BAT Lot Development 101 - A Compendium of Information

[deadwoods 542]

BAT Lot Development 101

~ A Compendium of Information ~

This thread summarises the steps involved in building a BAT Lot, everything from designing and building a lot in the BAT (gmax) to publishing the lot on the Simtropolis Exchange (STEX). It provides a lot of useful information and links to many threads in the Simtropolis Forums.

This thread began life as a simple checklist of steps and considerations ( Building quality (BAT) Lots - Some Guidelines ), but grew into a much larger discussion thread. It was moved into the BSC Forum as a means to help the generation of quality BAT Lots. The original thread ended up containing a lot of argument over a specific aspect of lot building, which detracted from the thread. As I was often updating it, the original thread structure made it too hard to edit. This current thread was built from the key information in that old thread, but with a different structure.

I want to stress that the information here is not meant to be a set of rules on what you must do. Rather it's a collection of hints, tips, considerations and summaries to help the lot development process.

Thread Structure (Index)

This document contains sections based on the steps in getting a lot from the BAT to the STEX. These sections summarise the actions/activities/considerations etc. for each step. There are also some Appendices at the end that provide more detailed information.

The structure of the document is:

Introduction

Index

General Information

Where to start? How to go about it?

Thanks, Comments and Additions

BAT -> STEX Steps

1. Preparation . Things to consider/gather before you start development.

a. Planning .

b. Research .

c. Standards to be used .

2. BAT Development . Developing the building and props in gmax/BAT.

a. Model building .

b. Apply lighting to building .

c. Apply textures to building .

d. Export building .

e. Model/light/texture/export props .

3. BAT Configuration . Configuring exemplars in the Plugin Manager.

a. Considerations for ploppables .

b. Considerations for growables .

c. Considerations for props .

4. Lot Development . Building the Lot in the Lot Editor.

a. Creating custom textures .

b. Use of the Lot Editor .

5. BAT/Lot Advanced Configuration and Customisation . Adding the bells and whistles.

a. Add custom attributes .

b. Menu placement .

c. Custom queries .

d. Transit/Network enabling .

e. Adding custom streetlights .

6. Testing the Lot . Testing the lot before shipping.

a. Testing a ploppable lot .

b. Testing a growable lot .

7. Packaging and Shipping the Lot . Putting it all together to publish.

a. Package PROPS .

b. Package TEXTURES .

c. Create a README .

d. Create jpg(s) of lot .

e. Package lot files .

f. Test packaging .

g. Upload to STEX .

Appendices - more technical/reference information

A. General information and Planning

B. BAT/gmax hints, tips and advanced information

C. Plugin Manager use and Building characteristics

D. Lot Editor use and Lot development.

E. Modding

F. Testing, Packaging and Publishing

General Information

There is a wealth of information splattered across the Simtropolis Omnibus and Forums. The best forums to search for information are under the Custom Content Forums:

• BAT - Bat Squad Certification Tea Room containing a lot of good technical discussion on all aspects of BAT Lot development, such as standards.

   

• BAT - Open Discussion where the BATters showcase their work. Great for ideas.

   

• BAT - Workshop where the BAT/gmax experts hang out. If you have a question on how to do something in gmax/BAT this is the place to go.

   

• Modding - Open Discussion is a great forum if you want to find out how to modify a building/lot to do something. There's a fair chance it's been done before.

   

• Modding - Research & Development where the more out there modding is discussed. It also contains many posts containing tables/lists of information you can use for modding.

   

• Lot Making, Map Making & Exchange for all matters relating to lot development. It covers everything from how to's to here's what I've done.

   

The best place to study end-to-end BAT building is philippbo's comprehensive Essential BAT Tutorial in the Omnibus. It walks through creating a building in the BAT, configuring it in the plugin manager, creating a lot for it and testing it in the game. It's a great place to start understanding the process before diving into the nuts'n'bolts of gmax or modding.

There are some other end-to-end tutorials, such as The SC4 B.A.T. Preview and Thoughts on the B.A.T. .

Vlakhaas, the BAT Squad Certification Co-ordinator, has posted some general hints/considerations on the BSC Project ... LE and Props thread.

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Where to start? How to go about it?

OK, so you want to create a great BAT Lot, but you don't know where to start... This entire thread is designed to be a bit of a follow the dots document (see the structure of the Index ). The basic BAT lot development steps are:

1. Build your building model in gmax

    

2. Export it to SC-graphic format using the BAT gamepack

    

3. Set the building attributes (name, cost, jobs etc.) in the Plugin Manager

    

4. Build a lot featuring the building in the Lot Editor

    

5. Perhaps add some custom features to the lot (transit enable, custom query) using the custom development tools available on ST

    

6. Test, package and publish the lot to the SimTropolis Exchange (STEX).

    

This is not the complete set of steps, just the basic (neccessary) ones. See the rest of this document for more details.

There are two basic approaches to applying a BAT model to a lot;

1. Create the main building model in gmax/BAT. In the plugin manager define the building as the appropriate building type and accept/change the settings for that type of building. In the lot editor pick an equivalent lot and replace the building with your building. This is the standard way of building a BAT lot.

    

2. Create the main building model in gmax/BAT. In the plugin manager define the building as a prop and accept/change the prop settings. In the Lot Editor use either one of the hidden building lots (such as the parks and plaza's) or RalphaelNinja's Blank RCI Lot set as a base and add the building as a prop. To set the building parameters for the lot (e.g. cost, name) using one of the mod tools, such as iLive's reader. This is the method I usually use.

    

Either approach should work equally well. However the first method will look more realistic when bulldozing, by default you will get all the right settings from the plugin manager (e.g. lighting on, preview of building), and generally you can get a functioning lot without using any non-Maxis tools. This is probably the safest option for first-time BATters. With the second option you have to ensure you set the building/lot parameters using a mod tool, but I've found it to be more flexible for creating multiple lots with the same/similar parameters as they're all carried/contained in the lot definition (.sc4lot file) rahter than in the building description file (.sc4desc). Also, there is an intermittent problem with some lots when a building is replaced, but the original building exemplar file stays in the lot file, so in the game you see the original building not your new one.

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Thanks, Comments and Additions

Thanks to everyone who's commented on this thread. I hope it helps SimTropoleans become more proficient at all aspects of BAT Lotting, and helps produce more quality lots. I'd especially like to thank:

- Cerulean for contributing some stuff,

- Vlakhaas and the BSC folks for the work they're doing,

- Philippbo, Caliban and others for the BAT/gmax assistance and tutorials,

- All the MOD squad folks for the info they've published on modding,

- Daeley for his excellent custom query tutorial, and

- all other ST contributors that have added good technical info to the ST forums

This is a work-in-progress, so please post any comments or PM me with suggestions.

