Halvoo, Finland - a SketchUp city

[huggkruka]

Those super-long modernist slabs along the railway station are painfully real!

[Vellu]

Thanks for the comments! So I've been again playing Cities: Skylines and was struggling to get back to Halvoo. Not because I was bored with, but because modeling a city from scratch with Sketchup is just so much more tedious work than building it with C:S and seeing my city come alive. Anyway, here I am again and I'm determined to get the city center finished.

Here's an update: Before the railroad and Uudenmaankatu street were ran through it in the late 19th century, Hernesaari island was a home to a small fishing community. Now it's just a favourite place for Halvoo's recreational fishers.

Section004_pic10 by Vellu04, on Flickr

Meritorni tower is a 65 meter tall aparment building from the 1960's. It's neighbour, the 47 meter tall Ahtitorni, is from the 1920's.

Section004_pic11 by Vellu04, on Flickr

Driving towards the city from east.

Section004_pic12 by Vellu04, on Flickr

[dleung]

How big is the sketchup file? Does your computer explode when you orbit? Really impressive

[Vellu]

Originally Posted by dleung

How big is the sketchup file? Does your computer explode when you orbit? Really impressive

The SketchUp file is almost 50 MB. If I have every layer and component visible, the components usually show up as wireframe boxes when I orbit, but so far my computer - even though it's almost five years old - hasn't exploded. Usually I have some parts of the model hidden, so the part of the city I'm modeling can be moved around smoothly.

Here's more blocks modeled, no landmarks.
Section004_pic13 by Vellu04, on Flickr

[Vellu]

I've finally completed the fourth section.

A view from northeast.
Section004_pic14 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From southeast.
Section004_pic15 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From southwest.
Section004_pic16 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From northwest.
Section004_pic17 by Vellu04, on Flickr

[Vellu]

The skyline from southwest.
Section004_pic18 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From southeast.
Section004_pic19 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From northeast.
Section004_pic20 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From northwest.
Section004_pic21 by Vellu04, on Flickr

[Vellu]

Okay, so this here might be the last update for Halvoo. At the least I'm going to take a very long break. I've not lost interest in the city itself, but modeling this with SketchUp is no longer motivating. It requires so much work to get results and the other hobbies I have, that compete for my scant free time, give me more with the same investment. So I guess it's all about the ROI, return on investment. For example it's so much easier to build 3D cities with Cities:Skylines, plus you get a city that's also alive.

The city center has now been completely modeled. Here's an aerial view from southeast.
Section004_pic22 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From southwest.
Section004_pic23 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From northwest.
Section004_pic24 by Vellu04, on Flickr

From northeast.
Section004_pic25 by Vellu04, on Flickr

A couple of my favorite buildings. The Central Railroad Station at the center, to its left the Hutton Inn hotel and to its right the Halvoontorni tower.
Section004_pic26 by Vellu04, on Flickr

A view over the city center.
Section004_pic27 by Vellu04, on Flickr

[Mocholate]

Hey Vellu! haha

Good to see someone from the good old days still going at it. lol!

Looks like modern computers can handle a whole lot more SU than back then!
I love your city realism!

I wonder if the Covid lockdown brings more of the old crew back

[WibblyWobbly]

This is an absolute triumph and achievement. Incredible work. It's hard to tell this apart from a real city in some of those last renders. Unbelievable stuff!

[Swede]

Amazing work as always, Vellu.
I get what you mean 'about using Cities Skylines as a tool for modelling cities vs SketchUp. Maybe some of the more detailed buildings you've made could be uploaded to the Steam Workshop?