Hi, correct me if I'm wrong, but there doesn't seem to be any individual ploppable fruit trees around? These would be handy to make some of my backyards more realistic; I'm used to gardens having a few fruit trees. I've noticed perfectly good ones that pop up in the default maxis farms (orange and apple trees at least) and I'm assuming it wouldn't be TOO hard to turn one into a lot? Any help appreciated.
That's an excellent idea. I've got them almost made. I'll post again soon with more. ;)
wow, legend, can't wait to see them
Another possible option would be to have a look at the dependencies for this pack http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=17233 (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=17233)
I think you'll find the trees you are looking for in the related prop packs (although they may be the maxis ones you are talking about).
Dave
thanks for the link tooheys, those ploppable farms will come in handy. But as for the prop packs I don't know how to remove and use individual props (but am happy to be shown how)
Well you can use Lot Editor which is available from the Maxis site. That way you can create your own lots or edit existing ones using the various prop packs available. No BAting needed. I'm pretty sure there is a couple of good tutorials around. I'll have a look and PM you the links (and add to this post as well)
Dave
thanks tooheys, it's clearly something I will benefit from getting my head around, however I'm running SC on windows 7 (which the lot editor doesn't seem too fond of) So until I can source a copy of XP (which won't be long) I still urge you, hooha47, to post your efforts.
These are my first forum posts and I'm grateful for the speedy responses. I had been looking with great anticipation towards Cities XL, but it's arrival :( has only made me better appreciate what we have with SC4 ;), and I have returned with renewed vigor. Thanks for your thoughts.
I'm actually working on making them ploppable via the Mayor Mode menu, not as actual lots. I've been wanting to learn how to do it, and this gave me something to work on. I've made both an apple tree and an orange tree, based on the maxis props. I just need to do a little testing and create menu icons for them. I'll probably release them on the STEX, but before I do, I'm wondering if there are other trees I should make ploppable. Any requests?
hell yeah, that would be IDEAL :thumbsup: Mayor mode is the best as they can be freely distributed.
The things that have been lacking for me are the fruit trees as well as flowering shrubs in general. There is a wealth of trees and single hue large shrubs for making forests with, but a real lack of colourful flowers/bushes/bulbs etc.
Can you easily change the colour of the fruit? So that the orange tree could become a lemon or lime...
In short, anything that will add some colour to my gardens,
thanks for your help
Changing the color of the fruit would require going into the BAT, which I have no experience at. The only fruit trees Maxis made appear to be the orange and apple. I did a plum tree and cherry tree by MJB as well. Here's what they look like in game:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg30.imageshack.us%2Fimg30%2F9555%2Fhhmayormodetrees.jpg&hash=a191a5d4204167fecfd32efa9317629377d9d8ff)
I just need to do icons and a couple more things and they'll be ready to go.
wow, from an idea to reality just like that, that's so cool. They all look great, I especially like the cherries? (light pink) I'm gonna have to learn how to do this...
There are also lemon, lime and a variety of other apple trees in BSC MEGA Props MJB Vol01.
thanks for that barbyw, I really MUST figure out the lot editor. All my previous SC4 phases have been on the mac version, now I can finally look into using it; thanks for the extra incentive.
Quote from: hooha47 on October 26, 2009, 12:46:45 PM
I just need to do icons and a couple more things and they'll be ready to go.
I think
hooha47 should open a LEX candidacy with these... ::) :)
Barby, I looked in that pack and somehow missed the lemon and lime trees, thank you. Ripplejet, I hadn't even considered opening a LEX candidacy, but since you suggested it . . . I have a couple more things I'm trying to figure out, then I guess I'll open a LEX candidacy and post some pictures of what I've got. Thanks thingfishs for opening this thread, you've given me something new to work on. :thumbsup:
it's my pleasure hooha, it's been a beneficial thread for me too, because of it I've started looking into the lot editor myself and immediately have seen my horizons expand exponentially. I didn't realise there were all these great virtually unseen props to utilise. I looked into that pack as well and the lemon tree looks great. Good luck with the candidacy, and I'm happy, stoked even, to have helped initiate it.
Another two cents would be that if you can, maybe make it a single icon cyclable version like pegasus has done with his mayor mode stuff, so that one click is an apple tree, two is a lemon and so on. Ever keen to reduce the number of icons to trawl through, and I assume the idea is for small plantings, not covering landscapes. Although having said that you'll be able to create FAR more realistic orchards (and far larger) if you individually place the trees, then having to cycle through each time would be a pain. Maybe both and people can choose. I think that's about a dollar fifty by now...
QuoteAnother two cents would be that if you can, maybe make it a single icon cyclable version like pegasus has done with his mayor mode stuff, so that one click is an apple tree, two is a lemon and so on.
I was thinking the same thing. I think ultimately, this is a better way to go then having multiple icons for each tree. I found a couple of tutorials that tell you how to make a ploppable, but haven't found any about tweaking some of the parameters, so I'm doing some testing to figure some of this out.
