Thanks so much for that, I thought I had bothced u an entire world with little unusable lots So I just times it by 4 then?

Hi peoples. How do you use custom terrain paints? ( such as some i downloaded off this site)

Yep, you multiply by four.

Something that I've noticed being helpful, aside from really planning your world is to use a light brush. I've using a 12/14/6 Size/Strength/Falloff respectively. Adjusting the size on that strength makes for good rolling hills.

For beaches on a regular square flat, I use the steep valley tool to cut away at the edges of the map. Cut into the map a bit so you have more room to work with the edge, and use a light smooth from the water in toward the land. Use the flat tool to lower the terrian a bit at beach level (zoomed in with grid, not wireframe, on). Then continue smoothing so it gently rolls onto the land.

Thanks for this I was trying to figure out how to make a bridge when I seen this.

I see that a lot of people are using the Valley Terrain tools to make water. I find that when you do it this way the water is dark blue and ugly looking. What I have done is I make the Valley look like a dry water stream or river, then I go into objects and put a river in there this way. The river and streams from these objects are crystal clear and beautiful like the ones in WA's vacation spots I hope this helps.

ooh that's a good tip about the rivers -- I'd noticed that the rivers in China and Egypt actually have a flow direction, unlike ocean water.

Yes, this is how you make those. It looks beautiful but I have a problem with the water showing up a little above the valley I dig even if I do a very gentle one. I wonder if you're supposed to put the river tool on top of the water?

I just made a map for the Taus NM area and am waitting for the exchange to open back up so I can upload my first version of the map. Right now it's only the terrain data. I will have to modify the terrain some to make a full map though.

So... If I made my lot in CAW to be 30x30... That would make my lot in game 120x120, which is impossible?

I have noticed that when you go to "draw" out your lot that the longest you can make it is the actual 64x64, but I'm honestly not sure if that is made up of the small squares or the larger squares.

On a side note concerning terrain painting: Has anyone been able to successfully blend colors? My circular brush, no matter what I set the opaque-ness to be, or the fall out, it comes out distorted as if it were a kolidescope of one color.

There are 2 grids in both the tool and the game. You have the large grid that has 4 tiles in each large tile, and then those small tiles. If you make a world in CAW, zoom out really far with the grid on, you will see a grid (on the smallest map it is 64x64 tiles). When you start to zoom in the grid will start changing, you will start seeing smaller squares with in the larger squares, and if you get close enough, the grid for the larger squares will just blend into the smaller grid (the grid will now be 256x256 tiles). That smaller grid is the one you use to count tiles for lots. So the largest you can do on the large grid is a 16x16 lot, which on the smaller grid (and in game) will be a 64x64 lot.

I want to make my home town. It's frustrating, but it is still new. I created a height map using Google Earth. I will write down the steps and get back to you with them. :lovestruc

OK here's how you can save an image in Google Earth.

updated
1. Find the location you want.
2. Click File - Save - Save Image as png.
step 3 deleted------------------------------------------------------------
4. Crop Image to get it a little smaller - you need to play around with this.
or
5. Just resize the image to what you want.
step 6 deleted-------------------------------------------------------------
7. Open in CAW it will look really ugly with sharp terrain.
8. Smooth Gentle until you get what you want.

I'm still working on #8

I hope this encourages you a little. :lovestruc

update:
I think that Jairyn method might be better. :lovestruc

I wish to inform people who also had trouble with crosswalks that you do not place an intersection on the road. You could either place all roads needed with a space in the middle where they will connect or place the intersection first then connect the roads to that.

EDIT: I uninstalled Google Earth, but can this work with Google Maps, Winterhart?

I figured out how to get the intersection to work for me every time. I do the whole thing in snap to grid mode, and place the intersections first, then I run the roads up to meet them. The way maxis said to do it wasn't working for me, I couldn't get them to line up right, but by doing it in reverse it has worked great.

But can sims catch fish from the fake rivers?

It doesn't matter which you do fist. I find I'm better with this now. If I don't immediately see it snapping to grid and the white lines appearing, I go to the move tool, click on the intersection and just move it a little, only takes a sec.

Inge, you have to put the fish spawners in.

I can't use the sculptig things- a circle doesn't show up to use

And when I use it there are big red marks all over- how do i get rid of them?

Try zooming in and altering your camera angle.

I'm also experiencing this issue, anybody know of a fix?

Slide the Opacity Routing bar down. That gives you control over how deep the red is.

The red is when you go into paint, I noticed that. Just come out of paint and it stops, sometimes it's still there for a minute after you come out though.

The circle not working, I get that too, you have to be closer to the ground, also sometimes it takes a minute for it to render up before you can use it again, especialoly if you're doing a large area.

A lot of times it has to do with the camera being outside of the neighborhood boundaries. I'm able to use the "circle" brush from really high or far, as long as I'm within the boundaries of the "world" or neighborhood.

And the red is the sim routing paint.. red means sims cannot go there. Like someone else mentioned, you just need to drop the opacity.. i set my to 0 while I'm painting.

The red "can't route here" overlay can get stuck on if you tick on "Show Unroutable Terrain" on the Sculpt tag, but don't untick it before switching to the Paint tab. Remember to switch it off before switching tabs, or you'll need to save and exit to get it back to working right.

I second what ioscream said about the boundaries - it only seems to happen to me when I go outside the boundaries.

Haven't tried ticking it off.. sounds like a bug.

Also, for making things like the central park in sunset valley, those are just community lots that you decorate in "Edit in Game" mode, right?

I mean it doesn't work- like, the circle doesn't show up and when I click theres no effect