Guide for making a custom lot CAMpatible

[End_of_Eternity]

Hi guys,

Is there are any guide for making lots CAMpatible?

I have the PIM-X toolup and running, I am just not sure what I need to do. The PIM-X manual doesn't specifically reference the process for making CAMpatible lots.

Thanks,

Levi

[HappyDays]

PIMX is a very, very powerful tool but the interface relies a bit too heavily on keyboard input and right-click context menus. The learning curve is steep as a result.

That said, it is a simple process once you know how.

Load up whatever building you wish to update, then right click on its information list (The one  showing Wealth, Purpose, Resource Key, etc...). A context menu will appear. Click on  "Recompute properties as X", X being whatever occupant type the building is. You will be given a little box to put in the filling degree. The filling degree is how much space the building's model takes up in the bounding box, displayed in the lower left hand corner (1.0 means 100% of the box is filled). Put that in, click "Okay" and PIMX does the rest. Save and you're good to go.

One warning: PIMX is off when it comes to calculating the numbers of mid-rise, medium wealth commercial offices. For example, a boxy building that takes up the entirety of the bounding box will end up with much higher numbers than it should when compared to Maxis buildings of similar size. In these cases, setting a "0.5" filling degree will get you numbers similar to what they should be.

[End_of_Eternity]

Thanks for the quick reply.

So how can I verify if a lot is CAMpatible or not? It should have a "growth stage" value but not a "filing degree"?

Here is an example of an industrial lot that I am not 100% sure on:



I am also trying to make my custom industrial compatible with CAM edition of the Industrial revolution mod (http://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/29669-industrial-revolution-mod-cam-version/), the author of the mod says that I need to change the "LotConfigPropertyZoneTypes" attribute. I don't see this attribute in PIM-X. Do I need to load the lot in reader?

I understand what I need to do conceptually (make all I-D and I-M lots appear only medium density industrial and same for I-HT and dense industrial), I am just not sure how to do it. :/

[mgb204]

If I understand it correctly every lot would in theory work with the CAM, but due to the changes in growth stages buildings/lots made with the Maxis tools will not fit properly with the modified stages.

PIM-X was designed with the CAM in mind, when you first build the lot (or recompute the properties of an existing one) and set the Filling Degree PIM-X will automatically work out what growth stage and the number of residents/jobs the building should use. Personally I never just use the defaults, I always check similar sized buildings and ensure that the values fit in with my other content.

As for changing the "LotConfigPropertyZoneTypes" property, you are correct this must be done in the reader as PIM-X can not change this property once the building exemplar has been created. That said, if you were creating a new lot with PIM-X, when you drag the model to create a building exemplar just ensure you use the correct Industrial Category for the lot that you need, so if you have a Manufacturing lot that was pretty clean and fit with the I-HT lots then you drag it to the I-HT section NOT I-M as the selected item in the Building List is how this property is set in the first place.

[vortext]

Here is an example of an industrial lot that I am not 100% sure on:
*snip*

In this case the building doesn't have a filling degree, so you'd right-click and choose 'recompute properties'. Since this is an existing building the PIM-X will prompt you to set a new growth stage as well,  which most likely will be above stage 3. Or in other words it will probably be a proper CAMelot.

One warning: PIMX is off when it comes to calculating the numbers of mid-rise, medium wealth commercial offices. For example, a boxy building that takes up the entirety of the bounding box will end up with much higher numbers than it should when compared to Maxis buildings of similar size. In these cases, setting a "0.5" filling degree will get you numbers similar to what they should be.

That's why the Filling Degree is 0.5 by default in the first place and it should be left at that. There're exceptions like diagonal buildings or lots which have multiple buildings in which case the Filling Degree should be lowered or raised respectively. But other than that the filling degree should be left at 0.5.

[End_of_Eternity]

Thanks for the clarification guys.

Unfortunately, it seems that I am having some troubles with IRW-CAM mod, industrial buildings are now going out of the zone boundary (e.g. on the adjacent road), some I think I will stick to downloading custom industrial and modifying them for CAM.

Cheers,

Levi

[mgb204]

I don't use CAM, but the problem with lots going out of the boundary should only occur if you've previously plopped Maxis industrial when you install the IRM. If you delete these lots, then let them grow again all should be fine, this happens because the IRM lots have been changed to different sizes from the originals. Deleting them can leave artifacts behind (usually solvable) but it is recommend to remove all your industrial zones before installing IRM because of this.

[HappyDays]

End_of_Eternity: Anything that is run through PIMX is CAMpatible by default. Anything the ends up a stage higher than the default Maxis stages for a given occupant group is a CAMelot by default. As already mentioned, you can alter the stage by using Reader if you don't actually >use< CAM.

PIMX does allow you to mildly alter the stage of the building in its lot file by using the right-click context menu option "Recalculate stage". However, your options are limited to the stage PIMX thinks it should be at, and one above and one below that stage.

One warning: PIMX is off when it comes to calculating the numbers of mid-rise, medium wealth commercial offices. For example, a boxy building that takes up the entirety of the bounding box will end up with much higher numbers than it should when compared to Maxis buildings of similar size. In these cases, setting a "0.5" filling degree will get you numbers similar to what they should be.

That's why the Filling Degree is 0.5 by default in the first place and it should be left at that. There're exceptions like diagonal buildings or lots which have multiple buildings in which case the Filling Degree should be lowered or raised respectively. But other than that the filling degree should be left at 0.5.

That is not how the filling degree is intended to be used. In the PIMX manual, page 12, it says this:

"3. Look at the model in this example. How much of the yellow LOD box is the
model filling? Make a reasonable estimate and input the figure into the popup.
Ripplejet has posted a more detailed explanation at SC4Devotion to help you get
a more accurate filling degree. In this case a more accurate filling degree would
be 0.35 (35%)."

The filling degree is exactly that: Telling PIMX how much of the model is taking up the bounding box so the program can properly figure out the numbers it should be giving the building. PIMX is (mostly) accurate for large and small medium wealth commercial offices, as well as for every other type of occupant type. A few odd shaped buildings, as well as extreme lot sizes, tend to throw it off a degree, but nowhere near as badly as mid-rise, medium wealth commercial offices do. Or perhaps I should say, the differences are more pronounced at these sizes where we're talking just a few hundred occupants rather than thousands.

The "0.5" is merely the default because, hey, something had to be. The reason I recommend it for these "problem" buildings is that I'm basically lying to the program in an effort to get it to spit out more accurate numbers, not that 0.5 is the correct filling degree to use.

[End_of_Eternity]

I don't use CAM, but the problem with lots going out of the boundary should only occur if you've previously plopped Maxis industrial when you install the IRM. If you delete these lots, then let them grow again all should be fine, this happens because the IRM lots have been changed to different sizes from the originals. Deleting them can leave artifacts behind (usually solvable) but it is recommend to remove all your industrial zones before installing IRM because of this.

Thanks for the tip. I will try and delete all my industrials and then install IRM-CAM.

Cheers,

Levi