Sylvan Grotto Productions Presents -

[(Designer)Z.Z.]

Awww, thank you Caddie, you are very sweet :)

[Guest Caddienoah]

Z.Z.

Went through your screens again...with more questions...you should have seen this coming...

-Did you start with a plan in your mind or did the plan develop as you were were building?

-This zoo is not as symmetrical as the water zoo, do you find this easier or harder?

-With the individual areas, does the foliage come first, or the building? With the exhibits, how do you start, the animal, the foliage, the ground and elevation, the color or mood?

-You said two months to build...was most of the time, devoted to the foliage? In some of your screens you use the same element repeated in each square, repeated over and over...in others every square is composed of four different pieces...how do you choose what?

-What UCI's do you find as necessities? Do you find that you keep a file of basics that you use all the time, supplementing with different individual items, depending on the zoo?

-What are the basic items either in-game, that you find the most useful?

 

How's this for a start? I'm trying to pick your mind...can you tell?

 

I'd like to have a copy, both of your zoos are opposites, yet so alike...

This could be used as a teaching tool.

[(Designer)Z.Z.]

"Went through your screens again...with more questions...you should have seen this coming..."

 

LOL!

 

"-Did you start with a plan in your mind or did the plan develop as you were were building?"

 

I saw the zoo in my head before I began. I usually see a project in completion before starting to build it.

 

"-This zoo is not as symmetrical as the water zoo, do you find this easier or harder?"

 

Symmetry and asymmetry are equally as easy, one is no more difficult than the other, but I naturally build with symmetry, and in fact this zoo is symmetrical, its just a 2 sided symmetry as opposed to a 4 sided symmetry.

The hardest part of this zoo was placing all the foliage, my finger got tired ;)

 

"-With the individual areas, does the foliage come first, or the building? With the exhibits, how do you start, the animal, the foliage, the ground and elevation, the color or mood?"

 

All my zoos start with placing the zoo wall between the second and third tiles from the edge of the map, with the footprint outside the zoo on the second line of tiles. Then I complete the entrance exterior and decorate the second line of tiles on the exterior of the zoo, but for this zoo I wanted the foliage to match the area it was edging, so each of the four corners exteriors were decorated while decorating the fairies interior areas.

Once the exterior is complete, the zoo entrance is added and the game is saved to prevent accidental deletion of the zoo wall.

Then I count out my animal exhibits and lay them out according to terrain and overall zoo layout vision. Small exhibits are 10x15 tiles, regular exhibits are 15x15 tiles, and large exhibits are 20x20 tiles. Then the main path is layed in.

After that, all the buildings go in with at least one tile all around for foliage, and a path leading up to the buildings door, buildings are recolored and renamed according to the color plan for the overall layout.

Then fountains, statuary, benches and rocks are added.

Foliage and flowers are placed, and elevation is last because it is easier to plant a flat area than a hill.

For exhibits I place a male and female of the species, then place, trap and assign their zookeeper, scientist, marine specialist and maintenance person for tank filters.

Then I bring up the animals recommendations and start the zoo up.

The first thing I add to the exhibit is fresh water until the animal has no reaction, then I add the rest of its required terrain types.

Then the required shelter if any, and required rocks.

Then I add required foliage. When suitability is as high as I can get it, I decorate the exhibit with UCIs that the animals either like or have no reaction to until I think its pretty.

Elevation is last for those animals that require it.

Overall color and mood is decided before anything is built at all, I see it in my head complete.

 

"-You said two months to build...was most of the time, devoted to the foliage? In some of your screens you use the same element repeated in each square, repeated over and over...in others every square is composed of four different pieces...how do you choose what?"

 

I would say about half the time was devoted to foliage.

The choice of elements depends on what looks right to me, there is no formula.

In areas like the outer edging foliage patterns are repeated simply for expediency, but I have randomized even that since this zoo was built.

 

"-What UCI's do you find as necessities? Do you find that you keep a file of basics that you use all the time, supplementing with different individual items, depending on the zoo?"

 

Necessary UCIs that I keep in a basic file are the Map Editor, the Invisible Fence, Genkis Grasses and Tall Grasses, and Sundances Cool Flowers Pack.

There are others that I add as needed which are necessary for my pallette, Genkis Coniferous Trees, Dr. Ricks Giant Rainforest Trees, Genkis Snowy Bare Trees, Sundances Fall Foliage pack, Mingwas Tankable Rock pack, several fountains and that beautiful rock waterfall.

I add other UCIs specifically for each zoo, for example this one was cryptids and legends, so most of the animals are UCIs that I do not include in other zoos.

 

"-What are the basic items either in-game, that you find the most useful?"

