LivingInThePast's Now Abandoned BAT Thread

[LivingInThePast 364]

 After being in Simtropolis for nearly five years (on and off), I've finally decided to take the plunge for a legitimate BAT, and this is the thread where I show off my progress (and possibly ask for help...)

The current project is currently a small-town Wal-Mart.

Here's the original source image:

This is my current situation. Since the box was made with the box command, it needs to be aligned with the rest of the BAT. Despite correct measurements on the footprint, I guesstimated on the overhang, and I honestly have no idea how the height is supposed to be, especially due to SimCity scale settings. In the end, I might need to create textures, and I want to have this available in three colors.

Anyway, that's my current progress. Leave comments, etc. but no future suggestions. As you can see in my quote, I have ideas of my own.

[Jasoncw 11,841]

Snaps and the Transform Type in Boxes, and Deriving Dimensions (Brutalist Facade Part 1) in my blog in my signature should help you out a lot. It would help if you had a front on photo of the building though (instead of a perspective shot), maybe you can get a good shot from google map's street view?

[LivingInThePast 364]

Jasoncw: Oh right, I forgot about snaps! (I did read the BAT Essentials last year, at least part of it)

EDIT: Simtropolis does not like embedded Google Maps, apparently.

Unfortunately, the above shot is the best I can do, because the Google Street View is blurry and far away.

Driving out there would be a long shot: it's 30 miles away (which, around here, is a long shot), plus it is widely known to be a fairly trashy town (though that's not a reflection on everyone that lives there)

Oh, and here's one more thing: when I double-click on the file (stored in another place, off from the "scenes" folder), it opens in gmax without the BAT game pack. How do I change that?

[Alex_Bervoets 91]

I always open the "SC4 B.A.T." first and open the file there. Your current project will be on top of the list (under "files")

[SimFox 802]

Originally posted by: LivingInThePast

Oh, and here's one more thing: when I double-click on the file (stored in another place, off from the "scenes" folder), it opens in gmax without the BAT game pack. How do I change that?quote>

You can easily accomplish that by changing file assosiation for .gmax file from GMAX.EXE to SC4BatLauncher.exe

[LivingInThePast 364]

Quick update: I'll try to get in to making some more of the building today, but I'll be going on vacation and won't be able to update for a few weeks.

[LivingInThePast 364]

And we're back.

Spurred by the fact that back to school is impending, I finally decided to work on the long-awaited project.

One problem, though: after making the footprint, I found that there was no "copy/paste-on-top". There was clone, and I did "Copy" both times. A Rectangle02 was created, though I can't seem the stats. They should be the same, right?

I need to update my signature.

[LivingInThePast 364]

I've made some progress by adding the three main rectangles to scale. It's my third attempt at a BAT. One rectangle will be the main building and one will be the overhang.

(Thanks to Jasoncw for the help, though)

I've procrastinated too long in making a BAT (college has kicked in), and having a different computer in which I BAT on slows progress for screenshots (I'm planning to install Windows on my MacBook).

[LivingInThePast 364]

I've made some progress by adding the three main rectangles to scale. It's my third attempt at a BAT. One rectangle will be the main building and one will be the overhang.

(Thanks to Jasoncw for the help, though)

I've procrastinated too long in making a BAT (college has kicked in), and having a different computer in which I BAT on slows progress for screenshots (I'm planning to install Windows on my MacBook).

[LivingInThePast 364]

On the 5th year of my Simtropolis, I announce my latest progress!...

As you can see, the structures have taken shape. Except why is it floating off the ground? Is that my fault?

(I'm never going to complete this at this rate...)

[Jasoncw 11,841]

It looks like you simply made the objects away from the origin.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Well, when I zoom in or out, it appears to rest evenly. And IIRC, the Z axis still was set at zero.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Well, I finally upgraded to a new MacBook with Windows, which runs SC4 better than ever, but I don't have BAT on it yet.

I used a BugMeNot password to get the BAT, but apparently the password doesn't really work anymore.

Is there another website that has the BAT EXE on it?

Anyway, I still plan to make the buildings in my sig, but I'm also working on a SketchUp-based project on the side: the third (and last) Auchan hypermarket built in America! I'll be showcasing my progress on that, too.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Well, I finally have BAT by getting it from the Maxis site, and uploaded it to a Mediafire just as soon as I figured out Zelgadis already uploaded it (slap).

Ah well, the more the merrier! I'll be importing "Wal-Mart" back again, so stay tuned!

[LivingInThePast 364]

OK. Here is the Auchan SketchUp process. First off, I chose the second Auchan location in Houston, the last Auchan hypermarket built in the United States. This one lived an amazingly short life (late 2000-early 2003). A long time ago, this had a Target with an adjacent Target-owned grocery store (long before SuperTarget, mind you). Here it is in Google Earth.

