Guide To Making A Winning Screenshot

This screenshot of mine won the #SimCityBTB competitor for "Best Circle City"

Although I can't assist you lot brand an interesting looking city, I tin give you lot a few pointers on how to brand a adept looking screenshot using the game settings.

The get-go dominion of making a cool screenshot is to plough off all the visual clutter from the game.

In the "Gameplay" tab of the Settings laid the next options:

Uncheck "Always Display City Boundary"
Unless you lot similar having a large white foursquare on the footing inwards your photo, teach ahead in addition to plough the boundary off past times unchecking this box.

Check "Hide UI inwards Captured Videos in addition to Screenshots"
This volition plough off the user interface i.e. all the toolbars, the clock, the amount of coin inwards your bank.

Check "Planning Mode Camera"
This alternative allows you lot to come across things from a higher perspective. It's keen for taking invention sentiment photos of your site.

Check "Hide Speech Bubbles"
Nothing ruins a screenshot similar a bunch of multi-colored phonation communication bubbles

Check "Hide Thought Bubbles"
Same affair equally the phonation communication bubbles, plough everything off

Next you lot tin teach to the "Graphics" tab of Settings

Don't permit the footing know how bad your video carte is.
Since you lot desire to teach the best character photograph possible, plough upwards your graphics settings to the maximum. You won't tending how shine the gameplay is equally long equally you lot teach the shot.

Don't forget almost the Tilt Shift efffect!
Play approximately alongside the Tilt Shift setting to come across what you lot prefer. You tin teach some cool views past times turning it up. I practically forgot it was in that place since I unremarkably plough it downwardly when playing the game.

I discovery that the tilt-shift resultant plant best when viewing downwardly at an angle. By slightly changing your focal point, the buildings on the edges volition blur. It tin give your paradigm a overnice 3 dimensional experience to it.  Using tilt-shift during dark shots tin give a overnice glow to the metropolis lights equally well.

My entry for best Tropical City, used a heavy Tilt-Shift effect

Anti-aliasing
If you'd similar a crisper expect to your photos, uncheck anti-aliasing. Leaving it checked volition soften the edges of the buildings.

Image Filters
Use an paradigm filter to brand your shot to a greater extent than interesting. There's 21different paradigm filters to select from. I compiled a total laid of examples for both twenty-four lx minutes catamenia in addition to night. You tin sentiment them inwards the gallery below. To teach a amend look, click on the photograph in addition to sentiment the total size versions inwards the Picasa spider web album.




If the gallery doesn't appear above, or you'd similar to come across a larger version, you lot tin sentiment it here

Avoid the Trolls
Shhhh.... Dont' tell anyone I told you lot this:  When taking a shroud capture alongside the UI on, brand certain that you're showing a net turn a profit past times temporarily raising taxes. If you lot don't, you lot WILL receive got a Bigger Map troll state something almost your metropolis non making whatever coin fifty-fifty though you're making millions off of electronics or whatever else you lot have.

This screenshot of mine won for Most Polluted City

The Timeline of changes inwards sunlight in addition to moonlight

The display of the Sun in addition to Moon changes at the transcend of every hour.  Knowing the timing of the rising in addition to setting of the Sun in addition to Moon tin give you lot opportunities to brand interesting looking screenshots in addition to videos past times including them inwards your photo.

5:00am Sunlight makes it's get-go appearance of the day
5:00-6:00am The Sunrise hour.  Although the Sun is non to a higher house the horizon, you lot tin teach a overnice golden hue off off the sunlight..
6:00am The Sun rises to a higher house the horizon in addition to yet is depression plenty to endure included inwards screenshots of the skyline.
7:00am The Sun rises besides high to endure seen.
Middle of the day, you'll come across the shadows modify at the transcend of every hour
6:00-9:00pm  Sunset: As the Sun sets during this 3 lx minutes window you lot tin teach some interesting views of your metropolis equally it prepares for dark time.
9:00pm  The lights plough on, but sunlight is however visible.
10:00pm Darkness falls upon the metropolis in addition to the nighttime lights expect the brightest
12:00 Midnight The Moon rises.
3:00-4:00am The Moon is at it's lowest signal inwards the sky.
4:00am The Moon sets

In summary:

• Golden Hues: Sunrise 5:00-6:00am, Sunset 6:00-9:00pm. 
• Include the Sun inwards your shot: 6:00-7:00am
• Lights alongside sunlight however visible 9:00-10:00pm
• Darkness alongside Lights on 10:00pm-5:00am
• Include the Moon inwards your shot: Midnight-4:00am alongside the best chance beingness 3:00-4:00am

Brightness
If you're using the Film Noir, Black in addition to Red, or other filter alongside a lot of black, don't forget almost the Brightness Setting. You tin plough it downwardly for a darker look. Some of the filters brand things besides dark, in addition to you lot tin lighten them upwards alongside the brightness setting equally well.

Try it Out!

Don't endure afraid to accept lots of pictures. To brand a shroud capture, only hitting "C" on your keyboard. On windows 7, they teach saved inwards Documents/SimCity/Pictures. It's overnice to receive got a tape of what things looked similar over time. You tin purpose them to move inwards the SimCity Bulid the Best Contests, portion alongside your friends, or fifty-fifty purpose equally a desktop wallpaper. You never know when 1 volition come upwards inwards handy. I got the most likes on a screenshot that was inwards the "Community Bridge/Tunnel Gallery 2" but it was 1 that I only happened to accept spell I was playing the game.

Give yourself lots of options
Try out lots of options. My winning "Spooky" shot of the cathedral on a colina was 1 I had tried multiple things on. In the end, it was my get-go shot that I ended upwards choosing. The cathedral was turned off because I didn't receive got coin to run it. Unbeknownst to me in that place were orangish tinted lights internal to the cathedral which plough on when the cathedral is turned off. The photos alongside the cathedral turned on in addition to the entire metropolis built out did non expect nearly equally spooky equally the original. You tin come across my diverse attempts from roughly the same angle inwards the gallery below.

If the gallery to a higher house doesn't appear, you lot tin click this link

Entering the #SimCityBTB contests

• Although they state that you lot tin e-mail your photos to SimCityCommunity@ea.com, I would suggest against it.  Members of the SimNationGuild receive got had much greater success past times tweeting them to @SimCity alongside the hastag of #SimCityBTB. Don't receive got a twitter account? Get one. They're free. UPDATE: My novel advice is to submit both ways, tweet them AND e-mail them. I haven't gotten a retweet the in conclusion 2 contests, in addition to my submission via twitter was originally ignored. After posting my photograph inwards the comments inwards a contest, they added it, in addition to I went on to win.
• When sending photos via twitter, you'll bespeak to brand certain it is less than 3MB. If it's besides large, purpose a photograph editing plan to salve it to a jpg which volition decrease the size. I recommend Gimp which you lot tin download for costless here.
• Get your entry submitted past times the destination of the twenty-four lx minutes catamenia on thursday afterward they denote the theme. Better yet, brand certain you lot teach far inwards fourth dimension past times submitting it on wednesday.
• Your chances of getting noticed, in addition to a retweet are amend when sending your tweet during the day. I originally submitted my winning screenshot at almost 2am on a thursday. I didn't teach a retweet on it past times @SimCity in addition to thence I sent some other tweet at noon on friday in addition to it was retweeted inside seconds.
• To receive got a keen shot at winning, join the SimNation Guild on Facebook. Our members tend to vote for each other. For bonus points, shipping your tweet alongside the #SimNationGuild hashtag equally well.
• The winner is announced a total calendar week after the selections receive got been posted. Usually on saturday. UPDATE: The winner of the Academy City competitor was announced several days afterward the finalists were selected. It was non a total week.
• If you'd similar to cheque out all of the previous #SimCityBTB contests, I've compiled a listing of links here.

This screenshot of mine won the #SimCityBTB competitor for "Spooky City"

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