Thursday, October 23, 2014
Misty Manor
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Judas Opus(World)
This is my first world in CAW, which was shelved for almost half a year so I could focus on the Freudian Fantasy world. This is a dark modern world. I've repeatedly set this aside because it felt too sinister & nefarious for Sims 3. It mostly came into being because I needed a practice world, early on. Every time I had an idea to try out, it was available. Some old adage about idle hands being the Devil's workshop comes to mind. Eventually, it evolved of it's own volition to a point that it beckoned for consummation. So, without further adieu, I bring Satan into your living room...
Last update: 04-26-2012
4-26-12
It's been 6 months since I've worked on this. A couple lots and hillbilly families were misappropriated from my other world to get things moving again. Got the Hangdog and McCooter families...could be some feuding if you don' watch yer step. Will finish blending in the mountain range next.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Weather Packs for Sims 3 Worlds
These are all 8 existing EA weather profiles for Sims 3 worlds, except the basegame, which is the default. Use them like a normal mod...place them in your Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Packages folder.
These will override the original weather for all worlds that don't have weather profiles embedded in them. The EA worlds you can use these on are:
Riverview
Sunset Valley
Hidden Springs
Barnacle Bay
You can use these to change the weather on user created worlds like mine, and anyone else's that doesn't already have an embedded weather profile...if you are unsure you can just try it, as it won't harm anything...it just won't work if there is an existing weather profile in the world.
Only use one weather pack at a time. To turn it off, you can rename the file from TwinbrookWeather.package to TwinbrookWeather.page, for example. The game won't recognize or use it if the file extension is changed. Otherwise you can remove it from your mods folder when not needed.
I'll be creating my own custom weather profiles and adding them to this blog entry in the future...stay tuned.
Download Weather Packs
Last update: 04-20-2012
These were all created from my Sims 3 files using S3PE, except for Starlight Shores, which I made using files uploaded by simsample. Thanks out to him for those!
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Breakdown of EA Colour Ramps
This is for CAW users and defines the 21 bars on the colour ramps used for weather colorization in Sims 3 Worlds.
The long version can be found here...MTS
Also, I have made a tool for making custom colour ramps...
You can download it here.
Light Colors
1) Directional light and shadows...normal time cycle. This is based on the suns current position in the sky. Needs to be darkened before sunset or there is an abrupt shift in light/shadow direction when the source changes from sun to moon.
2) Ambient light...may be Bloom. Seems to be a 12 hr per color cycle & limited to 2 colors. Looks to be the main nighttime luminance in EA colour ramps.
3) Indirect/Reflected sunlight? Horizontal lighting..strong on trees, sides of building structures and steep
terrain..weak elsewhere. Not a normal time cycle. Usually pretty dark in the EA worlds.
Water Colors
4) Water color...uses a normal time cycle, so it's possible to have many color changes throughout a 24
hour period.
5) Sun & Moon Reflections on Water...normal time cycle. This pic is a yellow moon reflection...
Sun Colors
6) Sun color...normal time cycle.
7) Halo color...unverified
Sky Colors
8) SkyLight > Sky mid region...normal time cycle. Exhibits nighttime color banding problems. Strongest influence near sun. All four of these components are most prominent at sunrise/sunset.
9) HorizonLight > normal time cycle...banding. Strongest influence near sun.
10) SkyDark > Sky mid & top regions...normal time cycle..banding. Strongest influence away from sun.
11) HorizonDark > normal time cycle..banding. Strongest influence away from sun.
Cloud Colors 1
12) ColorWRTSunDark
13) ColorWRTSunLight
14) ColorWRTHorizonDark
15) ColorWRTHorizonLight
16) ColorWRTShadow
Cloud Colors 2
17) ColorWRTSunDark
18) ColorWRTSunLight
19) ColorWRTHorizonDark
20) ColorWRTHorizonLight
21) ColorWRTShadow
These will override the original weather for all worlds that don't have weather profiles embedded in them. The EA worlds you can use these on are:
Riverview
Sunset Valley
Hidden Springs
Barnacle Bay
You can use these to change the weather on user created worlds like mine, and anyone else's that doesn't already have an embedded weather profile...if you are unsure you can just try it, as it won't harm anything...it just won't work if there is an existing weather profile in the world.
Only use one weather pack at a time. To turn it off, you can rename the file from TwinbrookWeather.package to TwinbrookWeather.page, for example. The game won't recognize or use it if the file extension is changed. Otherwise you can remove it from your mods folder when not needed.
