Need some help first BAT!

EffTheGrid · August 14, 2020

5 minutes ago, CT14 said:

along with a Blank-based Building exemplar.

could you please elaborate?

Krasner · August 14, 2020

47 minutes ago, Sloppyjoemess said:

could you please elaborate?

he would probably elaborate himself but to make it a prop you need to make a transparent BAT (like an untextured box, totally transparent) to be the actual model and what shows as the building is a prop. that's the most simple way to make overhanging buildings, even if there's an other way using the reader to reduce the models footprint or something (don't clearly remember that)

back in the day i used the blank model method for this for instance https://www.toutsimcities.com/downloads/view/3301

CT14 · August 14, 2020

Again there are tons of ways to do this but here is what works for me - no extra downloads needed for this method.

Drag this blank from the right: image.png.bece4a6987035ea1c8ecac2e16692973.png

To one of these on the left:

image.png.5e4eef1837122320ab09c295340731df.png

Right click in resulting new building, "Create a lot". Same process for growables.

Balancing capacity is required with this method. The blank model comes into the Building exemplar with Occupant Size as 8x1x8m, and the Capacity Satisfied value of the resulting building exemplar is probably too low, based on that.

You can double click the Occupant Size line, adjust this value to match the BAT prop's LOD size, right click the building exemplar panel and "Recompute properties" as whatever type you chose (CS$ etc) then change the blank back to 8x1x8. That way you get a better number of jobs (Capacity Satisfied), not the small number of jobs which is default for the blank.

It will ask about filling degree when you recalculate - leave filling degree at 0.5 if you like - it's meant to represent the amount of the BAT's size that is actually represented by the building - 1.0 for a footprint matching the LOD's dimensions fully.

image.png.5afd2fd794424ffe005420965523411c.png

EffTheGrid · August 14, 2020

Thanks guys! I think it all makes sense now.

Just have to tidy up some values and I'll post it up. Huge thanks!!

image.png.2c80635ddca9abb959a75ba4a4abc507.png

EffTheGrid · August 15, 2020

Who wants to be a beta tester??

Also, which exemplar determines the water requirement? I'd like for this lot not to require water. Will fix before I upload

DOWNLOAD: FA CVS PLOP.zip

CT14 · August 15, 2020

Taking a gander

Edit: Water Consumed (monthly) is 0x00000002, in the Building exemplar - in the Reader, set this to 0x00000000 to make the building use no water monthly. Good catch - I'll be doing this for a lot of mine too.

Edit 2: Capacity Satisfied still needs to be adjusted as above.

Edit 3: Plop Cost on the building is 918 simoleans (0x00000396 hex) - update this if you don't want a pricey plop. ~250 is probably a little kinder

Edit 4: Building name in game when hovering in Landmarks menu is 'invisible_box' - this exemplar value is user facing and should be easy to find and change

Edit 5: Brown box in game when plopped, no prop showing - means building model is not available - (this should be the "blank" model from the post above or the other one Krasner mentioned)

Edit 6: PIM X Lot Editor shows the FA_CVS-island prop but nothing appears in the preview window - just a large invisible prop - check the render from Gmax. The invisible blank should be one of the pre-existing standard models available in PIM-X, and your custom prop should be visible in the preview.

Lot size. You probably want a 1x1 plop lot for this.

FA2 vs FA3 - picture above shows a FA3 BAT but files are named FA or FA2

Happy to help with any questions about any of this, or look at it again - your models are great!

CT14 · August 15, 2020

I screencasted the process of creating a BAT prop with Gmax and putting it on a lot with an invisible blank building using only Maxis content and PIM-X - 8 minutes total. Also shows adjusting water usage in Reader.

Here are the links to the two videos of the process:

Part 1

Part 2

Note my 'save/close' buttons in PIM-X are partly cut off by the taskbar... I hope this helps give an idea of the end to end process.

EffTheGrid · August 15, 2020

CT!! Huge thanks for the videos. I know that you could tell from my calamitous beta test that this is exactly what I needed!! Just finished up modelling another build so I'll hopefully get the batch done at the same time tomorrow. I think I'll have some time to really sink my teeth in.

1 hour ago, CT14 said:

Brown box in game when plopped, no prop showing

I'll include the invisible cube file in the next version as well. Sorry about the brown box. I've been in the scene long enough to know that's quite gauche lol. I'm a bit curious why the prop isn't showing up. Perhaps I included the wrong version? I think I still had one as a no wealth prop in the same folder. hmmmm.

1 hour ago, CT14 said:

picture above shows a FA3 BAT but files are named FA or FA2

I think the angle may have gotten lost in the screenshot a bit. it's definitely FA2 (I did panic a little and check with a protractor really quickly haha) but I see what you mean as the building is technically 1x3. Basically, it's 2x4, cut in half diagonally, with the fourth tile lobbed off. I chose that footprint so it can be used in lots of situations. If it was a bit longer, you couldn't use it in 1x3 setups. I'm trying to make these pieces as versatile as I can

49 minutes ago, CT14 said:

I hope this helps give an idea of the end to end process.

I believe it does! It's intensely helpful to see all of the steps involved. Thanks for taking the time. I'll repay you with low-rise commercials and tenements haha

here's something to put across the street (also fa2)

image.png.c92bae3d2395f89152e8c5706a9c7657.png image.png.9272f7a1acfd6fae506f0e0815cb2020.png image.png.5958b4f0a0a030f2671a9291b1df6b94.png image.png.cf5f14f890fbb3aea0ac4e4cf97c0f54.png