-M-'s LE Recreations and Alterations / M's LOT Studio (MLS)

[M4346]

I thought I'd open this thread for the time being so that it would force me to tend to the matter of LEing

I have recently showcased some of my modifications of LOTs in the LE (available here -> Click!) and at the suggestion of Barby I have decided to make them available for community scrutiny and constructive criticism.

I asked Barby to CAMify a few of O'Neil's Condos for me, i.e. the modding for CAM and then I would re-lot them accordingly. The list, including some others too, are as follows:

• CO$$11 World Financial Centre 2, by XDesign Team -> (STEX)
• CO$$$11 World Financial Centre 3, by XDesign Team
• CS$$$5 Centre for New Industries and Technology (CNIT), by BLaM -> (STEX)
• R$11 Flatbush Residence, by O'Neil -> (STEX)
• R$14 Dakota Park
• R$15 Astoria Place
• R$$10 Angel's Creek
• R$$15 Bosworth Heights
• R$$$8 The Riviera
• R$$$9 Atlantic Plaza
• R$$$ 9 The Blue Tower

I can only show you two of these lots thus far, and only LE shots at the moment as I have not yet CAMed enough to be able to grow them.

I would be grateful if some of our seasoned CAMers would be willing to test them.

R$$$ 9 The Blue Tower

^{#I changed the base texture to reduce dependencies.}

Dependencies:^*

• BSC MEGA Props - Misc Vol 01
• BSC Mega Props - SG Vol 01
• BSC Mega Props - Swi21 Vol 01
• BSC Mega Props - D66 Vol 02
• CP Prop Pack Vol01

R$$10 Angel's Creek

Dependencies:^*

• BSC MEGA Props - Misc Vol 01
• BSC Mega Props - SG Vol 01
• CP Prop Pack Vol01

I hope to have the others available for scrutiny as soon as possible, but I have recently acquired new responsibilities as the SCJU President as well and that demands my full attention. Also I am looking at CAMing some more and be able to present a new CJ in the not so distant future.

Thank you in advance for constructive criticism, and thanks to Barby for the Modding of the LOTs and O'Neil et al for the great BATs!

Also please let me know if you'd be willing to test these LOTs

^* Apart from the dependencies listed the original SC4Model files are also required.

[jplumbley]

R$$$9 Blue Tower

I like the placement of the building itself.  The layout of the lot is pretty good.  The only major issues I am seeing is there is no defined entrance to the lot and there is nothing to differentiate sidewalk from road surface.  I understand that the road surface is designed to be for a high wealth lot.  The texture is fine, but there needs to be something to differentiate where a pedstrian is to walk into the building and where the car is to drive.  The way you can do this is by either redoing the base textures to have the sidewalks as a different texture or add some props to line the pedestrian walk and prevent cars from travelling there.  Also, the size of the "parking" is a little large and bare.  if you were to use some planter props and maybe some more trees you could break up this "void" at the same time as giving a well defined pedestrian walkway along the side of the parking lot.


R$$ Angel's Creek

Again, very well done.  The only thing on this one I have a problem with the Parking lot should match.  You have asphalt parking spaces but a paver stone road way.

Good work... Keep it up.

BTW, I know you're KRAM.  And I havent forgotten, but I am still constructive.

[BigSlark]

Your lots look really good! If you need a CAM tester, I'd be more than happy to try them out. I've been growing lots of stage 9, 10, and 11 R$$ and R$$$ lately.

Cheers,
Kevin

[toxicpiano]

Nice! I love Oneil's stuff so it's great to see them modded for CAM

[M4346]

@ jplumbley

Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate your constructive criticism and have taken heed of your words. The end result displayed at the bottom. I have taken into consideration much of what you have said, and I trust that the result would be, if not ideal, at least more satisfactory.

If you were to use some planter props and maybe some more trees you could break up this "void" at the same time as giving a well defined pedestrian walkway along the side of the parking lot.

The image below would explain why I did not use trees on the area described:

Other than that I have tried to implement the rest of what you have said and really appreciate your feedback! It helped a lot, I think!   

BTW, I know you're KRAM.  And I havent forgotten, but I am still constructive.

Thank you, and I am reminded of that everytime I see the NHP logo. 

@ Kevin Thanks! If you could PM me your e-mail address or something I could send you the lots. I do not want to attach them here and run the risk of everyone downloading them and possibly having problems, the entire fiasco ending up in me being sued for all I'm worth. I would appreciate it if you'd test it, and I thank you for the offer.

@ toxicpiano Thank you! I also do love O'Neil's stuff, therefore my request to Barby to CAMify them.

Alterations and additions

As mentioned I have tried my best to incorporate jplumbley's suggestions and feedback, the result exhibited below:

R$$$9 The Blue Tower





R$$10 Angel's Creek

That's all for now then. I'll get to LOTing the other files as soon as possible.

[beskhu3epnm]

Great Job. I have found that the NDEX buildings were great, yet the lots left something to be desired. Detail and patience I guess were in short supply.

Now they are having a coming of age, with a CAM and a detailed lot. They way they were always supposed to be.

Overall, the trees work really well. The parking textures are a little iffy, but are way better than the stock ones. I'd be happy with that overall. It seems you have put some time and thought into it.

Keep up the great work, capn!

Check your PM box for anything related to the past with NHP. I'll be flipping you one shortly. Take care!

beskh

[M4346]

Great Job. I have found that the NDEX buildings were great, yet the lots left something to be desired. Detail and patience I guess were in short supply.

