Diggis Contemplates BAT

[Diggis]

Thanks everybody.  I'm not doing a comprehesive set for every piece at the moment but I've nearly got the pieces done I want done.

The stream or river water appears to me more choppy than the pond water. Or is it just me?

It's just you. 

[tag_one]

Wonderful work as always Shaun! 

[superhands]

great work Shaun

one question. how do you render with opacity without getting the black seem showing through? (the black background shows through and gives an awful appearance with something i'm working on atm)

i hope this makes sense.

-dave

[joelyboy911]

One possible way is to use an alpha map which is filled in 50% pixels black 50% white, or whatever ratio you like, rather than grey, then in BAT you manipulate the texture so that the alternate black and white pixels are very, very small on the object (you may need to make the alpha a very large image if it is a large BAT and a large texture. Otherwise there is a tutorial somewhere on how to make objects semi-transparent, but I think you have to render the see-through bit seperately.

[Diggis]

great work Shaun

one question. how do you render with opacity without getting the black seem showing through? (the black background shows through and gives an awful appearance with something i'm working on atm)

i hope this makes sense.

-dave

Ahhh, yes, trade secret, I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you

Assuming what you are rendering is a single colour, make the render environment the same colour.

[superhands]

so simple    great tip

[Diggis]

I've DAMNed my lots finally:



This will remove my lots from your parks menu and add them to the DAMN without the drawbacks of MMLs.

[RebaLynnTS]

Now if I can just figure out how to do that with the ARS.

[Diggis]

I put the explaination in the DAMN thread and the SSPTool thread some time ago.  There is a property you delete from the building exemplar, Lot resource key I think (might pay to check that) which will remove the icon from the menu but still leave the lot fully functional.  DAMN bypasses this so it works sweet.

[RebaLynnTS]

I gave them a look, and will work on it once I get a few more things fixed and updated. I like the idea a lot.

[Diggis]

And I have been doing a little more work this week:

First up is a little side project for Barby:



Some small docks shown earlier.  I should have these up for testing over the weekend and out some time next week.

Next is grass streams:



These are just single models at present and only straight, T cross and corner.  I have a bit more work to do on these, but thought I would show where I was at.

[Jmouse]

Actually, the streams fit in with what I'm used to seeing around here, although they're quite a bit more attractive. There's a lot of rice grown in this area so I'm assuming the straight ditches which honeycomb some of the fields are for irrigation. These newest creations really look good - I enjoyed using the grass banks for the ponds.

Later...
Joan

[jacqulina]

awesome work

[tag_one]

Ohh Shaun I love those streams! I'll give you a free beer in Loudeac

[Diggis]

Thanks guys, it's take some work to get these working, I couldn't use my normal trick to get the steep banks.  But now I have them it won't take much to do the various versions.  Got to come up with some bridges now though. 

[SimGoober]

If I may suggest.. A three or four tile long version of this stream, that wanders just a hair.  Starts and ends in the same spot (centered), but in it's course is a bit random?  Make a few variations in a prop family, to give it a more natural flow... not straight like it's man made?  Maybe even one with a large rock or two in the middle of the stream...

I know, I know... ideas are easy.... 

[Diggis]

If I may suggest.. A three or four tile long version of this stream, that wanders just a hair.  Starts and ends in the same spot (centered), but in it's course is a bit random?  Make a few variations in a prop family, to give it a more natural flow... not straight like it's man made?  Maybe even one with a large rock or two in the middle of the stream...

I know, I know... ideas are easy.... 

Great minds think alike*, You haven't actually downloaded my shingle streams have you.      

That is exactly what i have done  , although with the transparent edges I can wander it a little more with this set.  And I have also done that with the ponds too.

*and fools seldom differ

[M4346]

You haven't actually downloaded my shingle streams have you.  

 

[Ennedi]

Shaun, yor current achievements are enough good, I like your streams a lot! But if you are going to work more with curves and diagonals, I have a little suggestion for you:

The main problem ar curves and angles. One of the best designed "non-grid" stuff in the whole SC4 history are Asphaltenwege made by TWrecks and released at Simcity Kurier. I know, these are narrow paths, but curves and angles are choosen perfectly. There are not too much pieces in that set, and there are a lot of possibilities to combine them and create a really random look. Of course there is a question of scale - your streams are wider and you should use 2x2 tiles. But if you would download this set and play with it a bit, maybe it would give you some ideas?

Adam

[Diggis]

Adam,

With the diagonals, 2x2 corners and 3x1 pieces in the shingle streams you should be able to get a pretty good approximation of that.  What I have shown in the last image was the basic pieces needed to start the set.  Can you download the shingle streams and diagonal streams and see how you go?