BUILDERS' 101 - For Builders from Novice to Beyond

XOX1 wrote:
Wow! This thread has created so much information, it will take me into next week just to catch up. I am in the middle of my weekend warrior mode at 3 AM , in a suite at the Marriott, after conducting two events tonight, and resting up for the three I have to do on Sunday. I am posting this from my wireless laptop just to help out on some issues that I think need immediate responses to. More for technical clarification, than commentary, which I will try to do later.


1- Problems with downloading from the Exchange or Download Page: (Or...why I always use "SAVE FILE" to download)-

There are two actions on every page- "ADD TO GAME" & "SAVE FILE".-

"ADD TO GAME" is easier, but is unstable during peak hours when the servers are over-taxed due to heavier usage. You can get "Bumped Off" of the stream if there are too many competing downloads at one time.

"SAVE FILE" requires a manual download to a specified place on your computer, but is a lot more stable, even during peak hours. I usually create a named folder for these, so I can keep track of the source of the download.

(Of course, trying it at "Off Hours", when things are slower, is always the best way to successfully download something)


2- "Bad food in the fridge"-

Before the latest patches, only prepared food went bad in the fridge. Now all food goes bad right away, even unprepared food. EA has acknowledged this problem, and is aware of it. Until EA fixes this in an upcoming patch for the patch, there is not much that can be done to prevent this. The best us builders can do in the interim is to empty our fridges of all food before sharing it, and hope for the best.


3a- Image Creation-

I use "Irfanview" for my simple graphic imaging. I use an old lost program called "Imagecomposer" for most of my intricate graphic imaging. Both of these programs came out in 1998, and I have over 11 years experience using them.

"Irfanview" is total freeware, and is still considered one of the best programs to use for simple viewing, and editing of images. It is a very stable program, and is very safe, as it contains no viruses, adware, malware, or bugs in it. You cannot custom cut, or letter your pictures with this program, but can use it to crop and size a square to form a base picture, and use "Paint", with a little practice, to perform these other chores.

"Imagecomposer" is only available as a bundled program that came with "Frontpage 98". I mainly use it because I have over a decade of experience with it. It allows me to make custom cuts, and lettering with remarkable ease. It is not available in a stand-alone version currently.

"Photoshop" is the standard image editor used currently, but may not be affordable by some people. The only freeware program I have heard about that does allow intricate image editing is "Gimp". I have not had a need to use it, but it is freeware, and I have heard very good things said about it. If I was starting from scratch, on a budget, and needed a good graphics editor, I would be investing my time in learning how to use "Gimp".

3b- Lettering-

Good Imaging is all about realizing how computer graphics works. Once you understand the basic techniques of "Layering", you are well on your way to making great pictures. Custom pictures have layers, on top of layers. This is why the PNG. image format is the preferred format used. It allows the background of an image to become transparent, while at the same time, retaining the clarity of the picture. This provides a perfect enviroment for layering, and assembling a custom picture.

Once the base picture is made, adding lettering, logos, and copy to the picture in layers provides the opportunity to extend more information contained in the picture. There are a few tricks to making this stand out from the crowd.

"Fonts"- Ariel Bold, and Comic Sans are both really very clear fonts, and are standard fonts in most computers. Using script fonts, while being very pretty, can sometimes be hard to read. Two tricks I use very often to make the lettering stand out, is-

"Edging"- If you edge the lettering with a complimentary, yet opposing color, it gives the lettering a more prevelant look to it. I usually use a 1 pixel edge at 100% opacity.

"Drop Shadowing"- this gives a shadow effect to the lettering, and makes it appear to be 3D. I usually use a lower left drop shadow, set on 6 pixels, with a 60% opacity.

I was going to end with number 4 being my comments on Custom Content, but need to rest up for tommorow. I will address this in another post later, when I can do so in the detailed manner it deserves.

This post may not help everyone, but I do hope that it at least helps a few of you to better promote your builds. In the meantime, keep building, as long as it brings you some degree of joy, because a happy Simmer is a happy Builder!

Thanks!- XOX1