The Skyline on the Zity Edge Layout are filled with more than 20 different buildings, mainly created by using images printed on a color laser printer and then glued to thick paper with a 3 mm foambase. Many of the images are created from photos, some taken by the layout builder and some created from Google StreetView images, using Adobe Photoshop to manipulate the different images.
Using this technique, its fast and easy to create a good looking skyline in a short time, specially when the buildings are set up in the background of the skyline. For buildings closer to the front, more details like more layers to create a 3D-effect, will be used.
There will be added details on the roofs, like pipes and HVAC equipment and advertising signs. Many of the buildings have lights installed, where holes for the windows are cut in the front layer and printed clear plastic sheets are glued together on top of the foambase to give the illusion on windows that can be illuminated from the backside with adresseable LED's to create different colors, brightness, light animations, etc, to create a living city.
One of the buildings are the Telephone Exchange Building in Drammen, Norway:
The Telephone Exchange Building in my hometown Drammen, Norway, where images of the building are used to create the model of the building.
The model of the Telephone Exchange Building.