Currently I'm working on extracting textures from EA worlds for some dirt paths. I can't seem to find that tutorial again, so I'll wing it for now until I find it again.
I like the mountains, Chuckles! It gives the town an isolated, yet cozy feel. Is the park a Showtime-park? (as in, where performers can perform)As pretty sure it is as Chuckles mentioned a P for Proprietor and the crowd spots.
Frey, I'm pretty sure you can package the terrain paints somehow, so people don't have to download them seperately, but I'm not sure...
I figured lots of places have fenced off areas for kids to play while their parents are occupied with other things - shopping, coffee etc. I may yet blend the two lots together better so that it 'shares' the play area with the diner - like a McD's play area - only safer and cleaner :D I wanted the laundromat to have snack machines and a skill tester too. I think there is a store content skill tester? I may include that in my store-version upload.I'm pretty sure they don't but then more Sims can watch the performance.
Yes, a couple more viewing squares couldn't hurt - do they affect performance?
No, the recolours will be included in the world file, not in a mod format. Right before I export the world, I will open it in S3PE, import the resources (_IMG files) that have the recolours, and save. That way they will only be recolours, and not mods. If however, you want to use the recolours in other worlds, I will be uploading them as mods separately.
07/11/2012
I've been doing a lot of reading today, and found another reason for possible problems with population control. I don't know if EA factored it in, but when too many sims try to enter a rabbit-hole - i.e., school, they have a little route-fail tanty. So maybe the population controls limits the number of children for that reason (as well as many others I'm sure). At any rate, I had planned on having lots of children in my world to help it not to die out, but this might prove problematic. I think from what I've read, things in Bridgeport operate on a different time-table to other worlds, so I'm hoping to tune the school to stagger the start time for teenagers and children as part of the world file in the same way that Bridgeport does. Hopefully I can do that without it being a mod.
I've added some links to my resource list on the first page for some interesting and exciting new information I found today.
I just came across this today, and I must say it is coming along beautifully. I hope the patch didn't cause permanent damage!
For anyone interested, and this isn't specifically sims related, Windows 7 has a 'snipping tool' that allows you to drag a selection over anything on screen to copy it. Like a screenshot, but only the bits you need :D If you open the Start menu, and type in 'snipping' it should come up. It is my new best friend!
18/11/2012
So I exported my newly corrected world, ready for some more play-testing. I'm very excited to confirm that by including my custom pattern in the .world file, it safely exported!
It can clean up the garbage left in your world during the creation process.
For instance "Union Cove" has several hundred Core Forwarder objects left in it (certain types of objects like to leave those laying around when you move them on a lot).
Those unnecessary object could have been cleared out prior to releasing the world, making the town a smaller load.
However, other than that it is serves little purpose in CAW work. :)
The mod runs in the background while you are working in "Edit in Game" mode, once you let the game clock roll over 2 sim-minutes after you loadup.
Depending on the number of objects in your world, and how much debris there is, it may take a while for it to sift through all the information. You could just let the game sit for 30 real-time minutes or so.
A script log with the objects that were located and removed should be created once the process is complete. :)
Quote from: twallan on Today at 02:07:55 PM
The mod runs in the background while you are working in "Edit in Game" mode, once you let the game clock roll over 2 sim-minutes after you loadup.
Depending on the number of objects in your world, and how much debris there is, it may take a while for it to sift through all the information. You could just let the game sit for 30 real-time minutes or so.
A script log with the objects that were located and removed should be created once the process is complete.
For the hill with the civic centre, I created it using the 'hill' tool in CAW, but I'm seriously considering taking the map into photoshop to fix it up, because I keep getting irregularities around the road.
The dark rock colour I used was from one of the other EA worlds... I can't remember which at the moment, but I'll find it later today when I open it. Most of the textures I have used come from Hidden Springs. All of the textures on that link are from EA worlds, and if used in the right combination, work well. If you find a texture looks to repetitive, like the shale, you can always edit it and replace it with another to see how it looks. It's also possible to extract the terrain paints from in-game for use in CAW, if you have S3PE. Just remember to limit it to 8 textures per chunk in the final version, and, to use S3PE to delete any unused textures before exporting.