 

The 4 UCIs I mentioned above that I keep in a basic file, plus the ingame items I find most useful are the Savannah Flowers, the purple half tile flower beds, the blue and purple full tile flower bed, the fern, the Broadleaf Bush, the Thorn Acacia tree, the Umbrella Thorn Tree, the Elm Tree, the four favored trees, the blue stained glass low decorative fence, the low rock exhibit fence, the cobblestone paths, the Atlantis path, the snow path, the restaurants, the four favored buildings, the Frog House, the Aviary, the campfire, the wishing well, the stone bench, the exhibit sign, the rainforest pond, the jumping fountain, the log toys. Im sure there are more that I just cant remember right now.

 

"How's this for a start? I'm trying to pick your mind...can you tell?"

 

LOL! Yes, but its ok, I rather enjoy this :)

 

"I'd like to have a copy, both of your zoos are opposites, yet so alike...

This could be used as a teaching tool."

 

It would be very difficult to provide a copy of this zoo as there were over 300 individual UCIs used and I cant remember what they all were, so I can not even reproduce this zoo for myself anymore, even though I still have the saved zoo.

However, your questions have caused me to decide to make a folder with copies of the UCIs I use for each zoo from now on so that you and anyone else who wishes to may download my zoos in the future :)

 

I never thought of them as teaching tools, thats interesting.

I am happy to answer any questions as well as assist in construction of other zoos if desired though :)

 

Thank you for these questions Caddie, its interesting to think about it like this :D

[Guest Caddienoah]

Thank You Z.Z., after closing, I thought I overdid it...I'm glad you didn't go running into the night from this crazy old person...Your answers and zoo are a teaching tool.

I can't wait to see the new zoo...

[(Designer)Z.Z.]

I didnt think you over did it Caddie. I was happy to answer your questions, it made me feel good to do so :)

 

I have been pondering my next zoo, and I think the basic layout hit me today :D

[pukkie]

I admire you as you really seem to be in designing zoo' s I think I never could.

I also never know how to start. I just start playing and my zoos can take up to over 35 years (medium sized) before I finally finish it as I always seem to get lost playing in them.

The only time I manage to actually "build" a zoo is if they are contest related as then I have guidelines LOL

[(Designer)Z.Z.]

Yes, some people create what they see in their heads and some people create what comes from their hands, and both ways make beauty :)

[Guest Caddienoah]

And here at ZTP we have so many talented people from both sides of the fence...I am overwhelmed by what I see!

[(Designer)Z.Z.]

I admire you as you really seem to be in designing zoo' s I think I never could.

I also never know how to start. I just start playing and my zoos can take up to over 35 years (medium sized) before I finally finish it as I always seem to get lost playing in them.

The only time I manage to actually "build" a zoo is if they are contest related as then I have guidelines LOL

 

Thank you Pukkie :)

 

My zoos go to June of year 3 before I ever build anything cause I want all the items available before I start to build.

One thing that helps me a lot is my documentaion list.

I decide what kind of zoo it will be, dino, marine, terrestrial, or mixed.

Then I make a list in my word program of all the animals I want in the zoo.

The list under that is all the buildings and decor items, as well as the fences, paths, rocks, plants and flowers I want to be sure to use.

 

Then I sort all those according to the area they will be in, like peafowl pillars, peafowl nesting boxes, and peafowl statues all go in the same area, so I group all those together.

Then when actually building the decor areas I check my list for each area and figure out the best way to make all my desired items fit nicely while leaving room for plants and flowers and benches and paths.

 

I had to start making the documentaion list because I would finish a zoo and then suddenly realize that I had forgotten to add something I wanted to have in the zoo ;)

 

Another thing that helps in basic layout is the different terrains.

I prefer rainforest terrain above all others, as it is dark which shows the plants off well, and it is green which give a living look as opposed to a dry look, so i make the entire map rainforest terrain.

Then with grass terrain and savannah terrain I block from the top and bottom corner to find the center of the zoo. By block I mean make terrain tool largest size, 5x5 tiles, place first grass block 2 tiles from the corner of the map, then place the next block at the top of the first block so it looks like one diamond standing on top of the other.

I lay 5 grass blocks, then 5 savannah blocks, so I dont lose count, then get to the center with the grass again and mark the center with snow so it stands out.

 

The center may be where the path crosses, or it may be the center of an exhibit, depending on the zoo.

 

From there I lay out the number of exhibits I will need for the animals I want, generall 1 decor area per 2 exhibits, or a line of exhibits on either side of a decor line like Living Sea Aquarium is.

 

Once thats done the buildings go in according to area and the actual decorating begins.

It can take me two weeks just to get to that point, but I have the game paused during that time, I only start it up while I am bringing exhibit suitability up for the animals.

[(Trustee)genkicoll]

Another buried thread that I just had to bump. If you haven't seen this zoo before, you're in for a treat. ZZ has been MIA for a while now, which is why we haven't seen anything new lately. This zoo is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen :wub: