Cosmetic dashed roads & more...

[videosean]

Maxis curves curbs had no reason to be so sharp to beging with.

That one piece that goes between the curved road and the diagonal road in the picture... it's the same piece for boths curves just in different rotations.  It's also used in at least 3 or 4 other instances... which is why I can't really change those curves much.  They have to work in all the same situations the old ones do :/

*edit*
Unzoned area intersections:

I'll probably stick with double center lines 2 tiles from intesection (with NAM turning lanes mod) but threw in the dashed line version of the ortho just because I started using the dashed line pieces to build off of.  I'm thinking of perhaps using some sort of brick texture for crosswalk in $$$ intersections.  This is an example of what I mean.  I'm not sure curved curbs will work on the diagonal intersections - east and west curbs in the image here might get messed up.  It looks as if the game might use the same piece for one tile as it does in a 4 way and 3 way diagonal... will only know after testing... eventually.  I might be wrong about this though

[Shadow Assassin]

I'm not sure curved curbs will work on the diagonal intersections - east and west curbs in the image here might get messed up.

Just make the curve a standard size and use it on any and all intersections that may have that.

However... keep in mind that it's kind of a no-no to have "unique" stop lines (basically single-sided stop lines) because the game frequently flips intersections rather than rotates them like it should...

[Diggis]

Just make the curve a standard size and use it on any and all intersections that may have that.

However... keep in mind that it's kind of a no-no to have "unique" stop lines (basically single-sided stop lines) because the game frequently flips intersections rather than rotates them like it should...

Which is a rule Maxis didn't follow for street/rail diagonal intersections.

[nerdly_dood]

I'm reasonably sure that intersection textures for diagonals are flipped frequently.  This includes textures for diagonal T intersections and orthagonal/diagonal "y" intersections and orthagonal/diagonal 4-way intersections, and possibly diagonal + intersections.  Orthagonal T intersections are also frequently flipped.  I can't help this, but I would like you to know that your stop bars may be detrimental to the overall realism of your intended modifications.  Crosswalks are not affected by this, but you should be very precise when putting them into the textures to make sure that they match up properly.

I wish stop lines weren't affected like that... But the good news is that stop bars aren't always there where a stop sign or a traffic light is.

[videosean]

Stop lines can (will) be removed or made to go all the way across road no problem

[zakuten]

Even with the possibility of flipping, I might like to have a go with the stop-lines as they stand; I'd like to see for myself just how often it gets flipped.

[j-dub]

Its too bad they made the game that way with the flipping, I don't know if anybody has avenue rail road crossings with gates, but its especially irritaiting how the props flip with the texture. The roads I could handle, because the gates go over to the other side, but then again I can't stand the fact how the white stop line ends up on the wrong side of the road for me already.

[videosean]

1st test, 1st problem.  The difference in color is kind of on purpose... going with the DTP RHW style of colors for new 80px pieces for now.  3 textures, only 2 show up
before:after:
0x00002E00 = > diag/diag 3 way
0x00051100 = / should be the straight piece with curved inside corner on the diag/diag 3 way?  Not seen in pics, the game is just using regular straight pieces of road instead.
0x00003900 = |\ ortho/diag 3 way
A 3rd problem with curved curbs (and I really don't want to have to remake all my textures with square curbs!) is where you have the main diagonal road and then 2 diagonal roads intersecting right next to each other... there should be another texture to complete the 2 inside curved curbs at one edge of the main diagonal road but I don't think there's an IID for it since it looks like the game is using the regular straight piece there as well.

Could any of these problems be RULed?  Have I missed the proper IIDs or somehow assumed wrong about 00051100?

*edit*
1 more problem... the sidewalks change between $$ and $$$ but the game refuses to use the $$$ textures I made for these diagonal 3 way intersections - $$$ should have had a red curb.  I've double checked my IIDs in the DAT and unzoned and agricultre works properly... even the high/low density $$ texture work properly.  Apparently Maxis thinks high wealth areas don't have diagonal intersections?

[SimsReporter]

Wait, The Intersection Pieces are more Darker (black) then the straight peices.  . But great job , i can't wait for the Next Release.

[nerdly_dood]

I think that's because those are the only ones he's done... at least, as far as solid-line roads go...

[videosean]

I tried a little RULing and failed.  I'm thinking/hoping that 0x0000B00 is an available ID.  From the original SimCity DAT files A00 is diag road, C00 is a diag to ortho piece and F00 is 90 degree ortho turn - they skip letters so I picked the missing B to experiment with.  I have screenshots of in game and ilive's reader hoping I made a big n00b mistake with the RULing that someone can point out.

I changed 1,3 to 3,1 for rotation on the last piece and it still didn't work.

[Tarkus]

Well, there's three issues I noticed--the first is that you used the wrong RUL file.  The RUL with Instance ID 0x0000000e is a Supplementary Individual Network RUL file for the Avenue network.  The RUL file that handles overrides, like those in the RHW and SAM is 0x10000002--you can find the most up-to-date public version of it in the NetworkAddonMod_Controller.dat file in your NAM folder. 

