Custom Distant City Terrain

[Nukael]

This is not for the faint of heart!! You must have some technical experience!!
As I've been testing out in this thread here (http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=406610), custom distant terrain is now possible. And I'm uploading my first custom distant terrain, a city landscape!

Cost: 1 simolean
Category: Decorative => Misc.

What is this?
It is a Distant Terrain, much like the ones that are used in the Eaxis created worlds. Only this one I made myself and has been tested and shown to work, albeit not quite the same as Eaxis' terrain (more info in the mini-tutorial).
This particular Distant Terrain is best suited to work with the largest map size. You can use it on smaller maps, but the sides will clip over each other, though that isn't too noticeable.

How do I use this?
This is made to be used in the Create-a-World Tool (http://www.thesims3.com/game/tools/world).
The way to place the object is as follows...
The terrain object covers only ONE side of the map. So if you want to make it go around the whole map, you'll have to place four copies of the object. Here's how:
Step 1.
In CAW, place a tiny lot (3x3, NOT 30x30) roughly in the middle of your map. The lot should be a "Community Lot" with "No Visitors Allowed"
Step 2.
Go into "Edit in Game", and find the lot you just placed. Go into "Build/Buy" mode on that lot.
Step 3.
Navigate in the Buy section to the Deco=>Misc. section. You'll find the Distant Terrain as one of the first objects there. It will not have a thumbnail. Select the object and drag it onto your lot. You will see a single grey tile. Place that.
Now if you tilt up your camera, you'll hopefully see your distant terrain. If not, DON'T PANIC!! If you have the game graphic settings on low, you won't see the terrain.
Step 4.
Save your world and go back into CAW. Give CAW the time to load the new mesh and the texture, and you'll see your terrain!
Step 5.
In CAW you can move and rotate the lot your object is on to make it line up with the edge of the map. Rinse and repeat all these steps for every copy of the object you want.

That's it, I hope a lot of people will have fun with this. If you want to make your own customized terrain, you can find a tutorial on that in this thread here. (http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=407723)

Faces
340

Additional Credits:
s3pe

[Benerskiner]

Awesome, great job! Just one question, where do I place the file when I download it, in the sims 3 file, or sims 3 caw file?

[simsora14]

Awesome, great job!

[Nukael]

Awesome, great job! Just one question, where do I place the file when I download it, in the sims 3 file, or sims 3 caw file?Since it's technically just a custom object, you put the package file into your mods folder.

[purefoysgirl]

When I place this I just get a statue I can't move in CAW. What a bummer, because it looks like a really nice distant terrain! Thanks anyway! It really would look amazing!

[Kawwah1985]

I downloaded the file, but it dosnt show up in the game.

[Metal dragon]

i realise that this has had no posts in a while...but i really do need help with this mod

what happens is, is that it doesnt save the skyline for me to see it in create a world. i place it where i want in edit in game but and save it successfully (or at least it says) but coming to create a world it isnt there. any ideas as to why?

im sorry for the late late post but its a problem i cant quite overcome

[simsample]

what happens is, is that it doesnt save the skyline for me to see it in create a world. i place it where i want in edit in game but and save it successfully (or at least it says) but coming to create a world it isnt there. any ideas as to why?
Possibly because CAW doesn't render some lot based items from a distance, or else it could be because CAW doesn't recognise the object (in the same way as the Riverview Rabbitholes vanish in CAW, but still show up in-game).

Anyway, you could always make the item into a CAW object instead of a lot-based object, then you would be able to place it just like any other distant terrain in CAW.

GiLaNg has a tutorial here ('Showing Objects In World Editor and Create-a-World Catalog'):
http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Sims_3:0x319E4F1D

Or else you could try the one I modified, attached to this post. Put it into your CAW framework folder:
http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:CAW_Framework

And it will show up in CAW Metadata as 'Distant Terrain'.

[Moria]

This origional post was done prior to Late Night coming out, and if I remember correctly, it was Late Night that added narrative to the value of Version of 0x0000000E in the OBJD common block which gave the option to adjust the isvisibleinworldcreator (used to be unknown7) option in the common block as per GiLaNg's post.

I suspect the object may need the OBJD changed to allow use in CAW and the CAW framework set up so the package can be put in there as well as the main game mods, as per simsamples post.

If still an issue after that, then there's probably an issue with not having enough level of details set up, and may be that either the MODL or the MLOD1 is missing or not good, but would suggest you try the GiLaNg post and the framework first.