As for the lot editor, you're right, it's shocking how many great props there are. And there are lots of great tutorials if you need any help figuring out how to do things, and of course, lots of people willing to help if you have questions. That's how I got started creating custom content, and the support I've gotten here has been superb.
I caught the right person at the right time. I too am keen to "end my lurking ways" and would appreciate gleaning from you as this project proceeds. I can think of a few other things that I'd like to have in cyclable (which apparently isn't a word but what else do I say? cycle able) mayor menu (or otherwise) form. Leave a link here to the candidacy/project page.
Hey thingfishs, what sorts of things do you want to put in the Mayor Flora menu? I'm asking because I want to learn how to make those sorts of mods as well, but I can't think of anything that needs to be put in.
hey joelyboy, I've got various ideas but as a horticulturally minded person I'm initially keen to create more plant ones. I like creating rich colourful varied gardens (which can only be achieved through mayor mode style plopping) and as I said earlier in the thread there doesn't seem to be much in the ways of flowering shrubs and the like. Gardens need layers Not just green trees and some colour on the ground. As I've since discovered there are a wealth of these different props made, just not, that I'm aware, assembled into easy to use garden creating tools. Also I suspect that some of the kinds of plants I'm looking for won't be available (I am a native plant person) and so far have only come across two eucalyptus models) so I am toying around with learning to BAT as well. (I can't help but smile writing that line, does BAT mean what it means in Australia overseas?) For example we have a spectacular flowering tree in Australia, called grevillea robusta, or the silky oak which are commonly used as a street tree. I'd like to have them.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2FdY9f2.png&hash=cd8f454c31778a5bcd58582eeef8596d61f923be)
Personally I would like to have a groundcovers one, small shrubs, large shrubs (all of these predominantly flowering) as well as a flowering trees one. (on top of hooha47's upcoming fruit one ;))
I would also dearly love to have uroncha's field pack (link above ↑) available in a more condensed form, but also one that doesn't require cycling through each time, because it's for fields. I've only just come across the DAMN approach, don't know if this is a potential solution.
http://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1775
edit (wrong link)
One thing to be remembered is that Mayor Mode plops won't always plop on lots. They will not plop on top of a BAT for example.
I made several mods for military and farm stuff and they are on the LEX in my name. There are also ploppable trees by c.p. and jeronij on the LEX. Check what is available before duplicating though. There is an excellent tutorial by dedgren in 3RR on making Mayo Mode Plops.
I know and use jeronij and cycledogg's ploppable trees a LOT, and the quality and diversity of them are probably what got me thinking in the first place, why not the same for the understorey. And cp and jeronij's recent tree props pack.. http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=2135, looks really gorgeous, but only contains trees; and I think these are yet to be made directly ploppable. (there's a potential project joelyboy)
As for the not plopping on BATs thing, um.. my brain hurts. I'm still learning the difference. When I use ploppable trees I put them all through neighbourhoods etc without too much hassle, most backyards seem to accept them, but I am aware sometimes they won't go down where it seem they should, that's because it's a BAT?
Thanks, I'll look up that tutorial.
Part One of the tutorial Barby mentions is here: http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=112.msg181757#msg181757 (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=112.msg181757#msg181757). It's an 11 part tutorial, but really well written, full of useful information and easy to follow.
I also found this tutorial http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=185.0 (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=185.0) by Jeronij to be really easy to follow, and much shorter.
Here are pictures of what I've got. First the fruit trees, apple, orange, lemon and lime:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg4.imageshack.us%2Fimg4%2F6960%2Ffruittrees.jpg&hash=30ea22d1eb606bd59a41bbed3b19632819bd55aa)
The apple and orange trees are Maxis, the lemon and lime are from BSC Mega Props MJB Vol01. The lime tree is kind of hard to see against the green background, and it seems quite small compared to the others. I have it set so these appear together, click once for the apple tree, twice for the orange tree etc. The same method was used for these 7 flowering trees, all from BSC Mega Props MJB Vol01 and BSCBATProps MJB Vol09.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg94.imageshack.us%2Fimg94%2F1088%2Ffloweringtrees.jpg&hash=40737e65f93b2f097ab702054196b7e981bcd348)
Any comments?