If you have material that is relevant, or you've found some great posts, send them to me and I'll review them and probably add them. I'll be sporadically updating the thread as I come across other useful info.

Deadwoods - May 04.

Thank you.

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[deadwoods 542]

~ Step 1. Preparation ~
This step is concerned with preparing before you start developing.

a. Planning
Depending on the scale of the project, it may be worth doing some planning before starting. If you're just building a simple house on a simple lot, then maybe you don't need a lot of planning. But if you're developing a large rail interchange with multiple forms of transport, multiple buildings and props and extensive modding required, then time spent planning up front will be worthwhile later on.

When planning your lot, you should consider the following:

• What are you going to build/deliver?
  
• What will be its function, and thus what characteristics will it have (costs, YIMBY/NIMBY, electricity, water, pollution, other)?
  
• Will it be growable/ploppable/both?
  
• What size will the building be (both base size and height)?
  
• What size will the lot be?
  
• Will you need to build props in BAT or can you just use standard ones in the LE (and if so, which .dat files will it need)?
  
• Will you need to develop custom base/overlay textures for the Lot and how will the lot textures work with any BAT textures/building base you will use
  
• What sort of textures will the building/props need?
  
• What sort of lighting will the building/props need?
  
• Will it have a custom description/query?
  

When considering the props that will go with/around the building on the lot, you should consider whether there are already props in the supplied simcity .dat files (thus already available in the lot editor), whether you have to build them from scratch, or whether you can use existing 3dsmax, gmax or autocad models. If you plan to use models (or props) from other people, you need to consider any copywrite issues.

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b. Research
If you're copying an existing building, you may want to make it as close to the original as possible. Even if you're building something new, you may need to investigate real buildings of the same type so you can make your SimCity building as real as possible.

To reasearch your lot you may need to gather and analyse:

• Photos of existing buildings if you are modelling something else
  
• Samples of logos, colours, textures from the web
  
• Your own photos (e.g. digital camera/Photoshop)
  

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c. Standards to be used
You should consider standards before embarking on a BAT Lot development project. Even a simple BAT building can become hard to work with if you don't name your splines, arc's etc.

The key standards to consider

• What naming convention will you apply to the objects in gmax/bat? What about materials?
  
• How will you name the .sc4model, .sc4desc, .sc4lot files?
  
• Will a different naming standard apply to ploppables vs. growables?
  
• If you are going to package props/buildings in a .dat file, what name will be applied to it?
  
• Structure/format of building/lot name (i.e. what's displayed from the menu in SC) and structure of description
  

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[deadwoods 542]

~ Step 2. BAT Developement ~
This step is concerned with creating buildings and props in the BAT. Just a point on terminology, gmax is the modelling tool you use to develop your buildings and props. BAT or B.A.T. (Building Architect Tool) is a plugin to gmax that you use to render your building or prop for use in SimCity. When we talk about using the BAT, we're normally talking about the gmax+BAT plugin.

The steps you do will depend on what you're building. If you're not modelling props, then you don't need steps e. & f.. Also you don't need to configre lighting before doing the textures to your building. These steps may be iterative.

You should regularly check the Official SimCity4 BAT Page for patches and updated info.

a. Build the building in gmax
Probably the best starting point for using gmax are the tutorials that come with it. After that philippbo's comprehensive Essential BAT Tutorial in the Omnibus and the TUTORIALS - Index to all the Knowledge! thread on the BAT - Workshop forum are best for BAT building creation.

As the weeks/months go by and more people are getting into BATing, more questions are arising. The best place to go for assistance is the BAT - Workshop thread. Just search for phillippbo, Caliban or Lord_Quillian2 and you'll find more info than you're prepared for!

See also the following tutorials/guides/threads:

• Splines are a Snap Part 1 , Part 2 , and Part 3
  
• Create a Simple House with the B.A.T. Part 1 Modeling
  
• How to Create Arched Windows in GMax
  
• Need Help with Window Shape which shows how to create a 3 dimensional window.
  
• TUTORIAL - using a .tga with alpha for transparency which walks through creating a sky reflection on a pyramid and use transparency.
  
• Tutorial: How to make a lattice in less than 5 minutes which shows how to create a lattice for building large repeated walls (like in a skyscraper).
  
• Extruding Text Symbols.....Interesting which shows creating extruded words in gmax.
  
• Cooling Tower Shape? which has some good examples of using the lathe, twist and taper modifiers in gmax.
  
• Dome Structure Tutorial a demonstration of using a texture with an alpha chanel to create glazing structure, and a sky reflection texture on an inner object to give the impression that it is reflective.
  

A few words on the level of detail you want to apply to your model. One (1) pixel at zoom level 5 in the game equals about .2 metres (20 centimetres). So anything less than 20cm (.2m) will be lost in the game, and anything less than about 50cm (.5m) may be fuzzy due to pixel interpolation. So don't get too fussed about minor detail, and if you want to show detail, perhaps over emphasise it.

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b. Apply lighting in gmax
It's all well and good to have a building that looks good during the day. But most SC users either switch to night or let the game cycle between night and day. You need to look at lighting. You can use lighting within gmax/BAT and you can also use the SC lighting props to light up buildings. See the section c. Considerations for props for a discussion on lighting using props.

For lighting in gmax/BAT, see the following tutorials/guides:

• TUTORIAL - Night Lighting and Night Windows
  
• Playing with nitelite
  

There's also an example of different gmax lighting parameters in the Lighting is a pain thread.

If you are building some very tall buildings, such as a skyscraper, there are two tools around to help:

• First, you may need to use a custom lighting rig. Caliban and Lord_Quillan2 have developed a large lighting rig that actually works. See the Replacement Huge CamLightRig thread.
  
• Second, applying night lighting to a random selection of windows can be very time consuming for a large building. Redlotus has developed a tool to randomly select windows for night lighting. See the Random Window Picker thread.
  

You can also create your own night textures (to use with the Night_ prefix). Goldiva has created a comprehensive set. See 15 New NightWindows Textures for details and the download link. They're great; I've used them myself. To make your own see the has anyone tried making a custom nitewindows file? thread by fstpaced. He was talking about creating a tutorial for it.

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c. Apply textures in gmax
Texturing allows the flat cartoonish walls you create in gmax to be converted into brick, glass, tiles etc.

You will need to gather your textures, apply them and text the look of them in the game. See the following tutorials/guides/threads:

• Caliban has written a tread covering the The Material Editor in depth containing some detailed info on the Material Editor.
  
