AP

It's really easy and does look so much better! As soon as I realized that is possible, I started doing it on all my projects: This tutorial describes how to use anti aliasing and post processing on GMAX created BATs, it includes also the link to the HD render script for GMAX: (I believe the download link on sc4 devotion is broken at the moment, but I am happy to send you the HD render script in a pm if you like - let me know) Looks like this: Even though the HD option is under "preview", if selected the render and output will be in HD! I understand if the anti-aliasing and post-processing is too cumbersome for you and you would like to avoid that, but the HD rendering is really just replacing one file in the gmax folder, so totally worth it.

May I ask if you render these in HD?

A new scratch built collier is progressing: (watch till the end ~10 sec)

Totally off topic and not to be picky, but you have a port lantern on the fore and a stbd lantern on the aft mast, is that intentional?

I had the same issue and as suddenly as it appeared it disappeared again - computer restarts or reinstallation of gmax can also be helpful. If you need to have the same window in a row, I highly recommend the array function, which I am sure you are aware of. (In case you are not: just instead of a ring like in this tutorial you would of course use the linear function)

@gwada971 That's it! Thanks for your help! @CorinaMarie / @Cyclone Boom Maybe this dependency could be noted to make it easier for new users Thanks all!

Also have this little guy... so odd, I must have broken something. I think I will need to go back and start a folder from scratch to try to circle it in. Alternatively, I was thinking of this:

Thanks for the hint, but unfortunately I also have this one in my plugins folder, so that also can't be it...

hm, ... I do have PEG-OWW2_RESOURCE.dat and PEG-OWW2_RESOURCE2.dat in my plugins folder from here. (also of course the two dependencies listed directly with the files) If you look carefully at the screenshots of the preview I posted and compare it to the screenshot of the CDK file, could it be the green umbrella that I am missing? (does not make too much sense, I fear)

Does anyone of our old pros know what dependency I am missing on these two lots, I have been checking up and down and could not figure it out! CDK Marina Guest Service CDK Marina Boat Ramp

I should have mentioned, I am using CAM and no SPAM. Also this could be very helpful: Although if I read it right the Agri demand should be 0. Referring to the demand screenshot in the post above I managed to get a bit of High tech demand now, which you can see in this screenshot and it also is reflected in the bar chart in the game

Can someone explain to me why I have this agricultural demand all of a sudden?

I am experiencing the exact same. With actually the exact same package, funny enough. But I have experienced it before with several other packs as well. Plopping them from the sc4 menus works just fine, adding them to DAMN with the hide option makes the game crash, removing the hide option and placing them from the DAMN menu works. Unfortunately that kind of defeats the point of DAMN a bit, I want all Lots that I have organized in my DAMN folder structure to disappear from the cluttered game menus. Has anyone found a solution to this? I am using the following version: And also found this statement: https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?msg=439915 According to this, we are not using the latest version and the issue schould be fixed in the newer one: EDIT: I tried it with this latest version and recreated the folder, but the same problem appeared, so to me it seems not to be fixed as it promises.

Looks great! Are you plopping all the trees by hand or is there a way to have custom trees spawn automatically?

Created a new tutorial on Omnibus for those of you who want to get into batting or simply just never fully figured the mesh smooth functions out.