That RUL file right now is so long that it actually goes beyond the Reader's built-in character limit (it's also over 2MB, impressive for a text file), so you have to export it (right click the file and from the menu that appears, select "Save decoded file"), and edit it in an external editor like Wordpad or Notepad.  To get it back into the Reader, just select "Insert and compress file".

The second thing I spotted is that you had three textures on the override you were trying to set up.  Unfortunately, the RUL can only handle two textures/models at a time (I learned from personal experience ), so you'll have to write multiple lines of code in order for that override to be complete. 

The final thing--I noticed you had "0x0000B00,1,3" at the end.  You left out a "0" on the texture instance ID (I've done that many, many times myself--nothing to be embarrassed about)--also, the second number can only be a "0" or "1".  It's basically a "no/yes" for flipping the texture.  The first number handles rotation, and ranges between 0 and 3--when you do have a flip, though, it reverses the direction of rotation from clockwise to counterclockwise--which means, more or less, that 1 and 3 are reversed upon flipping.

I also see you've made it so the textures are IID labeled in game.  I do the same thing myself a lot of times, it helps out immensely. 

Hope that helps!  And the textures look fantastic as always!    It's always great to see another RULer getting started. 

-Alex (Tarkus)

Edit:  I've checked myself, and 0x00000B00 is an available texture IID.

[videosean]

I'm going to have to try with a texture I know I can get to show up maybe because this didn't work.  The B00 textures are in their own DAT file in a z subfolder of the NAM folder.  I'm also thinking (in hindsight) that I should put any additions to the controller file at the end to find it easier using reader.
B04:
I was wrong on my rotations of the original textures! 
0x00002E00,0,0,0x00000A00,2,0=0x00002E00,0,0,0x00000B00,3,1
gives:

[Shadow Assassin]

I'm going to have to try with a texture I know I can get to show up maybe because this didn't work.  The B00 textures are in their own DAT file in a z subfolder of the NAM folder.  I'm also thinking (in hindsight) that I should put any additions to the controller file at the end to find it easier using reader.

Just use a temporary texture and you should be fine...

As for the latter: that is actually recommended, it makes it that much easier to edit.

[allan_kuan1992]

looking good =)

- Allan Kuan

[videosean]

I'm getting stuck again!  The text in the images is shorthand for the RUL code.  When I do it one way, I get the B00 texture I'm expecting but it's to the left of the E00 texture!
0x00002E00,1,1,0x00000A00,2,0=0x00002E00,1,1,0x00000B00,2,0

Okay... so my feeble logic says try swapping E/A and E/B but that doesn't work.
0x00000A00,2,0,0x00002E00,1,1=0x00000B00,2,0,0x00002E00,1,1

0x00002E00,0,0,0x00000A00,2,0=0x00002E00,0,0,0x00000B00,3,1 - this code seems to be fine (?) and is responsible for the intersections that look correct in both images.  I think I might be misunderstanding something fundamental about these rotations and RULs.

*edit*
Here's one I tried out of desperation... swapped only the replacement texture side of the code lol
0x00002E00,1,1,0x00000A00,2,0=0x00000B00,2,0,0x00002E00,1,1

*edit*
The B00 texture isn't pathed... not that the texture it's replacing was pathed properly by maxis in this instance on a third look the intersection tile takes care of it... sharp 90 degree turns for each lane in the direction of where I wanted B00 to go.


I wonder... the idea of forgetting the curved curb on the side that is causing me such a headache but adding a continuous right-turn lane in the large triangular empty space of the intersection tile.  Of course it would only work in one orientation for the side road... the other orientation would have it be a continuous right turn for the main road... scrapping the curved curb on both inner corners here might be the best solution for me 

[videosean]

Okay so I'm ditching the curved curb on one side of the 3 way diagonal since I couldn't figure out the proper RULing and will have to do similar for the 4 way diagonal.  I'm still trying some RULing for something (can be seen in the pics) with about 50% of it working.  RULs aren't necessary for the texture replacement to work, just experimenting with more unassigned Maxis IIDs.  Pics are with empty plugins folder except for NAM and my 80px road stuff I have so far.

[MandelSoft]

Nice roadtextures, videosean! Maybe I can make some Euro-style road textures when it's finished.

[videosean]

Thanks for the compliments and advice everyone it is appreciated even if I don't always say so   I'm open to suggestions usually too.
I have 3 more curve textures this morning... the center tile of each image.  I'm not crazy about how they look or match up with the other textures - I might be able to tweak them some more but I'm getting sick of trying to match up the lines perfectly lol.  The center image that looks like an ortho to diagonal piece looked really wrong to me with a curved edge for the left side so I think I'll keep it a sharp angle.  If I go any further to the right with the right edge of the right texture I won't have any room at all for a small grass strip before the sidewalk but I wish the right edge of the curve were more sharp so it better matched the inner curve


Some days I feel like I'll never get to the NAM textures.

[Diggis]

You are missing a piece for the curve to 45 degrees.  The corner is actually made up of 2 pieces before the true diagonal piece pops in.