• Create a Simple House with the B.A.T. Part 2 Texturing
  
• Textures: Official Thread
  
• There's a good discussion on applying different textures to different parts of an object in the 2 Texs on 1 thread.
  
• I created a basic TUTORIAL - Using Photoshop (Elements) for BAT images/textures to help creating those custom textures (such as logo's and signs) you'll need.
  
• TUTORIAL Random Windows by cerulean shows how to create and apply a custom window texture.
  

Note also that there are some BAT rendering problems with textures that will frustrate you. Caliban made the following comment on one thread To clarify, no texture will show up without UVW Mapping co-ordinates (unless its procedural but thats not an option here). The only reason you see textures by default is that primitives automatically generate mapping co-ords as appropriate (ie. box mapping on a cuboid, spherical on a sphere etc). Some modifiers also generate mapping co-ords (ie. extrude). You should play around with the UVW mapping as it's very powerful.

You can also create semi-transparent textures and apply them to your model. Say you wanted to create a chain-link fence. The wire in the fence is too small to model in gmax. But you can create a texture in PhotoShop or some other drawing tool that provides the see-throughness of the fence. Lord_Quillan2 has written a tutorial covering this, see TUTORIAL - using a .tga with alpha for transparency . I've yet to figure out how to create the .tga file. When I do, I'll add it to this compendium.

You can also package your texture images with the gmax model for shipping to someone else (say someone else was going to render your model). Have a look at Is there a way to pack the textures used on a model within the GMAX file itself? .

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d. Export the building using BAT gamepack
Before exporting the building you should consider how it will be improved in the Lot Editor. Will you want to put other props onto or into the building? For example, are there balconies or rooftops that will have people, tables etc.? Is there an enclosed courtyard that should have some trees or a fountain? If this is the case, you may need to look at creating custom LOD's (Limit of Detail, I think, an invisible box that contains the building in the game). There have been two good threads on this lately: Working with BAT LODS shows the technical details of creating custom LOD's, and Attention all BAT designers - suggestions discusses the good and bad point about splitting up a building to make it easier to add props to.

The basic export steps are:

• Check the building is centred over XY axis. Check building is not below XY plane (i.e. no parts of building are -ve in the Z axis) unless you expect some to be below the ground
  
• If you have previously exported/previewed the building, you should Refit-LOD's
  
• Preview the building from all angles, level 5, Day/Night to ensure it looks ok before exporting. Esp. check 1) lighting is as you expect it, and 2) textures are ok (sometimes they look ok in gmax but get screwed up by the BAT export/preview).
  
• If ok, export the building.
  

Vlakhaas has put some more detailed steps and comments in the BSC Project ... LE and Props thread. There's also some comments about naming conventions.

A number of folks have found problems in either a) renders screwing up in preview or export, and b) export ok, but renders screwed up in LE or game. Have a look at the following threads if you have these problems:
- Broken RENDERS are driving me crazy ...
- Can't Render No More

If you get an error trying to run an export, you should check the B.A.T. Export Error Codes section of the official SC4 BAT page.

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e. Build/texture/light and export props in BAT
You can use the gmax/BAT to build props to include in a Lot in the same way that you create a building. You can also create light props (such as a lamppost) using gmax/BAT and tie them to the Maxis supplied light files to give real-time street lighing. See the Lampposts. How does maxis do it??? thread.

Exporting props with the BAT is exactly the same as for buildings (described above).

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[deadwoods 542]

~ Step 3. BAT Configuration ~
This step is concerned with the assigning of parameters to buildings and props using the Plugin Manager.

The Plugin Manager (PM) is used to set the standard properties for a building. It will use default properties based on the type of building you define. For example if you drag your model (SC4MODEL) over the Fire Station type, you will get a set of parameters appropriate to a fire station. Whereas if you drag your model over a Prop type, you will get the parameters appropriate to a prop.

You cannot add parameters in the PM, just set their value. So if PM does not give you the parameters you need for your specific project (for example the Query Sound parameter), you will need to use iLive's Reader (or similar advanced tool) to do this (see Step 5 - BAT/Lot Advanced Configuration and Customisation ). The PM is great for standard BAT lots.

a. Considerations for ploppable building

• Lighting: turn it on, monthly use of electricity
  
• Cost (build, monthly, bulldoze)
  
• Name and description of lot
  
• Other - pollution, fire etc.
  

Much more investigation/documentation is required here!

SimGoober has written a Tutorial - Converting a Landmark to a Plop with Jobs thread. It discusses many of the attributes you want to set on a ploppable building.

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b. Considerations for growable building

• Naming
  
• Type (CS/CO/etc, wealth, level)
  
• Lighting
  
• Other - pollution, fire etc.
  

Much more investigation/documentation is required here!

Toroca has written a thread on How to Turn Ploppable BATs into Growable Buildings . It discusses many of the attributes you want to set on a growable building.

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c. Considerations for props
Props are created by dragging the model over the Prop type. The only parameter you should need to check is the light parameter. If your BAT object has lighting you must set this to true.

Here's a trap for young players. If you are creating your buildings as props in the Plugin Manager (as I do for most of my BATs), ensure that you set the AppearanceZoomsFlag to Zoom 1,2,3,4,5 otherwise your building will disappear at Zoom 1. See BAT Buildings Disappear at Zoom1 for an example of my stupidity.

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[deadwoods 542]

~ Step 4. Lot Development ~
This section is concerned with the use of the Lot Editor to build lots from the BAT buildings and props.

a. Create custom textures (if required)
You may want to create custom textures to be applied to the lot (such as a specific paving pattern or a cricket pitch). To do this:

• Build textures in graphics program (e.g. Photoshop) at sizes 128x128, 64x64, 32x32, 16x16 and 8x8. Save as Windows bitmaps (24/32bit). Save alpha's for overlay textures as bitmaps also (see Note1 below).
  
• Convert bitmaps to FSH files using FSH utility (such as FiSHMan).
  
• Create TGI files for each FSH file
  
• Load FSH and associated TGI files into .dat using iLive's Reader
  

Note 1 - You can save time by using the Fishman Batch Texture Processor. It will load a 128x128 bit bmp (plus a corresponsing alpha map if you want to create an overlay) and generate the five fsh files. This is a great timesaver.

For guidance on creating custom textures, see the Creating new base and overlay textures tutorial. For guidance on the FiSHMan tool, see FiSHMan: An FSH image management tool .

