BAT Lot Development 101 - A Compendium of Information

[cerulean 15]

I think we appretiate the idea of having it in the bat areas, but we perefer to think of this forum as a place for the BSC to present what it knows. In a way we strive to show what we know, not in a we know this and you don't way, but in a hey we know this so should you kind of way. There are a lot of ideas around, and some of out ideas differ from even some of the Mod Squadd's ideas in some ways, so this forum is a way for us to say this is how we think lots should be made, mods should be done. In a way, I view the mods sections as a bit more experimental, and don't misunderstand me, they understand many things about modding that we may not, but their forums allow them to post pure data while the BSC forums allow us to say, this is how to practically apply this data. Plus, we make mistakes too, so these forums are a way for us to say this is what we have found, but use at your own risk so to speak.

So, that being said, this could probably be updated some. I have been thinking of making a couple of tutorials...one would be how to make roof textures. Flat roof textures acturally. So Thanks for the comment.

[deadwoods 542]

I must admint I've been so busy with BSC work, I haven't been as active in ST as I used to, so there are probably tons of updates I could make to this.

I think it used to be on the BAT forum and then got moved. Dunno. Anyway as it's stabilised a bit (i.e. I don't have a lot of time to maintain it) I should make it into static HTML pages and put it on the omnibus.

[Thalassicus 33]

Yeah, no harm done, just saying an extremely useful thread like this should be displayed on the front page in bright red flashing bold font!...well maybe not that flashy

It really threw me for a loop when I realized everything I had been spending time figuring out had already been posted in a beautiful, concise reference guide

The only humble suggestion I would make, is considering looking at DM's EasyTweaker for some of the lot modding. It makes things like converting BAT's to an RCI ploppable fast and painless with a comprehensive user interface, I use it on a regular basis now.

[Mikie 9]

I'm trying to follow these instructions but where there's links.   they lead up to deadspots where files no longer exists..  help!

[vadvaro 2]

https://www.simtropolis.com/modding/index.cfm?mode=files

[RippleJet 36]

Reposting deadwood's first post which was truncated in the crash May 2008:

Originally posted by: deadwoods

<center>BAT Lot Development 101

~ A Compendium of Information ~</center>

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

[RippleJet 36]

Reposting deadwood's third post that was truncated in the crash May 2008:

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Originally posted by: deadwoods ~ 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.

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

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

[RippleJet 36]

Reposting deadwood's fifth post which was truncated in the crash May 2008:

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Originally posted by: deadwoods ~ 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.

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

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 bu

[RippleJet 36]

Reposting deadwood's sixth post which was truncated in the crash May 2008:

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Originally posted by: deadwoods ~ 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 SFXuery 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.

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

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.

~ back to inde

[RippleJet 36]

Reposting deadwood's eigth post which was truncated in the crash May 2008:

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Originally posted by: deadwoods ~ 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

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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.

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

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

[RippleJet 36]

Reposting deadwood's twelvth post which was truncated in the crash May 2008:

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Originally posted by: deadwoods ~ 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.

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

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 ex

[RippleJet 36]

Reposting deadwood's fourteenth post which was truncated in the crash May 2008:

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Originally posted by: deadwoods ~ 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

[fabricio83tst 28]

Deadwoods i have a few questions i did read your topic all, and i made my model as prop export day and night scene with bat4max 4.5! Now my problems is the model as prop have zoom flag 12345, light set to true but the nighlights doesn't appears! What would be my problem and how to fix it please?! And for shadows i've a problem too, they doesnt appear out the model!

[fabricio83tst 28]

Please someone answer me! My model is paused only by these issues!!

[amanojakugman 0]

ok ok so where can I download it (building architect tool)

[deadwoods 542]

I'm surprised this thread has re-appeared. It disappeared during one of the ST upgrades over the years. I'll have to go through it in detail at some stage, I understand the links have been lost over the various ST iterations. I expect some of the content would be out date after six years. I know BarbyW updated the content for her "Guide to the creation of custom content for sharing with the community" thread at SC4D.

The thread wasn't really designed for specific "how do I do this", "this isn't working" or "where do I find this" type queries. There are heaps of other threads here and at SC4D covering these types of queries.