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AntigOne's Projects: Elsewhere.

Started by Badsim, January 17, 2007, 02:14:19 PM

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Badsim

Hi Devotees ,

Not yet ready for a full detailed update , but not too late to wish you all an ...




As always , no photoshoping in my pictures ( all clickable to 1280 x 1024 ) :



Happy New Years banner from Porkissimo , big X-mas tree from Xannepan , small ones on C&A's frontage from SFBT , Christmas gifts from Simgoober , all others X-mas lights from Vnaoned  - all this stuff resized and reModed , drastically for some of them...

« Normal » view ...



Well , December was a busy month for me and has flown like a meteor  %confuso , but that said , I've able to expand Port-Royal considerably ...  :P



At first I intended to create a medium size city with most of all a medieval look , but , on one hand there isn't enough medieval BATs , and on the other one , having had  a closer look at Xannepan's releases I found a lot of a precious props , so I couldn't resist and Port-Royal is becoming a kind of Paris at the seashore ...  ::)

I could show from now a lot of finished things I'm proud of ,  but I prefer to wait another week ( more or less ) of LotEditing and MMPing on some areas currently at only texturing step , like that one around Opera Garnier :



Patience !  ;D


Thank you all for your comments , while I don't take a minute to comment your own creations . Sometimes I feel ashamed ... but it doesn't last because I've got no time even for that . $%Grinno$%

Cheers !

Cédric.

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kbieniu7

What a beautiful scene! The palace gardens and squares are like real  &apls A truly giant-metropolitan look, like you've said. Even though the lack of apropriate medieval buildings, you could have tried mix "parisian" style with some mediterrean tenements, something like... Montpellier, maybe? ;)
Thank you for visiting Kolbrów, and for being for last ten years!

_Michael

So lovely, and as always so many little details. Are all of the cars MMP, or props on the road lots?

Tyberius06

Oh dear! Lovely pictures, lovely buildings, lovely scenes...! I'm happy to see these beauties.
On the last picture (top) there is a "curved" building with columns. What is that building, and where can I find that one?

Thanks in advance, and would like to see more from you! :)

- Tyberius
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

art128

That's pretty good! Paris by the shore actually sounds cool.
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

Props & Texture Catalog

Badsim

Some replies , for once ...

Quote from: kbieniu7 on January 07, 2017, 10:50:35 AM
.... Even though the lack of apropriate medieval buildings, you could have tried mix "parisian" style with some mediterrean tenements, something like... Montpellier, maybe? ;)

Not a bad idea ... who knows , I'm gonna have a closer look for my future residential blocks ! Thanks for your regular comments ... :)

Quote from: Tyberius06 on January 07, 2017, 01:35:10 PM
...On the last picture (top) there is a "curved" building with columns. What is that building, and where can I find that one?

Thanks in advance, and would like to see more from you! :)

- Tyberius

Search on the LEX ,  JENX Bourse de Commerces from Xannepan ... and thanks for your  comments . :)

Quote from: art128 on January 08, 2017, 02:02:01 AM
That's pretty good! Paris by the shore actually sounds cool.

Thanks Arthur , as you're a Parisian , I'm glad you like the idea . And ... well ... I understand your feeling about a kind of burn out with any SC4 activities  , having to experiment it regularly . That said , I do hope you'll change your mind about one of my favorite MD here  ...  :)

Quote from: michae95l on January 07, 2017, 11:28:54 AM
So lovely, and as always so many little details. Are all of the cars MMP, or props on the road lots?

Both in fact . Maybe do you wonder how to recognise those MMPed and those LotEdited ? Those having shadows are MMPed , those having no shadows are props extracted from automata and are LotEdited because there's no other way to add them properly ... here are all props I've extracted so far :









As automata are true 3D models with a single FSH ( named Skin ) these extracted props are not « classical » ones and can't display a proper shadow  - so their property Is Ground Model  must be set to False . That's a minor inconvenience regarding benefits : first of all ,they give you diversity when - like me - you're unable to BAT , secondly  ,  they can look even better than HD props , and , finally , you can get it at any angle you want . Then , I've been able to build a functional MMP with these kind of models , using RTK 0 and adding a property named kSC4BuildingModelRotationProperty but , so far , I can't avoid this to happen :



Considering there's a lot more experimented MODers than me ( mgb204 for example ...) , I trust them if they say they don't think that's possible to get rid of the problem ( at least by simply MODing ) , so I gave up with that kind of MMP and that's  a pity for sure .  :thumbsdown:

About regular cars MMPs , I'm using those already well known by the community ( VIP Car Pack vol1 / 2 / 3 and Vnaoned vehicles from VIP Rural Pack ) and created a new one with 35 of Jim's not that bad cars models :



At the end of this post , I've attached a Zip file so you can get it immediately ( you need to be logged in to see it ) , the models from Jim being  of course a dependancy , you can get it there : Jim Car Prop pack 1.2

While I'm here , why not another teaser ? ( Clickable to full size )



Stay tuned . ;D

Cédric.