There has also been a lot of work going on recently by the BSC folks into lot (base and overlay) textures. See the BSC Project and TEXTURES thread for a discussion of standards the BSC team will use. For a good discussion of the TGI values relating to textures, see the BSC Texture Index thread. geoffhaw has done a lot of work to figure out what the TGI numbers mean.

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b. Build Lot using Lot Editor
The Lot Editor (LE) is the tool for building the lot and placing the BAT building (and any custom props) on it. The basic steps are:

• Load blank lot or existing lot and clear props/textures etc. Save As before doing anything.
  
• If appropriate, set land/water
  
• Apply base and overlay textures
  
• Apply building
  
• Apply props
  
• Check look of lot at all angles/zoom levels
  
• Save lot
  

You should consider the following when building the lots:

• Base and Overlay Textures. What do you want the base of the lot to look like? There are many textures provided with SC and you can put multiple overlay textures on top of each other to create different effects. The key thing is that the textures need to suit the purpose of the lot. It's no good using a dirt road texture under a modern high-tech building.
  
• Trees and Foliage. With the trees you have two options, props or flora. Props are static, i.e. what you place on the lot is what is seen in the game. With flora the lot can develop over time, i.e. the trees etc. will grow over time. This may be more realistic, but it depends on the look you're going for. With plants and flowers you are basically restricted to the supplied props.
  
• Roads, Carparks and Cars. With roads and carparks, you need to look at the purpose of the lot. Is this a large building that needs a lot of carparks (shopping mall, sports centre, large school, airport)? Is it a lot that needs some specific driveways (such as for a main lobby and a loading dock)? What about cars on the parking lots? What volume of cars are realistic and what times of the day will they be there?
  
• Lights and Lighting. Some of the lighting will already have been defined in gmax/BAT for the buildings and/or major props. However you can add additional lighting using some of the lighting props. The lighting props are special; the game works out what the light illuminates in real-time during the gameplay, so you can use the light props to add nighttime realism to parking lots, parks, paths etc.
  
• Other Junk. There are a ton of props (hundreds if not thousands) supplied with SC and more being created by others daily. As with everything, the props should add to the purpose of the lot. Sure the kids skipping is a great animated prop, as are the kids on the swing, but they're not appropriate for a police station or an industrial lot.
  

Most importantly add some realism through appropriate detail. What about handicap parking, phone boxes where people meet, boxes/crates behind shops etc.

BigRedFish has done some great work in making the ingame automata (e.g. cars and trucks) into static props. Have a look at the BSC Vehicle Prop Thread for details and download.

See Appendix D for some of the technical details of these considerations, such as cars on carparks and lighting.

For LE use, see Beginners Lot Tutorial and the Lot Editor Review .

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[deadwoods 542]

~ Step 5. BAT/Lot Adv Config and Customisation ~
This section is concerned with the bells and whistles of lot making - modding. You do not need to do any of these customisations to have a workable BAT Lot, but they all add value to your lot.

a. Add custom attributes/exemplars through iLive's Reader
This will depend on the custom attributes being set, but you're likely to be setting the following:

• Jobs and Demand - Adding jobs to ploppable buildings can be reasonably straightforward. Have a look at the thread Adding Jobs to Ploppables . If you add jobs to a ploppable, you will probably need a custom query to see the jobs (see below). Adding jobs to growable buildings is far more involved. You might want to have a look at the following threads: Landmarks are now available with employment , Demand Created/Satisfied Properties and Job Distribution Property? . They all discuss aspects of demand and jobs on custom growable lots.
  
• Desirability - This is another complex area, and I'm still investigating.
  
• Sound - There are a number of sounds associated with a lot, such as the plop sound and bulldoze sound. But the one most folks are interested in is the query sound. If you create a new BAT Lot based on a Park, you will get the default Park sound. Kids playing may not be appropriate to your funeral home, so you might want to change the SFX:Query Sound (0xAA1DD397) parameter using the Reader. Pegasus has written a brief tutorial on importing custom sounds in the Custom query sound - tutorial request thread. I've posted a number of query sound numbers in Appendix E .
  

SimGoober has written a Tutorial - Converting a Landmark to a Plop with Jobs thread. It discusses many of the attributes you want to mod on a ploppable building.

For general modding info, see the Modding Tutorials - Basic & Advanced and the Make your own mods! thread.

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b. Menu placement
The menu/sub-menu placement depends on the attributes set on the building. If you created the building and dragged it over the Park option in the Plugin Manager, it will appear under the Parks sub-menu. At this point in time, you cannot create your own menu tree. However you can control the placement of your building within the submenu.

There are a number of factors controlling the menu placement, occupant group (which will be set when you use the plugin manager, as mentioned above), item order and plop cost. The occupant group will define which of the existing menu/sub-menu branch the lot will appear under (e.g. Transportation/Rail). The parent cohort exemplar may also affect the menu placement (if the occupant group has not been set). The item order and plop cost will determine the order of the lots under that menu/sub-menu. Lots are ordered by item order, then plop cost within item order. If two lots have an item order of x35 (simgoober), then the one with the lowest plop cost will come before the one with the higher plop cost. See the Item Order exemplar and RH Menus threads for details .

There was a lot of discussion prior to Rush Hour (/Deluxe) about menu placement and custom menus. For historical reference, see Help on Creating New Menus, Submenus Thread! . This work did not progress, and to date there is no way to create custom menu/sub-menu branches.

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c. Add a custom query
There are a number of different queries people talk about when referring to lots:

• Hover queries - this is the dialog box shown when the mouse is in query mode and you move it over a lot (i.e. hover). On any lot there will be many hover queries as each prop, as well as the building, will show something when you hover the mouse over it. You cannot control what goes into the hover query, other than the name displayed.
  
• Lot query - this is the query you get when the mouse is in query mode and you click on a lot. You can extensively customise this. This query is the one folks refer to as the custom query as it's the one people customise.
  
• Transit query - this is the query you get when the mouse is in transit query mode and you click on the lot. It shows the number of workers on the lot and the different transit types relevant to the lot. You can't control what information is displayed on this query.
  

The main colour of the queries is determined by the type of lot, which is normally based on the OccupantGroups or ParentCohort exemplars. For example, if the lot is a park lot, the default colour for queries will be green. If it's an industrial lot, the default colour for the queries will be yellow. You can change the colours of the lot query, but you can't change the colours of the hover or network queries.

To build custom queries, see Daeley's excellent Custom Query Tutorial . There are also some good discussions on:
- Simoleons Logo in Queries discussing the custom query backgrounds and trying transparency.
- The Query Doctoring Thread a detailed Q&A post by Daeley.
- Daeley's Custom Query Stuff a query showcase thread.

