Creating a Jungle Walkway

Transcription

1 Creating a Jungle Walkway This tutorial has been written with beginners in mind, as well as more experienced builders. Although it illustrates how to create a jungle walkway, exactly the same methods can be used for creating any kind of suspended or hanging bridge. It s a fairly easy tutorial to follow, though it needs a little concentration when building! It has 42 steps, and also a short appendix at the end on creating ravines and chasms in case this is new to you. It also introduces the fundamental CFE building command without assuming any previous knowledge. I hope you enjoy it! Introduction In this tutorial I wanted to show how to design and build realistic jungle-style walkways which can span any chasm or space between two heights. The rope effect is part of the charm! The same method can be used for any kind of suspended bridge and for your own you may prefer to use standard fencing rather than side-ropes. Step 1. So here's a suitable chasm! And we want to get something slung across from point A to - yup! you guessed it - point B. (How original.) (Probably, in practice you'll design and make the walkway before you make the chasm, but it's more fun to show it this way! If you're not sure how to make a chasm - also called a ravine I ve added a little appendix at the end of this tutorial which shows you how!) Page - 1 -

2 Step 2. Using the levelterrain tool, we simply raise the ground from point A across to somewhere near point B but not reaching it. As you can see, point B is higher than point A. If you're not sure of the height difference, measure with Connecting Stairs - the number of steps = the number of clicks to raise or lower the ground. In this case, the height difference is 8 clicks. Step 3. Now mark out your walkway by placing two little sections of Column Deck foundation on points A and B, so that they're in line with each other at the 2 different heights. We're making a 2-tile wide walkway here. A 1-tile wide one does work fine, but in a busy part of the lot it can cause Sim-congestion! Step 4. To make a single span, now remove the foundation at point B and with the LevelTerrain tool lower the the ground at point B to the level of point A. (You may wish to leave a floor tile or piece of fencing next to point B just to be sure you know where it is!) And leave a stretch of ground nearby at the same height point B was at, so you can check on your building calculations later on! Page - 2 -

3 Step 5. Then add a 4-tile wide length of Column Deck foundation adding 1 tile each side of the original small 2-tile and stretching across to point B, as shown here. The purpose of the extra width is to allow us to support the 'ropes' across the whole span. If you re making your own design with a higher standard fence fitted, just make a 2-tile wide span and add the fencing before you start curving the bridge (at #15). Step 6. Then add a floor tile of your choice along the central 2 tiles where the walkway will run - something outdoors and a bit worn if possible. Bamboo matting also looks good. This is a custom Weathered Planking of my own. Step 7. So here's the result, with the planking stretching the whole length of the walkway. It's 14 tiles long, but the walkway can be any length you want or need. Page - 3 -

4 Step 8. Now we're going to add the items which will become the rope suspension for the walkway. Firstly, use the Genuine Railway Tie fencing as shown, to make what will be a kind of A-frame at the ends of the suspension cable. Step 9. Then add the 'suspension cables' from one end of these A-frame supports to the other, both sides. Here we've used the Cut Stump Flowerbed Fence, which (surprisingly) looks like thick rope once in place. But if you prefer to use a custom-made fence or edging that has a steel cable texture, then of couse do! Step 10. To make the supporting ropes, we're using (now here's a mouthful) the Flowerbed "Malabar" Natural Bamboo Fence. When stretched, this looks very like twisted rope yarn... Page - 4 -

5 Step if you don't believe me then I hope this screenie convinces you! Step 12. Add any lights, signs etc at this point, because once the walkway is curved you won't be able to. Add lights to both the edge of the walkway planking, and what will be the higher part of the suspension cable, in a pattern that you like. Though they ll be at different heights, for Sims all the lights will be affecting their environment on the same level. Step 13. Then remove the two long strips of Column Deck foundation underneath the 'rope' fencing, as shown here... Page - 5 -

