Rural power lines

[buddybud]

Thank YOU guys for getting me to at least share it. First remember the lod issue...or else there will be alot people crashing at large zooms. Also remember that these principles can be applied to any type of slope conforming network tile. It's how the skin/frame around my elrail bends and works for the most part.

What slope mod are you using?

i actually just used the road as a rough slope mod. lol...i'm cheap.

And well there's nothing new here. Sadly it's just too advanced for some to even consider. There's a tutorial on some of the earlier pages of my first simtrop thread that describe much the same thing. It's from atleast two years ago. .  And i just kind of borrowed on everybody's discoveries around me......lol.. Though i could claim to be one of the few who actually try to utilize all those properties together to gain a desired result.....i'll take that...

As for spanning multiple tiles that would still require a something special. I think the best approach for long distance spanning on a slope,  would be a series of slope conforming lots set up using the lotconfig properties. Either way its a problem. You could easily fudge a span of 2 or 3 on a controlled slope but it will be trickier the farther apart you go. The ingame wires seem to be dynamically made, i've only found the tower models. A 3ds prop wire could easily be made but would suffer the same constraints as a usual prop in these regards. So i'm not really sure how to overcome that, i may have over spoken in that respect.

Anyways i'll be back in a week with thy diagonals  great sirs!!!

Cheers and glad you found it useful

[choco]

i presume the wires are drawn much the same as suspension bridges......it references a wire "texture", then defines the attachment points, the sag, etc......

this is how i was going to get "bridge" built using the model provided.  unfortunately, i can't find anything in the .dats that defines the power line tool.  (i haven't looked all that hard though). 

[JoeST]

This is one super awesome topic.... I am AWED!

*posts to keep an eye, so he can wikify some maybe*

oh and if anyone wants to wikify any of this stuff (the tutorials) just drop me a PM

[buddybud]

A little update... i have been unsuccessful at finding a solution for diagonals and obviously spoke to soon. My apologies. If i come up with something suitable i shall inform you.

Sorry about that.

Bud.

[ashton23]

where do i get the rural power lines

[metarvo]

If you are referring to my set of large wood and metal transmission towers, it's available here [off-site linkie, registration required].  I am working on a new set [linkie], but it could be a while before it's ready.

[ashton23]

Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Destis5445]

Wow, im a new poster here but all these updates are just fantastic, just wow. But a few requests, you dont have to pay attention to them but i'd maybe eventually like to see these used, i see these all the time in the area i live in. (click links)

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.369474,-84.372082&spn=0,0.011319&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.369329,-84.372072&panoid=R9Faw4nf5BAJuJ0rD-JQGw&cbp=12,90.5,,0,-23.07

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.170796,-84.6538&spn=0,0.022638&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=39.171283,-84.648562&panoid=PkVn8vo0GAwPPX_5Hx335Q&cbp=12,128.8,,0,-31.09

[Buzzit]

hey there!

so i finally tryed to bat a power pole today! and well. im very excited about the outcome of this one
its my first bat ever and its not in game or something like that so i dont celebrate to early hehe

information about the pylon
the pylon it self is a french/luxembourg/belgium pylon(atleast i saw these types in those countries) and are by far the most common ones in those countries

here's a picture:


so what do you people think of it  ?
if there's something missing or something that needs to be changed tell me!

btw! in french these pylons have a concrete type of structure but i aint that skilled enough to make such types thats why i used a cilinder wooden type =)

[MandelSoft]

Well, it looks good!

By the way, do you have the HD plugin for gMax? If not, you can get it here. I would like to see a HD render of your power line 

Best,
Maarten

[Buzzit]

Well, it looks good!

By the way, do you have the HD plugin for gMax? If not, you can get it here. I would like to see a HD render of your power line 

Best,
Maarten

yeh i just found it a couple of minutes ago
its accually thx to your tutorial that i came this far cuz i didnt understand BAT so i searched for tuts
Metarvo also sended me a great tut wich i really gonna try out soon!

anyway here's the render i also made a 'corner pole'



allthough i still dont get 2 things:
how do i make diagonals? do i just have to turn the model in a certain degree?
if i make a lot with it.. i cant find it in game doh!

[metarvo]

Buzzit, it looks like you're picking this up rather quickly.    The pylon looks different than anything I've ever seen, but it looks good all the same.  The corner pole is a good addition, as well.

First, to make diagonals, you rotate the model 45° before rendering.  There should be a Rotate button on the top toolbar in BAT.  Select and group your model, then rotate it 45°.  Then, render the model.  It will be diagonal.

Did you put the model on a lot?  If so, which menu did you put it into using PIM or PIM-X?  It will show up in that menu in game.  For example, if you used a park lot, then you will find the lot in the Parks menu.

[Buzzit]

hehe yeh i think they use medium voltage a bit diffrent here in europe you  rarely see these next to the road (as far as i know correct me if im wrong!) you see these alot through the field

here a RL sample the picture is in france(google earth) :


and the corner pole:

also this one has that 'concrete structure' i said earlier it also its a bit diffrent than my own corner pole

here's a new render btw now with diagonals and a new corner pole with turned isolators
edit! now with concrete corner poles

i now will try to put them into simcity but i first gonna find out how to put them at the electrical menu

[metarvo]

I liked reading about your use of Google Earth for this BAT project.    I've done that with Google Earth and Google Maps many times myself, sometimes just to look at power lines in Street View, and sometimes to gain inspiration for BATs.  That pylon has a cool design, if I do say so myself.