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d. Transit/Network Enable the Lot
The terms Transit Enabled is often used to mean both Transit Enabled and Network Connected (or Enabled).Transit Enabled means that different transit types (e.g. pedestrian, bus, car, train) are able to enter a lot and/or transition at the lot. For example, someone might transition from a bus to pedestrian at the edge of a lot. Network Enabled means network types (road, train, subway, water etc.) can be connected to specific tiles in a lot and potentially pass right through a lot (such as building a custom train station).

There are normally three types of network/transit enabling done for a lot:

• Transit Enabling a lot so that a transit query shows different forms of transport entering your lot. You may want to consider people walking, catching busses and cars for most lots.
  
• Network Enabling to the edge of a lot so that you can see vehicles entering your lot (and disappearing!). This adds more realism with your lot roads actually connecting to the SC roads (i.e. driveways or crossovers over the sidewalk/footpath)
  
• Network Enabling through a lot so the user can drag a road right through, and theoretically use U-Drive-It through your lot.
  

You can network enable to all types of networks (Road, Rail, Highway, Street, Pipe, PowerPoles, Avenue, Subway, Elevated Rail, Monoral, One-way Roads and Ground Highways). Be aware that you can only have one network type on each tile (not sure how Maxis do crossings). Some networks (such as avenues and highways) require multiple tiles.

Also be aware that if you road network enable (i.e. road, street, highway etc.) a lot and it's plopped beside an existing road, SC will connect your tile to the existing road. If you use a road/avenue network on your tile, you will get traffic lights, which will add to traffic tranist times. If you only want a minor entrance to your lot, use a street network connection.

See the Transit Enable vs. Network Tiles - Not the same? thread for a discussion of the difference between Transit and Network Enabling. See the Tutorial to transit network enable your lots .

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e. Add custom streetlights
You can build lights that work in the same way as the standard Maxis streetlamps/sidewalk lamps (see Appendix D showing the standard lights). For details and the light models, see the Lampposts. How does maxis do it??? thread.

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[deadwoods 542]

~ Step 6. Testing the Lot ~
This step is concerned with testing the lot prior to publishing it.

a. Testing a ploppable lot
Testing of ploppables is straightforward and should include:

• Test lot's appearance and characteristics in menu
  
• Plop lot and view from all angles and zoom levels at day to check look
  
• Switch to night and test lighting (may take some time to switch on)
  
• Test any custom queries etc.
  

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b. Testing a growable lot
Testing of growables is harder as you can't force the building to appear, you have to give it the appropriate environment (desirability and demand). You may need to zone an area with multiple of your lot size and if lots appear that aren't the one you're after, delete them. Testing should include:

• Wait for lot to appear in the appropriately zoned areas
  
• View from all angles and zoom levels at day to check look
  
• Switch to night and test lighting (may take some time to switch on)
  
• Test any custom queries etc.
  

~ back to index | top of section | next section ~

[deadwoods 542]

~ Step 7.Packaging and Publishing the Lot ~
This section is concerned with packaging the lot and associated files and getting it published on the STEX. There's a lot more to it than just zipping the file and putting in on the STEX. This is where you make the lot usable to the average punter.

a. Packaging PROPS into a .dat file
If you've built some new props in the BAT, you will have a set of .SC4MODEL and .SC4DESC files. These will be required by anyone using your BAT Lots, so you need to ship them with the BAT Lot files. The best way to do this is to collect all prop .SC4MODEL and .SC4DESC files into a single .dat file and indlude a description of them:

• Create a list of props. Could be a txt file or HTML file (allows the use of pictures)
  
• Use iLive's Files2DAT (or Reader) to package prop files (.sc4model and .sc4desc files) into a single .dat file
  

~ back to index | top of section | next section ~

b. Packaging TEXTURES into a .dat file
All textures (base and overlay textures you've applied to your lot in the Lot Editor) should also be packaged into a .dat file. Some people package both their prop files and texture files into a single .dat. Current thinking is to package them separately and put something like Prop and Textures in the .dat file name. Steps are as for the PROPS:

• Create a list of textures. Could be a txt file or HTML file (allows the use of pictures)
  
• Use iLive's Files2DAT (or Reader) to package texture files into a single .dat file
  

~ back to index | top of section | next section ~

c. Write a readme.txt file
ALL lots should have a readme, irrespective of how obvious you think the lot is. It doesn't have to be fancy; a simple text file is the standard (although there are some HTML readme's floating around.

The structure of the readme is up to you and you may want to follow a unique but consistent style with all your lots. However, you should consider including:

• Brief description of the lot
  
• Summary of changes (version control!)
  
• List of key exemplars used
  
• Install instructions
  
• Details of any pre-reqs (such as external dat files, like bldgprop_1.dat)
  
• Details of any inclided .dat files
  
• Credits to other folks who's work you've included (including the owners of prop packs)
  

I've posted some sample headings/structures for README's in Appendix G below.

You should document install/uninstall instructions. This will normally tell the user where to put the files. If you have a combination of building .sc4desc/.sc4model/.sc4lot files, some prop .dat files and maybe some texture .dat files, you should have a read of GrampAl's Tutorial on the use and organization of the Plugins folders and then include the relevant info in the readme.

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d. Create jpg files of the lot for STEX
Why do you need images? For one you need something to post on the STEX when you upload your files (most lots get rated on the picture in the STEX, not the lot in the game) and it is helpful for those folks who download hundreds of custom lots and try to figure out what they've got.

You will need atleast one image for the ST Exchange (STEX), but best practice is to provide one day and one night file. I've found the screen capture (Album) funtion in SC to be best for this as it produces consistent sized images. If you do this you will need to use Photoshop (or equivalent) to convert the picture to jpeg.

You need to:

• Create a day shot (screen capture in SC)
  
• Create a night shot (screen capture in SC)
  

You may also want to put a custom logo and some text onto the images (I normally use Photoshop). Watch the size of the images. They shouldn't be bigger than 800 wide x 600 high.

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e. Package Lot files
The standard for the STEX is to have all files in a single Zip file. As you've started with a BAT building you should have the following files in the zip:

• The .sc4model file
  
• The .sc4desc file (this is not strictly needed but it's convention to include it)
  
• The .sc4lot file
  
• The README file, and
  
• The .jpg images.
  

It's a matter of personal preference as to whether you include any PROP and TEXTURE .dat files in your zip. If they are likely to be used in other lots or by other BAT/Lot builders, it's better to publish them separately on the STEX. Whichever you choose, it should be clear in the readme whether the end-user has to go and get them or whether they're in the zip.

