hi! I am (will) working on a project where i'm going to make a copy of a city in 3D (model a 3D city). I have no clue how to start.I know how to make buildings models but i don't know how to combine hundreds of models to a single file. (basicly, i don't know how the heck do i make 100buildings in a file...or it's not done like this?) which 3D editor/modeler should i use (which one is the best for this kind of job)? Is there any special software for this kind of creation? Any special techniques needed? Anyone can provide a link or two about this, or a tutorial? Anything at all? Thanks!

sheesh.. that is scary...

i wouldnt do anything more then boxes.. ?
maybe more detail for the main buildings.. (city hall, etc)

you could possible make a displacement map by using a ordnance map of the whole city overhead and painting black sqaures over the building tops and use white for the ground.. thats if its a flat metropolis...

simplist option (not quickest) is to actually model city...

i would use an overhead map for reference either way..

im not an informed voices in this matter.. hopefully someone else can advise you better.. i would section the city into blocks to help make modelling quicker.. maybe rejoin the sections at end.. be sure and have scale same throughout sections

hope someone else can help ya better :/ ...sorry
atleast i got em talking?

i was thinking about boxes (only!) and then simple textures over them...i just want a 3D city, i'm not making a game.

that's interesting about flat metropolis...

thanks for the idea.I will divide the city into few parts and then each part into blocks and then i'll model block by block and at the end i'll rejoin them.

Thanks for the reply.

I found a great tutorial which is exactly what you need (if you are using 3dsmax): www.schloerb.com/tutorial/greeblecity_1.htm. You also need a plugin called "Greeble" you can get the latest version (free!) from 3dsmax.okadaweb.com/archives/000236.html.
I hope this helps..

WOW! That's exactly what I was looking for!

Thank you very much Rockin!

hmmm... been thinking bout this some

use splines instead...
create spline rectangles on a reference map of the overhead view of the buildings...
when you have one section done then select and "use" extrude modifier on all splines.. you can extrude all splines at once...
voila.. insta city..
the technique on geeble's site is not as suited to you as you want to do an actual city.. right?
this way should be marginally quicker.. as splines are easier to work with poly wise as you will only extrude them to poly's after finishing a section...then change to editable mesh...

the displacement map thing would work.. but probably not to well..

tenrhook... Project:Raven

hmm...

you have a point there...
i have been thinking about that some time ago and actually it is a good idea, just that i have some problems with texturing the city map onto a plane and i don't know why...so i searched for different solutions...

i'll try that again, thanks for the reply

possibly the really large texture size..?....
you may need to section it... cut it into pieces?.effort, i know.. maybe just resize the map if u can get away with that..proportions..! ..sometimes large textures dont show up in viewports

you can use a box instead of plane and just make it really flat... work's the same as plane.... afterall the map is just a reference.. the splines which will be the buildings are independent objects...

just make sure the side of the box that u leave is proportional to the picture you are applying to it... that is if ur employer is looking for exactness

i would forget the displacement idea i suggested.. not workable on such a large scale... spline technique is simpler and more straight forward in practice... u can even combine splines to make 'L' and 'T' shaped builings....