In-Game 3D Editor

Once you've selected a 3D model to work with, the first step in adding it to the game is using the "Edit Ballpark" button on the Team Settings screen, and then selecting your park from the Pictures and Coordinates screen. Under 3D Model, click on Select File... and then navigate to the folder containing your model. Select the file and hit the Load button.

Now that the model is loaded, go to the 3D Model screen to edit it. First, you need to select the edit mode, which decides what effect your navigation commands will have:

• Global: All elements of the model - stadium, grid, fence, etc. will be moved and rotated together.
• Stadium: Only the 3D model itself is moved - everything else, including the grid and fence, remains stationary. This mode is mainly useful for doing the initial alignment of the grid to the model.
• Camera: Only the camera moves - useful, obviously, for determining where to place "cameras" throughout the stadium so the user can switch from one view to another.
• Target: The current viewpoint remains in place, and everything rotates around it.

Aligning the Grid

Assuming you're happy with the way your model looks in the game, the first stage of setting it up for game use is aligning the grid and fences. First, click the "Show Grid and Fence" button to display the grid. Select Stadium as the Edit Mode and hold down the ALT key. With the ALT key held down, you can use your mouse (or the on-screen controls, if you prefer) to align the model with the grid:

• Left Button: Rotate model vertically or horizontally
• Middle Button: Move model vertically
• Right Button: Move model horizontally

It's easiest to align the corners of the diamond portion of the grid to the bases, since the distances involved will be uniform in every stadium. Use vertical movement and rotation to make sure the entire grid is just visible over the top of the field. If you're working on an older park with a rise in the outfield, just align the grid so it's flat with the rest of the field.

Setting the Fence Posts

Once you've got the grid aligned to your satisfaction, you can move on to the difficult part: the fences. The fences are defined by a series of "fence posts" that show the location and height of the wall surrounding that part of the field. Click on one of the small red squares that designate them, and it'll turn to green, which shows it's the active post. Once you've selected a post in this manner, you can relocate it forward or backwards using the Q and W keys, and increase or decrease its height using A and S.

You cannot move a fencepost to the left or right; instead, if you need to mark an angle or curve in the fence, you'll need to add additional fenceposts using the "Add" button. This will create a new fencepost between the one you've selected and the next post to the right. You can then move that post into the appropriate position. Long, straight outfield walls are the easiest to mark and require few posts; irregular shapes or curved fences will need a lot more.

Fenceposts can be moved in so sections of the outfield grid lie entirely behind them (to simulate, for example, the short left field wall in the L.A. Coliseum.) When assigning the height to a fence that's behind a terrace, take into account the height of the terrace when designating the fence height - not just the height of the fence above the top of the terrace. This typically won't be that large an amount for major league fields, but a situation like the huge terrace in Sulphur Dell in Nashville will add significantly to the fence height. (It should be visually obvious, anyhow, when looking at the model where the top of the fence needs to be.) It's generally best not to try to designate tall, thin structures like foul or light poles using the fenceposts; they can't be placed close enough together to do this realistically.

Camera Settings

You can save a variety of "cameras" in various positions around the field, which allows the user to switch between different views while watching the game. To do so, simply maneuver your viewpoint into the position you want it in, then press the "Save Cam" button, which will allow you to save a new camera spot or overwrite a previous one. We suggest giving your cameras descriptive names to indicate their position (e.g. "Upper Deck 3B" for a high-angle view from behind third, "Bleachers" for a reverse view from the outfield, "Blimp" for a view from high overhead, and so on.)

Editor Buttons

In addition to mouse and keyboard control, the editor has a set of interface buttons that can be used to control various aspects of its operation:

Edit Mode: selects which elements of the model the rotate/move buttons will affect
Help: opens the game manual
Rotate/Move: these buttons change the angle of view, duplicating the left/middle/right mouse button actions
Zoom: zooms the view in and out (the mouse's scroll wheel will also do this)
Reset View: returns you to the default view of the stadium
Show Grid and Fence: makes the grid and fence wireframe visible
Fence Posts: moves fence posts in and out and raises and lowers their heights (duplicating the Q-W and A-S keys), also allows posts to be added or deleted
WF: turns the model's wireframe view on, removing all textures
Info: information about the model's size, loading speed, and technical details
Save Cam/Del Cam: lists the name of the most recent camera view, and allows it to be deleted or a new view saved
Attendance options: shows the stadium in four different attendance configurations: empty, low, average, and full (see Attendance section of model design)
Home Team Dugout is at 1st base: switches the home team's dugout back and forth from the 1st to the 3rd base line
Test views: these views simulate various elements of the in-game 3D mode

• Switch Team: switches the batting and fielding team in the test mode
• Enter Field: shows the fielding team running out onto the field at the start of an inning
• Outfield Catch: shows a fly ball being hit and caught in the outfield
• Homerun: shows a home run leaving the ballpark and the batter circling the bases
• Leave Field: shows the fielding team returning to the dugout at the end of an inning

Previous page: Dynamic Attendance
Next page: 3D Files