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f. Test packaging
There's nothing worse than publishing a lot and then realising (or being told) that you're missing something. I found out the hard way when some of my lots were missing a texture file. Before publishing a lot, clean out all relevant file copies and then extract your zip file to ensure that all bits are there. Then re-test the lot in SC!

~ back to index | top of section | next section ~

g. Upload to STEX
Upload the lot to STEX and use one of the jpeg images and a reasonable description of the lot. Instructions on how to do this are on the STEX. Normal convention is to use two images, 1 day and 1 night. But this is not a hard'n'fast rule.

Note one trap... make sure you type the lot title in correctly (check it) before you submit. Once it's gone into the system, there's no way to change the name (I found this out the hard way too).

If you've chosen to upload your PROP and TEXTURE .dat files separately, then do that too. Note that there are separate categories on the STEX for PROPS and TEXTURES.

Then monitor STEX for comments or problems found with the package.

~ back to index | top of section | next section ~

[deadwoods 542]

~ Appendix A - General Info and Preparation ~
This appendix lists more technical information relating to general BAT development and preparation.

Currently there is nothing in this section... Zero. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada!!!

If you have some technical information, or found a really good thread that applies here, please PM me.

~ back to index | top of section | next section ~

[deadwoods 542]

~ Appendix B - gmax/BAT Technical Info ~
This appendix lists more technical information relating to gmax use and BAT modelling

The topics in this appendix are:
- Caliban's GMAX hints

Caliban's GMAX Hints

This may not be the appropriate thread for this, but Caliban has published some great gmax tips in response to some other threads (particularly in the BAT - Workshop forum). I thought it would be useful to capture them in one place. If you have any other tips, please PM me.

Caliban, with Lord Quillan 2, has also written a custom gmax/BAT lighting rig for large buildings. See the Replacement Huge CamLightRig thread.

Zooming in a BAT Preview Render
If doing a BAT preview render on a large building, the render preview will be zoomed out to include the entire building. You can use the following shortcuts to help:

• Ctrl click the preview to zoom (or mouse wheel).
  
• Right click and hold for image information.
  
• Shift to drag around zoomed view (or middle button)
  

Building goes dark in gmax
The problem logged by Cobb32118 was as soon as I place the first spotlight, my whole model goes into this night mode, where everything turns black unless illuminated. This is cool for placing lights, but then it makes it too hard to see if I want to edit anything else.

Caliban's response was as follows:
This isn't actually night mode, its just the viewport not dealing well with the lighting model and happens to everyone to some degree.

However, you can always make the viewport display default lighting

• Select the Perspective View
  
• Choose Viewport Configuration from the Customise Menu
  
• Tick the Default Lighting checkbox. This emulates either 1 or 2 Onmi Lights.
  

These lights are positioned relative to the virtual camera so you can rotate the view freely without an area being in shadow.

If you have some technical information, or found a really good thread that applies here, please PM me.

~ back to index | top of section | next section ~

[deadwoods 542]

~ Appendix C - Plugin Manager Technical Info ~
This appendix lists more technical information relating to plugin manager use and BAT configuration.

Currently there is nothing in this section... Zero. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada!!!

If you have some technical information, or found a really good thread that applies here, please PM me.

~ back to index | top of section | next section ~

[deadwoods 542]

~ Appendix D - Lot Development Technical Info ~
This appendix lists more technical information relating to developing lots using the Lot Editor.

The topics in this appendix are:
- Lights and Lighting
- Carparks and Cars

Lights and Lighting
Until I started investigating this, I was convinced that the only lighting that could be created for the game was what was created using gmax/BAT. I was wrong. There are a number of light props that you can add with the lot editor that will actually illuminate what's under them real time in the game.

The following pictures show the light props I've found in the game (I believe this is the set that comes with RH+SC4).





The props are:
1. C1x1x8_$$$lamppost_1DFC
2. C1x1x8_$$lamppost_1DFB
3. Street1x1x12_TstreetlightDiag_28E6
4. Streetlight1x1x11_$$$StreetlightBanner1_2A5A
5. Streetlight1x1x11_$$$StreetlightBanner2_2A5B
6. Streetlight1x1x11_$$$StreetlightBanner3_2A5C
7. Streetlight1x1x11_$$$Streetlight_2B29
8. Streetlight1x1x11_$$$Streetlightdiagonal_2ABB
9. Streetlight1x1x11_$$Streetlight_69AD
10. Streetlight1x1x11_$$Streetlight_high_69AD
11. Streetlight1x1x11_$$Streetlightdiagonal_89F0
12. Streetlight1x1x11_$$Streetlightdiagonal_high_89F0
13. Streetlight1x1x11_$$streetlightDiagonalAVE_2CC1
14. Streetlight1x1x11_$$streetlightOffset_2C56
15. Streetlight1x1x11_$StreetlightDiagonalAVE_2CC0
16. Streetlight1x1x11_$StreetlightOffset_2C57
17. Streetlight1x1x11_$Streetlight_2A58
18. Streetlight1x1x11_$Streetlightdiagonal_2ABA
19. Streetlight1x1x11_MdSuspBridge_Lamp_2C07
20. Streetlight_GoldenGate_69ea0000

You will see a few theme's in the lights; there are some expensive/ornate park/footpath lights that illuminate around the light fittings but don't shine on the ground, there are some ornate $$$ street lights, some normal (basic steel) $$ street lights, some basic wooden pole $ lights and some specialist bridge lights. All of the $$ and $ lights will illuminate objects underneath them.

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Carparks and Cars
The SC-supplied texture set includes a number of carpark textures with a road/track down the middle and five parking spaces one one or both sides of the road. These spaces align with the LotCarCluster props.

There are 150 of these props that can be used to show cars parked on the lots. The props with cars that match the standard carpark textures are all named like:

CorR16x7x3_ValNbrLotCarCluster-Map_TGINbr

Where:

• CorR is C (for Commercial) or R (for Residential). This determines whether the cars are there during the day © or during the night ®.
  
• 16x7x3 is the size of the prop (it matches the carpark textures).
  
• Val is the value of the cars; $ = low wealth, $$ = medium wealth, $$$ = high wealth. I doubt this has anything to do with the wealth of the lot, just the quality of cars.
  
• Nbr is the number of cars in the prop.
  
• LotCarCluster is standard for all these props.
  
• Map is like a bitmap of the cars, 1 = car, 0 = space. For example 01011 will mean there's a car in the second, fourth and fifth spots (from the left with the prop arrow pointing up).
  
• TGINbr is the Type-Group-Instance number identifying this prop.
  

