BAT Help - Render Related Issues

[brtim2 11]

Thanks Hanson. I read what you posted and checked the threads you listed. In one of the threads a poster had said to change the date of your computer to May 1st. I did (and cleared the plugin folders) and they rendered right. However, I moved it to May 1st 2005. I tried it at May 1st, 1998 (as the algorithm apparently goes from 1997) and it also gave my renders an error. So in order to get my renders right my computer is continually stuck on May 1st, 2005.

And another question. Has anyone had the phenomenon where the BAT will show up at the farthest and second farthest zoom, but not at any other zoom? I changed the values in the Plugin Manager to make sure it was visible at all zooms and remade all the LODS. Nothing. Any help?

[Odd from Sweden 129]

Brtim2, the problem with successful renders only at some zoom levels seem quite common. I got it the first time I tried BAT. I remember having created a small building wit one door and one night ligt and nothing much more and I was very proud and satisfied... rendered, got it into the plugin manager and .

I got some advice here in the forums and re-scaled the building to 102% (i guess 98% had been just as good) and exported it again and it was all good. Try that first. Second, try importing the whole thing into a new fresh file, refit LODs and export. Those methods eliminate 90% of all rendering problems. Good luck, You will make it!

[brtim2 11]

Not a request for help, instead just an update. As so anyone perusing this thread can know what has been tried and what works.

Thanks for the info Odd, I've never had this problem before, and it always happens on the third of four similar rowhouses I am making. Don't know why, just does.

In order to fix this problem I resized the buildings, although I resized all of them at 114% instead of what Odd suggested as the models I made previously were too small. I batch rendered them, and again the third model did not render it's closest zooms. But an upside was I did not change the date to May 1st and all 7 renders came out as planned. So that is good news.

After resizing the models I felt they weren't the right look anyway, and went ahead and remade all the models. Same look, just a little bigger (2 meters to be exact). I batch rendered them (at May 1st mind you) and again, the third of four models does not show up in the closest zooms. Different scene, different name, and still the same problem. The only similarity was it was a batch render and shares Balt and Rowhouse03 in the file (although one is Balt. Med. Wealth Rowhouse03 and one is Baltimore Rowhouse 03. Now I shall try another name without 03 and just as a single render. I'll edit as it's done.

Edit 1:And the single, renamed render is done - and no luck. Still doesn't want to show up. I think it hates this model. I really do. Well, off to the drawing board...

Edit 2: And not only does it hate this model, it hates the shell of the model (walls, roof) merged into a new scene without any of the custom LODS. It really doesn't want anything close to this model in the game. Darn.

Edit 3:I have concluded the program did not like my third model. So, using the first model I created a variation of that one and exported it . It came out fine and dandy. Which upsets me because I want to know why the third model would not come out right. But I have four models, and that's all I really need, right?

[Integrate 0]

Here's a question, where is the prieview button?! I remember I saw it when I first installed gmax a long time ago, but I can't find it now. I know its under the hammer in utilities, where there should be a button called BAT (at least I think), but its no where in site. All I see is Asset Browser, gmax file finder, resource collector, and other related buttons.

[brtim2 11]

The BAT button now showing up could be if you are opening up GMAX instead of going through the BAT shortcut. If you open up the program through the GMAX shortcut (looks like a guy holding up his hands on a blue background) instead of the SC4 B.A.T. then you won't get the BAT tools under Utilities. GMAX can model the items you are building, but it takes the BAT to export them for use in SC4, hence needing to open the program through the SC4 B.A.T. shortcut.

[Integrate 0]

Thanks, I feel like such an idiot , lol. Now I have another problem. I tried to open it with gmax and with BAT now, but it keeps saying File Failed to Open with the location of the file after that. Whats wrong?

Edit: Its File Open Failed

[brtim2 11]

Date: 7/21/2005 7:19:35 PM
Author: Integrate
Thanks, I feel like such an idiot , lol. Now I have another problem. I tried to open it with gmax and with BAT now, but it keeps saying File Failed to Open with the location of the file after that. Whats wrong?


