I have a modeling question

[thegrindre 28]

Hi all,

Been years since I played this game (9 or 10). LOL

I've been 3D modeling for years so I understand the process. I need to know what format SC4 uses for its models?

You see, I don't use Gmax or 3Ds Max. I use 3D Crafter and it will spit out quite a few modeling formats for games. What does SC 4 use so I can make a few more lots?

Thank you in advance,

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Good question.  I haven't done one of these in years, and I suspect the format is the 3DS Max Version from 2003, but whatever it is, it has to be loaded into the BAT somehow.  BAT is a gmax plugin.  The BAT renderer is the tool that makes the 2.5 D images acceptable to the game.

[rsc204 21,862]

You can import .3DS files into the SC4BAT for export, gMax is just a cut down version of 3DS max and SC4BAT is nothing more than an export script and scene settings for complying with the formats used in-game. I'm not sure how much, if any, work you may need to do to convert models to make them suitable for SC4BAT, so perhaps you should do some quick checks before spending hours modelling.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

This is certainly an area for testing from first principles with minimal data.  You may well find that all the hand springs to change the model into something suitable may better be replaced by just running gmax and the BAT.

[thegrindre 28]

No no, I'm not going to spend weeks or months trying to learning another 3D app, fellas. THAT's out of the question and is why I asked about the format SC 4 uses. My 3DC program  will spit out a number of game formats.

 

Anyway, BAT won't install on my PC. It says I don't have SC 4 installed. Sheesh!

 

Thanks, guys,

 

EDIT:

Yes, I can spit out a 3D Studio .3ds file. Also a 3D Studio .asc file.

Hmmm... There may be hope after all. :-)

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

If the BAT installer thinks you don't have the game installed, I am afraid you've purchased it from a source that uses an alternate structure for the game residency (Steam|Origin).  These DRM pretenders don't allow for after market software that expects the usual layout, and as a result, the old installers can't find the game.  Origin (EA) denies vehemently that the BAT even exists.

 

Unfortunately, you need the BAT or an equivalent to construct the necessary 2.5D views for the game.  If you really want to make this work, you will need the "standard" game structure which means that the simplest ploy would be to repurchase the game from one of the non-DRM vendors such as GamersGate, GOG or Amazon, all of whom supply the proper installation layout.  You should then be able to import your 3DS structure into the BAT (via gmax) to render your model.

 

Keep an eye out for a sale, and you can probably repurchase the game for as little as $5 U.S.

 

If you know one 3D editor, you can learn enough of gmax to import your model and call the BAT.

[thegrindre 28]

That maybe all true, Moose, but I have the original game I paied about $30 ($29.95?) for back when it first came out. I even have the original printed manual that came with it back in those days. (Who remembers those?) I do have the original game installed on another drive. It's my game drive and is where all my games are installed. I keep C: drive clean for all system files and it is a much smaller drive and too small for any games.

 

Thanks, though,

[rsc204 21,862]

A simple registry edit will solve this, the installer should but obviously doesn't know SC4 is installed, once you explicitly tell it where SC4 is, everything should work.

 

Otherwise, as a work around, uninstall/reinstall SC4 using the default locations. Install SC4BAT without this problem, then reinstall SC4 where you wanted it in the first place, a bit of a faff but if the registry is not something you want to play with, much easier to achieve. It only checks so fas as I know upon installing SC4BAT, so this issue should not arise running the program with SC4 installed on the game drive.

 

Honestly, why does everyone keep telling people to buy new copies of something they own, it's madness I tell thee! Everybody - rush out and buy a new toaster, not because you need one, there is a sale and you might get a new one cheap!

 

As usual, these problems are well documented and easily solvable, just because Origin won't help you to make something work, doesn't mean it won't.

[thegrindre 28]

I have no issues with editing the registry, I just don't know where to look. If the BAT isn't installed then there isn't a registry key to edit.
It's the BAT Installer that need editing. That's something I'd like to adjust but I haven't the tools or knowledge to do it.

If I could tell it where to look, I'd be a happy camper.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

If you have the game installed on, say, Drive D: from the disks, then the BAT installer should be able to find it.  Look in your Registry for Maxis (the search works fine).

 

If necessary you  could create a fake structure in your Program Files area that appears to be the game, but contains only the SimCity 4.exe.  I suspect the BAT installer doesn't look for anything else.  Once you get the BAT installed (with gmax of course) the fake can be deleted.  If the BAT installer actually looked in the Registry, you wouldn't be having this problem.

 

[thegrindre 28]

Thanks, Moose, but I don't think I need the BAT for anything. I don't ever remember using it in the past for any content I ever made for SC 4.

Why do I need the BAT? I'm going to build any models and I'm not going to learn Gmax.

[His Divine Hand 244]

Thanks, Moose, but I don't think I need the BAT for anything. I don't ever remember using it in the past for any content I ever made for SC 4.

Why do I need the BAT? I'm going to build any models and I'm not going to learn Gmax.

 

SC4 only can read proprietary file types, which you need the BAT tool to create.  Hence, why gmax would be necessary, as this is the tool that is used to make the renders for the BAT.  

[thegrindre 28]

I have a hand full of lots and I never ever fired up Gmax. I've never used it.

There is another way to create content for SC 4 but I can't remember how I did it.

[rsc204 21,862]

If you make a model in a third party application and want to use it in SimCity 4 you need both the SC4 BAT and gMax installed.

 

They are not two separate programs, one is just a layer for gMax to work with SC4 content.

 

There is (to my knowledge) no way around this, only the SC4 BAT knows how to correctly output a 3D model that can be used as a prop/model in game.

[thegrindre 28]

That maybe true but I've never used Gmax in my entire life. I've never made a 3D model for SC 4 either but I have made a number of lots for the game.

I'm just trying to remember how I did it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

The lot editor will make lots quite happily from existing components including the vast set of dependency libraries.  However, in order to get a new model into the game you must somehow get those 20 views that the BAT makes from the 3D model.  The only way I know of to do this is using the BAT which is a gmax gamepack.  It is a forced putt. 

 

How you make your model is up to you, but it must eventually be imported into gmax.  Perhaps you could decode the BAT and figure out what it does, but there are limits to patience and the time taken to take apart a working tool.

 

You don't have to "know" gmax to simply use it as a rendering tool.  A pass through this tutorial should tell you all you need to know.  Look at the forest, not the trees.

[MandelSoft 2,775]

Well, it depends on what you want to make. The BAT is there for buildings and props. Since the BAT has to render the model and generate the proper files, there is no way around the BAT for this.

The only exception is when you want to make things like transit models or automata, iLives Reader and something that can read and export 3DS files will suffice.