For example C16x7x3_$$$1LotCarCluster-00001_283C would have one high wealth car in the fifth spot during the day.

After digging thought the simcity_1.day file I've found the following:

• There are 150 LotCarCluster props, not including Dealer car props, Police car props etc.
  
• The props all have a Prop Time of Day attribute that shows the start/finish time of the prop. So if you wanted to have some cars there only for a specific period (e.g. morning shift at a factory, cinema screening times) you could pick the props based on these times. As mentioned in the previous posts you can put multiple LotCarCluster props on top of each other to simulate cars coming and going at different times.
  
• The prop Exemplar files also show a Requester Satisfaction attribute with value of Wealth. I assume this means that if you use a $$$ car lot prop and the lot is $, the cars won't show up.
  
• There are two prop families associated with the LoCarCluster props; 0xA000000F for the Residential props and 0xA000003D for the Commercial props. So if you weren't too fussed about when the cars come and go, you could just place the two prop families on each carpark section and let the simulator work out what should go there. I've go no idea what logic it would use to determine this.
  

I've attached a spreadsheet containing all 150 LotCarCluster props. It lists the Instance number, the prop name, the start time (hours in 24-hour notation) and end time (hours in 24-hour notation).

If you have some technical information, or found a really good thread that applies here, please PM me.

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[deadwoods 542]

~ Appendix E - Advanced Config/Modding Technical Info ~
This appendix lists more technical information relating to modding lots and use of iLive's reader.

The topics in this appendix are:
- Query sounds
- Common lot exemplar values

Query Sounds
This section of the thread lists some of the more common sounds you can use with queries. It's not a complete list, only the sounds I've come across. I don't intend to maintain it as a complete list, just provide a base for those that don't want to get too carried away with query sounds.

Default Sounds
There are default sounds for each of the building types. They are:
- 0x4A890F5B Residential (doorbell),
- 0x2A8916AB Commerical Services (cash register),
- 0xEA55BAAB Industrial,
- 0xEA55BDEB Commerical Office,
- 0xAA8A4B05 Industrial Agricultural,
- 0x2A8C9F8D Landmark (cameras, ooh-aah)

If you choose the appropriate Parent Cohort for your building, you will get these sounds by default

Other Sounds
I found some other sounds listed on a thread:
- 0x2A8C9F38 US Anthem (White House),
- 0x4A55BA9D School sound,
- 0x6A62C900 Fire station sound,
- 0x8A4C6575 Army base sound,
- 0x2A55BC25 Movie studio sound

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Some common Lot Exemplar Values
This section of the thread lists some of the more common exemplar values you may be changing if you mod the lot. The values were suppled by cerulean (thanks). Note that this is not a complete list, and you should search the Modding forums for more details.

Purpose
This is a Uint8 data type. The purpose values are:
- 0x01 Residential
- 0x02 Services
- 0x03 Office
- 0x04 Tourist
- 0x05 Agriculture
- 0x06 Processing (Dirty Industry)
- 0x07 Manufacturing
- 0x08 High Tech Industry
- 0x09 Other

Wealth
This is a Uint8 data type. The wealth values are:
- 0x01 Low
- 0x02 Medium
- 0x03 High

Capacity Satisfied
This is a Uint32 data type. The capacity satisfied values are:
- 0x00003320 CO$$
- 0x00003330 CO$$$
- 0x00003110 CS$
- 0x00003120 CS$$
- 0x00003130 CS$$$
- 0x00001010 R$
- 0x00001020 R$$
- 0x00001030 R$$$
- 0x00004100 Agriculture
- 0x00004200 Dirty Industry
- 0x00004300 Dirty Manufacturing
- 0x00004400 High Tech Industry

Occupant Groups
DarkMatter started a thread some time ago listing the occupant groups. These are used to determine what menu item the ploppable lot gets and also some of the dynamic characteristics of the lot. See Modding Tips: Occupant Groups, Behavior, and Menu Representation . The list of occupant groups is not complete and some of the transportation ones have changed with Rush Hour (/Deluxe). See the Menu placement discussion above.

If you have some technical information, or found a really good thread that applies here, please PM me.

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[deadwoods 542]

~ Appendix F - Testing, Packaging and Publishing ~
This appendix lists more technical information relating to the final stages of lot development, the testing, packaging and publishing of lot files.

The topics in this appendix are:
- Structure of some Sample README Files

Structure of some Sample README Files
I've been looking at some of the README.TXT files used by some of the folks here and thought it would be useful to list the types of things in them. I hope the authors don't mind.

Toroca's Mods
Toroca's mods always have a readme file, and it's sometimes in HTML format. The headings he uses are:
- Technical Notes about the file,
- Disclaimer containing the legalese,
- Version Compatibility listing the versions of SC that the mod works with (or was tested with),
- Installation/Removal giving instructions and comments on installing and removing the mod,
- Mod Details listing the implications of the mod on the game,
- Additional Notes containing all other details about the mod,
- Special Thanks to those that helped, and
- History listing the versions with dates and summaries of changes

This is a thorough structure that could be used as a model for a BAT Lot README file.

CSX Lots
Vlakhaas and associates have got a very professional operation going and it shows in the documentation provided with the lots. They tend to split the README's into two files, the generic readme's that apply to all their lots and a redme with specific info for a particular lot.

The generic readme contains generic information such as the legalese, naming standards and credits.

The specific README contains the following:

• Some general info and a reference to the generic readme,
  
• Lot Name,
  
• Lot Credits giving credit to the author of the lot and/or building/props,
  
• Certification Results showing results of the internal CSX quality control, including references to pre-req .dat files,
  
• The STORY behind the Lot giving the lot a bit of character (or is that giving the lot a LOT of character),
  
• Lot Size giving the size in tiles and reference to WATER and POWER (etc.) requirements,
  
• Menu Placement where in the menu the lot lives,
  
• Plop Notes giving instructions on plopping the lot,
  
• Installation and UnInstall instructions, and
  
• Credits
  

The CSX documentation is also a great model for your BAT Lot readme files, especially if you plan on producing many lots.

Sample from My Lots
Here's a sample from a lot I posted.


DEDWD DP Medium Servo (Res) Readme
----------------------------------
This is the readme file for all files contained in this zip.

This Deadwoods Petroleum (dp) medium service station (servo) is for the residential areas. It features a car wash, for keeping the pride and joy clean, more pumps so you're not delayed getting home, and a large shop selling most life's needs.


Lot Technical Information
-------------------------

Name: DEDWD dp Medium Servo Residential
Size: 2 x 2
Plop/Grow: Ploppable
Water Reqd.: Yes
Power Reqd.: Yes
Jobs: Yes (9)
Custom Query: Yes

This lot does not require any prior zoning before plopping.