Well done hooha, I think the citrus pack is looking excellent. The lime tree looks a bit too small imo, just looks like a little green bush. What do gshmails lime trees look like up close? http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=2946
As far as the trees/bushes go they look good, but possibly a little samey as far as colour scheme is concerned pink/red. I noticed a couple of orange, a white and a couple of green bushes from MJB 01 that look good.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2F9eKPz.png&hash=d7e0010ff61845ff37eb738504349444e17888a2)
My main problem with these sort of props is they tend to be one colour, purple or orange or whatever, to me the bottom right one on your picture is excellent because it's clearly a green tree with white flowers. (it looks like a white oleander)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2FLAHDG.jpg&hash=353b438c84039c4f3c2824ef22dc3700139ce20d)
I noticed Shmails Flowers by MJB (http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=3440) and have circled some rose bushes at the bottom, which appear to be without pots and also have obvious flowers. THIS is more what I'm after.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2F5xwQe.png&hash=fbfc2868b33e2f29ea07f9d929f7487f2c3c8433)
Here are some photos of plants that I like, not that I'm after these, just emphasizing the patches of colour on green effect that I'm looking for. Does anyone know of anymore props like the bushes I've circled in the previous picture?
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2FqvYTr.jpg&hash=728e3a0a8652503f4b1303b6b32666a11c9de3fa) (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2FRcE8y.png&hash=53796956958d0ce5f225962182a70d2d31654116) (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2F0yqQ8.jpg&hash=b494227b0883a7cc9bc13de8cd82d65ebe74c950) (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2F4DUah.png&hash=4bc7fca9579f1bdafbf15a3d3aab73dd196a4a79) (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2FYivig.jpg&hash=2576b43272cdd3761226ddacc01ceda1190055a8)
simgoober has hydrangea and azalea bushes in his MEGA prop pack.
You really should look through the MJB packs - found under couchpotato on the LEX - and also the D66 packs for flowers/bushes. There are many different ones in those packs.
thanks again Barby, you weren't kidding. So far I've only delved into the simgoober pack, but it has a whole bunch of beautiful flowers (pun intended.) Already I have made myself a 1 square "SG English Garden" lot that spun around is quite effective.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2FXoPSj.png&hash=88c080810ea9966443ba82119f75f35e1ae3cf04)
Certainly I've got your point as to the quality of what's out there, but they are still hidden away from many users that will never use the lot editor. (I was one of them for three years)
Here's one of the two pink azaleas from SG's pack.
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2FD15Rq.png&hash=097f2b450f0344715b70fed9efee9d65e59a87c2)
Great work goob!
Speaking of simgoober, I did his azaleas:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg257.imageshack.us%2Fimg257%2F703%2Fazalea.jpg&hash=781ce52a4ea1484f9c728ca03f5816c57da47fb3)
hydrangeas:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg255.imageshack.us%2Fimg255%2F5435%2Fhydrangea.jpg&hash=43c8b64c84bd9c3d79ee8d32d13b91e2f54484b0)
And these flowering trees that are just called CM in two different sizes:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg406.imageshack.us%2Fimg406%2F2365%2Fcm10x10.jpg&hash=0b49ecb3d2ca8a73844362551d49176725b1b5e8)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg97.imageshack.us%2Fimg97%2F5934%2Fcm6x6.jpg&hash=f1394becf6211f18e116286e369bbfafa3e98460)
And (I've been busy), I started working on the seasonal trees from CPs new prop pack (which, by the way, are maybe the most beautiful trees made for SC4 yet, a collaboration between two of the greats, cp and jeronij).
2 varieties of beech:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg215.imageshack.us%2Fimg215%2F1423%2Fseasonalbeech01.jpg&hash=ff2f0287ef6a7f0569512ff1cae0935fd15cfc5d)
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg338.imageshack.us%2Fimg338%2F7576%2Fseasonalbeech03.jpg&hash=8c72e697b11e44d12d33bfe38a17cbf4494755ff)
Hickory:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg137.imageshack.us%2Fimg137%2F8300%2Fseasonalhickory.jpg&hash=a9b8f5bc5da6cbf9f2f499b2836b4e207ae6a9fe)
Cherry:
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg519.imageshack.us%2Fimg519%2F5971%2Fseasonalcherry.jpg&hash=7eab7f45defccdcce056a8c3321960f3f1bf26b2)
and Hornbeam
(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg406.imageshack.us%2Fimg406%2F2121%2Fseasonalhornbeam.jpg&hash=62bb4d6b4e5161ed587c9394cbdc4323e1af8222)
I'm not at all clear on what if any permissions I need to release these, but I'm planning to do the rest of the seasonal trees from that pack (6 more if I remember correctly).
Nice work! :) BTW, "CM" is short for Crape Myrtle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagerstroemia) or Crepe Myrtle.
I would definately enjoy more mayor plopables... Especially ones that have not been done yet. Awaiting to see these when and hopefully they come out. Nice work. :)
Brilliant! Now we're talking &apls
Andreas, thanks for the comment, and of course, crepe myrtles, I should have known. And thank you tamorr and thingfishs. I have started a LEX candidacy (http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=9221.0) for these, so we can continue the discussion there if you'd like.
Now available on the LEX (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=2291)! Good job Hooha!
awesome :thumbsup:, the thread that lead me to start creating things myself has finally borne fruit (and then some). I have no doubt these will become indispensable tools for me.
Great work hooha, and thank you!