6 Step producing the result shown in this pic. Step 15. We're now going to curve the plank floor of the walkway. We'll be making a simple use of the powerful CFE command that involves changing the ground height to change the height of the floor above by the same amount. Go down to ground level (PageDown on your keyboard.) This stage will involve a bit of clicking, and it's often useful to lay down a 'guide strip' of fencing/edging along the ground in the middle of the walkway - but you don't need to. Page - 6 -

7 Step 16. Curving a floor always looks best if the curves are organic. To achieve this, we use the Additive Method also described in some of my (Tiko's) other tutorials on Arched Bridges and Domed Roofs. But for this project, all we need to know is that the slope of a tile should be increased or decreased by no more than one click each time, and if possible get an even slope by changing the slope each tile or each 2 or each 3 tiles. It s worth working it out on paper or a graphics program first - here's our plan :- Keep checking back to this diagram it shows you how much to slope the ground each time. Page - 7 -

8 Step 17. Then let's get clicking. First we need to turn on the CFE command which allows us to modify floors and walls. Hold down Ctrl+Shift and tap C. In the white Commands window that opens at the top of your screen, type boolprop constrainfloorelevation false and press Enter. If you've got the words right (the command is called 'CFE' because of the middle phrase), the window will close. (The capital letters don't matter - it's just easier to read.) Although it s been usual to call this command a cheat, I ve come to see it as a fundamental building tool. It doesn t cheat in the sense of making the gameplay easier, so I prefer to call it the CFE command! ;) Then using the LowerTerrain tool, lower the ground by 1 click across the first part of the span, as shown in this pic. Step 18. We can just click our way painstakingly across, but it may be good to learn a simple method for speeding the process up, which you can use in many other building projects. To lower the next grid square to the same depth, use the LevelTerrain tool and place the flagged cursor at the depth you want the rest to be (here it's on the '1- click down' corner). (But please note: if you're just using the original Sims2 game only, this levelling-across method will probably not work very reliably once you've started, though it's perfect for any EP. Try it and keep checking the bridge above; if it doesn't work then just click each and every corner in turn.) Page - 8 -

9 Step 19. Then carefully slide the cursor across to the opposite corner WITHOUT letting go of the mouse button. So long as you don't let go of the mouse button, you'll find you can fiddle about till it's in the right corner. (And if it goes wrong, don't worry - just Undo and try again!) Step 20. Then let go of the mouse button, and you'll see that the next row of grid squares has been lowered by 1 click. This is very useful if the area is many clicks down or up, or many squares long. Step 21. Then according to our diagram we lower the next edge by 1 more click; then lower the next row of grid squares by levelling across (so that this row of squares is 2 clicks down) as shown here... Page - 9 -

10 Step and here... Step and so on. Step 24. At a certain point, we won't need to lower the ground any more. We'll start to raise it - but try using the same 'levelling-across' technique to get used to it. In our own construction here, this happens at the 11th grid square across... Page

11 Step and we just run the LevelTerrain tool from one corner across to the opposite one... Step and let go of the mouse button. Step 27. Finally, we come to the far end of Column Deck foundation (at point B). This is why we said at #5 to leave ground nearby at the original height point B was at... run the LevelTerrain tool across and check that the 2 heights are the same. If not - well in our wild terrain it doesn't matter! - but if you're connecting the bridge to a house it will. Measure the height difference, then have a long look at your calculations, and your clicking, and make an adjustment to the slope somewhere along the span. Page

12 Step 28. This simple way of using the CFE command works because when we change the ground underneath a floor tile, the tile above moves the same amount. So just press PageUp on your keyboard and you'll see the whole floor walkway shape in place. The rope suspension hasn't been affected yet - we're coming on to that. (Remove the guideline of edging fencing on the ground, if you used this as at #16 - PageDown, and use Ctrl + Fencing tool along the length. You can delete it, however curvy, provided you start and finish on a level square!) Step 29. The next step is to get the ground underneath the walkway as we want it - in this case lots of river. We need to switch off the CFE command first. We open the white Commands window again and type in boolprop constrainfloorelevation true and press Enter. Now the built levels are locked, but the ground can still be raised or lowered with the Water tool. Don t use the LowerTerrain tool on water or you ll lose the water level. Step 30. Get the river bed in the shape you want, and add rock effects or whatever using ground covers. (Remember, see the appendix at the end if you're making a chasm or ravine for the first time. ) Then press PageUp. As you can see, the floor of the walkway hasn't changed... but the rope suspension is - oh boy! - all over the place. This happens because fencing is designed in the default game to follow the contours of the ground, whereas floor tiles are designed to be level!!! Page

