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Text File | 1995-03-19 | 15.4 KB | 339 lines

SimCity 2000 Graphics ---------------------------- Description and Install help ---------------------------- Renew USA Rev 1.0 (8-13-95) For easy viewing, type 'README' to read this file with the Smooth File Viewer, or type 'VIEW INFO_USA.TXT'. INDEX ----- 1) A Little Background Information 2) Files in the RENEWUSA.ZIP Archive 3) Requirements 4) Locating the Graphics in Each Set 5) Installing the Graphics 6) About the Four New 4x4 Tilebase Buildings 6.1) Installing all 4 of the 4x4 Buildings in the Game 7) Troubleshooting 8) About The Graphics 9) Future Graphics and Other Cool Information 10) The SimCity 2000 Resource Page and Closing Statement 1) A Little Background Information ---------------------------------- Thank you for downloading this archive. This text file is provided to serve as an installation guide, as well as a description of the graphics plus some other information you should know if you enjoy SimCity 2000 or the Urban Renewal Kit. So read on... and then feast your eyes on some fresh new buildings for your sims to populate. 2) Files in the RENEWUSA.ZIP Archive ------------------------------------ If any files are missing, please contact me at wmweburg@ix.netcom.com README.BAT -batch file to view INFO_USA.TXT with the Smooth File Viewer VIEW.EXE -executable Smooth File Viewer VIEW.CFG -simple configuration file for VIEW.EXE. INFO_USA.TXT -the text file you're reading now MAIN_USA.TIL -tileset containing 3 new 3x3 zones CHRYSUSA.TIL -tileset containing the Chrysler Building TRNAMUSA.TIL -tileset containing the Transamerica Building RSSNCUSA.TIL -tileset containing the Detroit Renaissance Center LIBERTY.TIL -tileset containing the Statue of Liberty 3) Requirements --------------- SimCity Urban Renewal Kit SimCity 2000 (SCURK prefers that you have this installed) DOS/Windows/Mac machine * 4mb RAM * * Note: This set was created with SCURK V1.0 on the IBM PC. It is untested with other versions/platforms of SCURK. If you get the graphics to work on any other platform other than the IBM PC V1.0, please let me know at wmweburg@ix.netcom.com. I am assuming it will work with all platforms. * Note: When adding all these graphics into SC2000, they will need additional memory as opposed to using the original SimCity 2000 artwork. Read section 7 for more information or if you're having problems getting SC2000 to load. 4) Locating the Graphics in Each Set ------------------------------------ Graphic file | Groups containing new buildings - (buildings in group) --------------+-------------------------------------------------------- MAIN_USA.TIL | Commercial - (2), Residential - (1) CHRYSUSA.TIL | Specials - (1) TRNAMUSA.TIL | Specials - (1) RSSNCUSA.TIL | Specials - (1) LIBERTY.TIL | Specials - (1) 5) Installing the Graphics -------------------------- If you already know perfectly well how to install the various graphics into the game, read section 6 and beyond, plus section 4 to find out where the buildings are in each set. Otherwise, these instructions should make installation a snap. There are 2 ways to install the graphics. One in the quick and easy way, and the other is the manual/custom way. I strongly suggest using the quick and easy way for basic graphic installation. First, the Easy Way -------- * Note that this method will copy ALL the objects from one set into the original set. Any blank spaces in the new set will not copy over into your current SimCity 2000 set. * See section 6.1 if you plan on installing more than one of the 4x4 buildings into the game simultaneously. Step 1. Copy all the .til files into your SC2000 directory, or wherever you have SC2000/SCURK installed (if you already have LIBERTY.TIL, allow this version to overwrite it. It contains some graphic revisions). Step 2. Load SCURK Step 3. Select Pick & Copy Step 4. Choose a tileset from the Source Graphic Set menu. Step 5. Choose SimCity 2000 from the Target menu. Step 6. Select All Object Groups from the Object group menu. The top set may appear empty, depending on whether or not there are new buildings in the visible tilebases. Step 7. Select Copy Object Group. This will place all the buildings from the current .til file into your SimCity 2000 set. Blank tilebases will not overwrite your SimCity 2000 set. Step 8. Select Copy to SimCity 2000 from the file menu. Say yes and overwrite. All done! Now load Place & Print or SimCity 2000 to see all the new graphics. The Custom Way ---------- This is a generic procedure for installing the graphics. However, you can consider it a tutorial, since it will specifically detail installing the 3 new buildings in the MAIN_USA tileset. * See section 6.1 if you plan on installing more than one of the 4x4 buildings into the game simultaneously. Step 1. Copy