BAT - Troubleshooting & General Discussion

[elavery 1,013]

Is there a tutorial out there that shows how to apply textures using GIMP?  I have found plenty that use photoshop but none that use GIMP.

[deanva 70]

I have my desktop (XP) that has all my Simcity4, gmax, B.A.T. etc I have a laptop with Windows 7 I installed gmax on it can I make like a building without adding the texture put it on a flash drive then import it to the BAT on the desktop computer?

[Monkee_boy 41]

Riiiiight. I have a problem with BAT4Max which doesn't occur in the normal gmax BAT.

 

Gmax preview render:

 

 

BAT4MAX preview:

 

 

 

 

BAT4MAX preview (force 2 sided):

 

 

Obviously this is a problem with the BAT trying to render both sides of the model (who knows why) but I'm rather new to B4M and I have no idea how to reverse it. Any suggestions?

 

I wouldn't be using it at all, only I'm trying to follow this nitelighting tutorial. 

[AndisArt 2,068]

 Riiiiight. I have a problem with BAT4Max which doesn't occur in the normal gmax BAT.

 

At first glance it looks like an issue coming from the import process.

Did you import the model from gmax into Max? It often causes issues with the geometry.

 

Lovely building, btw :-)

 

I have my desktop (XP) that has all my Simcity4, gmax, B.A.T. etc I have a laptop with Windows 7 I installed gmax on it can I make like a building without adding the texture put it on a flash drive then import it to the BAT on the desktop computer?

If I understand you correctly you want to make a model in gmax on your laptop, then transfer the model to your desktop computer and texture and export it from there.

That is no problem at all.

[Monkee_boy 41]

Sod's law, I've actually fixed the problem now! Difficult to explain what the problem was (needless to say, yes, it was an import issue). All is now good - except the flagpole's disappeared! But that should be simple to fix.

 

Lovely building, btw :-)

 

Thanks very much!

 

Some time later...

 

Anybody know why, when I open my model in the lot editor, it appears as a multicoloured block? Or when exported from gmax, as parts of other buildings at certain zooms?

[deanva 70]

Thanks Andisart for your answer didn't think there would be a problem just wanted to make sure.

[nx0817 1]

Hi, is it possible to create custom roads? If so, please direct me to a tutorial.

 

Also, where can I download sc4bat? The link I found here is not working.

 

Thanks

[Monkee_boy 41]

I have a problem with a lotted building not appearing in game. It shows up in Lot Editor (as shown) but not in game (second img). I don't think this is the right place to ask the question of what's gone wrong, but I'm jiggered if I know the right place - this could be an issue anywhere between the BAT and the game...

 

 

[MandelSoft 2,770]

I get the following error messages popping up hundreds of times while test-rendering my building with reflective glass (for which I use the standard Raytrace material).

 

    PHEN 0.10 error: A ray encountered an invalid color (NaN), using black instead.

    RCFG 0.6  warn   542009: finalgather ray returned NaN for the finalgather point at pixel 317.932 235.177

   

This error also occurs

   SYSTEM: Active Shade renderer is changed to Default Scanline Renderer. Previous messages are cleared.

 

The thing is that it sets all my reflections to on that render area, leaving ugly black squares:

 

(Great! Now Majhost is failing upon me too! Murphy's Law is at work here. Well, let's attach the picture than...)

 

Is there a way I can solve this?

 

Best,

Maarten

 

EDIT: It seems that switching over to Arch & Design materials solved the problem. Good protip for everyone who has problems like this...

[AndisArt 2,068]

Maarten, I think you should repost this in the sticky thread for 3DS Max Trouble Shooting. About the problem, I'm not sure what's happening. Did you try to save all objects and merge into a fresh scene? Also, are you using BAT4Max? If so which version?

[MandelSoft 2,770]

1) No, I just used the same scene, but instead of the standard Raytrace material, I replaced them by the Arch & Design material, which can also reflect.

2) Yes, I use BAT4Max 5

3) I use 3DS Studio Max 2012 with all Hotfixes and Service Packs installed.

[Jasoncw 11,933]

Yeah definitely avoid the Raytrace material.  It's only there for legacy support.

 

Really the only material type you'll ever need to use is the arch & design material.  It can make anything you want. 

[MandelSoft 2,770]

Yeah, I figured. I'm still that old school who still uses standard materials, but I'm convinced about the capabilities of the A&D materials when using them for my latest BAT

[Mutilated_Pixie 2]

I am using a box to create an overhang and I am wantin the top of it to be a different texture to the rest (to match my roof) is there a way to do this?

[AndisArt 2,068]

I am using a box to create an overhang and I am wantin the top of it to be a different texture to the rest (to match my roof) is there a way to do this?

You can either detach the polygons that you want to have a different texture or use a Multi-Material which works by material ID reference.

[Ro-Bo 183]

Hi, I'm just learning to use gmax by following the BAT Essential Tutorial. That time, I manage to light up windows at night. Later, I made a 2nd BAT and ran into a problem. The rollout under Utilities>BAT>Parameters>Night Windows is empty. Is that why my windows fail to light up?

