Tutorial: How to B.A.T. a sign?
Tutorial: How to B.A.T. a sign?
I've been asked frequently to make sings for some people. Since I don't have the time to make all those signs, maybe this tutorial will help some people.
Requirements
You require the following programs for this tutorial:
gMax with the B.A.T. installed
the SC4 Plug-in Manager (comes with the B.A.T.)
SC4 Lot Editor
MS Paint, Inkscape, Photoshop or any other image editing program
Preperations
Before starting to make your own signs, I suggest you should look for Real Life pictures of real signs on the Internet to make sure that everything looks realistic. Even if you do make completely Self-designed sign, it's always good to look how it's done in Real Life, and maybe find some inspiration.
It's also good to know how wide the roads are (this is required for making portal sign models. One tile is 16m by 16m. A street is only 8m wide, the roads and avenues are 12m wide. Highways have their specific widths:
Also keep in mind that the elevated versions of all these networks are 15m high.
Step 1: Basic B.A.T.ing
First thing's first, you'll need to learn how the tools from gMax work. Some basic of the tools have straigt-forward functions (Select, move, rotate, scale), and some other are more difficult to understand. Experimenting with those tools can give you knowledge of their functions. But for now, we are going to use the basic tools.
My first tip is to use only basic geometry. You can make stunning signs while you only use boxes and cyllinders, like this example:
Now let's make our own sign. Signs can be defined in three categories:
Roadside signs: these signs are placed next to the road.
Arm sings: these signs are partially overhanging the road.
Portal signs: these signs are fully overhanging the road.
In this example I make a simple portal sign for the RHW-4. Notice that I only used boxes
Of course, this is a simple model, but if you are more experienced, you can put more detail in your model. O.K., what did I do here? Let's begin with how I made the boxes at the bottom. Go to the 'Create' tab at the side toolbar Select 'Box' Go to the 'Keyboard Entry' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Type in the following values x: 0,0 y: 0,0 z: 0,0 Length: 1,0 Width: 1,0 Heigth: 0,5 Click on the 'Create' button A box is created Go to the 'Edit' menu Click on 'Clone' Click on O.K. in the Clone message window The box is cloned on the exact same position Right-click on the 'Move' tool at the main toolbar A type-in transform display appears. I use this often to move, rotate and scale objects precisely Type in the relative position of x: -14,0 The cloned box moves 14 meters Now for the side supports: Follow the excact same steps as stated in the previous box creation, except the values typed in the 'Keyboard Entry' list: x: 0,0 y: 0,0 z: 0,0 Length: 0,5 Width: 0,5 Heigth: 7,0 ... the overhead support: Go to the 'Create' tab at the side toolbar Select 'Box' Go to the 'Keyboard Entry' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Type in the following values x: -7,0 y: 0,0 z: 6,7 Length: 0,5 Width: 14,0 Heigth: 0,3 Click on the 'Create' button A box is created. Do nothing else. ... the sign itself Go to the 'Create' tab at the side toolbar Select 'Box' Go to the 'Keyboard Entry' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Type in the following values x: -8,0 y: 0,35 z: 6,0 Length: 0,1 Width: 7,0 Heigth: 3,0 Click on the 'Create' button A box is created. Do nothing else. ... and the sign supports that connect the sign to the portal support structure Go to the 'Create' tab at the side toolbar Select 'Box' Go to the 'Keyboard Entry' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Type in the following values: x: -5,0 y: 0,3 z: 6,0 Length: 0,1 Width: 0,1 Heigth: 3,0 Click on the 'Create' button A box is created Clone the box Move it with x:-1,0. Repeat the last two steps until the next box is placed beside the sign. Delete that last box. NOTE: this is just an example. You don't have to type the excact same numbers as given in this tutorial. Be creative and try something out. Experimenting is one way to learn how the program works, and a good one for me. Now the basic model is complete, but it still looks funky. It's time to apply some materials: Go to the 'Material Editor'. You can find the button on the main toolbar Click on 'New' Select 'Standard' and click on 'O.K.' You've just created a standard material You can edit the colors if you want to by double clicking on them Click on the button beside the diffuse color Select bitmap Go to gMax/gamepacks/BAT/Textures. Here you'll find the textures that come with the BAT. You may search on the Internet to search for more textures Select a material (I used 'MaxisRoofPipes.jpg') Apply the material on the boxes. You can just drag and drop them onto the boxes, or you can select the