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Sciurus

Well it's been a long time I haven't been there and... what a surprise ! It's, as always, amazing my friend. &apls I'm happy to see all this work and that SC4 can still live though there are new games.. great news.
L'atelier d'architecture
* * * * * Longwy * * * * *

Gugu3


Akallan

Wow... Beautiful work and great details! :o
My CJ :


My european road textures project : S N T - v.2.1

mgb204

#2489
Quote from: Badsim on January 09, 2017, 11:15:39 AM
Then , I've been able to build a functional MMP with these kind of models , using RTK 0 and adding a property named kSC4BuildingModelRotationProperty but , so far , I can't avoid this to happen :



Considering there's a lot more experimented MODers than me ( mgb204 for example ...) , I trust them if they say they don't think that's possible to get rid of the problem ( at least by simply MODing ) , so I gave up with that kind of MMP and that's  a pity for sure .  :thumbsdown:

Actually I think you may have cracked the problem. Thus far I've never been able to use a 3D model in an MMP at all.

Removal of the shadow is easy, either add the same property Is Ground Model = False, if that doesn't work, you can manually remove the Shadow from the model by editing the S3D settings. You need to remove entirely the group for the shadow from each applicable menu. I'll have to play with this, because I've been stumped by MMPs for 3D models until now, but it offers some potentially interesting applicions. If you need a hand, I'm only a PM away :D.

:Update:
Well Cedric, I think you've certainly unlocked the key to using RKT0 models for MMPs. I've been messing around with the automata, but thus far the models I tried either show the annoying shadow or nothing at all. The key is removing the shadow part from the 3D model I'm sure, but I had no sucess there. However, I went back to something I was trying to do a while ago, a sidewalk compatible MMP. Using my RKT0 Sidewalk compatible extender props, I now have a test MMP which will make 16x16m sidewalk pieces. Like Xannepannes Quays, the sidewalks will match the installed one. I've only mocked up the test with a single-tile prop, but this could be applied to smaller/differently shaped pieces which would work better. But even so, until your finding, I don't think anyone's managed to get this far previously. Sample MMP attached to play with.

Now, how to remove the shadow from the automata models? Based on the fact that my sidewalk prop and thus RKT0 props in general are not themselves producing it, theoretically this should be solvable. Although, my initial assumption that it would be easy does not seem to be true. Perhaps it depends on how the models themselves are made? I'll have to do more checking, I removed the shadow when using automata as props with sucess this way. Hopefully the same can work for use as flora (MMPs) too.

art128

Hey thanks for Jim's car as MMP. This will integrate better in my region than Girafe's european cars.
It's so busy in your streets it's very real. Just be careful and do lots of backups. :)
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

Props & Texture Catalog

kbieniu7

I'm not much keen in modding and extracting all this stuf... but looks impressive  :thumbsup:
Thank you for visiting Kolbrów, and for being for last ten years!

Girafe

 &apls &apls &apls

Amazing LOTing job as always  :thumbsup:
The Floraler

This is the end, hold your breath and count to ten, feel the earth move, and then...

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compdude787

I love that last picture! It has so much life in it!! Great work.
Check out my MD, United States of Simerica!
Last updated: March 5, 2017

My YouTube Channel

Badsim

#2494
Well well well ... what a wonderful world !  ::)

mgb204 , your test MMP is quite surprising and promising  :thumbsup: and , so , I just wonder how many secrets that 14 y.o. game are waiting to be discovered in its MODing winding ( so intricate that we could also wonder if even its creators have thought about it all ... $%Grinno$% ) and after your post I spent some serious time to experimentations , so far with no luck : whatever I tried with MMP properties ( there're several concerning shadows .... ) or with iLive reader on S3D files nothing works . In fact , after these last interventions ( on S3D files ) , I can see ingame changes that affect shadows but the bug around remains exactly the same , it looks just like  there're 2  distinct issues . At the same time I've noticed two things : firstly , Z axis of automata models aren't set to 0 , secondly the bug is the same than for a classical model having a partial underground field ... so I tried to give a positive value to these Z axis with SC4Model Tweaker ,  with no more luck . Then  I built a new MMP with 10 aleatory RTK 0 items and have had the surprise to see that item n°9 isn't affected by the bug :



... so , yes , I think there's a solution by MODing one by one each S3D file ... BUT  : at the same time I accidentally discovered  an ingame trick that does the job without any MODing ! ;D

I'm using my RTK 0 MMP at Zoom 5 :



... with our lovely bug as you can see. Now , I go to Zoom 2 and make a rotation ...



