The weather mod

[Victor01]

Similar topic also at ST, but I posted also here because some people are more active here.

Anyway, this is my new idea:
Maxis in 2004 planned a "Wild World expansion pack", and they wanted to include weather in SC4... have you seen something? So I want to create a mod that should add weather in SC4!
I saw some "fog lot" on the STEX, but "rain lot" and "snow lot" are missing... so I plan to release these things:

1 rain lot:
(64x64 size of a little city - correct me if I'm wrong) It's a bitmap animation with rain.

1 snow lot (compatible with PEG snow mod):
same as rain lot, but with snow

1 snow modular pack (compatible with PEG snow mod):
a prop pack to use in LE to add snow on buildings

1 snow street pack (compatible with PEG snow mod):
a transit enable lot pack to plop above Maxis streets to add snow

Those animation have to be modded in order to "be activated" during winter (snow) or during autumn/spring (rain); same thing for the lot pack.

So, my question is:
Is it possible to create this modded lots?

if not, is it possible to add it like the fireworks in SC4?

(I don't want to create a team, not for nowat least... but I need a lot of help in the mod part)

Thank you all.
- GlobexCo

[TJ1]

That would be really neat I would love to make a snowstorm in a tropical oasis.

[Monorail Master]

I would actually like to plop these in my cities. Well, there's some lot on the STEX that generates fog for a large radius. But it seems to me that you need a person who can do lot generating effects.

[Victor01]

The main problem now is only the creation of the animation and its use in LE...
I'll start doing the animation in 3dsMax this week.

[Girafe]

I have made some researches about snow effects mainly.

It's very easy for the first steps :

1 - If you have 3dsmax 2010 there are already animations like wheather animation (you do all what you want with them).

2 - After you must make an animation and the best I think it's to make an animated prop using the software "BAB" but there is a problem : I don't know how export an animation from 3dsmax to gmax and it's the key of the stuff. I stopped there.

3 - Later, you export animation with BAB, there is a tutorial with the software.

4 - Last point, you make a mayor mod plop.

But, I don't know what would be the result because I think there would be a problem with LOD so no idea about this.

BAB creators could be very helpful I think

++

[jp]

this is a great idea! but won't it cause the game to lag a lot?

[Victor01]

I have made some researches about snow effects mainly.

It's very easy for the first steps :

1 - If you have 3dsmax 2010 there are already animations like wheather animation (you do all what you want with them).

2 - After you must make an animation and the best I think it's to make an animated prop using the software "BAB" but there is a problem : I don't know how export an animation from 3dsmax to gmax and it's the key of the stuff. I stopped there.

3 - Later, you export animation with BAB, there is a tutorial with the software.

4 - Last point, you make a mayor mod plop.

But, I don't know what would be the result because I think there would be a problem with LOD so no idea about this.

BAB creators could be very helpful I think

++

Thank you.
The export process between 3dsMax (yes, I've got 2010) and gmax is quite easy: the .3ds format supports animation, and you can export a .3ds from Max and import it into Gmax.

The probably the main problem is how to use in LE (or in Reader) a building bigger than the lot... but this is a problem I'll have in future.



I really don't know if the game will be slower; I hope it won't be...

[Girafe]

you can't export these kind of animation between 3dsmax and gmax, it would be to easy   

[Victor01]

you can't export these kind of animation between 3dsmax and gmax, it would be to easy   

3ds doesn't support animation? too bad...
I'll look if there's some script available for this kind of things

[j-dub]

I'm just going to say, with the sound FX, and rain animation, plus the day and night cycle. I had to ease off of raining in game. I think Maxis turned the rain FX off for stability reasons. Its just that when it rains, I have seen the rain actually rise the sea level, and in some cases flood the city, so if it was possible to use the unused Maxis rain FX that it would not actually cause flooding, this could be potential, as the game also can snow too. Someone did make a rain mod, but uses different rain compared to Maxis, and only is visible in the clouds, and requires to be positioned in the city just right, that its not exactly above the very lot the rain generates from, but at least it has been done before, the lot made rain sound FX, you would not be near it, it would rain, and was animated. However I could not stand the constant raining anymore.

[Starmanw402007]

what other random weather do you have planned for this weather mod? Just Curious

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