The rabbitholes in basements wouldn't be an extreme issue IF you have the lot big enough for the rabbithole. If you let it hang over the edge it becomes a problem, with sims exiting rabbitholes into nothingness. If you're not against custom content, MTS have a set of rabbitholes that use a rug rather than a building. That way you can build the rabbithole how you like, and just place the rug on the floor.
I can actually imiagine it in my street!That is one of the best compliments I've had yet. I'm really pleased that it turned out so close to the original that you could say that!
Those houses are simply beautiful. When the worlds finished, I'm definately downloading it ASAP!Hopefully that won't be very long now! I think I have only 1 house yet to build, one huge one to finish, a pool and some bars to go. Then a total tidy-up in CAW, and then create and add sims. I will leave space for some University lots if I can, but it was ruled that they can't be placed in the general challenge rules, so I'll leave them out for now, but provide lots to go with it when it is done.
I cant remember if you were allowing store content in the world or not but I saw that the laundromat was using a fence that I'm pretty sure came with Lucky Palms but not with the patch. Just thought you should know.
Eep! Thanks for catching that Gogo. Wow that's disappointing, because that fence just worked so well there. I'm not including store content, so thank you very much for pointing that out. Off I go to fix that pronto!See, now you're extra glad I noticed it because you now have vending machines! They would really go well there.
EDIT: Done. Replaced with the Bipartisan fence, with the same brick and trim as the building. I also added some vending machines which came with UL - perfect for this lot!
I need to do ceilings in CAW - unless there is a trick to getting the camera to tilt high enough? I've only managed to do that in CAW by using the TAB key.
I love your discos and clubs! I tend to ignore them in Bridgeport, but I will definately use them more once Cypress Lakes is finished (I will definitely be downloading it as soon as it is linked from the Swap Shop!).
Haha I love how you put that - sucks all the light - it does that, doesn't it! It makes it looks like there is a missing pattern. I've switched the black for white, and the wall, which was already panelled (though you couldn't see it too well), now has the top half brick, the bottom half white panelling, and a white detailed cornice.
Yay! Just got IP and MS stuff today. Cypress Lakes will be finished soon. So long as CAW has also been updated, There'll be some more building happening very soon! I nearly didn't buy them - to start with I didn't want to - I get buyers remorse before I even buy it. Then, when we had just about finished shopping, I had non-buyers remorse. So I sent hubby back in to get them!
You don't have to do that! I greatly appreciate the sentiment, but I'll settle for drooling instead.
Wow this is so amazing! I finally got Generations, so I'll be able to download this and fiddle around!Thank you, I hope you will have fun with it when it is ready
This looks so great! I envy your world-building skills. I've been trying to make my own, but it's an act of trial and error. ;DThank you - there's been a lot of trial and error here, too. The main advice I can give is to make many, many different saves along the way, and keep them all!
That inn looks great! I'd love to have my sims stay there :)
Wow Chuckles ! This Inn is just beautiful . I love the whole look and feel of the place . It looks like such a quaint place to stay over at for the night . Love the colors and decor . :)Thank you - I have had a lot of fun creating patterns to contribute to that atmosphere (all of which will be included in the world file).
I know you're kind of doing this as an independent task, but if you want some help creating the sims I am willing to help. You could PM me the specifications and a screenshot of their house and I could get to work.
If you'd rather stay on your own computer, that's fine. I just thought I'd put that out there. :)
Lol its ok, Tony's close enough to retirement anyway - as far as sims go. I actually already made a Gibbs, though i dont know how close the resemlance is, the clothes are pretty dead on. I actually had fun making Gibbs and a Mrs Gibbs. They can have a chance to live happily ever after.*innocent whistling*