Other Required Files
--------------------
This lot has been tested on SimCity RH4. It requires no additional .dat files (other than my props .dat file listed above).


Files in This Zip
-----------------

The zip file contains the following files:

DEDWD_dp_MediumServoRes2x2_cd6f0c67.SC4Lot - The lot file
DEDWD_dp_MediumServoRes_README.txt - This readme
DEDWD_Props_v1.0.dat - All custom props for the lot
DEDWD_Props_v1.0_README.txt - Readme for the props .dat file
MediumServoRes_day.jpg - Day shot of lot
MediumServoRes_night.jpg - Night shot of lot

Note that there is no .SC4DESC or .SC4MODEL file for this lot (they're in the props .dat file).


Installation Instructions
-------------------------

1. If you do not have a later version of my props .dat file (they will be cumulative) extract the DEDWD_Props_v1.0.dat file to your c:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Plugins directory

2. Extract the DEDWD_dp_MediumServoRes2x2_cd6f0c67.SC4Lot to your My Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins directory.

The other files are just for information and can be placed anywhere.


Uninstall Instructions
----------------------
Delete the DEDWD_dp_MediumServoRes2x2_cd6f0c67.SC4Lot file from the My Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins directory.

You do not need to remove the props .dat file.


History
-------
v1.0 25/03/04 Deadwoods Originally developed



If you have some technical information, or found a really good thread that applies here, please PM me.

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~ End of Compendium ~

[cammo2003 20]

I think this gets across what I was going to say... That's an awful lot of repeat instances for one thread. Maybe a more tactful way of posting this would've been to stagger the release a little...

 

From scanning this, though, it looks like a good tute, and in fact looks suitably presented to be omnibus material.

It's probably the most complete tutorial I've seen...

 

It's good of you to mention documentation, too - I find it frustrating when it's not included. I generally keep the empty zips with only the docs remaining as a reference. (easy way to keep that aspect organised).

 

And you gathered this up from another thread?!? man, you do have patience... But that's a good thing.

[deadwoods 542]

I was expecting that. If there was a way to suppress the repeat messages I would have. This is the same as another document I wrote (referenced on the first page), but I needed to post a number of chunks of this together so the cross references would work. If I have staggered things a bit, the flow would be borken and if any of my posts had gone onto a second page, the cross references wouldn't work.

Sorry. Hopefully this post doesn't get filled with SPAM replies!

[BarbyW 40]

This is an excellent piece of work, deadwoods, and I congratulate you on the patience and dedication you have displayed. I would just add one point on the subject of merging files. iLive's Files2Dat program is a gem for doing just this. It is small and does exactly what it says - nothing more, nothing less.

Barby

[deadwoods 542]

Thanks Barby. The content is basically straight from my old quality lot guidelines post, but re-organised to make it easier to find info (and for me to maintain it). It took most of today to reorg the old post and an hour and a half to conver HTML into IdealBB-compliant HTML.

I'd forgotten about Files2DAT. I've added it. Thanks.

[Daeley 46]

wow, quite a lot of usefull stuff here! your work is very much appreciated

...and I'm in the Query section, yay!

[cat person 2]

Excellent DP.  Is there anyway that this can be packaged together and put in some form of a downloadable file?  I would really like to have all this info handy when i am not online.

If not, still thanks for the guidance.

[wolverine 12]

Wow!  This is great!  Thanks for taking the time for writing that Deadwoods.  This thread should be made sticky.

[Daeley 46]

Date:5/22/2004 12:20:49 PM
Author:cat person

Excellent DP.  Is there anyway that this can be packaged together and put in some form of a downloadable file?  I would really like to have all this info handy when i am not online.

If not, still thanks for the guidance.

quote>

you could just save this page

and to wolverine, this thread is a sticky

[sandrasim1 2]

Wow, deadwoods. This is a great piece of work. I can only agree with BarbyW and admire the dedication and patience.

[deadwoods 542]

Date: 5/22/2004 12:20:49 PM
Author:

Excellent DP. Is there anyway that this can be packaged together and put in some form of a downloadable file? I would really like to have all this info handy when i am not online.

If not, still thanks for the guidance.

quote>

As mentioned you could just save the page (although different browsers give you different results).

I've attached the HTML files I built the thread from. I don't plan on maintaining the HTML files as there is significant differences in formatting between real HTML and the IdealBB-compliant HTML, so maintaining both would be a pain. I'll be maintaining the thread version.

[SimGoober 2,365]

Deadwoods, I have been cosidering doing a mini tutorial on doing a direct conversion from a landmark lot to a commercial with jobs.  It took me weeks to find all the info to do this, as bits and pieces were spread everywhere.  Lots of people gave me hints, but there were always pieces missing.  Would this be an appropriate place to post it?  Also, any hints on writing it outside of the forums and posting it?  I've not done much with HTML, but if I write it in word (text only), and paste it in pieces, with a few pics, does that work?

[deadwoods 542]

G'day SimGoober. You can post it here if you'd like. As long as it's on the same page I can add a cross reference. The second option is to put it in a separate thread and I'll add some words and a link to my thread. A third option is to send me the info and I'll put it into the appropriate places.

As to using word, I'd stear clear of it. Native HTML is very straightforward and if edited in Notepad (or one of the hundreds of HTML friendly freeware editors) produces a very small file (have a look at the attacment I posted above). If you save a word document (esp one with pictures) you end up with a bloated set of files that may only work properly on IE. It's a bit more work to write raw HTML, but I prefer the results it gives (but then I'm an old programmer ).

[SimGoober 2,365]

I just downloaded a fre HTML editor.  I'll play with it over the next couple of days, and see how it works.  I'll send you the file once I'm done to put where appropriate.

[Vlakhaas 13]

Well what can I say but ... EXCELLENT !

Thank you very much.

[deadwoods 542]

FYI... I've just updated the compendium (ver 1.1?) with some additional info and over a dozen links. This includes:
- A discussion in the Intro section on approaches to lot building,
- A dozen new links in Section 2 (BAT Development) covering gmax/lighting/texturing how-to's,
- Links to some great recent tutorials by simgoober (landmark -> plopable), toroca (plopable -> growable) and cerulean (custom window textures).

[Thalassicus 33]

This REALLY needs to be posted on the BAT workshop and open discussion forums, and in the omnibus (possibly even on the main page). I've been doing searches for various bits of information contained in this thread over the past month, visiting both bat forums, reading various tutorial link threads and never came across it once! This would have saved me a whole lot of time