A_1P_GMAX-mesh-smoothing.pdf Firstly the tip: Do plenty of saves while you work with different file names. In case you do not like the results and maxed out on your undo steps (which you can increase in the settings btw) you are able to revert back to the previous saved version. We start by creating a box that should have the length and beam or your desired ship. Lengthwise I suggest between 5 and 7 segments (too much more will not make you happy here) , beam and height wise 3. Picture 1 Turn your box into an editable poly. Then tick the box Use NURMS Subdivision under the Surface properties tab. Two iterations should be enough (you can go for 3 if you want the object to be smoother, but these settings can easily increase your number of Polygons, which you want to keep low). You will see how there is a mesh created between the vertices of the object. Also tick the box Separate by: Smoothing Groups Everything in the same smoothing group will be smoothed – makes sense doesn’t it. Picture 2 Use the Polygon selection and select all parts of the hull but the deck, and now Clear All Smoothing groups. Picture 3 Now your whole hull is smoothed excluding the deck. I would put the hull into group 9 now. (I usually use grps 1-8 for the deck, 9-16 for the hull and 17-24 for hull extrusions) Picture 4 Now you can use the Vertex selection and the Non-Uniform Scale tool to adjust your hull shape from the top. Pull the central section close together, we will need it to extract the keel later. All hull shaping might look a little odd at first but it will come together in the end! Picture 5 Once you are happy with it, use the polygon selection again and select parts of the upper deck you want to extrude, eg. the forecastle deck, bridge or the poop deck. Picture 6 This step may look a bit awkward at first as you can see: Picture 7 But we will fix this by selecting the different Polygons and assigning them to the correct smoothing group. The sides selected below should get a complete new group since we do not want them to smooth with the deck, nor the hull. Picture 8 Picture 9 Next we are going to shape our side view to the desired design. If you realized that I gave you bad advice and you need more length sections you can use the Slice Plane tool, rotate and place the plane as needed and then hit the Slice button to get more vertices in the object. Picture 10 Give your bow and stern nice lines and move them up a bit if you like. Or simply leave them flat ig you go for a modern ship. Then adjust the stern similar to what is shown below. Picture 11 Narrow the hull aft down a bit. (careful that you select the correct vertices, as you can see I had to x-out two wrongly selected Picture 12 Select the keel and extrude it (I actually decided to leave the topmost part shown in this selection out of the extrusion, as you will see 4 pictures below) Picture 13 Looks odd again... Picture 14 ... so we adjust the vertices to make that look a bit better: Picture 15 Now we select the keel and give that a different smoothing group. If you assign two smoothing groups to a poly gmax will try to keep each of their shapes but smooth out the transition between both of them, so play around with that a bit. Picture 16 Next we adjust the bow section. Pick the lower, outer vertices on both sides and scale them in a bit. Scaling rather than moving helps you move both sides symmetrical. Play around until you like the results. Picture 17 If you are going for a more modern ship you can make an extrusion at this point (like we did aft) and go for a bulbous bow. Picture 18 Pull out the top sections of the bulwark out a bit if you like. Picture 19 Then Pick all lower, outer vertices and pull them up a bit: Picture 20 Looks like a ship! Picture 21 Once the hull shaping is complete, create a copy of your hull, change the color and name of your copy and position it in the same place, so the two hulls overlap exactly, THEN HIDE THE ORIGINAL! Also make a save with a different filename. I decided to round the sections between the lower decks and the side walls, by assigning them to the same smoothing groups. (you will see why in a minute) The upper decks have different smoothing groups. Now select all deck space of your copied hull and delete it. Picture 22 The result should look something like this: Picture 23 Create another copy of this deck-less hull, change the color, select ALL faces and flip the Normals. This way we create the inside of the hull. Picture 24 Now I suggest to scale the inside down so we get a bit of “thickness” to the hull. (I suggest length 99.7% and beam 99%) Picture 25 Create another copy of your original hull that we hid away, rename it to something “deck” and convert it into an editable poly (I know it is already an editable poly). You will see that the smooth hull that you created with a few vertices now becomes “locked” and all grid points that have been set using the iterations of the subdivision all the way in the beginning, are hard vertices that can be moved. – NEVER WORK ON YOUR HULL IN THIS STATE (it will always look sh*t :D) and remember you cannot reverse this step. Picture 26 Select everything but your decks and delete it. Picture 27 Your ship should now look something like this: Picture 28 Now you can decide where you want to lower your deck below the bulwark and where you want to leave it having railing sit on top. In my example that is just going to be on the forecastle deck. With the Polygon Selection and pull it down. Picture 29 Apologies I took this screenshot after the next step but it should give you an idea how to do it. The deck will stick out of the hull as seen below, which makes sense, so scale it down a bit to fit. Picture 30 Next we are going to close the gap between inner and outer hull. Place a smooth line on the bow bulwark and generate the mesh around it (I suggest to only do one side and then mirror it over. So I will demonstrate it with the stbd side). If you do not know how to do that, I suggest my tutorial about line shaping, that will explain exactly what you need. Don’t pick too many iterations and sides for the mesh to save some polygons – a model of this size will probably have a lot of detail and keeping the polygons as low as possible is key for good performance of gmax and your future render. Try a 15 to 20 thick bulk (depending how much you scaled your inner hull down you might need a bit of material here) Picture 31 Place as many lines as you need and align them to the hull, then you can connect them for ease of handling. Klick on a line, select the Attach Mult. function and select all lines you with to attach. Then confirm. Picture 32 Copy the Line, mirror it and position it on the port side. Your final result should now look like this! Picture 33 For inspirations ideas or questions have a look at Simtropolis Shipyard !

Thanks very much, greatly appreciate it! Excellent site management per usual! Greetings from overseas!

@CorinaMarie could you increase the upload limit for a sec so I can attach the pdf? Thanks!

WOW, now I am so jealous! I want my wind farms to look like this Also great train/highway infrastructure! Can I ask what that lowest bush (or maybe it's grass) is that you use mostly against the brown background?

I added a smaller 1x1 monument for UA only: