BAT Projects - SimGoober

[jglei701 8]

SG,

I posted a request for this a while back in the reverse overlay thread, and IM'd Barby about it too, and she said that you might be the person to take care of it (because Geoffaw has been absent for a while). 

 

I am looking for someone to create an additional (or perhaps more, if they want to get ambitious) reverse overlay texture.  This would allow for paths similar to the ones you created a while ago (that I still use a TON and think are really well done) that break out of the square mold that we're generally stuck in with SC4.

 

Here's a picture of what I'm looking for:

 

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5003/tpk220white9vx.jpg align=baseline>

 

Jeronij (obviously) created the regular base texture (or perhaps even an overlay, I can't remember off hand) but it doesn't go with the original set you created (that, like I said, I use quite frequently).

 

I have no idea how easy it would be to create something like that, and I'd try to do it myself, but I have absolutely no idea how to do anything but modify already created lots, and I'd appreciate it if you could get a chance to make it!  In talking to others, they would like it too for their lot building.

 

I may ask Gascooker if he could do it, as well, because Barby mentioned he might be able to as well.

 

Thanks!

[kassarc16 4]

Just to let you know, SG, the Berwick 4x5 lot has some brown box issues.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//berwick.jpg align=baseline>

 

Both boxes appear on three different views and zooms 1 and 4. Any ideas about what could be causing it?

[SimGoober 2,351]

Those are some nice addons to the paths.. but if Jeronij already made them... why make them again??  I hadn't seen them, but will find his pack and DL them.

And the Berwick problem I am aware of.  It is a quirk I can't seem to fix, but I think I found a work around.  For some reason, which I cannot figure out, one of the models does that when used as a prop.  It doesn't when used as a building... that is the stumper.  If there is something wrong with the model, I'd expect it to mess up any way used.

 

Any how, since all the buildings are in a family, there is a random chance of that one showing up.  So I'll just remove it from that family... jeez,, sometimes the simplest answers escape us.. took me all of about 2 months to realise that simple solution.

 

Only problem is I haven't had the box show up in my cities since I figured out that obvious answer.. so don't know which model it is.  If you can post a picture of it in the view where the building shows up, then one where the box shows up, I can figure it out, and fix it.

 

[kassarc16 4]

Here you go. Same lot, closer zoom, all houses.

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//berwick2.jpg align=baseline>

[SimGoober 2,351]

Thanks!  That narrows it down, now I know it is the yellow house, with the peak above the door.  I'll go into reader, delete that prop exemplar, and update it.  Should solve that problem. I think what will happen is any lots with that prop will either not change (darn) or the box will go away and there will be a blank spot.  Either way.. hmmm.. another idea.. I can dupplicate one of the other homes in the exemplar instead of deleting it.  Then the new home will show up, and no blank!.. ahh.. thinking on the fly... lol

And I noticed what was meant by Jeronij's textures. They are base textures, which slightly limits their use.  He did a very nice job btw, and I downloaded some more of his stuff I had missed... all kinds of neat stuff. 

 

I started work on making them reverse overlays.. and expanding on his innovative ideas along with it.  After I worked on it an hour or so, I realised he used a different grass texture for his. argh.. so I'll need to go back and edit all my textures again, so they match the BSC ones.  That is the idea after all, to use these as an extension to that set.

 

Again, he did a very nice job on the origonals; my expansion to them is meant to be an expansion, not an improvement.  I hope noone sees it otherwise.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Jeroinij%20Reverse%20Overlays.jpg align=baseline>

 

[jglei701 8]

Wow, that was quick work, great job Simgoob!  Those look great!

[tragicomicus1 99]

I just have to say, your work (and that of a whole lot of others) keeps me playing this game. I definintely appreciate all your talent. I BAT and make lots etc... but I can't touch what you do. I don't post enough compliments but you deserve a big one. thanks and keep it up...

[DetroitINC 0]

I would just like to say i also keep playing the game because of your lots sg, you do a great job

i kinda do wish you would do somemore firehouses or police and fire combined. i know your busy and you probally get tons of requests, so i feel kinda bad asking. but if you could do a few, it would mean a great deal to me and maybe some others on the exchange. Detroit and battle creek have some really nice firehouses, i have tons of pics if ever needed.

 

thanks D-inc

 

keep up the great work

[acornhp 1]

Hi, new user.

First, I keep on searching for this type of buiding or that type of building and I keep on coming up with your material. Amazing stuff. Definately seems that you know your sprawl (I am a historic preservationist...)

