Is it hard to add custom buildings to caw?
I use blender 3D myself.
These are just for a decorational purpose, making them appear in CAW is fairly easy. HERE is a tutorial.
I tend to make stuff in SketchUp, it has the most user-friendly interface IMO. Then I export it to .obj and finish tweaking it there. Also, I make the textures in Photoshop.
Just want to say I love some of the little touches like the graffiti, pastel homes all abutting each other.
and... I can't believe you built Alcatraz!!!
This work must take so much patience! I've had ideas to build just San Francisco parks into worlds, because I think it would be fun to make Golden Gate Park it's own world. Or the Presidio could be it's own world. But I still don't have enough energy for that.
Please please please, don't go crazy like the guy that is doing the london project. Don't put in over 300 lots, it just becomes unplayable.
The whole point of using deco buildings and deco objects is to avoid this very problem. This world has a lot of deco items in it, and some special items as well. For example, I believe the streetcar was either done by Bloom or with Bloom's assistance (I could be wrong about this). Alcatraz and the various bridges are unique, as are the skyscrapers.
The best part is, deco buildings don't require the use of lots and typically have far fewer polygons than your typical tree or other meta data object. So they really should go easy on your computer. These items do not require a lot of complex rendering.
BTW, the creator of this world talks about using Sketchup. This is not my favorite took because it tends to generate too many drawcalls. This is especially true for many of the buildings one finds in the Google Warehouse. If you are making your own buildings and keeping it simple, this should not be too much of a problem, however.
The technique I tend to use when making a building from scratch, as opposed from doing a conversion from flight simulator or some other source, it to create a number of panels, typically three squares by three squares (one story in a sims building is three squares tall).
I then create a master texture sheet which includes a variety of different windows and textures. Something like this:
Many of these textures are created by actually making part of a building in game, using game textures and game windows. I will often put a room behind the wall complete with furniture. Then I take a screenshot of the section and add the image to my master texture sheet.
Of course, there are websites which have building elements which can be used as well. Or one can simply draw them using Photoshop.
The very bottom part of this sheet has my LOD 3 textures.
Then I place different textures on the different panels, to create a building with a high definition texture but also some variety:
This technique can be used to make very large and very complex buildings -- buildings which cannot be made with the in game building tools. For example you can have curved walls:
I am watching this project with a great deal of interest because its creator is developing some very interesting building creation techniques. For example, this world has lighted deco buildings (which again, I believe, was done with the help of Bloom). I can't wait to get ahold of one of these buildings to take it apart, then redo a number of my skyscrapers.
By the way, rather than following the tutorial at Mod the Sims, linked in an earlier response, it probably is easier just to clone a meta object which is already in the game. It's not that converting something to a meta object is all that difficult, it just involves a few more steps.
But, I think this is a world that world builders should pay close attention to. It really is a very interesting project.
Comments
A part of my hart is in San Fran and will always be there. So when you get this world finished, I'll be first in line to download!
Yes, I'm still working on the world. Check out the new pics.
Well, building on slopes is no as hard as time consuming.
Is it hard to add custom buildings to caw?
I use blender 3D myself.
These are just for a decorational purpose, making them appear in CAW is fairly easy. HERE is a tutorial.
I tend to make stuff in SketchUp, it has the most user-friendly interface IMO. Then I export it to .obj and finish tweaking it there. Also, I make the textures in Photoshop.
and... I can't believe you built Alcatraz!!!
This work must take so much patience! I've had ideas to build just San Francisco parks into worlds, because I think it would be fun to make Golden Gate Park it's own world. Or the Presidio could be it's own world. But I still don't have enough energy for that.
Anyways I'm amazed!
The whole point of using deco buildings and deco objects is to avoid this very problem. This world has a lot of deco items in it, and some special items as well. For example, I believe the streetcar was either done by Bloom or with Bloom's assistance (I could be wrong about this). Alcatraz and the various bridges are unique, as are the skyscrapers.
The best part is, deco buildings don't require the use of lots and typically have far fewer polygons than your typical tree or other meta data object. So they really should go easy on your computer. These items do not require a lot of complex rendering.
BTW, the creator of this world talks about using Sketchup. This is not my favorite took because it tends to generate too many drawcalls. This is especially true for many of the buildings one finds in the Google Warehouse. If you are making your own buildings and keeping it simple, this should not be too much of a problem, however.
The technique I tend to use when making a building from scratch, as opposed from doing a conversion from flight simulator or some other source, it to create a number of panels, typically three squares by three squares (one story in a sims building is three squares tall).
I then create a master texture sheet which includes a variety of different windows and textures. Something like this:
Many of these textures are created by actually making part of a building in game, using game textures and game windows. I will often put a room behind the wall complete with furniture. Then I take a screenshot of the section and add the image to my master texture sheet.
Of course, there are websites which have building elements which can be used as well. Or one can simply draw them using Photoshop.
The very bottom part of this sheet has my LOD 3 textures.
Then I place different textures on the different panels, to create a building with a high definition texture but also some variety:
This technique can be used to make very large and very complex buildings -- buildings which cannot be made with the in game building tools. For example you can have curved walls:
I am watching this project with a great deal of interest because its creator is developing some very interesting building creation techniques. For example, this world has lighted deco buildings (which again, I believe, was done with the help of Bloom). I can't wait to get ahold of one of these buildings to take it apart, then redo a number of my skyscrapers.
By the way, rather than following the tutorial at Mod the Sims, linked in an earlier response, it probably is easier just to clone a meta object which is already in the game. It's not that converting something to a meta object is all that difficult, it just involves a few more steps.
But, I think this is a world that world builders should pay close attention to. It really is a very interesting project.