all the .til files into your SC2000 directory, or wherever you have SC2000/SCURK installed (if you already have LIBERTY.TIL, allow this version to overwrite it. It contains some graphic revisions). Step 2. Load SCURK Step 3. Select Pick & Copy Step 4. Choose MAIN_USA.TIL from the Source Graphic Set menu (or whichever tileset you're installing). Step 5. Choose SimCity 2000 from the Target menu. Step 6. The Source graphic set is on the top, with the Target (your current SimCity 2000 graphics) on the bottom. For the new residential building, select the residential object group from the object group menu. Otherwise, depending on which set you load, you may have to choose a different group. For information on what buildings are where in your current set, see section 4. Step 7. You may have to use the two arrow keys to find the building your after. When you find it, click on it. Repeat for any buildings in the *current window*. Do not use the arrow keys until after you're done with step 8. If you do, you will loose all selections. Step 8. Press the Copy Selected Objects Button. Step 9. Select File from the menu bar, and then select Copy to SimCity 2000. Say yes when it asks to overwrite the file. Step 10. Repeat for any other object groups and tilesets. Again, see section 4 to find out what is where in each set. All done! Load up Place & Print or SimCity 2000 to see the new graphic(s)! 6) About the four new 4x4 tilebase buildings -------------------------------------------- The four 4x4 buildings, including the Chysler, Transamerica, and Renaissance buildings, plus the Statue of Liberty, are all located in the Llama Dome tilebase of their set. This means that you'll need a separate 4x4 tilebase for each structure if you want to see them all in the game at once. They all default to the Llama dome because the Llama dome is the only 4x4 tilebase with no negative effects on surrounding areas. Why 4x4? -------- Well, you might usually think of the Chrysler building or the Transamerica building as being commercial, and thus you would expect them to go into a 3x3 office tower tile. A lot of effort was put forth to make this so, but resulted in failure. The limited height and base size (or bandwidth, as you might say) of a 3x3 zone simply isn't enough room to show all the glory and detail of the larger buildings. The 4x4 tilebases, on the other hand, allow for much more detail and realism. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. See section 6.1 to learn how to install all 4 buildings into the game simultaneously. 6.1 Installing All 4 of the 4x4 Buildings in the Game ----------------------------------------------------- As mentioned above, each building defaults to the Llama tile. So, you can only have one of the four buildings in the game at one time if you use the Easy installation talked about above. However, there's a way to get them all in the game at once. This is done by copying the Llama Dome tilebase into another 4x4 tilebase. Keep in mind, though, that when you place that 4x4 structure, it will behave exactly as it was before you changed it into a new building. So if you change the Plymouth arcology into the Chrysler or Transamerica building, and then place it in the middle of your city, remember to put a police station nearby so it doesn't hurt the surrounding area with excess crime. Step 1. Select Paint the town once you load SCURK. Step 2. Select the tileset containing the building that you want to use to replace another 4x4 tilebase. Step 3. Select the group "specials" and then select the Llama Dome tile. Step 4. Select Export PCX from the file menu and call the file something similar to its tileset name. Step 5. Now click on the 4x4 tilebase you want the new graphic to replace. For example, the Plymouth arcology. Step 6. Select Import PCX from the file menu, and load the PCX file you saved in step 4. Step 7. Using the crosshairs, make a box around the graphic to capture it. Step 8. Now carefully position the graphic into the blank tilebase and save the tileset. Remember where it is so you can copy the correct tilebase in when you use Pick and Copy. If you desire a PCX file containing all 4 of these buildings, email me and I will encode one to you. Such a file was left out of this archive to keep the file as small as possible. 