The bug has disappeared . Then you can come back to your initial angle of view before to come back to Zoom 5:



That trick is gonna work until you make another rotation , you'll have simply to repeat the process ... A wonderful world I told you .  $%Grinno$%

mgb204 , If you want to make further MODing searches , send me by PM your private email adress so I can send you my RTK 0 MMP with the necessary files ( more than 200 Ko so I can't attach it there )  . For my concern , considering that using a trick is  really a minor inconvenience , I rather prefer to devote my free time to other tasks like to now build a dozen of MMPs with the several  hundreds of props I've finally  extracted from automata :

















+ 12 new bus props added to the 62 already shown above  = 642 props :-[ . Side note ; while extracting all these props I had also to face the well known automata scale issue , so have had to resize almost them all to 1.15 , sometimes a little more ... currently I'm MODing all this stuff for  Port-Royal's project ,  where there's no « real » roads nor traffic , so , while I took care to keep unchanged original  S3D files , It could be interesting to see how the game reacts to resized automata ... most of all when I think it takes a few seconds for each model with SC4 Model Tweaker ... so stupid , isn't it ? $%Grinno$%

Now the question that could itch  you is : could I share all that work ( which already needed tens of hours of MODing)  for the community benefit ? I would need to share several hundreds of new S3D files ( My automata and extracted props folder is now around 77 Mo ... ) coming from various authors , but , for copyrights questions , I should remove all FSH files and link them all as dependencies ( all are available on the STEX) , and let people searching in their Plugin folder  what they already have , what they need to download ... or I could run after authorizations from people having disappeared for years ... seriously : that's absolutely a deal-breaker ! Now, if someone is ready to take that part of the job , he/she will be more than welcome ! ;)

Have to go back to MMPs MODing ... Just in case a few audacious ( or reckless idiot as I am ?  :D ) would like to give it a try , the props extraction from automata tutorial  - from cogeo - is  THERE , and the 3 MMP MODing changes are :



1- Use Resource Key Type 0 : TGI addresses for a single Model  to be displayed at all Zoom/rotations .



2- Add kSC4BuildingModelRotationProperty , if you don't add that property , items keep they orientation  whatever ingame view rotations ...

3 - Set Is Ground Model to false

Happy MODing !  :D , and finally don't expect a serious update of Port-Royal before February ...  :'(

Thanks for your comment and Scirius , so nice to have a visit from you . Do you plan to come back ?  ::)


Cédric.


*****************************************


Edit :

OK , I get it ... As preamble ,  I want to specify that I feel far to master the automata MODing , and I have to thank mgb204 for his advices and most of all for his interest for what I'm doing here , a true support to go further despite the fact that my first priority is rather to update my MD ...

So I proceeded by analogy , conclusion and test ... the first attempt was the good one and , retrospectively , when you have searched many times and for hours before , you can only have a good laugh like I did ...


Our problem :



I compared the MODing of that fire van and item 9 , a comercial van , and found immediately the differences ; when you open a S3D file with Ilive Reader the Anim tab being selected by default ...





I would be unable to explain what these groups are and do ( but I find strange such MODing differences between two automata ...) but following item 9 MODing , I deleted Groups 1/2/3 of the fire van ...





Et voilà :



Reminder : it doesn't affect my automata because I took care to create new S3D files ... the price of the victory now : more or less 640 S3D files to check and to treat if necessary , before to create as MMPs than needed to get them all MMP-able . Next to nothing  : rendez-vous in 2018 !  ::)

Cédric.

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Badsim

Double post , with an edit on the first one .... it seems that I started a monologue . ;D

Well , so I have to reply to myself :

Quote from: Badsim on January 19, 2017, 08:25:10 AM

OK , I get it ...


Wrong , I did get nothing !  :thumbsdown:


Quote from: Badsim on January 19, 2017, 08:25:10 AM

I would be unable to explain what these groups are and do ...


At least did I learn a few things about these groups : forget the process to delete them , it doesn't solve anything and deteriorate the skin of the model because , in fact , they link different parts of the FSH skin to different parts of the model .   In some cases , one of these groups is named Shadow , but in  other cases they have no name at all so I didn't waste my time any longer with them ... Notably because after having tested more MMPed items , I had the surprise to get those kind of bugs :



I think now that these bugs are related to FSH ( and their Alpha layer more precisely ) and I do not intend to extract and correct them all , not to speak that I do not understand why all these automata are so differently MODed ... MODing , sizes , positions ; the world of automata is a jungle and , to get rid of their bugs ,  I will live with the ingame trick which works like a charm .