Edit: Its File Open Failed

quote>

I have never had this problem, but I haven't tried starting an object in GMAX then continuing after starting it in BAT. Maybe try opening the BAT and merging the scene from the old file? Maybe that might work.

Again, I don't know why it would be doing it unless it doesn't like the fact you added a plugin (BAT) to do the work. But maybe merging and 'saving as' will do the trick.

[Integrate 0]

Ah, never mind it. It wasn't anything important. Still hasn't worked though, so I just gave up on it.

[brtim2 11]

Aww, don't give up. Did Barry Sanders give up when he was playing for the Lions? Did Ricky Williams give up when he was playing for the Dolphins? Did OJ Simpson give up looking for the killers?

Yes. Yes. And probably.

But you shouldn't. I just made a box with gmax and saved then opened it with BAT and it was fine. Perhaps something is wrong with the file. Can it be opened with gmax itself? If so try saving it as something else. Then try it again in BAT. That might work, it might not. But it always worth a shot.

Odd, any suggestions you would add?

[Integrate 0]

I think it was a one time thing, probably something whent wrong when I was saveing. I've tried everything, in every possible way, to open it without luck. It wasn't really good anyways, I was makeing a larger verson of maxis aviary (in the zoo) prop as a practice for a skyscraper based on the struts. Thanks anyways .

[Odd from Sweden 129]

Brtim

This is just a guess, but when it comes to texture handling BAT only cares about the first eight digit in the file name so if You have textures called mycustomroof and mycustomwall, the render will mess up because BAT thinks that there are two files sharing the same name mycustom. Maybe BAT makes thise file handling error in more places. Therefore, I would suggest that You always use file names with significance in the first eight letters, like balt01rowhouse balt02rowhouse and so on.

 

Maybe You do not remember the good old days before windows 98 came out, then file names could be only eight digits with a three digit extension. In BAT (and I guess other programs too), some code from the dinosaur age still is used that only cares about eight digits in the file names. So make this eight digit significance to a rule whatever you are doing on your computer.

[SC4BOY 20]

Well I guess this is the right thread.. I have been just learning the BAT/gmax process and was using the tutorial found here. My problem is that when I get to the texturing pages, it shows all the steps and the rollups and shows the materials editor showing a sphere or globe with red on it as a page heading at the top of the menu. I can't get any of those pages to appear at all. I am sure they are probable right in front of my face but I have searched the net, reread the tutorial several times, and I'm still stuck. How can I open the Material Editor pages? What button are they on/under? Thanks. I can find all the other rollups he describes and have applied the UMV descriptor to the front wall as specified. I even dl'd and loaded the brick texture, but I must be dense for not finding that menu page.  

 

[xiziz 11]

Its that button, hope this helps ^^

Cheers
//Sim

[SC4BOY 20]

Thanks.. I can see none of that (set your screen  to 800x600) My eyesight is kinda bad.. ..  Then you'll see what my problem was. After seeing your post I dragged the whole toolbar over and saw the last 4 or 5 buttons.. lol.. the last thing I can normally see is the camara view.. Thx for taking the time.. Oh well maybe some other sap will see this and not have to ask again.. hehe

[kmoh4346 2]

I have a question relating to the quality of rendering. If you refer to the image below, I have two sets of model rendered in draft and medium quality!!! The odd thing is that when I rendered in medium quality, the texture does not appear compared to when I rendered in draft quality!! Any comments??

 

http://www.nizvee.com/scimages/draftvsmedium.jpg align=baseline>

[Lyhoko Leaci 770]

Whenever I try to render a 10 story building that I am working on, in the preview and the rendering process it looks good, but whenever I go into the lot editor to put it on a lot, it looks like this:
http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/5123/batproblem9ti.jpg align=baseline>
I have tried refitted the LODs, cleared out the plugins folder while rendering, and nothing seems to be working. It has done the same exact thing every time I rendered it, but another building I rendered worked just fine.