I'll be creating my own custom weather profiles and adding them to this blog entry in the future...stay tuned.
Last update: 04-20-2012
These were all created from my Sims 3 files using S3PE, except for Starlight Shores, which I made using files uploaded by simsample. Thanks out to him for those!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Breakdown of EA Colour Ramps
This is for CAW users and defines the 21 bars on the colour ramps used for weather colorization in Sims 3 Worlds.
The long version can be found here...MTS
Also, I have made a tool for making custom colour ramps...
You can download it here.
Light Colors
1) Directional light and shadows...normal time cycle. This is based on the suns current position in the sky. Needs to be darkened before sunset or there is an abrupt shift in light/shadow direction when the source changes from sun to moon.
2) Ambient light...may be Bloom. Seems to be a 12 hr per color cycle & limited to 2 colors. Looks to be the main nighttime luminance in EA colour ramps.
3) Indirect/Reflected sunlight? Horizontal lighting..strong on trees, sides of building structures and steep
terrain..weak elsewhere. Not a normal time cycle. Usually pretty dark in the EA worlds.
Water Colors
4) Water color...uses a normal time cycle, so it's possible to have many color changes throughout a 24
hour period.
5) Sun & Moon Reflections on Water...normal time cycle. This pic is a yellow moon reflection...
Sun Colors
6) Sun color...normal time cycle.
7) Halo color...unverified
Sky Colors
8) SkyLight > Sky mid region...normal time cycle. Exhibits nighttime color banding problems. Strongest influence near sun. All four of these components are most prominent at sunrise/sunset.
9) HorizonLight > normal time cycle...banding. Strongest influence near sun.
10) SkyDark > Sky mid & top regions...normal time cycle..banding. Strongest influence away from sun.
11) HorizonDark > normal time cycle..banding. Strongest influence away from sun.
Cloud Colors 1
12) ColorWRTSunDark
13) ColorWRTSunLight
14) ColorWRTHorizonDark
15) ColorWRTHorizonLight
16) ColorWRTShadow
Cloud Colors 2
17) ColorWRTSunDark
18) ColorWRTSunLight
19) ColorWRTHorizonDark
20) ColorWRTHorizonLight
21) ColorWRTShadow
Thursday, January 19, 2012
A Freudian Fantasy(World)...
~Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy~
Sigmund Freud
I've been working on this world since about mid-November, 2011. It's still in development and nowhere near being a final release. While it is playable, it's lacking many things. There are limited spawners, housing, community lots, and sims. The blog background picture is an early screenshot of this world.
This is a large map tropical island with mountainous regions on grassy bluffs overlooking sandy beaches. This equestrian world has no roads or vehicles. Hopefully, some other modernizations can removed or renovated.
Lets see...I think there are:
-15 furnished homes
-1 furnished shack I use to prep new sims
-10 empty residential lots
-8 rabbitholes
-7 lakes and ponds
-consignment shop
-junkyard
-stylist salon
-an exclusive club
-a park
-1 UFO
-2 active volcanos
-2 dams
-1 dome
-1 peeing dinosaur
-2 hillbilly famblies(in savegame)
-6 moar famblies...plus whatever the game engine creates
Last update: 04-26-2012
04-26-12
Mostly terrain and terrain paint cleanup. Did rework the fountain in the 'Canopy 3000' home so that it shows when viewing the main level of the home(another EA hiccup). Also redid the upper flooring on Freudy boy's 'Lodge I call Phallusy' home, because of routing problems. Tweaked sim 'Ella marshall' and added a shack for her to live in.
03-27-12
Expanded the simbilly family by adding kinfolk. Added the first swamp, and some small critter spawners. Made a floating house...will probably add a UFO, also. Put down a few more mountains and mesas...most of the routing paint for these is in place.
03-14-12
Added a simbilly, a house, a trailer, a junk yard and some spawners. I'm thinking that if I add enough spawners this might be a fully playable world...finally.
03-10-12
Moar Monster changes!
Added a volcano, two lakes, seven lots, and a new custom Science Lab rabbithole in a 10 story building(see included readme). Basically, a huge land redevelopment. Next, I'll probably add some trees, spawners and work on integrating some of the big changes I've made lately. Oh! I need to take a hard look at the trail routing. It was okay initially, but as this world evolves I'll need to implement alternatives, as the trails tend to get overly congested in a large world like this. Still looking to add a swamp, also...maybe even sum zombillies at a future date.
