank you! :)

manga rivotra: Thanks for the comment! I tried to grid bust there a bit, I think it turned out pretty nice :)

vinlabssc3k: Thanks! I have more coming from Italy, so stay tuned ;)


Themistokles

This is, as usual, stunning beyond belief. The favelas are so well made I really can't take my eyes off them :o
Come join me on a hike to St Edmea!

Latest update: 7

"In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy." - John Sawhill

Alan_Waters


Dantes

Last week I read a book about the history of Cobacabana. Before that I saw a documentary about Rio de Janero. I wanted to know more. I think your updates are a great art and we would have to build a museum for your pictures!  &apls &apls &apls

Kitsune

amazing ! Having been to the obelisk in Buenos Aires that photo is extremely realistic.
~ NAM Team Member

Akallan

All the pictures are beautiful, all! Usually, I always have a small preference for one or the other, but this is very complicated. As much as the small town, the Amazon or the oil fields are well done. With perfect accuracy, it is breathtaking! &apls

This reminds me of the first update on South America which was amazing, I hope you will make a new one again, it is a wonderful continent with Africa! You might also try to do something about the Nordic countries (or first Egypt  :P)?
My CJ :


My european road textures project : S N T - v.2.1

bombardiere

Simply amazing.  :o It is hard to tell where SC4 end and photoshop begins.

Your BATs look good too. May be you could release these as a Prop Pack with models only, so you don't have to bother with too much extra work on the documentation etc.

vinlabsc3k

#269
Quote from: korver on July 31, 2017, 02:03:15 AM
...
vinlabssc3k: Thanks! I have more coming from Italy, so stay tuned ;)

Glad to read, so I'll wait with trepidation! ;)

EDIT: Sorry, I forgot to compliment the new update!! &apls &apls &apls
My mind is going blank after reading your MD. ?=mad)=
My creation at CityBuilders.



SimCity 5 is here with the NAM Creations!!

korver

#270

- UPDATE 25: Natural Wonders -





Our world is full of incredible natural wonders that keep us in awe. Today we're going to take a tour around the globe (except Antarctica - that's probably going to be a separate update down the road ;)) - visiting a few of the most unique and stunning natural wonders our planet has to offer.

Note: This update contains a few gifs (4MB and 6MB) - it was difficult to get them any smaller.


Africa
Danakil Depression - Ethiopia


Our first destination can be found in the hot, humid climate of northern Ethiopia. The alien like world of the Danakil Depression is known for its incredibly colorful sulfur pits - and also being the home of the hottest temperatures on earth. With temperatures reaching as high as 125 degrees, you won't be able to stay here long - just long enough to load up your camel with salt and continue on with the journey.





Asia
Sigiriya - Sri Lanka


On the small island nation of Sri Lanka in South Asia is where you'll find our next location - the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya. This stronghold was selected by King Kasyapa of the Ceylon civilization back in the mid 400s CE as a new capital - and it was truly ahead of its time. The original structure featured a massive city perched on top of the rock, with expansive gardens and trails leading around the entire structure. Little of it remains - but it continues to keep tourists in awe to this day.





Australia
Uluru (Ayers Rock) - Northern Territory



When you think of Australia - one of the first things that comes to mind is its stunning Uluru (Ayers Rock), dramatically rising some 1,142 feet out of the outback. Uluru is the original aboriginal name for the area - and it has no specific meaning behind it. They believed that the rock has a great spiritual meaning - and was created at the dawn of time. To this day, those visiting it are urged not to climb the rock out of respect to these beliefs - and taking photographs of certain areas is also strongly urged against.





Europe
Holuhraun Lava Field - Iceland


We're traveling to the Arctic for our next destination - the volatile and unpredictable Holuhraun Lava Field. This lava field is the size of Manhattan and its been growing at an unprecedented rate - and its also been spewing out a record-breaking amount of lava and sulfur dioxide in recent years. Hiking is surprisingly allowed here - but make sure you watch your step, especially with lava that can reach temperatures as high as 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit.





North America
Nares Strait - Canada/Greenland Border


We're staying in the Arctic for our next sight - and you'll find the stunning Nares Strait located on Greenland's wild west coast. This pathway to the North Pole is lined with dramatic fjords and mountains - and with some of the most inhospitable temperatures on earth, every trip is an adventure.