13 Step 31. This is why we didn't adjust the suspension cables until now - any changes to the ground underneath would ruin our neat work. Nothing to do with using the CFE command. To change the suspension cables, we'll need to introduce a control level above the ground level. Go to the ground at the original height of point B, and raise one corner by 4 clicks. The corner is of a grid square 2 squares wide of the line of floor, as here. Step 32. Then run the LevelTerrain cursor across so the opposite corner 2 squares wide on the other side - i.e. 6 squares in total. Our plan is that by adding some foundation near but not next to the point B walkway end, we'll have a second height level 4 clicks higher than the floorboards at point B, to which we can raise the cables. Step 33. So here's the strip of new foundation in place - it's 4 clicks or steps higher than the foundation height at point B. Page

14 Step 34. Then go to the other end - point A - and raise the ground by a corner. We're going to keep the suspension cable level. You can also slope the suspension cable if the height differences allow an even slope along the whole length (say 1 click per square). But it's not always easy or possible and notice that if you want to you'll have to click each corner along the river bed under the cable. Step 35. Since point A is 8 clicks lower than point B, we need to raise the ground here by 4+8=12 clicks - here's the level strip of ground... (Btw, I know 4+12=16 which is the height of a standard wall, so yup, we could just place a box of wall here - but these measurements won't apply in other cases, where we'll need the method I'm outlining here!) Step and here's both strips of guide foundation in place. They are (or should be!) at the same height. This is our control level. Now turn the CFE command on again. Use the LevelTerrain tool, starting from one single tile space at the end of one of the guide... Page

15 Step and run the tool across a single line of imaginary grid squares until you reach the tile space on the opposite strip of guide foundation. Keep to the single tile width, and you'll be just catching the strip of suspension cable (oh, all right, Cut Stump Flowerbed Fence!!! ). Step 38. Let go the mouse button, and the whole suspension cable snaps into place, taut, level, running from one wooden A-frame support across to the other. Strong enough to bear impossible weights! Step 39. Repeat on the other side... Page

16 Step and here's the result. Step 41. Turn the CFE command off again. Delete the two strips of guide foundation, and level the ground underneath them. Distorting ground usually affects any ground ground cover painting you may have done, so touch up the textures if necessary... Step and add in some Connecting Stair steps to match your choice of planking - these are the Steadfast connecting stairs. We kept the two ends of the Column Deck foundation to be level at the walkway ends (points A and B), so steps are easy to add. Page

17 Conclusion And there we go! Here's an intrepid SimExplorer making her way courageously across the chasm, into the unknown, with only the howl and roar of wild beasts to guide her... (and yes, the lights do work!). Appendix - Step 1 I said at #2 and #31 that I'd add a little appendix to show how to create a chasm or ravine, if you're not sure. The water tool will create water at ground level, not lower then the ground... so for a chasm we'll need to lower the ground first. Appendix - Step 2 Then to speed up the digging, use the LevelTerrain tool to lower the chasm or ravine floor in one go. Page

18 Appendix - Step 3 Now the ground level is at our 'underground' height, and when we use the Water tool it accepts the new level as ground and allows us to design a deep chasm or ravine. As I mentioned at Step 29, don t use the LowerTerrain tool on water, or you ll suddenly lose the water level! The RaiseTerrain tool is fine. Use the Water tool a single click of this tool lowers the riverbed by 2 ordinary clicks. Bye! Wishing you lots of enjoyment and pleasure as you explore the magical world of Sims2 architecture! Page