Second, if you ever need ideas for diners, drive-ins, motels, or the like, feel free to check on my website at www.marcavitch.com.

Hopefully I will be able to do some of this stuff soon. Its a learning curve.

Third, a few ideas if you dont have enough.
a) A better diner.
b) A building under renovation - these preservation jobs take forever.
c) A weathered shingle building so I can start building Nantucket
d) and a better coal mine...I would be happy to provide the appropriate pictures.

Thanks again and keep up the SPECTACULAR work.

Aaron Marcavitch
Nantucket, MA

[dev 47]

I agree with the above post...SimCity has construction, but nothing detailed..I think detailed construction lots, as well as renovation lots would add some neat realism to the game.

[SimGoober 2,351]

Coal mine.. hmmm.. there are a couple versions out there, but something different may be useful.  Or any kind of mine for that matter.

[Buggi 684]

I think construction lots SHOULD provide jobs. Does anyone realize the hundreds of works it takes to build a skyscraper?

 

Your average in construction looking skyscraper could employ hundreds of R$ and R$$ workers. And building the building is a service so would they be CS$ and CS$$?

 

Anyway, I'd love to see more construction lots and bats (and plops), would really diversify and beautify a city. I'm sorry, but the highway under construction lots are pretty useless at 320 meters tall.

 

How about some ramp constructions? ^.^ Quite a bit of concrete in a cloverleaf.

[acornhp 1]

As for coal mines (my father is a safety director in one, so I have seen plenty of them) you may want to consider the fact that most times these things are mostly underground. Lets see, I just pulled up Google Maps. If you type in Maple Creek Mining, Bentleyville, PA it will pull up a few options. Zoom in a bit on the one listed at Route 917, Monongahela, PA When you zoom in, keep yourself focused on the river and look for a black splotch as the river bends a bit.

This is called the Prep Plant. The prep plant is where the coal comes out from the ground to get washed and cleaned before being put in a barge.

Now, if you move west, you will cross over Route 43. You may notice another big black splotch. Thats the slag heap. Thats where the coal gets separated before going back underground to the prep plant.

Keep moving west and just past Route 43, you see Route 917 (you may want to have HYBRID on to see the route markers). Just south of Irwin Road is a set of white buildings. Thats a coal mine. Its usually modular looking buildings, one will be a round shaped building that holds the fans to pump air into the mine (towards the north east of the complex). The others are buildings for the elevator and the main offices. Maple Creek also has a water tower.

But remember, if you were to do something realistic, you would want to have a series of modulars with a fan building. Then a set of tiles that would show the coal belt coming out the ground to a tall round sorting building, then going back into the ground. The landfill tiles could be pretty easily modified to show coal instead of trash for a slag heap. Then it comes out one more time, usually near a railroad or river to be loaded. Each could have its own ratings for industry, its own parking lots, own needs for water and electricity. Also, I would consider one more set of lots that would be a storage area. There is a set of tiles here that shows a rural maintenance center which could be an easy fit for something like that.

The coal mines here tend to be the Old West variety which aren't true to the way its down now. Everyone has seen Sago Mine at this point and you can see its a tall metal building with lots of weird angled tunnel type of things sticking out it and running into the ground.

Of course, a strip mine could work as well. Perhaps it could be an industrial zone with a few modular buildings and a few BIG trucks. But I dont like strip mines as much.

Take a look at http://www.marcavitch.com/ia/ This will show you some of the versions. The ones near the center of my page that show a mine (in blue) show an over the ground belt. Its a trade off on costs for doing that, so if someone were designing a set, there is no need to have one of those.

Further down that page are some images from an older mine in Kentucky. It shows the typical configuration for a mine loadout at a railroad. However, in modern times, there is one big tall cylender that is called a flood loader that the cars go under. OH! And I it would be great to have a series of houses that could go around it that would look like a coal patch town. I guess someone could make that pretty easily from existing tiles.

Well, let me know if you need to know more.

Thanks for the interest....and thanks to everyone who is also interested in preservation buildings. I need to get a PC just to get BAT....

Aaron

[Ramona Brie 121]

Date: 1/25/2006 12:12:24 AM Author: acornhp As for coal mines (my father is a safety director in one, so I have seen plenty of them) you may want to consider the fact that most times these things are mostly underground.  Lets see, I just pulled up Google Maps.  If you type in 'Maple Creek Mining, Bentleyville, PA' it will pull up a few options.  Zoom in a bit on the one listed at 'Route 917, Monongahela, PA'  When you zoom in, keep yourself focused on the river and look for a black splotch as the river bends a bit.  This is called the 'Prep Plant.'  The prep plant is where the coal comes out from the ground to get washed and cleaned before being put in a barge.  Now, if you move west, you will cross over Route 43.  You may notice another big black splotch.  Thats the 'slag heap.'  Thats where the coal gets separated before going back underground to the prep plant.  Keep moving west and just past Route 43, you see Route 917 (you may want to have 'HYBRID' on to see the route markers).  Just south of 'Irwin Road' is a set of white buildings.  Thats a coal mine.  Its usually modular looking buildings, one will be a round shaped building that holds the fans to pump air into the mine (towards the north east of the complex).  The others are buildings for the elevator and the main offices.  Maple Creek also has a water tower.  But remember, if you were to do something realistic, you would want to have a series of modulars with a fan building.  Then a set of tiles that would show the coal belt coming out the ground to a tall round sorting building, then going back into the ground.  The landfill tiles could be pretty easily modified to show coal instead of trash for a slag heap. Then it comes out one more time, usually near a railroad or river to be loaded.  Each could have its own ratings for industry, its own parking lots, own needs for water and electricity.  Also, I would consider one more set of lots that would be a storage area.  There is a set of tiles here that shows a rural maintenance center which could be an easy fit for something like that.  The coal mines here tend to be the 'Old West' variety which aren't true to the way its down now. Everyone has seen Sago Mine at this point and you can see its a tall metal building with lots of weird angled 'tunnel' type of things sticking out it and running into the ground. Of course, a strip mine could work as well.  Perhaps it could be an industrial zone with a few modular buildings and a few BIG trucks.  But I dont like strip mines as much.  Take a look at http://www.marcavitch.com/ia/ This will show you some of the versions.  The ones near the center of my page that show a mine (in blue) show an over the ground belt.  Its a trade off on costs for doing that, so if someone were designing a set, there is no need to have one of those. Further down that page are some images from an older mine in Kentucky.  It shows the typical configuration for a mine loadout at a railroad.  However, in modern times, there is one big tall cylender that is called a flood loader that the cars go under.  OH!  And I it would be great to have a series of houses that could go around it that would look like a 'coal patch town.'  I guess someone could make that pretty easily from existing tiles. Well, let me know if you need to know more.  Thanks for the interest....and thanks to everyone who is also interested in 'preservation' buildings.  I need to get a PC just to get BAT.... Aaron

quote>

Due to the recent mining disasters in West Virginia, I think you should not do this one yet.

[jglei701 8]

Date: 1/26/2006 9:26:36 AM Author: Tracker

Due to the recent mining disasters in West Virginia, I think you should not do this one yet.

 

On the other hand, it might be a nice tribute to those who passed away.

[toxicpiano 125]

Date: 1/26/2006 11:33:31 AM Author: jglei701

Date: 1/26/2006 9:26:36 AM Author: Tracker

Due to the recent mining disasters in West Virginia, I think you should not do this one yet.

On the other hand, it might be a nice tribute to those who passed away.

quote>

unfourtunately people die in mines around the world everyday, and we never hear about them, so why would this affect us now. this could be a tribute to the ongoing deaths...

[acornhp 1]

There is nothing in your life more horrifying than the thought of people dying in coal mines. Take it from someone who has his father in the mines for the last 28 years...then add the years my mother has had to deal with it. I, personally, would be honored to see such a thing. It helps heal.

Anywho, perhaps the collarlary to this is to suggest that if anyone wanted to work on a mine safety resque squad training I can suggest how that looks. (Imagine a maze of curtains with smoke....)

Anyway, thanks everyone for taking on this discussion....I hadn't thought about it in the context of the recent issues. Good points.

Aaron

[SimGoober 2,351]

OK, I started playing with a coal mine concept.  I decided that no matter how long I take, how much detail I add, and how much I research, I won't get this to look right to people who know mines.  So I am just going for believeable, not completely realistic.  I got a couple vehicle models from Ripptide, and made what I envision as a small scale mine.  Anything too much bigger will be difficult to play in game, and I don't have the time to commit to a full scale project like that.

 

I am planning on making some non-descript metal buildings on the lot, and will just see how it comes together.  I am guessing it will be about a 6x6 lot, but am not constraining it to that.  I think the whole scene will be one model, to get the right look.  Separate props won't do it, I dont think.