7) Troubleshooting ----------------- On average, depending on which graphics you install, they will add up to 7 or 8K to the original set. If you had memory problems running SimCity 2000 in the past, adding these graphics might make the problem come back to haunt you. If you have 8mb ram, don't worry. But if you have 4mb, and can't get any new graphic additions to work under SimCity 2000, take the appropriate steps to free up some memory (remove SmartDrive, or an un-needed TSR). Or, use a bootdisk. The SimCity 2000 and SCURK addendums have instructions on how to do this. 8) About The Graphics --------------------- Here's a little background and descriptive information about the graphics. The new 3x3 residential zone is a shiny new alternative to its former building. It's not any specific building in the US; it's just a type of fancy condo/hotel type building that I've seen a lot of in various places. The dark-blue glassy building also isn't a specific building; I just sort of made it up as I drew it. If you look closely, you can see a blue version of a certain statue that stood in front of another office tower in the original set. Pretty sneaky, eh? The yellowish/white office tower IS a specific building replica; it's what I think to be the Rand Tower in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I had a postcard. The Renaissance Center graphic looks much like the real one in Detroit. However, because of size limitations, I could only draw so much of it. In addition, I guessed at what the bottom portion would look like, so it's not 100% authentic. It looks OK, though. The Chysler Building took the longest to draw, and required about 4 or 5 preliminary 3D models before I got the scaling just right. It is extremely detailed, thanks to some excellent drawings of it and photos. The Art Deco top is very accurate, although I'm not sure about the coloring. The pictures I had of it were all taken in the morning, so the top was an orange reflective color. As finished, it uses the entire drawing area hieght-wise, making it the tallest structure in SimCity 2000- taller than the launch arcology! It will look huge against the rest of the regular office towers, but this was important in keeping its scale and authenticity. The front doors, which look like an arch, are "guessed" in. I didn't actually see them in any photos since they only showed the top portion. I just read in a book and found out what they looked like. So there. The Transamerica building has been the most asked-for building. Even Maxis's art director had wished they would have been able to put it into the final product if not for copyright problems, according to the SimCity 2000 Power, Politics, and Planning handbook. And well, here it is finally! It was possible due to an excellent photo I had of it in a book, which had the perfect perspective and light shading. The bottom portion of the building is very accurate, although the sidewalk part and trees may not be perfect. The Statue of Liberty is the same as before, but I made a few graphic revisions which help smooth out some parts. If you already have Lady Liberty, overwrite it with this updated version. She'll thank you for it. 9) Future graphics and other cool information --------------------------------------------- First, a little about graphic revisions. Some of the buildings in this archive are replicas of the actual real life ones. And sometimes I screw up and draw something the wrong color, or forget something. Sometimes I just can't get accurate because the reference photos I have aren't that great. So, if you load up the Chrysler building and say to yourself, "Hey! that door doesn't belong there!", let me know so I can fix it. You can bet that I will create other buildings in the future. Originally, this set was to be called Renew '96; successor to Renew '95, since I planned on making a huge multi-building set, which would likely be done in the year 1996. Well, forget about that crazy idea of mine. Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent. Actually, I simply don't have all that much time on my hands. BUT- when I do make new stuff, such as single-tile tilesets or something new, I will put it on my nifty SimCity 2000/SCURK web page where everybody can snatch it. Sound good? Read on... 10) The SimCity 2000 Resource Page and Closing Statement -------------------------------------------------------- Simmers will find the SimCity 2000 Resource Page a good source for all kinds of stuff. All my new graphic sets, such as this one, will be available on this page. Currently, it has: -Cities to download, with the ability to see a preview gif of it -Links to several other major SimPages so you can find what you need -Graphics for your cities -Advanced strategies and information -Much more in store in the future Access the page at: http://www.geopages.com/siliconvalley/1295/ If you have any suggestions about these or future graphics, please do let me know so I don't go making buildings that most would find repulsive. Oh, also let me know if you have any problems or questions about anything mentioned in this document. And of course, let me know how you like this set. Oh, and if you like these graphics, you'll like the ones in Renew '95; available from the above web page. -W. Michael Weburg e-mail: wmweburg@ix.netcom.com End of file! Now go and enjoy the buildings!