SC4 Devotion Forum Archives

SimCity 4 General Discussion and Tutorials => SimCity 4 General Discussion => General Custom Content Discussion => Topic started by: nbvc on August 07, 2009, 10:35:36 AM

Title: Transparency in water
Post by: nbvc on August 07, 2009, 10:35:36 AM
Hi,

I'm trying to build a canal lock, but when I plop it in the water it doesn't look good.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg12.imageshack.us%2Fimg12%2F5465%2Fcanal2.jpg&hash=3ea056cb848cdfaaa476f0967acde4a0597cd688)
The water doesn't go close to the lock. Is there something I have to set before I export it?
Title: Re: Transparency in water
Post by: Diggis on August 08, 2009, 12:53:21 AM
What is happening is your LOD isn't tight to the model.  You would need to make a custom LOD that steps in. around the Gates.
Title: Re: Transparency in water
Post by: joelyboy911 on August 08, 2009, 01:19:43 AM
I recommend the BAT4MAX4GMAX utilities which contains a tool for automatically generating custom, tight fitting LODs.
Title: Re: Transparency in water
Post by: nbvc on August 08, 2009, 02:45:30 AM
Could someone of you please explany how to do this? I just started working with the BATeditor. Do you mean the utilities in the BAT editor where I can export my model? I tried the 'Re-fit LOD's" button, but it didn't help.
Title: Re: Transparency in water
Post by: joelyboy911 on August 08, 2009, 03:14:05 AM
Ah, sorry for the confusion. The tool for creating a complex LOD comes in the BAT4MAX set which you don't need (since you have GMAX) but it contains the gmax4BAT4max tools, one of which is the complex LOD tool. I don'r have a download link handy I'm afraid.
Title: Re: Transparency in water
Post by: MandelSoft on August 08, 2009, 04:36:28 AM
Copy your models 3 times and call them LOD3, LOD4 and LOD5.
Title: Re: Transparency in water
Post by: RebaLynnTS on August 08, 2009, 05:45:38 AM
Make several boxes that exactly match the dimensions of your model. Name them A01, A02, etc (this will make them easy to find later). I generally make a small square box that I place in the center point of the scene and name it LOD3. Apply a mesh to LOD3, click on the "Attach List" button of LOD3's mesh settings roll out. Select all the boxes named A##, and poof, complex LOD. You only need to make LOD3, as BAT will copy it for you, and make the rest of you LODs (4 & 5).

Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Transparency in water
Post by: nbvc on August 10, 2009, 11:10:25 AM
Thanks. Creating the LODs helps. Now I have to work on my 3D modeling skills.