02-22-12
Mostly did some overdue cleanup, although a few items were added including a Freudian Dino.
02-11-12
Lots of big changes. Grafted on a land mass that I'm going to form into swamp, added 5 bodies of water, a traversable dam, a new house, humongous storm clouds & did various cleanups of terrain and terrain paints.
01-25-12
Added a few terraced outcroppings which are emanating from one of the larger mountains, and plan more additions of this nature.
Rabbit Hole Replacements by Jynx
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Friends...
These are my favorite Sims, they have a great group dynamic, and they're more stimulating than licking an electrical outlet.
Their zodiacs are set to the actors real life stats, and I matched up the voices as best I could. Some facial features have been embellished, like the girls noses, which have a caricature quality. They are not all necessarily from the same time frame, Chandler is from an earlier period, for instance. Their traits are a compromise between playability and accuracy. I don't spend much time with clothing and make-up, as those are best left to the individual players preferences.
No custom or EA store content was used to make these...everything came from the base game, expansions and stuff packs. If you don't have all expansions and stuff packs, you may get alternate clothing and/or hairstyles than what is pictured here.
Download Friends
Last update: 04-16-2012
01-12-12
I've played these Sims for 3 or 4 months now. In the last couple weeks I've made over two hundred changes to their appearance, collectively. I'm going to leave them as they are for now and perhaps come back at a later date for tweaks. Hope you have as much fun playing them as I did creating them :)
~Time to post some other stuff...I have a world I'm working on and a few other in progress items I'll be sharing & updating..stay tuned~
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Miscellany...
My Mods are currently Pets(1.29) compatible...if you have Showtime installed, they may not work properly. I am slow & cautious on upgrades, but I will upgrade in time.
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~The EyePatch Camera mod~ Beta
The Sims 3 silly vanilly camera was too lame, so it be modded. Some things I changed:
1)Changed it so you can look 15 degrees higher.
2)Nipped the pitch speed slightly so the increased range wouldn't feel freakish.
3)Lowered the minimum camera height so you can go real low.
4)Raised the maximum camera height for improved overview and decreased z-fighting on elevations.
5)Increased the keyboard camera speed(arrow keys).
6)Increased the keyboard speed boost(shift).
Holding Shift + Arrow will dramatically increase camera travel speed. There is also a monster speed bonus that increases with camera height. In addition, moving the mouse in the direction of travel while pressing the right mouse button will add more speed...you can probably traverse a large map in 2-3 seconds if you avail yourself of all options.
7)Maximum zoom was increased.
8)I set the keyboard zoom(Z and X keys) to slower speeds, to render more accurate zooming for screenshots.
9) Increased mouse zoom speeds slightly.
10)Adjusted the camera spring settings to help reduce terrain slicing on high elevations.
EyePatch Camera mod
Last update: 04-01-2012
This mod may overload older or low end graphics cards. I use a midrange($110) 'Palit GeForce GT 240 GDDR5' w/ 1 Gig memory and the mod performs fine for me with almost all settings maxed.
The camera will be more likely to cut away mountainous terrain. The gains more than compensate for this, I think.
Camera flexibility is greatly improved and you will be able to take screenshots at higher and lower angles that were only possible in the distorted Freecam mode(Tab) or EIG(Create a World > edit in game) previously. More precise zooming is also available. Lots that were difficult to play due to high elevation issues should be more subdued now, and camera speed will be more robust.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
~OneNewspaper mod~
Paperboy has gone postal...he says you are a slovenly pig and that delivery is suspended until you dispose of the paper you have. He's on to you and will be watching...
OneNewspaper mod
Last update: 02-23-2012
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~SimRouting mod~
Extreme reductions in route pushing and idling.
Extreme increases in push immunity, ignoring route obstacles, and rerouting frequency.
I made this mod to fix trail routing problems in equestrian worlds. My initial experiences have been very positive...so much so that I'm confused as to why EA used the settings they did, which seem to be a bit on the game-breaking side. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time they've done that sort of thing.
Beyond that, this may prove out to be a good all around routing mod for Sims 3 worlds in general. Sims become highly motivated to get where they are going, and it seems to kill most of the toe tapping, routing tantrums, and idle time problems...at least on first impression. I would appreciate any feedback on how this mod performs for you. Keep in mind that this mod was made to comply with the 1.29 patch and 1.3x series patches may or may not conflict with this mod.
