Why use a template?
Greenhouse walls are peculiar: they are not normal fences, and they are not walls; they are fences that are capable of "going down" like the walls. SimPE was not made to clone such unusual objects, and therefore the cloned packages lack some important files.
Using this template, your clone will contain all the needed files.

How to use this template

1. Download the template and unzip it in a work folder.
2. Start Object Workshop and click "Open..." (NOT "Start").
3. Browse to the folder where you unzipped the template and select it.
4. Set the cloning options as in the following screenshot:
   
   
   
5. Proceed like a normal clone; change the price and description at will.
6. When the Scenegraph Rename Wizard opens up, you can just hit "OK"; or - if you like - you can replace the suggested name to anything else (as long as the choosen name is unique!)
7. When done, you'll have a working clone: replace the texture, the mesh etc. and save the package.

HINT: If you are used to creating new fences, you will probably know the procedure needed to make a fence base-game compatible; well, that procedure, here, is NOT needed, because this "fence" will work only with the Seasons EP...

FAQ: I have already created a greenhouse fence that starts flashing blue when the walls go down. Can I fix my package?
I strongly suggest to use this template to create a brand new clone, and then import in it the mesh and texture extracted from the old (non-working) fence.
Or you can even fix your package yourself, including the files that are missing; in order to do that, open the template and extract the two TXMT (Material Definition) that end with "_wallsdown_txmt" and import them into your package. Then assign them the very same name of the "_wallsup_txmt" files already existing in your fence (the very same name, except for the final part, of course: the name of the new TXMT must end with "wallsdown_txmt"!).
After renaming each file, remember to click Fix TGI, then Commit and save.

TECH FAQ: What is the purpose of all those TXMT's in the greenhouse fence? Do I need them all?
Yes, you need them all In a standard greenhouse fence there are six TXMT's:

• "..._glass_txmt": this is the material used for the glass when the game shaders are deactivated; in a normal game, the shaders ARE active, and then this TXMT is rarely used; but some users may have low-end graphic cards that deactivate the shaders; and there are lighting mods like the Radiance that require to deactivate the shaders. You are creating a fence that should work in any game, so you must keep this TXMT in your package
• "..._null_txmt": used for the glass when the walls are down and the shaders are deactivated (the glass becomes invisible).
• "..._glass_wallsup_txmt": this is identical to the _glass one; it's used when the shaders are active and the walls are up.
• "..._glass_walldown_txmt": this is a special "null" TXMT that is used when the shaders are active and the walls are down (you will see a very transparent glass, almost invisible).
• "..._surface_wallsup_txmt": used for the solid frame when the walls are up (the shader state is irrelevant).
• "..._surfaces_walldown_txmt": used for the solid frame when the walls are down (the shader state is irrelevant).

Last edited by Numenor : 19th Aug 2007 at 1:21 AM.

Thanks so very much Numenor...I really appreciate your doing this for us. I had a feeling that SimPE wasn't pulling some necessary files, and you've confirmed it for me.

I just can't thank-you enough for sharing this with us and for being such a huge help to the sims 2 community with all you great help and many great creations too.

Thanks!

Bravo...
I've been wanting this...
grazie tante...!

I'd press the thank button if it works for me .

thanks also.
i was here at 3am ish this morning. Fiddling with a new fence/wall.
lol
now i'm awake i will be playing with this for a bit longer.

and at 11:40 in the evening i created something.

Last edited by mike19 : 19th Aug 2007 at 11:40 PM.

Awesome - I can redo my recolour - now if only we could make matching roofs....

1. Just some testings on the greenhouse fence in the base game...

I made the greenhouse fence template to be base game compatible and it works like a normal shadow-ful fence as expected (fenceGreenhouse-EP0TS2.jpg). What I want to point out is that custom greenhouse fence may be made in consideration of using it in earlier game versions in design to increase its usability while there's no need to make a normal fence version for the same meshes.
Just like the NL half-wall codes, earlier game versions just ignore them so far from what I've seen.

2. a behaviour of the fence shadowing.
suspended fences (fenceShadow-wallless.jpg) will have their shadows rendered larger than those right above walls (fenceShadow-wallful.jpg).
The post height may affect the fence shadow size.

I hope I have posted in the correct place. I have a few questions first what is the template? And how do you create one?

New to this part and would really like to know.

Stonekeeper

The templates are useful because sometimes SimPE doesn't clone an object correctly; in other cases, SimPE works well, but the object needs particular further adjustments to work in game. therefore, in order to help people creating working clones, I have created several templates, for the most tricky object to clone (these fences, kitchen counters, fireplaces...).

Thank you Numenor for your explanation of the template. I have noticed that you can not recolor the one out door table light. You can do the shades in most lamps but not the base of the lamps. How would I or can I change this by cloning the lamp?

Stonekeeper

Last edited by Numenor : 29th Nov 2007 at 1:01 AM.

This is definitely off-topic here; if the lamps you mention are not recolourable, either you need the CEP, or they just can't be recoloured. Cloning them would be needed in this case, though I don't remember any lamp that has a not-recolourable base (using the CEP).

However, please, let's discuss this subject in the CEP thread.

Is there a way to make the greenhouse walls (and doors) cutaway as normal walls do? They are either always up or always down, but they dont cutaway the front walls to make viewing more pleasant. On a similar topic, is there a way to have all levels walls/greenhousewalls cutaway from frontview, so that you can see whats happening on different levels without switching levels constantly? I ask here because is it somewhat on topic, and you are the best. Thanks for all your awesome mods!

The greenhouse walls are fences, and they act exactly like fences: they don't have a cutaway feature, and can't be added...

Je ne parle pas anglais, je comprends rien !!

Je suis désolé mais il s'agit d'un forum en anglais seulement...

(I'm sorry, but this is an English-only forum...)

Wow I missed this some how but thank you! Great I wanted this to beable to recolor it in red and yellows and blues for I like building houses and like matching my exterior walls to fences and now can with this new download! Now I have a qwestion where exactaly I extract it to? Do not understand thank you!

You can unzip the file attached to the first post wherever you want, even the desktop. Then, open Object Workshop, click "Open...", browse to the desktop and load the unzipped file.

wow, this is great! thanks, numenor. now, for your next challege: make recolorable greenhouse roof templates.