[debussyman 1,348]

Probably a problem with the camera, thy merging ONLY THE GEOMETRY into a new file. Be careful not to merge any camera in the new one.

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

A really annoying problem is happening. I followed Ardecila's tutorial on creating a lattice and I used it, but whenever I do a test render it doesn't appear...Weird...

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/4568/renderprob013ti.png align=baseline>

[GaryReggae 80]

Try adding a UVW map to the lattice...some shapes will not show without one.

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

Date: 8/10/2005 9:26:07 AM Author: GaryReggae Try adding a UVW map to the lattice...some shapes will not show without one.

quote>

Thanks, that fixed it!

[Fantail 0]

Hi, i just have a minor problem, when a model in gmax is facing the front, for example, the door is in the front.

When it is finished rendering, it is facing the opposite way.

So everytime, the back is facing the front in LE.

Has anyone had this problem, it has always been like this.

-Thanks.

[toxicpiano 125]

i have this when i try to render:

i haven't touched the MAXscript and i haven't put in lights yet or anything.

[GaryReggae 80]

According to simcity4.com:

Error #4 - Error rendering thumbnails. Possible causes:

* Running out of memory.
* OS error.

quote>

I'm not sure how to interpret this as I've never experienced this error but it could be that your comp doesn't have enough memory to render?

[paulvmontfort 616]

what does OS error mean

i keep getting error code=6 and it also says out of memory and OS error on simcity.com

[SC4BOY 20]

Date: 7/20/2005 9:59:05 PM Author:  Edit 3:I have concluded the program did not like my third model. So, using the first model I created a variation of that one and exported it . It came out fine and dandy. Which upsets me because I want to know why the third model would not come out right. But I have four models, and that's all I really need, right?

quote>

 

I have heard that some models won't render IF there are certain geometries that have not been collapsed to poly. I am FAAAAAR from an expert, so I am simply flying that as a suggestion. Maybe someone else will comment. Since you have 3 models that DO work, you may know instantly if there may be some problem of this sort.... Goodluck (or if you are saying ONLY the TEXTURE doesn't render, it's obviously something else. Maybe a texture that needs to be reloaded or a UMV map that is whacky.. just speculating...

 

[GaryReggae 80]

Textures not rendering is quite a common problem - in fact I think if you have a look back through this thread to previous pages then there is some advice on this problem.

Regardless of that, some shapes will NEVER render unless you give them a UVW map. 'Extruded' shapes will show regardless but flat splines and shapes with meshes (for example if you draw a square then show the mesh to give a window frame effect) MUST have UVW maps applied. The same applies for a lot of mesh objects although those are a whole different ball game.

[paulvmontfort 616]

this is my problem:

 

Just look at the location of the building on the left and on the right, they're totally different. And even if the LOD's are fitted properly

[gonzalo1234 68]

finally i can export my building, in two parts,

is a good method for export failed code 6 or 4, so, tou use less memory

 

that is the tower, it was on www.capitalsimcity.com

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Copia%20de%20gyga1.JPG align=baseline>

[brtim2 11]

Date: 9/2/2005 8:47:17 PM
Author: paulvmontfort
this is my problem:

Just look at the location of the building on the left and on the right, they're totally different. And even if the LOD's are fitted properly

quote>

That is a common problem, one that is easily worked around. When you are done building and ready for export then 'select all' and 'group'. Select the group and use the 'move' tool to set the group at x=0 and y=0. Then make sure you 'ungroup'. And if you don't have a custom LOD set up, now would be a good time to 'refit LODS (if you made a custom LOD set then you should have moved them with the rest of the building.)

It isn't a problem of perfectly fitting LOD's. It has to do that gmax finds the size of the building and makes the LE box that size where x=0 and y=0, no matter where the actual building is built in gmax. So before rendering make sure the building is set at (0,0) and you'll be fine ingame.

[tchntm43 0]

I have the same problem that Leech10 has. I am pretty sure the LODs and stuff were all reset before the render, but I will try it again. Are there any other solutions if that does not work?