[Jasoncw 11,933]

Go to gmax\gamepacks\bat\maps\nitewindows (or something along those lines) which is where the colored windows images are kept.  Make sure you have windows to show hidden files for that folder.  And then along with the window images there is probably a file called thumbs.db which you should delete.  thumbs.db is a file created in folder which is where the thumbnails are kept for thumbnail view, but for some reason it messes with that rollout.

[Ro-Bo 183]

All the image files are there in their respective folder (Beige,Blue,Green) but there is no thumb.db (in the whole gmax folder).

[Jasoncw 11,933]

Are you sure you have windows set to show hidden files?

[Cockatoo 2,257]

Yeah, thats a really common problem that's only ever caused by thumbs.db (as fas as we know.)

 

You not only need to set it to show hidden files, but also (can't remember the exact wording) restricted operating system files. Just google this if you can't figure out how to do it, you need to uncheck two boxes. No idea why thumbs.db comes under this rescriction.

 

Also make sure you set all your folders in that directory to a non-icon view before you do this, otherwise the thumbs.db files will just get recreated every time you go there.

[Ro-Bo 183]

My computer already set to show hidden files but the protected operating system files are still hidden. Missed that completely.

 

Thanks, it is resolved.

[Alex_1210 189]

okay so i've been downloading a lot of custom content from the stex lately but the night lighting isn't working. I have sc4 deluxe edition, but i got it from the "simcity box" as my original copy from the deluxe case broke. i've been told to install SKU1_TO_P1_B638 and after that to install SC4Update4BAT, i installed both of them in that order and it didnt work. I decided to re-install my game as people told me that the simcity box version of deluxe edition already came with SKU1_TO_P1_B638. However, when i try to install either one of the mods, i get a message saying:

\

can someone please tell me how to make my night lighting work?

[Cockatoo 2,257]

No idea sorry, every time I've run the update it's worked.

 

So you have the digital deluxe version... and you say that already comes with the SKU update already applied? In that case it should be as simple as just running the BAT update.

 

You are running the updater as admin right? And you have the game installed in the usual program files folder? Other than that I'm kinda stumped.

[Ro-Bo 183]

How can I make a DarkNite version of a BAT?

 

Edit: So, after a simple Google search, my conclusion is Dark Nite render cannot be done in gmax. Or rather there is no ready-to-use script or lighting rig freely available. Correct?

[Jasoncw 11,933]

Yeah that's correct. 

 

A building exported with gmax and put in a game with simfox's day n nite modd will look the same way that maxis buildings will. 

[Ro-Bo 183]

Well, thank you for the confirmation. *turns and walks aimlessly along the road*

[KrispyKayak 21]

Hello!

 

I am new to the BAT. I have been wanting to get into making lots for a long time, and now that I've gotten SC4 to work on my Windows 7 computer, I thought it would be fun to finally learn.

 

Anyways, If this is the wrong place for this question I'm sorry. After browsing through the threads I thought this would be the best place to ask.

 

My question is about downloading/installing gmax. A lot of the stuff I found on these forums wasn't relevant to what I was looking for, or was very outdated. Anyways, I am having trouble getting the program to install.

 

So, I went to download the BAT from sc4devotion and it says that I have to have gmax in order for the BAT to work because the BAT is a component of gmax. Okay, no problem, right?

 

So I click the link to the turbosquid download of gmax and try to download it. A download program comes up prompting me to download a lot of different toolbars, programs, and trojans. I try to uncheck everything I can, and uninstall everything I can't uncheck after I finish the installation. Anyway, I get to the end and finally start to install. It installs all the junk and then directs me to a page that basically says "Thanks for downloading! Check out our other products!".

 

So thinking that gmax is installed, I proceed to attempt to download the BAT. But when I try installing it, it says that gmax isn't installed on my computer. Okay... I just downloaded that, right?

 

So I search "gmax" on my computer,and two results come up. one is gmax12 and the other is gmax12(1), both with different yet similar icons. I tried clicking on both programs, and both try to get me to install it again. I try with both programs, and still gmax is not installing on my computer! Can anyone help me out? I can provide additional information if necessary.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

EDIT: Nevermind, I figured it out.

[Northern Pyro 4]

I have a rather siple problem that is somehwt impossible to fix. I was following a tutorial (mainly this one: https://www.simtropolis.com/omnibus/_/simcity-4/batlot-editor-tutorials/bat-essentials-part-1-r11?pg=1) and messed around with my viewports, using the arc rotate tool and and them to get reset without making a whole new project. I will do that in this instance, but want a solution to the problem. And yes, I did try to put them back manually.

[Ro-Bo 183]

That made me scratching my head too at first.

 

To reset  a viewport, right click the viewport name (located at the top left of each viewport) and chose the corresponding views. Here is a picture:

 

Edit: Wait. You asking about gmax, right?

[shinkansen1 84]

I am currently facing an old and much hated enemy when attempting to install Gmax (and many other programs)...

 

ERROR 1606: Could not access network location %APPDATA%\.

 

In previous encounters with this error, I have been directed to an "autofix" link which, theoretically, should fix the problem. No fewer than seven attempts later the claims were obviously false. Then I tried troubleshooting the manual way following the provided instructions - twice - and even this did not get rid of 1606. There are many buildings that I want to create, but is it possible that with this stubborn error I will never be able to even start any of them on this computer?