 

I think this will end up Dirty or Manufacturing, heck maybe both.  Then it could start in a small town, then upgrade to the same lot for manufacturing, and stay in game longer.  Since the workers are below ground, it can have a lot of jobs, to fill up demand..

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Coal%20Mine%2002.jpg align=baseline>

 

[bode 3]

Looking good do far. For added realism though, make sure that it is VERY dirty; it looks so clean and new.

[Ramona Brie 121]

SG...this should be a plop lot. There can't be so many mines in one industrial park.

[rhino120 2]

Wow, that looks so good I actually dropped my water when I saw it...fortunately it missed my keyboard

[Cjah 15]

Wow.That is really realistic and I could imagine a mine having up to 350 workers or anywhere to a 1,000 if its big enough.Really great detail and I can now plan a new mining operation in my CJs.

[cinnebar 0]

Wow, SG strikes again.   Superb and usual.  What will you come up next? 

Don (cinnebar)

[Alexzero77 3]

That's pretty nice. What's next? More retail like Kmart or BJs? Or more landmark towers?

[SimGoober 2,351]

Here's an update. THis may take a while....  The ground is just a place holder, it will be that last step.

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Coal%20Mine%2004.jpg align=baseline>

[acornhp 1]

Date: 1/30/2006 10:04:26 AM Author: SimGoober

Here's an update. THis may take a while....  The ground is just a place holder, it will be that last step.

 

quote>

Simgoober,

 

Wow. No, wait. Wow.  First off, great design.  Second, this came from my idea. Wow.  I am way honored that you thought it might be fun to work on.  Wow. 

 

Ok, that said, do you mind if I make a few suggestions?  Feel free to take them if you want.  I realize it might take a while, but this is a fantastic start.

1. Perhaps instead of a road going inside it should be a piece of track.  Thats what they use down there.

2. On the building with the fan, perhaps you could make it taller to appear like an elevator is in it.  If not, perhaps just move everything closer to the edge of the tile so that you can push it close up to the edge of a hill.  (This is what they call a drift mine, where you walk into the side of a hill.)

3. The coal loader is fantastic.  Can I say that again.  Anyway, perhaps it could be loading into a transit enabled rail line or road?

4. I would add one more building, this one should only have windows and doors.  This would be a shower room/admin building.  Thats the only building I can see it missing (its the one I know the best since thats where my dad, the safety director, works.)

5.  Lastly, I would just add some more piles of things - lumber, coal, random stuff.

 

Wow.  Please dont take my comments as anything but total hero worship of your skills.

 

Thanks again,

Aaron

[SimGoober 2,351]

No problems!  I am thinking I will make a small mound or hill for the back of the mine entrance.  I tried to make one of those low rider type electric cars for the miners to ride in, but it came out rather weird, so I shoved it in the garage next to it.. lol.  Figure the miners would rider into and out of the mine that way.  This is going to be a small format one.  I might, stress might, make a second version which would be bigger.  Not huge, just a bigger opening, with rails going in. 

I'm thinking one or two more builings.  Definitely an admin building, and also maybe a tool shop of sorts.  A water tank, and several more piles of coal.  I like the looks of the piles coming out and then scooping up, but maybe on that potential second one I'll make it dumping into rail cars.

[Sabretooth78 808]

Hey, SG - I noticed your water tower collection on the STEX a few days ago (yeah, I've been away a while), and I think it's great.  However, I was wondering if you would entertain my request for another style, one while I think is quite common (at least in places I've been).  It's essentially the same configuration as the default SC4 tower, just much wider.  Plus they usually seem to be painted blue.  (The one in my hometown looks like that, although there have been ideas of repainting it to look like a hamburger.)

 

Here are a few examples:

align=baseline> http://web.sbu.edu/fcsc/Taste_2003_0425_02r.JPG align=baseline>

 

http://www.hammondindiana.com/pictures/snow17.gif align=baseline>

 

Another style we're missing is the red-white checkered type:

http://www.russellcorrosion.com/facilities/military/water%20tower%20thumb.jpg align=baseline>

 

Thanks

-Chris

[SimGoober 2,351]

There is one similar to the bigger one in the Large water tower pack.  There are 7 or 8 variations in there, including I think 3 of this style.  Checkerboard.. maybe.. may do a few more later, who knows...

[SimGoober 2,351]

Spent the last 2 hours playing with this... getting closer to where I want it.  The ground texture is still temp.. it's close to the right tone I think, but obviously needs work.

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Coal%20Mine%2005.jpg align=baseline>