Now they are having a coming of age, with a CAM and a detailed lot. The way they were always supposed to be.

Thank you!

Overall, the trees work really well. The parking textures are a little iffy, but are way better than the stock ones. I'd be happy with that overall. It seems you have put some time and thought into it.

Keep up the great work, capn!

Check your PM box for anything related to the past with NHP. I'll be flipping you one shortly. Take care!

The parking textures on the Blue Tower can be revised, I think there is an alternative (without the white line down the side at the transition of the two). Unfortunately I don't know of / cannot find a better alternative to the current parking solution on the Angel's Creek Building.

While you mention the trees, I would like to know if anyone / most people object to seasonal trees? I think they not only look great, but ads to the realism of the lot, but there are of course those of us with objections to them. I'll be more than willing to replace them with evergreen versions.

Also, thanks for the PM re: NHP. I have responded. 

On with the next one then...

CO$$$11 World Financial Centre 3

As always, fire away with the feedback and scrutiny! And thank you for the interest and continued support!

[rooker1]

Great work with the LE.  I need to find some time to practise this incredible art.



Robin   

[jplumbley]

-M- These are begining to be awesome.  The Blue Tower is very good lot wise now, that sidewalk is now very well defined.  As for the issue you ran into with the trees, I have that issue aswell when I am using large buildings such as this for my personal lotting.  It is something that you get a hang of working with, with more experience.

I have nothing "bad" to say about the last building.  It is very good.  The sidewalk is well defined, the split parking is a good idea.  Flora is well laid out and you noticed the store fronts and "protected" their entrances.

Good work.

[Pat]

-M- this is mmmmm tastic great stuff im seeing here and i cant wait to see you have your upload rights - pat

[M4346]

Thanks for the feedback guys! It's truly appreciated! 

I have the WFC 2 today, and seeing there are too many $$$ CAM lots at the moment, Barby modded it to be a CO$$ I had to work with the lower value and accompanying 'style'. I am not normally a huge fan of, or a particularly good, $$ LOTer, but I gave this a try regardless. I didn't want to make the WFC 2 & 3 look exactly the same, but I also didn't want them to differ too much! So, I hope you like the result. If not, well, you know what to do!

CO$$11 World Financial Centre 2

Now, I have a dinner engagement to get to! Enjoy your Sunday evenings / afternoons or Monday mornings!

[Pat]

mmmmmmmm -M- you are really doing a justice for the BAT's....

[bat]

Fantastic looking buildings, -M-!

[jplumbley]

Hello Barby,

I havent had a chance to look at the actual modding of the LOTs by M4346 but as far as LOTing wise I think they are asthetically ready for LEX upload.  He seems to have listened and taken into account the points I made about his LOTs and he seems to have learned from it because his next LOT was very good for its purpose.  He is showing that he takes care and actually thinks about the functionality of a LOT and takes these different functionalities and applies them to the layout.

[M4346]

Thank you Pat, Bat and JP for your comments.

JP, Barby modded the LOTs to be CAMpatible and that's the only modding it has undergone. I have not, myself, tampered with, or altered it, in any way.

I still have about 7 of the 11 LOTs to re-lot, having finished the Blue Tower, WFC 2 & 3 and Angel's Creek.

I think I can send the WFCs to Barby for distribution and testing, and then if she'd be so kind as to pack them for the LEX (if it is deemed fit). Then that can be released as a package (the 2 WFCs). I think O'Neil's Condos can be released in a separate package, and in yet another separate package BLaM's CNIT of La Defense. Anyway, those are just suggestions.

I can zip up the WFCs and send them to if you so wish. I'll type out a simple text readme with the links to the dependencies and the stats if you wish.

Thanks for the support, encouragement and contribution to the overall process, it is really appreciated. 

So, Barby, JP, let me know what you think.

[RippleJet]

I'll type out a simple text readme with the links to the dependencies and the stats if you wish.

M, use SC4Tool's Analyser/Importer for making the Readme:

1. Take a day shot and a night shot of your lot in-game. Edit them so that they are 250 pixels wide.
2. Make sure you have all your dependencies in your Plugins folder or subfolders.
3. Open your lot in Analyser/Importer.
4. Click on the name of your lot in the left hand pane.
5. Check the Dependency tag. There should be no red crosses in there.
6. Enter the Description (your description of the lot).
7. Enter yourself as an Author under Common Information.
8. Insert your two images with the image button (far left).
9. Click Export to HTML (template), the third button from the left.
10. Select an appropriate template (readme_bsc_template_growable.htm).
11. Give the file a name including "Readme" and the name of the building.

Make sure you note where on your hard disk you're saving it.
An image folder will be created there as well.
The html file you created with the image directory is now ready.

You might want to take a look at it and check that everything is OK.
Especially the "Credits Section" and "Feedback and Support" will need some postediting.

[M4346]

Thanks RippleJet! I did what you said, and with a bit of trial and error I could manage. 

I e-mailed the LOTs and the Readme to Barby (I didn't know what else to do ) So we'll see what happens from here on

Thanks for your help! 

[BarbyW]

Thanks, M, they have arrived. I'll check them over and post them to the LEX if everything is ok. I do know the modding is right

[M4346]

No problem, and thank you!
And yeah, I think the last thing we should worry about at this point in time is the modding. 

[BarbyW]

Posted to the LEX in the Admin name.