South America
Devil's Throat (Iguazu Falls) - Brazil/Argentina Border


Our tour wraps up with one of the most awe-inspiring destinations in all of South America - the majestic Devils's Throat of Iguazu Falls, located on the Brazil/Argentina border. This is a sight unlike any other on earth - water cascades from 3 different angles down nearly 300 feet of sheer rock, creating a thundering splash that can be heard for miles around. This is nature at its best - and its a destination that you won't want to miss out on.






Note: a lot of these pictures required extensive custom content creation, and although it may look like it - there actually wasn't that much photoshop being used at all. The Iguazu Falls & Danakil Depression gifs are completely unedited - the in game animations were recorded using ScreenToGif.

For those wondering where I got Sigiriya, it was downloaded here and imported into the game as a big BAT - some small editing was done though at the top to add things like better looking trees. Ayers Rock was made using the in game terraforming tools, but had a couple edits to the terrain mod and the clouds.

As for the pics from the Arctic - the main use of photoshop was adding reflections to the water (in the Greenland pic), giving the lava a little life/making it glow a bit (the lava itself is real), and adding some mist/clouds in general as well. I created an entire set of textures for those pics - consisting of two parts. First one being just a simple terrain mod - consisting of fairly basic cliff/ground texture mods. Here's a demonstration of some of the base textures/cliff textures at work. Secondly, I also finally figured out a while back how to create overrides for the JENX terrain paints: 1, 2.

And again, these aren't some sort of photoshop effect or whatever, they're just overrides of the in game terrain paints. For those interested, here's the pics completely unedited: here and here (the lava is usually supposed to be used at day, so I had to make some enhancements for the night time image.)

So yeah, there's finally legit lava + glaciers in the game ;D There's still plenty of work to be done and they don't have proper icons yet so they're sorta hard to use, so it could be a while for a release on anything. But as always, if anyone is interested in something then please PM me and I can send you what I've completed thus far.


-korver


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Replies

Themistokles: Thank you! Glad you liked it :)

Alan_Waters: Thanks for the comment as always :)

Dantes: Thanks for the kind words and nice comment :)

Kitsune: Thanks! Nice to hear that it measures up to the RL one :thumbsup:

Akallan: Thank you for the kind words :) I probably won't be making it back to South America for a while unfortunately. But I do have a series of Africa updates which I'll be unveiling here shortly.. ;)

bombardiere: Thanks! Yeah, that's what I'm sort of thinking about doing - I have a lot of other African BATs too I've been working on, so perhaps that would be the best route to take. There wasn't really much photoshop used in the update - the main use of it was for filters/adding a little mist in a few pics/rain in the favela pic. Everything else in the update is an actual BAT or lot or MMP - only a few small cosmetic edits were made like adding lines between the power poles in the Tocanao pic for instance.

vinlabssc3k: Thanks! I actually have so much from Italy that it might take a whole series of updates to unveil all of it.. but I probably won't be done for a while though.


bladeberkman

Wow. Your picture of the Danakil Depression left me speechless right from the start. Uluru looks so real! Every one of your updates is better than the last. I can't imagine how long it must take to get every detail just right. Thank you for continuing to share your work.

reddonquixote

Another beautiful and diverse set of recreations. Nares Strait is my favourite, you have done an amazing job with the reflections. Well done  &apls &apls &apls
Pay heed to the tales of old wives. It may well be that they alone keep in memory what it was once needful for the wise to know.

manga rivotra

Your buildings of the previous update are very successful and the texture imitating the Amazon river is spectacular, it seems that you have all the talents!  ::)
In this update, I like, like many, the Nare Strait photo with stunning reflection effect, a true masterpiece, but also Uluru where the work with the MMPs is simply incredible.  &apls &apls &apls
I can not imagine the number of hours you have spent playing so perfectly the Australian bush, and once again the result is sensational.  :thumbsup:

Alan_Waters

Wow !!! Just unbelieveble! HOW?! How can this be done in SC4 ?!  &mmm &mmm &mmm
PERFECT!!!  &apls &apls &apls

korver


- UPDATE 26: Bohemia -




Located in the western Czech Republic, Bohemia is a region full of picturesque landscapes and charming villages. Few are as delightful as Hrensko - and its where we'll begin our tour. Founded back in the 15th century as a trading settlement on the Kamience gorge, its turned into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. Hrensko also serves as the entrance gate to Bohemian Switzerland National Park - but be sure to take in the village for a day or two before sailing down the Kamience gorge.





The Kamience gorge cuts through the heart of the park, and riding a slow sailing boat down the river is one of the most popular tourist attractions. The steep cliffs are quite incredible, but remain quiet until our tour guide finds a rope attached to the other side and gives it a huge pull...





The Umelý vodopád (artificial waterfall) comes gushing out of a small crack at the top of the rock cliff - creating quite the splash and the perfect photo opportunity.





We emerge out of the gorge and start making our way through the heart of the park. After a few hours, we finally reach one of the most stunning tourist attractions in the area - the striking Pravcická brána, the largest natural sandstone arch in Central Europe. In 1826, an inn was built here and has remained a popular spot ever since - after a hard day of hiking, there's nothing better than a good meal here. Be sure to take advantage of the many paths that wrap their way around the arch to get a great view of the landscape - but remember that the top of the arch has been out of bounds since the 1980s due to heavy erosion from tourists.








Our last destination in Bohemia is the impressive Pravcický kužel (Pravcický Cone) - one of the most imposing structures in the entire park. For the thrill seeker out there, its the premier destination in the entire park - but only the bravest of climbers would dare to take on these sheer cliffs in the dead of winter...





During summer however, when things are a bit more manageable - rock climbers from all across Central Europe will take on the cone. For those who can scale up these challenging cliffs - hundreds of feet high with little to no room for error - they will be rewarded with some absolutely incredible views from the top.





I hope you enjoyed your visit to Bohemia - its truly a timeless beauty.











NOTE: In order to make this update, I really had to put my BATing skills to the test. I created these BATs completely from scratch (1, 2, 3 - pictures taken from the Lot Editor window) specifically for the update - if anyone would like to try the models out for themselves then please PM me :)



-korver


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Replies

Alan_Waters: Thank you! I'm always trying to push SC4 to the limits :)

manga_rivotra:: Thank you for the comment! It took forever to do Uluru - mainly because I kept on overdoing the flora or not putting enough at first. I think I eventually found the sweet spot though to get that authentic Outback look :)

reddonquixote: Thanks! Glad you liked the reflections, I had to do a lot of tinkering with them to make them look natural.

bladeberkman: Thank you for the kind words! I don't really keep track on how long it takes to do these updates, it's probably too many hours to count anyways haha :P


Simmer2

________________________________________________________________________________

Alan_Waters

It's incredible! So it is impossible to do!

Akallan

Excellent! I love all the little details that are everywhere in every picture, especially the one with climbers and rope! ;D
My CJ :


My european road textures project : S N T - v.2.1

korver


- UPDATE 27: Tour of Africa: Introduction -




So for my next series of updates, I have something a little special planned. Over the last couple months, I've been slowly accumulating a large collection of African scenes - and it's finally starting to come together. With nearly 40 different scenes (the pics below are just a small little teaser of what's to come - the tip of the iceberg ;)), it's going to be like nothing I've ever done before - an unforgettable tour of just about everything the continent has to offer.


We'll start off the six-part series by taking a look at one of Africa's most iconic cities - Johannesburg.





From there, we'll stay in Southern Africa, exploring a variety of natural scenes - including one of Africa's most famous wildlife sanctuaries, the Okavango Delta.





Along with the world's second tallest waterfall - Tugela Falls. Animations are going to play a pivotal role in this series - it's going to be quite the sight :)





From there, we'll head east - getting to visit East Africa and the beautiful Indian Ocean along the way.





With a number of unique wonders like the Tsingy stone forests - visiting Madagascar is also must.





It's off to Central Africa from there - where we'll get to explore wild Africa at its finest along with a number of natural wonders. Algae-rich lakes such as Lake Logipi attract countless lesser flamingos - and when they migrate, it makes for one of the greatest sights on the continent.





We'll then head out to West Africa - visiting a number of small rural scenes, like the ones found in Rural Congo.





And we'll wrap up in North Africa - after traveling through the Sahara, we'll get to see one of the continents greatest landmarks, the Pyramids.






Additionally, as you might expect - there hasn't been a great deal of African themed custom content to work with. Because of this, custom content creation has been absolutely vital to this series. I've been creating various BATs from scratch on a massive scale to make some of these scenes possible:








WIP:





If anyone's interested in some of the stuff I'll be using over the next couple of updates, feel free to PM me. I don't know yet though how long it will take me to upload some of this stuff, there's still lots of various odds and ends that I need to sort out and I've been extremely busy with my CJ/MD as of late.


-korver


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Replies

Simmer2: Thank you :D

Alan_Waters: Thanks for the nice comment as always Alan!

Akallan: Thank you for the comment! That's one of my personal faves - I'm terrified of heights IRL so that's about as close as I'll ever get to rock climbing :D