simmars-forum-threads Rewards And Parks Workshop

[timcravey 169]

Mars is going to be pretty amazing.

Feel free to offer any BATs you have that might fit with the color scheme - we need all we can get.

[timcravey 169]

Here is proposed Terran Cultural Heritage Appreciation Center to replace Opera House.

I am hoping you will all help me make it as cosmopolitan as possible. It's name in Chinese will be Shao's Marvelous Pillow if no one objects. The main structure represents Tai Chi or All Being-ness; the Liung Yi are the abscences that will be the main entrance and sculpture plaza. I think the Pa Kua will be 8 banners. The ornamentation should illustrate the geometry of wu-hsing as a simplified architectural theme. I am very open to suggestions.

[AndisArt 2,068]

interesting start, any updates already ?

Today I modded 4 of ur models. I used two as community centers, then I did the medium garden and Trikuti plaza. They are all ingame,with icons etc, ready to be tested.

For the med. garden and the Large Community Center I added nightlights to the model:

I like these collaborations between us :-)

[timcravey 169]

Very nice! That little garden ROCKS!

Here's the update on Chien I -

I added screens to the front and back and started defining the wu-hsing orientation but as I meditate on the elements, other buildings come to me and I haven't settled on a motif yet.  I think the 8 banners will say 'peace' in different languages but I'm still not locked in to that idea.

[AndisArt 2,068]

nice progress on the BAT

Here the updated Trikuti Plaza and Medium Community Center:

For Trikuti Plaza, I have Monthly Cost in the description in the menu so far, would you like to add a short sentence describing the plaza (maybe the name or the 3 statues). Also want to make it special, what could the conditions be to unlock it? I thought to have at least two large plazas in the city?

btw: the left model, the only thing I changed was to increase the "contrast" value of the Omni light already in the scene from 0 to 80, see the difference? 

[JakeMD 107]

I can put rewards in the game if anyone else has trouble.  Only thing I need supplied is a creative text to display in the menu.  If not, I can always think of something.

[TimeMaster 4]

Great BATs! I have a few questions.

Are you done with these, Tim? Zoo, University, Large Museum, Club Privat. If so, can you work on a Private School? And AndisArt I need some help categorizing the Community Center. Otherwise everything looks great!

[AndisArt 2,068]

that´s great SWAT! What I´d need help in is how to put in LUA the condition that another builiding has to be built in city (and also multiple instances of a building) before Lot will be unlocked.

Timemaster, since life on Mars is bound to take place mostly inside I came up with the idea of Community Centers, places where folks can come together for different reasons. The have a flora inside, so get a park function, along with plaza function.

------EDIT-----------

Update on Stadium nightlights. also I resized the base a bit, was a bit too large. and I increased the height of the domes. added details:

[timcravey 169]

Too sweet! We should erect a memorial to ourselves for all the shared work.

I have been wracking my brain trying to think of a way to communicate the value/meaning of the Trikuti Plaza without imposing my own storyline on the BAT. Trikuti represents the fundamental states of consciousness in Hinduism - unconscious, subconscious, and conscious. That doesn't really 'grab' me though. I think it could be a monument to the Age of Exploration - the mind of man wondering about the unknown.

Time - Private school is on its way.

edit: 

Whatd'ya think? It'll look better when the lotters get done with it; it's modular.

[JakeMD 107]

I know I have said this in the past but it really needs more detail than textured objects. Not sure what else you may want but I am sure there is a physical facility, a lunch facility and others you could add as well!

[un1 41]

WOAH! That stadium is absolutely fantastic andisart!

-un1

[AndisArt 2,068]

tim, I really like the inital shape of it, but as SWAT said it needs much more details and more faciliteis would be great as well.

The grey brick is a no-go I'd say since Mars stone is red.

I can imagine a trinagluar arranged building. If u like send me the file and I give it a go.

un1, thx but most of that comes from tim! I just did some finetuning

[timcravey 169]

Well, since the response to the private school has been so negative I have decided to abandon this project and start my own - SimArkansas - where all I have to BAT are log cabins, outhouses and derelict barns. So there! You ungrateful and insufficiently adoring wretches!

