Lot editor display problem (zoom 5 only)

[snakee8]

Good evening everyone,

       Wanted to run a problem by some of you in the community to see if any of you have had the problem I'm having. After creating a few buildings, I went along with my usual export process and conversion into a prop. Once complete, I went into the lot editor to begin creating the lot and realized that the building is "cut up", (a piece of the roof shows on one end, and another piece of the roof shows on the opposite end with a blank area covering where the rest of the building is)..... but only in zoom 5. Every other zoom is fine, displaying the building as it looks in the render scenes. Additionally, I re-rendered the building (no apparent issues) and repeated the process without luck. I exported about 200 or so items the past few days for a new project I'm beginning and had zero issues so I'm a little unsure what the problem is. The building is in HD, (I plan to use close up's of this building so I want it in HD) has about 25 different textures and is roughly 2x2. If pictures are needed I can provide one once I get back to my computer later this evening.  Thanks in advance for any and all help! 

p.s.- this is not the export issue where a texture is replaced by a maxis building facade, I have updated my files accordingly (modelnames script) to ensure I avoided this issue

[Lowkee33]

Hi snakee8 ,

Some pictures would help.  Are you using 3dsMax, or the BAT that comes with Sim City?  Did you rebuild the LODs before you exported?

[snakee8]

Thanks for the response Lowkee. I'm using 3dsMax 2011, and rebuilt the LODs. I've never had a problem before this and I've exported numerous personal BATs prior to this issue without problems. I did receive an error in 3dsMax earlier in the process causing it to crash but it seems only items over 16m tall have this issue. Anyways, if all else fails I'll try to reinstall MAX and BAT4MAX and take it from there. Pics below:

Correction: zoom 3 is fine, zooms 4&5 have the issue
zoom 3


zoom 4

[Lowkee33]

Re-installing shouldn't help.  The model/LOD you render in BAT needs to be HD too.  I hope you have that option (in the "preview" section), because all I know is I put a file somewhere and now I can do HD.  An error in the 3dMax script is probably a sign that you should re-render the template model in BAT anyway.

Long story short, it looks like your model's S3D is only using one of the FSH when it should be using 4.  Bat4Max doesn't do anything to the S3Ds, so this error isn't too surprising to see.  This would be expected if you rendered the LOD in SD in BAT.

If you are friendly enough with reader:  The rest of your building images are probably in that model file.  If you re-render the LOD in BAT, you could probably merge the two together somehow.

[snakee8]

Thanks for the help! I was rendering both in HD. I re-rendered the BAT in HD and SD and made sure to rebuild the LODs but still had the issue. I then reinstalled BAT4MAX and the modelnames script and the BATs exported properly. Unsure why this had happened since this issue only happened on the models I exported that day but since it's working properly now I'm not going to worry about it. Again thanks for the help, if it wasn't for people like you in the community sharing your wealth of knowledge and modding tools, this game wouldn't be what is is today. 

[jmyers2043]

..  I have updated my files accordingly (modelnames script) to ensure I avoided this issue ...

sounds like you're using gmax? The ms script will usually take care of the export problem. But I've had a crazy export or two even with the updated ms file IF i also forget to merge my bat into a new project one last time prior to exporting. Don't merge the LODS or the TCB2CameraHandle. Click refit LODS and reset lights and you should be good to go.    Did you just get one bad export or will it do the same thing over and again with that particular bat?

[snakee8]

Hey jmyers, I'm a big fan of your BATs...thanks for the response, I'm only using GMAX for exporting the LODs. This issue seemed to be only with the models I exported after the crash. After re-installing BAT4MAX and replacing the ms script I re-imported all of the models in 3dsMax that had the issue, exported the LODs to GMAX, re-imported them into 3dsMAX and merged the models without the LODs or TB2Camera, rebuilt the LODs and reset the lights/camera and everything went along just fine. Still unsure why this happened as I've been relativity issue free in my roughly 300 exports of my custom props for an upcoming MD I'm desperately searching for time for. RL unfortunately just seems to always get in the way.

EDIT:

The issue has happened again...Obviously this is related to something I'm doing incorrectly although I've never had a problem like this before. Like I previously said I am using 3dsMax (2011) and GMAX for the LOD export. After modeling my process is as follows:

Set LODs in MAX
Export LODs in MAX
Import into GMAX/ export LODS (SD)
Open new scene in MAX
Merge scene without LODs or Cameras
Set lighting and LODs
Verify LODs
Select my target model
Select day export (SD)

Day preview render


Day export render (don't mind the granular look pic is mid-render)


When I receive the black boarder on these exports the issue happens. I've never had this before. Hopefully some of you with more experience have come across this. I'm assuming this is related to some sort of camera problem as it would be my assumption that if the LODs were the issue I would see it reflected in the preview render.

[jmyers2043]

I use gmax from start to finish and have no experience with max. Hopefully someone will have an answer.

Good Luck

- Jim

[Lowkee33]

Set LODs in MAX
Export LODs in MAX
Import into GMAX/ export LODS (SD)
Open new scene in MAX
Merge scene without LODs or Cameras
Set lighting and LODs
Verify LODs
Select my target model
Select day export (SD)

Why are you merging?  Isn't your 3dsMax scene already complete?

Anyway, might be a 2011 issue, though I have no idea.  Can you upload the problem model somewhere?

[snakee8]

Lowkee- PM'd you the link to my mediafire account where the file is located. Thanks for all the help.

[Lowkee33]

I can't seem to open that file, could you send the .SC4 model that you have tried to render?

[snakee8]

not a problem.. the .SC4 model will be on mediafire momentarily

[Lowkee33]

I'm not having any trouble with that model.

[snakee8]

Really? Well that leaves me pretty confused. I just opened it up in LE and I'm still having the exact issue on the closest 2 zooms. Would you have any recommendations?

[Lowkee33]

It doesn't make much sense to me either, this model looks perfectly fine though.  It has an instance of 0x0003####, so it isn't a model name issue, and all of the Mats are connected properly in Reader.  I don't think you have to worry about a bad 3dsMax script or something like that.

I can only guess that maybe you have a conflicting plugin.  I don't know how that could have happened.  Try emptying your plugin folder except for this model, or put the model in a folder that starts with a "z"?

[snakee8]

Okay.. so I think I got to the bottom of this. I am exporting the models in question perfectly fine now. What I did was, of all things, revert back to Norton 360 from Windows Security Essentials after having it affect one of my Nascar Racing 2003 mods. Strange enough, but I decided to give the export another go thinking that it couldn't hurt and maybe the AV software was causing some sort of conflict with the LE. My LE opened up much quicker, and the model showed exactly as it should. Since then I have exported about 25 or so models and everything is exporting perfectly. Although I'm not 100% sure that WSE is causing the conflict, the fact that it affected the textures on 2 separate "mods" leaves me to believe it was possibly affecting the display, which kills me because between the two problems I probably spent 10 hours trying to figure out a problem that really wasn't there. Lowkee, Thanks again for all the help!