simmars-forum-threads BAT Workshop

[un1 40]

timcrvey - 1x1 or 2x2 or 3x3 or 4x4. It doesn't matter... And the props don't show through? Aww...

-un1

[AndisArt 2,066]

As long as BATs fits in with the rest of the tile-set it's fine if they have a dome-shape. It's not  about banning domes but rather blending the buildings into the rest of the tileset and experience shows that buildings with too dominant dome shapes stand out too much. But if you can make it work there is no reason not to take the BAT.

What helps well with blending BATs to the existing tile-set is to add a utiltarian look/features and to use the color spectrum described below

Originally posted by: andisart

The color concept is to have a general earthy + natural look. All colors are accepted as long as they are toned down and not overly bright (like a bright pink) and the spectrum of used colors either contains some red, orange, brown tones to match the rest of the SimMars buildings. quote>

timcravey: Excellent medium wealth commercial model on the previous page, is that base part of the model or is this a lot? if it's a modeled base then  some details need to be added. lot I think would be better so you could create varied versions. Also did you get those industrial lots fixed? They look good! The farms are they growing as farm tiles?

SWAT-MEDIC:  That's a start but the building needs some sort of structure, something to hold the glass, entrance etc.

Xyloxadoria:  Nice one, just needs some roof junk and some sort of entrance. I think the color palette also needs to be adjusted a bit, timcravey has a good tip there. Put it ingame and see how it looks, post a pic

[Blazerhawk 162]

Here's what I've been working on. BTW if anyone has the roof junk stuff please PM me.

"

Click for full size.

[timcravey 168]

Andi - You mean Giv U's LovN? Yes, the base is modeled (and it is ghastly in game). I was trying for a drifted sand look. I'll shoot it again without that. Also needs night lighting and some interior modeling. Swat is working on the I-d lots for me. And, yes, the farms are all doing very well; I have replaced all the Maxis farm field textures and find new ones every day that I want to try, too!

crushedcar - Nice work.  That little mobile home is just as cute as it can be.  Let's lot up a trailer park!  And, some of the roof junk is included with the beta as props (most begin with SM_), but we really do need to put together a 'share' package of new props.

[TimeMaster 4]

Xylo, that could either become R$$$ or maybe the Advanced Research Center? But please recolor it.

Crushedcar: I like your mobile home!!

-Time

[Xyloxadoria 1,099]

I saw this building on the bond movie, and it looks like it would be good for simmars, if the entire facade had the closed panles.  Its more simmarsish than the dome thing that i made (which was just school related modeling practice, im busy with other stuff so it  might not get done)  Its repetive, so it would be easy to BAT, i would be able to BAT it faster than i could fix the dome thing. If you think it fits the style i could BAT it.

[timcravey 168]

X - We need lots of new residentials - go for it.

[Blazerhawk 162]

I've finished the trailer homes and initial lots. I'm uploading them to the SimMars exchange shortly.

The middle office in the previous picture has been dropped. Instead I will be working with the one on the right.

[Evillions 552]

Good Good Good! We just need more people in the Simmars team. Try to ask Pegasus, the BSC team, CSX, Anyone!

I wish I had more textures to BAT for Simmars and mabey more tips to make these Mars buildings.

Anyways you should make a therad to make these kinds of buidlings. I think it might bring more people in this project.

Also more buildings and really for homes and offices and crude industrial!

[timcravey 168]

Here then is a link to the suggested Mars Agriculture Supplement:  http://www.mediafire.com/?yztlmumd2z4

It includes 7 MG_FarmFields and 6 farms. These farm fields overwrite the maxis lots. The farms all need to be modded for more jobs - Unit A types should be 35-50 jobs; small Haiti type should be 15-20 jobs; large Haiti should have about 45 jobs. If one of you modders would look at it, we could release this package as the first SimMars Supplement. It needs that you should have the file tim_MarsProps for the farm lots to show properly (available on the same page, http://www.mediafire.com/?ynzjnd4hecn  ). Maybe we could pack that into a single .dat and share it around.

The MM_ series of props -

[AndisArt 2,066]

wowi wowi WOWI!!!!!

super job!!!

will return home from Germany today with my new laptop, can't wait to try them out!

[AndisArt 2,066]

I finally have my new laptop and everything back up running.... uff

So I had a look on the farms. The tiles are replacing beautifully, now you need to get the stations as well to replace the MAXIS ones. So far both are growing.

Once this is done we need to change the MAXIS building blocker mod to allow Farms to grow again.

Loads of work went into your Prop pack, beautiful!

The only unfortunate big BUT is: They are all not named correctly!

You have to use the prefix SM_Prop for all SimMars props so that everyone is able to find them later in the hundreds and hundreds of props in the Lot Editor.

I know this will be a pain in the a** to fix but has to be done, if u want we can split and I do half of them.

This also applies to all Lots by the way, I updated the BAT guidlines (Now BAT + Lot Guidelines) with the details.

[AndisArt 2,066]

btw: all of the Gruenhaeuser are BATs for I-Ag correct?

Do you use nightlighting with your BATs???

[timcravey 168]

Renaming is not a problem. I left the props with their MG_ and MM_ prefixes to make them easier to locate as a set; adding SM_ shouldn't be much of a challenge.

I don't understand "...need to get the stations as well to replace". I have never had any problem growing farms without changing the beta in any way.

