How to create a lot with night mode?

[Rayworld90 388]

Hi guys, i created and added some lots for SimCity 4 but they are all just in day mode. If i would like to create a model with the night mode too, wich is the procedure?

Thank you so much

[debussyman 1,348]

Hi RAyworld90

What exactly do you mean? I assume you are talking about nightlights in BAT, correct?

For that you have to make them in gmax/BAT going to create>lights>standard and select the type of light depending on your needs. After creating them add the word "nitelite" to the name of the light itself and when you render the model it will iluminate the building.

[Rayworld90 388]

Correct! I try right now! Thank you so much debussyman!

[Rayworld90 388]

Hey, I added lights as you wrote me, calling them nitelite (I use 3ds max for my job and the procedure is the same), during rendering i sow the night render but in the game there are no lights. 

The directory for light is a bit different: create>lights>free spotlight

[debussyman 1,348]

Hmmm. That's strange.

Is your game correctly updated? If it is, maybe you could attach here the exported model to try and find out what is wrong.

[Rayworld90 388]

I don't have any "night mod", i use the game night mode, could this be the problem?

[debussyman 1,348]

I'm not really versed on the different night mods, but if you are using gmax, there shouldn't be a problem at all with the standard maxis night view.

[Rayworld90 388]

Thank you, i will try with another model. Maybe i have to set the light "power" or direction.

[debussyman 1,348]

Is your lastest upload the file with the problem?

I just checked it quickly in the reader, and the nightlighting seems to be exported, but looks strange, maybe the lights are too dim?

Edit: in game they do appear, the ones in the platform are bright enough, but the ones in the main building are too faint; also, play a bit with the falloff so they don't look so sharp.

[Rayworld90 388]

Exactly! thank you!

[Rayworld90 388]

@debussyman it's incredible how my nightlights doesn't works. More than one year after our last conversation I'm still not able to turn on the lights. I tried modifying the falloff, playing with all the options, but nothing happens. I think I definitely stopped trying.
Maybe I have a strange version of BAT, or I need some patches for the night lights, I don't know.
However thank you again for your help!

[rsc204 21,808]

If you are using the disk version of sc4, you must install a special patch to allow nitelites to appear in game on custom buildings. I’d check if you can see lights on a model that includes them, loads of options in the STEX, just to test this works for your game.

If you are using either the Mac or Origin versions of SC4, these are unpatched and it is not possible to patch them either. Other digital editions should come pre-patched automatically. 

[Rayworld90 388]

Thanks, I have a disk version of sc4. When I render the model using BAT i can see the lights but then, they doesn't appears in the game. I think I need the special patch for custom buildings as you wrote.
 

[rsc204 21,808]

There are two patches, the first ‘EP1’ patch which is a mandatory requirement for the second NiteLighting patch. You can find those here under the STEX category Maxis Files.