Spa's Atlantic Retreat

[nofunk]

That's unfortunate news. I've got my fingers crossed that they'll be able to recover your files!

[magee_b]

hope all is not lost spa. I just came back from a weekend at the Atlantic Jazz Festival in Halifax. I was on spring garden taking in some free shows, popped into a bank, came out and thought 'gee this building looks familiar'. I then remembered it was the CIBC you moddled yours after. Anyways... Best of luck with the recovery of your files.

Brian

[simdad1957]

Hey Spa, just wondering how the computer situation is going. If you are able to answer, please give us a shout. I hope your data is salvage :thumbsup:able

[spa]

Thanks everyone. Magee, indeed the jazz festival has become a big show. I have actually managed to cover a lot of Spring Garden Road in the last little while. By the time I'm done you'll be able to recreate a good streatch of it.

So sorry for the late reply everyone. The good news is that all files were saved. The hard drive on my old computer was intact so I got everything off and onto DVD. Unfortunately it seems that one of the parts in my new computer was defective. I had it for 10 days and it died. I returned it today for them to figure out what's wrong.... I think the motherboard failed. Anyway, my files are alright but there is still a big empty spot on the desk that the girlfriends laptop doesn't really fill.

[Jasoncw]

My files are alright but there is still a big empty spot on the desk that the girlfriends laptop doesn't really fill.

You make it so depressing!!   

[Pat]

popped into a bank, came out and thought 'gee this building looks familiar'. I then remembered it was the CIBC you moddled yours after. Brian

Brian aint that scary to have that happen when you realize a building you where just in is in your game as well.....
Spa, IM glad your computer is ( NEW ) getting fixxed and all was saved ( from old ) and you lost nothing other then having a void on the desktop... Cant wait for you to get up and running again here - pat

[Jasoncw]

I forgot to say it, it might be too late, but hopefully you got a different graphics card (or whatever it was) that was causing the visual glitch with your BATs in your game.

[spa]

Jason: Ahh it is kind of depressing! It's rougher on the girl friend though. Without a computer to waste my free time on she has me on her couch, using her laptop and watching her TV. She's the real victim here  I haven't confirmed it yet but the graphics bug may be gone. I went with another nvidea graphics card but a much newer and more powerful one, a Geforce 8600 GTS. Hopefully that'll be the end of that. If not, it's not a big deal for me. The glitch was fairly minor on most of my bats.
Pat: Thanks. I'm pretty much up and running now... as you might have noticed all those updated files that I have been working on are out the door and on the exchange.


So not a big post today. Just wanted to let you guys know, if you haven't seen the exchange, that all my updated files have been released. I personally recommend redownloading all of my files, especially since I have created a cleanitol file to do the heavy lifting for you. A good chunk of my updates actually involved rerendering the models (check page 3 for some before and after shots), but not all of them did. I would still download all the updated files, even the ones that weren't rerendered, because

1. I have made changes to the lots in many cases. In many cases this meant adjusting setbacks to be consistent with each other and with other people's work, notably JBSimio.
2. All my early pre-BSC bats had the lot config family property left in the growable lot. Testing has shown that in rare cases this allows Maxis buildings to appear on a custom made lots where they aren't suppose to be. This is fixed in the new versions.
3. All of my plopable lots now appear in a consistent order together on the landmark menu and all my buildings now have functioning custom queries.
4. I have also consolidated files which usually meant merging the growable lot with the growable desc to cut down file size and loading times.

There shouldn't be any brown boxes as a result of updating to the newest version of my files because I kept the lot and desc files the same. In the testing I did, this allowed the new building and lot to simply replace the old. Incase I haven't convinced you though, below is a list of my creations that have gone for more detailed changes. Most of the rerenders were to fix junky textures but a few involved some new modelling (several of the bank branches).

Kensington Plaza
Kensington Place
Tandoori Hut
Trend Fashions
Bank of Montreal
Royal Bank
Toronto Dominion Bank
CIBC
Ardmore Tea Room
Ridley's Cycles
King of Donair
Foreign Affair

One final note, if you use the notepad list I created for use with cleanitol to delete older versions of my lots, use it only once BEFORE you install the new updates. If you use cleanitol after installing the updates it will delete the new files too since, to avoid brown boxes, the names of the lot and desc files were kept the same. Feel free to post if anyone runs into any problems.

[Jasoncw]

http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=1000

GET=1000

Congratulations on making the 1000th upload!!

Click here to receive your free iPod Nano!!

[spa]

Oh that's fun! I didn't catch that one of mine was #1000. I'm glad it was one of my best!

[spa]

So a small update today with a new project. I have been bringing my work home with me. I'm working for the Canadian federal government for the summer and I have been writing a report on federal property in St. Leonard, New Brunswick, including the St. Leonard Government of Canada Building. It's a pretty neat little building and is fairly typical of GOCB's in small-town Canada. It was built in 1939 as a post office. It was renovated in the 1980s to provide office space for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans after Canada Post moved across the street. The buiding is still home to DFO. Below is a picture of the real thing.

And this is it in Sim City.

Not much to say. I cut out the cumbersome accessible elevator and I also eliminated the DFO sign and the Canadian flag to make the building more generic. I also restored the original clock (as you can see in the real thing it has been bricked over). The Saint-Leonard GOCB is small-town compatible, grows on a 1x2 and provides CO$$ jobs. Unless anyone spots anything I'll pass this one over to Barby and it'll join the queue.

[Gaston]

Unfortunately it seems that one of the parts in my new computer was defective. I had it for 10 days and it died. I returned it today for them to figure out what's wrong.... I think the motherboard failed. Anyway, my files are alright but there is still a big empty spot on the desk that the girlfriends laptop doesn't really fill.

I know exactly how that is.   I had bought a new computer and even had it set up to make sure SC4 would have no problems runnin.  (My previous one was VERY old)    I had the new one 15 days (having taken in to be looked at twice and told there was nothing wrong with it.)   On the night of the 14th day I was on the phone with tech support in INDIA, reformatting my brand NEW computer.    That didn't even work so on day 15 I took it back again.   I was told "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do. Our return policy is clearly listed and is only 14 days."    I was not a happy camper to say the least.   After an addition $200+ I was "allowed" to take home another different new computer.   I was also called a liar by the manager of the store because he said there was nothing wrong with the other one.     Needless to say, I'm not shopping there again.   LOL


---Gaston

[Pat]

Spa that is looking real good... one thought though maybe there should be a sign out front something generic though...  but other then that send it to the line 

[spa]

Gaston: See that's why I went with a local company. I bought my old computer with Futureshop and they weren't very helpful. Much easier to take it down the street than have to call tech support or ship your computer off to goodness knows where.
Pat: Thanks! Besides wanting to keep things generic I also ditched the sign to try and keep the front from looking too busy. I like the balance that I struck. I considered putting in the stone above the main door but ended up deciding against it. I did enlarge the front porch/steps slightly though. This one has now been handed over to Barby for that BSC polish.

So I was away this week on business to Saint John, NB and while on the road, with nothing else to do with my evenings, I sped through a midrise project on my girlfriend's laptop. 1809 4th Street SW in Calgary is heading for Sim City. The modelling is basically done (roof junk and a few small wall details is all that's left) so I'm currently working on texturing. I have run into a bit of debate though that I figured I would post for feedback. Below is a photo of the real building in Calgary.

Notice at the top the black supports that connect the two parts of the building's walls on the top floor. I have been fairly truthful to the actual building so far, but I'm not sure that those black supports actually works that well in Sim City. I'm considering extending the white brick columns up through the top floor and using them to join the upper and lower parts of the top floor. Below are the two options.

Option 1 Black columns

Option 2 White brick columns (excuse the untextured windows and the photoshop mock up).

I'm not a guy who is a slave to reality so I'm just trying to decide which will look better. I'm leaning towards the white bricks.Thoughts? Preferences? Oh and if anyone wants to suggest a more inspiring name than 1809 4th Street SW I would consider it.

[Zaphod]

Well if your not a slave to reality, what would it look like in concrete?

Just Curious...

a more contemporary midrise of this design would be fantastic

[toxicpiano]

Black columns!

[simdad1957]

Just a quick question. Has Barby given you an ETA on the lotting she is doing for your new BAT's. It's been some time since anything of yours has been released. Keep up the good work!

[spa]

Zaphod: I don't know. It's an interesting idea. I tend to think it would blend into this big blob on top though. If I have time I'll give it a try.
Toxicpiano: Vote received but in early polling the black columns are running a little behind.
Simdad1957: I'm actually sitting on 5 right now (Galleria, Province House, Clay Cafe, Library Pub and Paddy's). Barby currently has just the St. Leonard GOCB. I didn't mean to delay releasing, but I got sidetracked with updating all my old files and before I knew it I had 5 bats sitting in the queue. The showman in me won out and I have decided to hold off until I have 7 ready so that I can release a bat a day for a week. Given that the GOCB is just waiting on an installer and given that I have three bats nearly done (one should be heading to Barby early this week) release time should be next week. I won't go so long in the future

[Zaphod]

Blend? actually I meant the whole thing, from top to bottom. Make it into a sort of modernist design

Anyways, I vote white brick if you mean just the top. Looks great the way it is IMO

[spa]

Ahh I misunderstood. I actually have a tower in that kind of international style on my list (the Joe Howe Building here in Halifax). I don't know when I'll get to it though. I'm kind of happy with this one in the older style, but maybe next time.