Do you have SC4PIM Extended (PIM-X), which is available on the LEX?  If so, you can drag your rendered model into the Power Eye Candy building category, which is good for buildings that belong in the Power menu but don't actually produce any power.  Then, you can create a ploppable lot from that building.  Once you place the building on the lot, you will have your pylon in game in the Power menu.  The Readme included with PIM-X will give a more detailed explanation of the lot editing process, but I find it much easier to use than the Maxis LE.

One thing I would suggest is to stretch your model vertically in the BAT to around 120% to 140% or so of its original scale before you render it.  Personally, I use 133%.  The perspective in SC4 causes a BAT squash effect, so vertical upscaling helps to cancel this out.

[homefryes]

I also utilized Google Street View for my pylon project at http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=6511.msg233937#msg233937; what a great tool to help with realism. I like what you're doing, Buzzit; great project!

-- Don

[Buzzit]

I also utilized Google Street View for my pylon project at http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=6511.msg233937#msg233937; what a great tool to help with realism. I like what you're doing, Buzzit; great project!

-- Don

thanks man!
yeh google street is great!
i like your projects aswell! aspecially the 1 with the complete layouts of landschape

@Metarvo
thx for the tip allthough i think they look good allready i will still try this out!
only how? just using the scale button?


well i got one them working with the LOD editor unfortunately its in parks
i installed pim-x but for some reason i cant find my models hmm.. i think i need to look better!

anyways.. i got a really big problem i got the windows 7 crash to desktop problem  .. so i can only play for like 5 mins and then it crashes to the desktop..   and i searched but theres.. as far as i searched no solution for it.. and im not gonna install xp again(allthough i would do but i'm also a musician and need my pc cause i make electric music for my course and other hobby)
ah well im still continue to model   

maybe i found a solution wich im trying out now

anyways

this is what i got now in game

edit:

argh its going from bad to worse ><!

i reinstalled simcity 4 deluxe wich is totally fresh now nothing added
so i relot my new pylons but for some reason if i save them they still won't appear in the lot list of the lot editor or in game
and i dont understand cuz they were ingame before the reinstallation... sigh.. im going to bed now.. i will look into this tomorrow and a solution for the CTDs

[Destis5445]

Wow, you guys make some substantial progress with this each day don't you!     
Well here it goes, not trying to make your day worse but i would like to request a small variety of ploppables, slope conforming, dragables, doesn't matter. I would appreciate to have these included in my cities suburban areas for they would fit in very well for my City Journal that I would like to start up. I have the signs, the houses, the sidewalks, pools, bike trails, but one of the only missing pieces are these:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.363203,-84.45611&spn=0.021036,0.042486&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.360256,-84.460736&panoid=c7ov02HX1yiCt-3q-kmT9w&cbp=12,175.31,,0,-14.09

Ones like these that are along the side of this suburban Ohio area.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.317082,-84.42323&spn=0.02105,0.042486&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.316922,-84.423426&panoid=t5Fiwlju8zY4Ra_M1PBV9w&cbp=12,59.47,,0,-16.18

Similar To These

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.154092,-84.701371&spn=0.021099,0.042486&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.154879,-84.713699&panoid=c3tD-HGIoS3V9wdKxBccQw&cbp=12,86.29,,0,-22.27

Like These for my more Rural areas

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.323792,-84.427515&spn=0.021048,0.042486&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.323803,-84.427705&panoid=g965N-cOfKc9yo2lky7NOQ&cbp=12,280.64,,0,-16.36

Lastly

I know this sounds like alot, but it would fit in to almost any American city. I would not like for you to say "Hey, check these out, these might suit you." for they on the most part link me to some European styled power grids which don't fit in at all here. If you don't want to do these then I will find someone else. If you could link me to a request thread besides the main mod request thread which is a fail since it is barely noticed or to someone willing to do requests that would also be appreciated. Thank you for spending time to make this game a better and a more realistic experience.

[MandelSoft]

I can help you with the last one. This pack looks quite simmilar to the high tension lines you're suggesting.

[Girafe]

I made french poles long time ago with cables whcih follow the slope but I never release them 

Your work is great buzzit, your progress are fast with the BAT and I am glad to see other french poles   

[Buzzit]

I made french poles long time ago with cables whcih follow the slope but I never release them 

Your work is great buzzit, your progress are fast with the BAT and I am glad to see other french poles   

haha  those look nice!
you see those are even more common  and you see them alot next to roads
i was planning to make such pylons aswell but now that you made them i don't think its neccesary haha

only im not gonna cable mine  because
1 i aint that skilled enough just yet(i think)
2 you see them alot @ hilly regions wich would be impossible for me to wire 

but i'm now gonna try to solve my problems *sigh*

edit: my god... its going from worse to a disaster    for some reason i only am able to start simcity one time.. after that i just don't want to function correctly it i start it it returns to desktop instantely while the icon is still at the bar if i click it again i have it function for like 2 seconds and returns to desktop etc etc etc its like simcity won't allow me to test out my stuff lol


btw how can i change the properties of a block or a cilinder or any other figure? because i want to change the radius of the wires of the corner wire to make them more realistic