So I have built my 7 first RTK O MMPs :

Cars 1 Ortho MMP with 40 models
Cars 2 Ortho MMP with 36 models
Busses Ortho MMP with 21 models
Vans Ortho MMP with 32 models
Trucks Ortho MMP with 38 models
Motorcycles Ortho MMP with 6 models
Services vehicles Ortho MMP with 26 models

After testing them , I had to coordinate their sizes and for some of them I had to correct their Z axis . Before to build the next sets of MMPs ( diagonal , 22,5 and 67.5 degrees ) , I'm able  to show you  the firsts pictures of traffic I made with MMPs of props extracted from automata exclusively :








In France , we're celebrating the 40th anniversary of Centre Georges Pompidou and as that's a popular place I enjoy particularly , I decided to honour the event with SC4 . Before to integrate it to Port-Royal I'm currently working to reproduce the square ( Called La Piazza in french in tribute to the 3 Italian architects ) and I spent a little hour to create textures reproducing that picture from 2004 :



Canvas made with Photoshop CS2 :




Textures extracted :






And ingame result ...




... alas the game perspective doesn't allow to see it properly full-face ( but it  doesn't really matter  $%Grinno$% .)

Cédric.


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Sciurus

Excellent work as always. &apls &apls &apls
About the 40th anniversary of Centre Georges Pompidou, did you watch Infrarouge last Tuesday (Jan 24th) on France 2 ? It was about it and its construction. I have to say that I learned so much things about it... very interesting btw.
L'atelier d'architecture
* * * * * Longwy * * * * *

manga rivotra

Excellent tip that these MMPs from automatas although a little difficult to implement. :)
Many of the ones you chose are very interesting and have no equivalent in PROP, especially utility vehicles and the Maxis motorcycles are surprisingly beautiful
Placing vehicles with unprecedented angles turn out very interesting too.
On the other hand the work on the textures is always so fine and aesthetic!  &apls &apls &apls

Badsim

Sciurus and manga rivotra , thank you for your comments .

Quote from: Sciurus on January 27, 2017, 02:03:32 PM

About the 40th anniversary of Centre Georges Pompidou, did you watch Infrarouge last Tuesday (Jan 24th) on France 2 ? It was about it and its construction. I have to say that I learned so much things about it... very interesting btw.

Of course I did ... additionally SC4  inoculated me a viral interest  for architecture and architects  I hadn't before . Like many , I'm presuming .

Quote from: manga rivotra on January 28, 2017, 05:44:30 PM

Excellent tip that these MMPs from automatas although a little difficult to implement. :)


Not that much difficult , as always the most difficult is to start ... and  truly less a difficult than a repetitive and boring task which requests to stay perfectly concentrated ( MODing doesn't tolerate the least error , and there's always an error somewhere ! $%Grinno$% ) , that's why after having finished the 45° MMPs set , and before to start the 22.5 and 67.75 ° ones , I needed to relax with something a lot more fun : textures creation ... for the concrete ones , I've been inspired by MushyMushy's fabulous work about her Willmott Widget Assembly Anchor re-LOT challenge .




























I've requested a  range to share all these textures . So far , and for a personal use , I didn't care that point and have used the range of my TWT team mate Youcef , inactive for ages ... bad manners I'm going to pay by having to reindex them all . :bomb:


Still a dozen of MMPs to MOD but I see the end of the tunnel that all these preparatory works have been .

C.

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mgb204

Wow, that's some fantastic pieces of street art there. It'll be great to have these as textures we can all make use of. Speaking of which, I like the concrete and paving textures you've shown here too. In fact, I'll go further and say that's one of the nicest concrete textures I've seen.

I didn't get much chance to look further into the MMP / RKT0 model dilemma. But I agree that if there is a work-around, that's going to be much less work than trying to disassemble the shadow from each S3D model. The groups of objects (where used), don't always relate specifically to their name and groups can become inter-woven together. Because there are many ways you could make such a model, each one may require a different approach to remove the shadow part. But it is something that can be done, which explains the one that did work out just fine. If you are an expert with modelling applications (I know I'm not), it's probably easier to do.

You asked about releasing the MMPs. Provided you don't include the Automata themselves, this shouldn't be a problem. It's OK to release S3D model files that you've modified, for example using Model Tweaker to re-size/offset etc. The caveat is you must link back to the original files for the textures or FSH files. There is a way to ID a copied model such that it will do this, without having to adjust anything, it just requires incrementing the first digit of the Instance ID of the S3D files. For example, if the instance ID of the original was 0x00030000, make your 1st copy 0x10030000. You can do this all the way to F (1-9, then A, B, C, D, E, F which represent 11-16 in Hex), so you can have up to 15 new variants of the same model with this system. If you need more, I think you can also use the 2nd and possibly 3rd digits too, but it's a theory I never tested.