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Century Building, Union Square, New York

Started by Sarlock, October 18, 2013, 01:24:58 AM

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Sarlock

Fresh out of Sarlock's blender laboratories I present to you the newest creation, a near replica of the 1881-built Century Building at Union Square, New York City.

 



I haven't finished the back, there's a few things that I want to do to address the "straight-down" look at the back.  I am experimenting with creating a back alley, however... we'll see how that looks when the buildings are back-to-back and the alley is created.  I will also add a bit more detail to the roof... and I'm not entirely happy with how the top white windows look.  Though it's fairly accurate per the original, with our top-down view it looks out of place a bit---I might use the regular brick texture for these.

This building was built in 1880-1881 and is a prime representative of the Queen Anne architectural style.  It is quite ornate and very difficult to model... I made a few shortcuts but it's a pretty true representation.

This is part of a larger project to create more medium-density row housing/shops (we need more medium/high-density commercial).

Your thoughts, comments and advice are always appreciated.
Current projects: Pak128 Trees, blender graphics

Zeno

Wow!! That's awsome, dude! There's so much detail in it... simply amazing. :award:
I'd say it would be nice something in the roof, dunno, just to break the big flat surface somewhere. Not sure what to suggest to the back though, maybe it would be nice to define for buildings' dat files which directions can face to streets and wich not, but probably that's a though thing to implement for our coders. That way you wouldn't need to worry about the back part of such a building ;-)

jamespetts

Hmm, I wonder whether this could be (or would be suitable for being) adapted for Pak128.Britain...? I am trying to think whether our larger towns and cities have buildings like this from the 19th century.
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ӔO

I wonder if the center set of windows on the roof are closer, rather than taller? (which makes it look taller in the picture)

As for the white windows on top, I guess it's hard to see, from that angle, if they are balconies or just windows for lofts.
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kierongreen

Quote from: jamespetts on October 19, 2013, 10:24:35 AM
Hmm, I wonder whether this could be (or would be suitable for being) adapted for Pak128.Britain...? I am trying to think whether our larger towns and cities have buildings like this from the 19th century.
Thinking of times I've been around larger cities it wouldn't look entirely out of place. See the Wikipedia article on Queen Anne Architecture though. In Britain we've got both Queen Anne and Queen Anne Revival - also there tends to be more of an arts and crafts influence. Certain features of the building appear around Britain for example:

Lace Market Nottingham

I'd look at a couple of Google Street scenes to see what architecture from this time can look like:
Glasgow Buchanan Street (note mainly stone rather than brick - it's worth exploring along this street to see the mostly 19th Century buildings - also note the prototype for a Transport Tycoon modern building)
Manchester Canal Street (quite similar to the building Sarlock used as a prototype)

Sarlock

That's my plan... now that I've got the basic window structure down it can be easily modified to different styles.

The only way to know if it would work well with pak128.Britain is to try :)  I haven't familiarized myself with the differences in style, but I assume it's just a few easy tweaks in blender to adjust the lighting and texture effects.  We can give it a shot once I finalize this building.

The building will be coded as commercial but it's actually 90% residential...
Current projects: Pak128 Trees, blender graphics

Sarlock

#6
Update:

After trying several attempts at fixing the top floor windows I decided to completely remove them and lower the roof a bit.  I like this version much more, the building is better proportioned and looks much better.  I added chimneys, vents and roof access.



I then worked on the back of the building and added windows, an alley door and fire escape.  I also added some alley sidewalks and cobblestone.

What do you think of the alley concept?

All I'm missing is clothes lines stringing from the alley windows ;)

EDIT: Update: Hosting service is having data issues, they are working on a resolution.  Above image link will be fixed as soon as they fix things.  Check back in a bit.
2nd EDIT: Just waiting for them to fix the FTP upload issues.  Picture coming...
3rd EDIT: Fixed :)
Current projects: Pak128 Trees, blender graphics

kierongreen


Sarlock

Link to my image repaired.  My web service had some major hardware issues over the last 18 hours and have finally resolved things.  (I uploaded the file and then right after the system crashed and they restored the backup, breaking the link to my image as it reverted from before I uploaded it... and then FTP was not functioning until just a short while ago)
Current projects: Pak128 Trees, blender graphics

sdog

The back-side of the century building can be seen from 18 street. You can have a look in google-maps street-view.
(Even the bookshelves are visible in the window of the upper storey)

You can also get a good view on the structures on the roof from both bing aerial view and google maps in 45 degree view.

Oh, and: it's a rather beautiful building you built there.

Sarlock

It was a challenge to decide what to do with the top and back of this building.  The actual building is an "L" shape that extends right through to the street behind and wraps around the back of the building beside it.  In Simutrans tiles it's probably 3 deep by 2 wide at the back.



I decided to cut the building off more or less where the "front" section drops off by a level, just before the water tank.  I did debate about adding the water tank to the roof but I thought that it might clutter things up a bit too much and also peg the style to eastern North America much more firmly with it there (since none of our other pak128 buildings have them).  I also wanted to have the back of the building more of a back alley design than facing another street appearance.

Thanks for the great comments... and I never realized until today that I could flip the 45 degree view around to the 4 directions :)
Current projects: Pak128 Trees, blender graphics

Fabio

The back looks nice but a tad blurred.
All in all an awesome building! :thumbsup:

Sarlock

#12
Alright, I give in... it was too blurry.  I tried to shortcut the back of the building in order to get it done and I should know better... there is no compromising quality around here :)

So, I completely re-did the back of the building:



I also added an advertising to the building... "Sarlock Soap Co."

EDIT: Snow version:



Any final revisions/requests/comments?
Current projects: Pak128 Trees, blender graphics

Sarlock

#13
What's great about blender is that we can do fun things like this:





Current projects: Pak128 Trees, blender graphics

Markohs


kierongreen


Fabio


Sarlock

I'll take that as a general consensus and glowing endorsement :)

And in that case, here is the finished product.



DAT file

PAK file, for anyone who wants to add it now

I hereby release this into the public, open source world...

Here is the .blend file.  I cannot release the textures unfortunately as I am using textures from a site that allows me to download them and use them for any purpose, commercial or otherwise, but I cannot distribute the textures themselves as open source.  If I include the textures with the .blend file I would be violating that.  But you can get everything else and insert your own textures... all of the material data and UV mapping is still there.

.blend file
Current projects: Pak128 Trees, blender graphics


greenling

Hello Sarlock
This Building it the Hammer. :thumbsup:
Opening hours 20:00 - 23:00
(In Night from friday on saturday and saturday on sunday it possibly that i be keep longer in Forum.)
I am The Assistant from Pakfilearcheologist!
Working on a big Problem!

mEGa

Hello,
Hey Sarlock : just one word : wonderfull !
This building is great, sure !
Current projects in progress : improvements of few designed french paks

spongebobík

QuoteFresh out of Sarlock's blender laboratories I present to you the newest
creation, a near replica of the 1881-built Century Building at Union Square, New
York City.
Where can I get that roads-addon, please?

mEGa

Current projects in progress : improvements of few designed french paks