Here is a simple model I designed in SketchUp.

I deliberately left off a few features (such as the arches in the front, the loading dock). Those can be added later.

Stay tuned, as today I'll also get the Wal-Mart stuff too.

EDIT: I then decided to put in a photo to match. Unfortunately, I couldn't it quite right, and the pulltabs disappeared. You can see what I was trying to match up: the overhangs.

[LivingInThePast 364]

I managed to import my gmax Wal-Mart, which I'll be working on later today.

Both the Wal-Mart and Auchan are tests for different methods of making buildings.

After I complete both, I decide which format I like better, and then I'll tackle both bigg's and Meijer.

[LivingInThePast 364]

But now gmax is demanding a registration code, which I don't recall from my first installation. Can anyone help?

[LivingInThePast 364]

While I wait for help about gmax, I re-did the Auchan model, and replaced the photo. Work was done on the photo was done as well.

It's starting to take real form!

EDIT: BAT work starts tomorrow

[LivingInThePast 364]

First off, the SketchUp link in my profile doesn't really work anymore, as the Simtropolis way of making signatures is finicky (you may be able to detect the color change) and the thread got moved.

OK, so if you recall, I had formed structures for the "main building" and what would be the "overhang".

But now I actually went to one of said small-town Wal-Marts and went into the "porch" and everything.

Looking at the photo, I'll have to do two "overhang"s (one on either side of the main front). I wrote down a bunch of measurements in an old notebook when I was previously working on it (no changes have been made since the last post). I'll look at that, try to get settled back in with gmax/BAT again, and I'll call you back when I do some more.

[LivingInThePast 364]

In regards to Wal-Mart, I'm on vacation, but I managed to actually visit and take a few pictures of said Wal-Mart.

It's completely different. Not only has been repainted brown (as it was a few years back), it also added a new "Walmart" logo. Another variant, I s'pose.

[zahrul3 472]

If you post in this format, we will never be able to help since we don't know the problem. You should do phillipbo's BAT tutorial before doing anything, even asking for help as the tutorial explains EVERYTHING. You can find it in the Omnibus, it's easy to do and takes around an hour to do. You have a ton of problems which i saw:

1. You use primitives instead of splines.

2. 1 gmax square at the closest zoom is 1m, but you used the medium zoom gmax square.

3. Don't lean on us for help, you should have moderate knowledge of the BAT before you take up .

4. You didn't post much of your progress, your progress is extremely slow.

5. Putting 'future projects' before you think of doing is BAD idea as you haven't have any moderate knowledge of BAT(read 3rd post)

As you know, you lack BATting knowledge, since those projects you have taken might look simple, but they're actually complex. BATting isn't a place for novices, one need to have some experiences with the tutorials, both BAT and Sketchup. It took me a month to learn how to BAT properly, things don't come easy and even if I also have school, whenever there is time I will BAT.

[LivingInThePast 364]

I'll probably try the tutorial again. I tried it a few years ago, and in terms of slow progress, I kept working sporadically.

Part of me wants to go ahead and request a lock, but as you know, locked threads "sink" and eventually disappear. The proper way is just to reboot from a fresh start by renaming this thread "LivingInThePast's Abandoned BAT Thread" and forgetting about it.

Yeah, I'll go ahead and do that.

[LivingInThePast 364]

Before this gets locked, I might mention that prior to this month, the computer where I could use BAT had no Internet access.

So yeah.

[harishna 847]

LivingthePast: Why you want this locked? I wouldn't worry about slow progress this is not a race, this is a hobby so you can take things at your own pace.

Zahrul: I do agree that is not necessary to keep up posting about everything that happens, but I disagree when you say that this is not the place for novices, au contraire, indeed it is recommended to first go over the tutorials and check the FAQ and troubleshooting section, before BAting but a little bit of feedback is always good, weren't you complaining about that in your own thread?

[zahrul3 472]

Well, I mean, I already done tutorials now and now I actually know how to do intermediate level stuff such as roof gradient, make roof junk, whatever. It also includes Edit Mesh(Todd gave me tips on that) and everything how you can use it. I never said it was a race, though moving to Sketchup sounds a little bit tougher than gMax if you do not have Sketchup Pro 8 as you cannot do much in gMax once you export it there. Since modelling in Sketchup takes shorter time, you should have some progress doing it and actually manage to get a decent enough sketchup model to export to either 3dsmax or gMax.

Don't lock it, just let it 'sink' but actually don't lock incase you took these pieces of advice.