Just kidding. It's actually too cold to sit in the workroom today so I'm standing by the fire watching the snow fall.

I am still not satisfied with this lot.  It may be something other than a school. 

Do props show lights at night?

[JakeMD 107]

For props I believe you need an actual light cone or something like that, but it may be that they do show at night. I will do a test to find out!

[AndisArt 2,068]

props can be rendered with lights as normal BATs. In order to for the lights to show you need to select an option in the Pluginmanager when creating the .desc file.

[timcravey 169]

I will certainly send you the 'school' if you want to try it - I've come to hate it.

Here is a proposed 'Convention Center' - you might even like it better for the private school.

And a hotel that might become a Resort, although it, too, is somewhat unimaginative.

Both of these are extensively night lit.

Time - Are we almost done with the Rewards? I can't really think of any more but the Mayor Statues.

[AndisArt 2,068]

i

[timcravey 169]

Here are some of the models - http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=a3bfc4b1ec8e3039d2db6fb9a8902bda

This includes my proposed Impressive Mayors Statue

This is 'The Execution of Rear Horse Kick' - another terra-ist act committed by art criminals showing the Reiki hero Mayor I in the Iron Shirt Chi Gung Style demonstrating a powerful Tae Kwon Do move. The smallest will probably represent fire in the Chien I Arena. The larger is only 2x2. I wonder if anyone could translate the title into Korean for a banner? Maybe 'Mayor I' in Japanese? Qin?

I also wonder if anyone knows Physics formulas well enough that we could do flags for the ba-gua. I've been watching 'Human Weapon' on YouTube where two likable American guys travel all over Asia and Europe getting into fights for sport. It includes some excellent 3D animation and at least 8 simple mathematical formulas for the physics of martial arts. I don't really read at that level of math so I hate to try and write it, but it seems like the sort of thing a smart gamer would want to know if e did understand it.

Here is an update of the Montezuma Hotel and Free Resort -

and the SimMars Alternative Magnet School -

[Evillions 552]

Can you send some textures you used? I want to BAT again and hopefully show them to everyone. Besides if made the dome flora props. Can you send me some too? Anyways keep up the good work.

[TimeMaster 4]

Hi.

I think that your proposed convention center should be a Private School, instead. The Resort Hotel is great. Check out the to-do if you need some ideas, Ok?

-Time

[Evillions 552]

HHMmmm. Can you make some of the park actaully rewards insted of landmarks? Like the staduim. Needs to be a reward.

[timcravey 169]

Yeah, most of what you're using hasn't been modded yet. Andisart and Swat are working on making Rewards out of those parks.

My textures are here: http://www.mediafire.com/?1mwmyymmmyy

Some more are here: http://www.mediafire.com/?moz2mozjdzg

For flora you should try: http://www-c.inria.fr/gamma/download/download.php - a database of 3D models you can use - that's what I do. Some are good, some are not good, all are free to use (please don't redistribute).

[timcravey 169]

And here are proposed Gender Option Mayor Statues. Larger than actual size to show details.

They'll be shot separately of course at two or three different zooms, maybe in different materials. Maybe without the banner sticking in the guys head.

[Evillions 552]

I think its great! Say how do you BAT statues? Do you have any tips that I look at? I could make a Simmars tribute center.

[AndisArt 2,068]

tim, those will be nice as Major statues. only thing I have to opose is the chinese sign, I don

[Evillions 552]

Is there any program to make landmarks into rewards? I would like to contribue by turning the landmarks into rewards.

[JakeMD 107]

Originally posted by: Evillions Is there any program to make landmarks into rewards? I would like to contribue by turning the landmarks into rewards.quote>

It requires some modding.  Check Here for a tutorial, warning, it is a bit complex.  don't try and pull your hair out!

[timcravey 169]

Evillions - I mostly use Boolean functions to sculpt - start with a box (or whatever) and cut away the parts that don't look like what you want. People can be a little challenging because they need to be proportioned just so (tell that to Picasso!) So the Mayors were cut out like cookie-cutter style, each actually in three pieces. For dimensionality I cut each again from the side and then from the top using different shapes for each piece. Then I rotate a piece here or there until they look good to me. If I cut too much away I Boolean a piece back in just like working with clay.

Because of the Utilitarian style restrictions and the BATs already in the Beta I try to use Geometric and Minimalist design principles - this means NOT trying to be realistic, but rather impersonal, angular, simple. Some people think it looks futuristic - I think it's Neolithic. Personally I think the Utilitarian style is depressing so I always try to violate it (just like I would if I actually lived in such a society) by using graffiti, bright colors, and incongruities. Of course I can only get away with so much of that because I want my stuff to fit with everyone else's. I always try to plop my lot down in the middle of a bunch of Beta 2 buildings to see how it compares to them - it doesn't have to look just like them but it needs to look like it belongs with them.

The best advice I can give is - don't be attached to the outcome. Creation is a living process and the thing you think you want to make may not be what you end up with. Sometimes a model seems to have a mind of its own (really it's your own subconscious mind). If you can, just go with the flow - let it become what it wants to be; if you're determined to have it exactly as you envisioned it, then don't be afraid to start over from scratch or put it on hold for awhile - let your subconscious work out its issues and try again in a few days or weeks. If you get frustrated, walk away. Don't yell at the screen, or kick the cat or cuss your sister - just get up from your work and go make a cup of tea. No matter what the problem is, you can (and probably will) figure it out so long as you remain rational. Tell yourself again and again "It's just a game." Because that's really all it is.

GMAX can be more than a little daunting. I don't know what most of those buttons do; I don't know what most of those commands mean (the dictionary doesn't even help sometimes because the definitions are just as technical sounding as the commands). But I'm not modeling airplane parts for LearJet - I'm modeling houses for simulated people who can barely be seen - so I experiment; I push the button. If I don't understand what that one did I Undo it and try another; if it asks me to define values for things I don't know about I press ESC; if it locks up I let it crash and reboot. By trial and error (and a whole lot of practice) I have found a few simple tools that I feel comfortable with. If I'm feeling adventurous (or bored) I may try to figure out another command.

I know that's more than you asked for, E; if you want to discuss more or have specific technical questions let's take it up in the BAT Workshop thread.

Here is an update on the Free Hotel - still doesn't thrill me as a Resort - I think it may be a commercial lot.

Andisart - Fair enough on the sign - I'll move it to a park; but I'ld be willing to bet that Chinese will be the most common written language on Mars - the ideagrams can be read in any spoken tongue. I guess that kills the Korean banner on 'Rear Horse Kick' (which is getting a total makeover anyway). My intention was to include a little bit of alot of different languages somewhere in the tileset but they certainly don't have to be on municipal structures.

Swat - if that's Daeley's tutorial then it's for modding BSC reward chains and requires BSC Essentials - that's how I got all those non-SM textures on my lots. 

[AndisArt 2,068]

tim: a little bit of different language here and there is fine, but I

[Evillions 552]

Originally posted by: SWAT-MEDIC

Originally posted by: Evillions Is there any program to make landmarks into rewards? I would like to contribue by turning the landmarks into rewards.quote>

It requires some modding.  Check Here for a tutorial, warning, it is a bit complex.  don't try and pull your hair out! quote>

 

Tell me about/ This thing looks hard the first time I looked! Never mind changing landmarks to rewards. I'll look at it at another time.

EDIT: I just completed Simmars Insurance. This building will increase CO and CS demand by a lttile. But I hope can make it into a reward. Also, its on a 6x5 lot. Although I didn't start the exporting/importing.  The building should match with all the buildings.

Tim- Thanks for the tips. But I also need to know how to do boolean. Anyways, you're right about having different colors than earthy, brownish looking buildings. But then again I'm limited to those textures. Since the guidelines that andisart stated in the BAT and Lot guidelines. But you're right I'm just 50/50 on both sides.