boxes and then hit 'Apply' on the Material Editor window If you want to let the material show on the editing viewports (and not just only when you render your object), click on the white and blue checked box on the Material Editor window If you want more materials, repeat the previous steps After applying materials, my model now looks like this: Note that the sign still doesn't have a material. That's the following step: Go to the 'Material Editor' again. Click on 'New' Select 'Multi-Material' and click on 'O.K.' You've just created a multi-material. Multi materials can have more than one material. Edit the first material for the rest of the sign (the back, the sides). You can edit the material by double clicking on it. Edit the second material for the actual sign. Here's where you need a image editing program, to make your sign. It's good to keep a scale (like 1 meter = 100 pixels). You may find useful images on the Internet, or you can start making your own. Apply the material on the sign Select the sign if you haven't selected it yet Go to the 'Modify' tab on the side toolbar Select 'Material from the 'Modifier List'. Set 'Material ID' to 1 Select 'Mesh Select' from the 'Modifier List'. Select the front polygon of the sign Select 'Material' from the 'Modifier List'. Set 'Material ID' to 2 Your 'Modify' should look like this: And there you have the final result: Did I told you to save your scene often? If not, I suggest you to do it now. After that we are making this model B.A.T.-ready: Go to the 'Utility' tab at the side toolbar Select 'B.A.T' Go to the 'Parameters' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Click on 'Re-Fit LOD's'. The LOD's tell the B.A.T. what to render and what not. It also makes a simplyfied model for the game to optimize processing times Your model shoud look like this: Double-click on 'All' to hide the LOD's Go to the 'Preview' dropdown list. You might be curious how the model will look in the game Click on 'Day' to see the preview of your model during daytime: Now you are ready to render your model. Go to the 'Export' dropdown list and hit 'Export'. The render will take a while, since it renders your model from all views and all five zoom levels. After the rendering has finished, exit gMax. Now we are going to make it functional in the game: Open the SC4 Plug-in Manager Find your model Drag it to 'Props', like this: Set 'Is Ground Model' in the 'Common' tab to 'True' Set 'AppearanceZoomFlag' in the 'Advanced' tab to 'Zoom 1,2,3,4,5' Set 'Previewable' in the 'Advanced' tab to 'True' Set 'Query as Main Building' in the 'Advanced' tab to 'True' Hit O.K. Your model can now be used in the game Close the SC4 Plug-in Manager Open the SC4 LOT Editor Select a LOT, like the Open Grass field Lot. Go to the props tab. Click on 'Add Prop' Select your model Place it on the Lot in the right direction (you can rotate your model with 'PageUp' and 'PageDown') Your LOT may look like this: Save your LOT and exit the LOT Editor Open SimCity 4, and play a City If you used the Open Grass Field LOT, go to the parks menu Presto! There's your sign, right in the parks menu. Have fun! You can repeat this method over and over again to create a vast range of signs. That's it for today! In a following tutorial I'll teach you more advanced techniques. Have fun making signs, and keep experimenting! Best, Maarten
Of course, this is a simple model, but if you are more experienced, you can put more detail in your model. O.K., what did I do here? Let's begin with how I made the boxes at the bottom. Go to the 'Create' tab at the side toolbar Select 'Box' Go to the 'Keyboard Entry' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Type in the following values x: 0,0 y: 0,0 z: 0,0 Length: 1,0 Width: 1,0 Heigth: 0,5 Click on the 'Create' button A box is created Go to the 'Edit' menu Click on 'Clone' Click on O.K. in the Clone message window The box is cloned on the exact same position Right-click on the 'Move' tool at the main toolbar A type-in transform display appears. I use this often to move, rotate and scale objects precisely Type in the relative position of x: -14,0 The cloned box moves 14 meters Now for the side supports: Follow the excact same steps as stated in the previous box creation, except the values typed in the 'Keyboard Entry' list: x: 0,0 y: 0,0 z: 0,0 Length: 0,5 Width: 0,5 Heigth: 7,0 ... the overhead support: Go to the 'Create' tab at the side toolbar Select 'Box' Go to the 'Keyboard Entry' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Type in the following values x: -7,0 y: 0,0 z: 6,7 Length: 0,5 Width: 14,0 Heigth: 0,3 Click on the 'Create' button A box is created. Do nothing else. ... the sign itself Go to the 'Create' tab at the side toolbar Select 'Box' Go to the 'Keyboard Entry' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Type in the following values x: -8,0 y: 0,35 z: 6,0 Length: 0,1 Width: 7,0 Heigth: 3,0 Click on the 'Create' button A box is created. Do nothing else. ... and the sign supports that connect the sign to the portal support structure Go to the 'Create' tab at the side toolbar Select 'Box' Go to the 'Keyboard Entry' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Type in the following values: x: -5,0 y: 0,3 z: 6,0 Length: 0,1 Width: 0,1 Heigth: 3,0 Click on the 'Create' button A box is created Clone the box Move it with x:-1,0. Repeat the last two steps until the next box is placed beside the sign. Delete that last box. NOTE: this is just an example. You don't have to type the excact same numbers as given in this tutorial. Be creative and try something out. Experimenting is one way to learn how the program works, and a good one for me. Now the basic model is complete, but it still looks funky. It's time to apply some materials: Go to the 'Material Editor'. You can find the button on the main toolbar Click on 'New' Select 'Standard' and click on 'O.K.' You've just created a standard material You can edit the colors if you want to by double clicking on them Click on the button beside the diffuse color Select bitmap Go to gMax/gamepacks/BAT/Textures. Here you'll find the textures that come with the BAT. You may search on the Internet to search for more textures Select a material (I used 'MaxisRoofPipes.jpg') Apply the material on the boxes. You can just drag and drop them onto the boxes, or you can select the boxes and then hit 'Apply' on the Material Editor window If you want to let the material show on the editing viewports (and not just only when you render your object), click on the white and blue checked box on the Material Editor window If you want more materials, repeat the previous steps After applying materials, my model now looks like this: Note that the sign still doesn't have a material. That's the following step: Go to the 'Material Editor' again. Click on 'New' Select 'Multi-Material' and click on 'O.K.' You've just created a multi-material. Multi materials can have more than one material. Edit the first material for the rest of the sign (the back, the sides). You can edit the material by double clicking on it. Edit the second material for the actual sign. Here's where you need a image editing program, to make your sign. It's good to keep a scale (like 1 meter = 100 pixels). You may find useful images on the Internet, or you can start making your own. Apply the material on the sign Select the sign if you haven't selected it yet Go to the 'Modify' tab on the side toolbar Select 'Material from the 'Modifier List'. Set 'Material ID' to 1 Select 'Mesh Select' from the 'Modifier List'. Select the front polygon of the sign Select 'Material' from the 'Modifier List'. Set 'Material ID' to 2 Your 'Modify' should look like this: And there you have the final result: Did I told you to save your scene often? If not, I suggest you to do it now. After that we are making this model B.A.T.-ready: Go to the 'Utility' tab at the side toolbar Select 'B.A.T' Go to the 'Parameters' dropdown list that has just appeared on the side toolbar Click on 'Re-Fit LOD's'. The LOD's tell the B.A.T. what to render and what not. It also makes a simplyfied model for the game to optimize processing times Your model shoud look like this: Double-click on 'All' to hide the LOD's Go to the 'Preview' dropdown list. You might be curious how the model will look in the game Click on 'Day' to see the preview of your model during daytime: Now you are ready to render your model. Go to the 'Export' dropdown list and hit 'Export'. The render will take a while, since it renders your model from all views and all five zoom levels. After the rendering has finished, exit gMax. Now we are going to make it functional in the game: Open the SC4 Plug-in Manager Find your model Drag it to 'Props', like this: Set 'Is Ground Model' in the 'Common' tab to 'True' Set 'AppearanceZoomFlag' in the 'Advanced' tab to 'Zoom 1,2,3,4,5' Set 'Previewable' in the 'Advanced' tab to 'True' Set 'Query as Main Building' in the 'Advanced' tab to 'True' Hit O.K. Your model can now be used in the game Close the SC4 Plug-in Manager Open the SC4 LOT Editor Select a LOT, like the Open Grass field Lot. Go to the props tab. Click on 'Add Prop' Select your model Place it on the Lot in the right direction (you can rotate your model with 'PageUp' and 'PageDown') Your LOT may look like this: Save your LOT and exit the LOT Editor Open SimCity 4, and play a City If you used the Open Grass Field LOT, go to the parks menu Presto! There's your sign, right in the parks menu. Have fun! You can repeat this method over and over again to create a vast range of signs. That's it for today! In a following tutorial I'll teach you more advanced techniques. Have fun making signs, and keep experimenting! Best, Maarten
