Render This!

We marketed this product for people with tiny fingers. I cringed when I heard it and shivered when I thought about it. Besides the added keys, this product is for a very select group of people, not just those with small fingers. Not only that...it's completely reasonable that, like oversize print books, the keyboard could be enlarged for those with normal-to-large sized fingers. The most essential requirement for this new software is a big, fast brain.

To plot boardwalk planks, open the landscape toolbar by clicking Views-->Toolbars-->Landscape. This is not one of the default toolbars, you'll have to open it by yourself. Also, all toolbars are accessible by holding the menu function keys on your keyboard and pressing the corresponding letter or key icon (in this case, 'L'). Hold down shift to plot a series of "sturdy planks." To automatically bolt the planks to underlying beams, press the tool menu function key + B within 3 seconds of releasing the shift button. Generally, the software recognizes these "afterthought" actions, and will give the user 3 seconds to execute commands after previous the user-input has completed. In this manner, the entire boardwalk can be completed with a series of quick-thinking, rehearsed (if necessary) finger maneuvers. As you can see, there is a full-featured set of boardwalk options: wood type and dimensions, bolt type and custom types, strength, resistance, color, to name a few.

Now that you have a boardwalk you'll need beach objects. These items fall under the Natural Landscaping category, so pull up the Natural Landscaping toolbar to draw beach objects. To carve a custom waterfront, it's often best to start with a general motion, start the sand carver and then use the keyboard arrow keys to slowly carve a waterfront. This tool will ask you to specify some broad boundaries on the waterfront you wish to carve, and then will begin recording your arrow key incisions to apply after the sand carver reaches the far boundary of the waterfront you initially specified.

Continue this process for all the static objects in your city beach. The amusement park, the retail establishments, the streets, the public transportation, the signage (very important!), the labeling, and the light fixtures.

Part II: Dynamic Objects in the Simulation - November 2007