For completeness.. MLOD1 is the most detailed version, MODL is the lower level detail, MLOD2 and 3 are sunshadow levels of detail if your exploring the file.

Regards

Moria

[Nukael]

It's probably what you said, Moria.

I'm sorry I can't give support for this anymore, as I've been so busy these past couple of months I'm totally out of the modding loop. I have played Late Night for a total of 20 minutes (yes, you read that right =D). I do encourage others to rip my files apart, update them, change them and spread them around. So people can still make custom distant terrain.

[james20150]

the new update to CAW as well as generations erally meeses everything up
there is a new folder in the CAW tooland game files in the documents folder
anyone seeingthat?
I think it is titled Content/ update/ download
what is that for?
did EA write this update for CC for both games to be placed in there?
For while I have all the CC working in both the CAW tool and game
nothing saves not even new worlds I create
any suggestions? I can at least play games and save them
and export and do the same however i realy need to be able to save game
or file
in edit game mode :beer:

[simsample]

James, we had a few people with the saving problem recently- see here:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=445028

For the download folder question, it could be where updates are downloaded to, but you could test it to see. I haven't updated my game yet so I can't tell you!

[tizerist]

Is there any more developments regarding putting backgrounds into existing hoods?
I remember someone posting before about making a custom background that has jungles in the distance.
Rolling hills in-game is the one that's needed the most though I would say.

[SimmyRN]

New to CAW, I'm attempting to make an all city world. I downloaded simsample's CAW version of the city distant terrain and placed it in the Mods > Packages folders in both my Program Files (x86) and My Documents CAW folders. (I'd already modified the Resource.cfg file.) However, it is not working as it doesn't appear to show in the metadata list. Other objects - like the train tracks - are showing in EIG, so I believe I've done the correct things to have CC in CAW.

I also tried the modified object which works, but seems to be very difficult to place correctly to get the terrains close to the edge of the map. Could you help me with either of these, please? Thanks so much!

[simsample]

New to CAW, I'm attempting to make an all city world. I downloaded simsample's CAW version of the city distant terrain and placed it in the Mods > Packages folders in both my Program Files (x86) and My Documents CAW folders.

Hey Simmy, if you read this:
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:CAW_Framework

You'll see that you should append those lines to the existing resource.cfg, and then create a packages folder in the [Game Install Location] \Electronic Arts \The Sims 3 Create a World Tool folder. You do not need a folder called 'Mods' in there, although you could create a symbolic link to your existing Mods folder (in your game user files).

[SimmyRN]

Thanks so much! Moving the Packages folder out of the Mods folder and deleting it worked. I tried to use the symbolic link but I think it is too advanced for me. From reading it I thought both locations needed Mods folders. Other newbie questions: do I need to duplicate objects between the in game Packages folders and the Program Packages folders? (That doesn't seem logical to me, but, again, is what I understood from trying to create a symbolic link. I would think the in game Packages folder is only for in game custom objects.) Second newbie question, what X, Y, Z coordinates should I use to get the 4 CAW distant city terrain objects in the center of the flat, largest map? (One is currently too far to the side, others have water between the terrain and the edge of the map.) Would it be X 1024, Y ?, Z 512? Can you tell that I have the perfectionist trait? LOL I appreciate your assistance! (I looked and searched through forums and found lots of interesting information, but not this. Only the coordinates to place the Riverview, Appaloosa Plains, etc. terrains.)

Edit: Realized the maps aren't set up in quadrants. Used X 1024, Y 15, Z 1024, etc., and all the terrains now appear to be equally spaced around the world edges but there is water between all terrains and the map edges. ??? (I'll try adjusting the coordinates some more.) Am I missing something here? I don't understand the rotation settings, either. I'll try reading up on 3D modeling. Thanks!

[jsullivan277]

good but one question, why not on Create a World?

[simsample]

do I need to duplicate objects between the in game Packages folders and the Program Packages folders?
Yes, anyone who is playing a world with this custom object in it will need to have the package file installed to their games mods folder in order for it to show up.

Second newbie question, what X, Y, Z coordinates should I use to get the 4 CAW distant city terrain objects in the center of the flat, largest map?
You can use whatever co-ordinates you like! But if you want to get it centralised, it may help to know that the dead centre of a large world is co-ordinate (0,0). You'll have to experiment to get it placed where you want as there are no set co-ordinates for this.

good but one question, why not on Create a World?
I'm sorry, I don't understand your question here. If you are asking about enabling this object for CAW, you will see that I attached such a version to my post above.