SimRouting mod
Last update: 04-01-2012
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
~The EyePatch Camera mod~ Beta
The Sims 3 silly vanilly camera was too lame, so it be modded. Some things I changed:
1)Changed it so you can look 15 degrees higher.
2)Nipped the pitch speed slightly so the increased range wouldn't feel freakish.
3)Lowered the minimum camera height so you can go real low.
4)Raised the maximum camera height for improved overview and decreased z-fighting on elevations.
5)Increased the keyboard camera speed(arrow keys).
6)Increased the keyboard speed boost(shift).
Holding Shift + Arrow will dramatically increase camera travel speed. There is also a monster speed bonus that increases with camera height. In addition, moving the mouse in the direction of travel while pressing the right mouse button will add more speed...you can probably traverse a large map in 2-3 seconds if you avail yourself of all options.
7)Maximum zoom was increased.
8)I set the keyboard zoom(Z and X keys) to slower speeds, to render more accurate zooming for screenshots.
9) Increased mouse zoom speeds slightly.
10)Adjusted the camera spring settings to help reduce terrain slicing on high elevations.
EyePatch Camera mod
Last update: 04-01-2012
This mod may overload older or low end graphics cards. I use a midrange($110) 'Palit GeForce GT 240 GDDR5' w/ 1 Gig memory and the mod performs fine for me with almost all settings maxed.
The camera will be more likely to cut away mountainous terrain. The gains more than compensate for this, I think.
Camera flexibility is greatly improved and you will be able to take screenshots at higher and lower angles that were only possible in the distorted Freecam mode(Tab) or EIG(Create a World > edit in game) previously. More precise zooming is also available. Lots that were difficult to play due to high elevation issues should be more subdued now, and camera speed will be more robust.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
~OneNewspaper mod~
Paperboy has gone postal...he says you are a slovenly pig and that delivery is suspended until you dispose of the paper you have. He's on to you and will be watching...
OneNewspaper mod
Last update: 02-23-2012
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
~SimRouting mod~
Extreme reductions in route pushing and idling.
Extreme increases in push immunity, ignoring route obstacles, and rerouting frequency.
I made this mod to fix trail routing problems in equestrian worlds. My initial experiences have been very positive...so much so that I'm confused as to why EA used the settings they did, which seem to be a bit on the game-breaking side. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time they've done that sort of thing.
Beyond that, this may prove out to be a good all around routing mod for Sims 3 worlds in general. Sims become highly motivated to get where they are going, and it seems to kill most of the toe tapping, routing tantrums, and idle time problems...at least on first impression. I would appreciate any feedback on how this mod performs for you. Keep in mind that this mod was made to comply with the 1.29 patch and 1.3x series patches may or may not conflict with this mod.
Last update: 04-01-2012
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Saturday, December 24, 2011
Welcome...
This is my first blog and I'm still busy with the hammer and nails as you can see. I'm not exactly enamored with the Simulis header image up there, but it will suffice until something better comes along. The background image is of a Sims 3 world I'm building in the 'Create a World' tool from EA. I was playing with the games weather Ini files and took some nice screenshots..
The name Simulis comes from the word simulism:
Simulism is a skeptical hypothesis concerned with the idea that reality as we perceive it is an illusion, and the world as we know it could be a simulation — possibly a computer simulation — to a degree indistinguishable from 'true' reality. wikipedia
Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I believe in that theory. On the other hand, I'm not above having some good-natured tin-foil hat wielding fun with the concept. I'm considering building as my next world, a world named(you probably already guessed) Simulis, where the Sims are trapped in a simulated world..
I'm hoping to have some fun with some of the other Sims folks out there, so feel free to share and chat :) I'll be posting some stuff from my current projects in the coming days.
Happy Holidays to all!
The name Simulis comes from the word simulism:
Simulism is a skeptical hypothesis concerned with the idea that reality as we perceive it is an illusion, and the world as we know it could be a simulation — possibly a computer simulation — to a degree indistinguishable from 'true' reality. wikipedia
Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I believe in that theory. On the other hand, I'm not above having some good-natured tin-foil hat wielding fun with the concept. I'm considering building as my next world, a world named(you probably already guessed) Simulis, where the Sims are trapped in a simulated world..
I'm hoping to have some fun with some of the other Sims folks out there, so feel free to share and chat :) I'll be posting some stuff from my current projects in the coming days.
Happy Holidays to all!
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