Most BATs are nite lit but I don't recall if I lit the greenhouses - farms ought to be essentially inactive at night.

One of the Gruenhaueser lots may be a CS$ FreshMart but it uses an older MG_UnitAa model, not one of the clearly marked Gruenhaueser models.  I don't think I included that lot though.

I tried crushed_car's Martian Trailers - had to relot them because they weren't showing up in game. They are so cute!

And here are my own recent offerings - CS$$3 HardKase store

and R$$6 Rooks Tower

Plus a small, nameless fuel depot -

All are growing well.

[AndisArt 2,066]

hm, that is odd... do u mean u can grow the farms you posted above without changing the beta 2 files???

I couldn

[timcravey 168]

This is my tribute to Eartha Kitt, who died on Christmas, 2008. It is called the 'Eartha May Proceed'; (Chinese character for "proceed" is the martian spelling for the concept of interplanetary immigration ships. The core is a gussied-up habitation strut from a Chinese colony ship and it will hopefully be a Landmark and growable residential. Even the decorations are recycled from the immigration era.

Its name in Chinese will be "The Influence of the Western Heptachromatic Scale on Fluctuations in Chi during the Last Quarter (of the Moon)".  Lahn - would you show me what that looks like in Chinese so I can paint a banner?

The night lighting sucks; I know.

[Blazerhawk 162]

Tim-that is quite impressive.

I do like the re-lot, but I am curious about why they weren't growing. You said they weren't growing as I had them lotted. I tested them before uploading them and they grew just fine. The lots are all 1x2 and 1x3 if that helps.

[timcravey 168]

Are you sure you included all the necessary files in the upload? I got the impression that the descriptors were missing - I made new ones. The blue one and the white are clean enough to be R$$; I wish the textures on the red and gray ones were less harsh; if you want, send me the JPEGs and I'll fix them .

Also, if they were lotted for development stage above 4 or 5 my region may not be developed well enough yet. What sort of region were you testing in? What else is in your plugin folder? Have you modded the beta any? I'm running mine without some of the maxis blockers (Ordinances, Ports).

About the 'Eartha' building - I'm having trouble shooting it - LODs seem to be turned inside-out when it gets to the Lot Editor. I merged it into a new file and am shooting again. I may have to have someone else shoot it for me.

[un1 40]

Wow tim, that is impressive!

-un1

[AndisArt 2,066]

Nice one Just the nightlights need work, let me know if you need help

In regards to working plugin folder: everyone should ALWAYS have all of the SimMars Beta installed to make sure that stuff you create will be compatible and working.

Also refrain from putting textures/modes/ect. in the plugins folder that do not belong to SimMars for the same reason.

[Blazerhawk 162]

tim-Actually, I found the issue to be the values for occupancy were set to low for the simulator. They are stage 1-3 but are smaller than the common growables for those stages. Thus the simulator (which tries to fill demand with as few buildings as possible) skips them. There are three workarounds here. I can relot them with higher occupancies (sort of like a trailer park). I can mod the trailer to higher occupancies or (provided andisart oks it) I would really like to edit the values for the other ingame growables (for BETA 3).

The descriptor files are unnecessary once the lots are made. They are transitory elements that facilitate the BATs into the lot editor. In fact .desc files only need be retained for props.

My version of Sim Mars contains only BETA 2 (with all mods) stuff from the SMEX and my own work.

[JakeMD 107]

Wow tim thats great, I have been trying to get some models going but I can't seem to get anything good enough to even show.

[AndisArt 2,066]

I thought the .desc files need to be kept for Growables, no?

[un1 40]

Quote from a PM that I got at SC4D from wouanagaine when I sent my Port Fillers to the LEX:

Originally sent by: wouanagaine

The SC4Lot file for ploppables got all needed files. SC4Desc files are for growables.

quote>

Answer your question?

-un1

[AndisArt 2,066]

Actually no, since we are talking about Growables, not Ploppables...

[JakeMD 107]

I am pretty sure the .desc and the lot file are both required for a growable lot.

[Blazerhawk 162]

Apparently I was wrong. It does appear that .desc files are required for growable lot. I'll rework the trailers to fix that.

[timcravey 168]

Presenting my new commercial effort - a 4x5 CS$ truck stop.

It says "NO ASTRONAUTS" but the people who are welcome know it. Just don't talk about work.

Lahn - The application of the hexagram in this instance turned out to be the story I told myself while I designed.  Madame Heng came to Mars as a missionary and married the owner of the Heng Inn Space Bar out of necessity. Mr. Heng was not a very wise man and it was only through Mrs. Heng's diligence that the bar survived. He was also very jealous which is why astronauts were banned at one time. He eventually died at the hands of Madame Hengs lover and they lived happily ever after. Am I right that "Disappointment disappears" may have a slightly negative meaning? In English the name sounds like 'hangin' which may be used for 'relaxed time spent with friends' or 'stuck'. I think we have a solid meme - very funny!

In fact, I think this is a really cute BAT and I think we ought to release it as a teaser to the Add-on.  Maybe transit enabled (it's a corner lot) as a functional Landmark with only Maxis ground textures so that everyone can download it. That will whet their appetites.

[AndisArt 2,066]

hehe, some color for SimMars! nice BAT

what u mean with transit enabling it?

[timcravey 168]

These two very simple skyscrapers need night lighting.

The iBot building is 256 meters in height.