Soulstealer LOTing your city

ejc · March 06, 2008, 05:19:03 AM

I like the setting of the BATs

only thing I don't like, are the "USA-trucks"

that's not very common in R'dam

I more like the European looking freight-trucks

bat · March 07, 2008, 06:19:44 AM

I also like your LOTs there, great work on it, soulstealer!

soulstealer · March 11, 2008, 11:28:50 AM

Thanks everyone! I'm still working on the lots. making modular lots is not an easy task. I would have been better off with making a 10x20 lot with every thing in its place.

I just finished making some simple textures for the lots, since I couldn't resolve the texture problems I had encountered. They are all based on the default maxis concrete 25fb1100 texture. Many lots out there use this this texture so the port lots will fit nicely with them.

I asked for texture IID's at the BSC forum but I didn't get a response yet. So in the mean time I started perfecting my first Port Realism Pack released on STEX in 2006. I've made two new warehouse lots to join the other 5. Also I retextured all the lots from dirt to concrete, added some clutter props, made custom menu icons and worked the lots in the reader to have appropriate stats.

The new lots are at the top left.
The lot with the dirt texture is a teaser for a new pack - Port Realism Pack III - Oil Docks. Like it sounds it will contain lots for making realistic oil refineries. I have 4 lots already but they are not final and I'm also planning on a couple more.

You will be able to track some of my progress in a new MD I've created - Building Port Pol Lucia. I figured it's best to do the lots and also test them as I go along with actually trying to build a functional port.

@ejc: I couldn't find any euro trucks prop families otherwise I would have used them. I'm thinking of releasing with this pack a small guide and the original icons should you want to modify the lots.

I hope I will be able to complete all of this before my trip at the end of the month. I will not be here for a month and a half while I visit my family in Miami.

soulstealer · March 11, 2008, 05:08:40 PM

Picture war!!!

I've been given the chance to play with Yoman's awesome new crane prop. Thank you so much Yoman!
The cranes are HUGE standing very tall over any container ship and their arm is 11 tiles deep!!!
These babies make me think about remaking this pack. It will not be very difficult only 3-4 lots of the oceanfront docks needs to be reworked the rest can stay the same.

The lots are no way finished its just an early testing. Take a look:

Vs. The older SG crane lots (Jeronij ships will not fit under them when full):

I'm interested in your input, which crane should go in?

Also I'm thinking of changing the orientation of the containers you can see the vertical vs the horizontal in the first 4 pictures, I'm not sure which way to go.

Yoman · March 11, 2008, 06:37:02 PM

For the container alignment, it really depends on the port, the container terminal at Rotterdam uses both, just depends on which side of the pier

On thing I may point out though, if there are that many cranes on such a small lot, a larger area where the cranes can move (shown with the addition of rails) but aren't currently (due to loading a ship or something) should be included. Just all grouped into one area where they can move maybe 50 feet before running off the rails in one direction and 50 in the other before hitting another crane is unrealistic. Look really nice on your lots otherwise, I'll get the uparm version to you once I finish it (though that could be awhile).

By the way, considering that these are Super Post Panamax cranes, you may want to make the density of the containers a bit higher, and make sure you have alot of room behind the cranes, as these things offload ships that hold up to 12,000 TEUs!

soulstealer · March 14, 2008, 09:49:18 AM

Some updates:

There are now 3 4x6 oceanfront lots: 1 crane, 2 cranes, no crane. Instead of the 5 lots with the old cranes.
I added two end pieces left - offices, right - service yard. And thinking of doing two more that will be more plain and will not have any specific purpose just some containers and maybe some trucks.

The huge cranes allow rail lines to be placed under them, this is great because it adds even more realism to the port.

I haven't changed a thing with the backend container yards but I'm thinking of narrowing the gaps as Yoman suggested. if I can't do it maybe I'll just add some clutter on those empty gaps. I'll see how the crane's little brother will fits in and will take it from there.

I also gave the player the freedom of choice between placing container yard horizontal or vertical.

Left to do:
Textures for tracks of the big crane
~~New icons~~
Add more clutter
Finish the readme

Edit:

Icons are done

what do you think?

Alfred.Jones · March 16, 2008, 12:53:50 AM

Very nice Soulstealer

They Look very realistic. I'm loving the icons aswell

BigSlark · March 16, 2008, 07:04:51 AM

This is looking great, Soulstealer. I assume you've looked at Google Earth and/or Google Maps for ideas, but have you checked out the twin ports of San Pedro and Long Beach in Southern California? I just found a Panamax container ship being loaded/unloaded by six cranes at once! Check it out:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=San+Pedro,+CA,+United+States+of+America&ie=UTF8&ll=33.729841,-118.254363&spn=0.003007,0.006781&t=h&z=18

I'm looking forward to what you come up with next.

Cheers,
Kevin

soulstealer · March 16, 2008, 09:39:43 AM

@Alfred Thank you, I'm really glad you like it.

@BigSlark: Very nice find! Thank you! Makes me rethink my ground textures. I finally got IID range from BSC so intend to start working on them today and the link you gave me really helps.

About the cranes there is no SC ship out there (yet) that will fit under 6 cranes. I'm afraid a ship like that will simply be too big for SC world. The largest container ship to date are JRJ container ships and they are very big already. Just imagine a ship twice that size it will be 18 tiles long.

soulstealer · March 19, 2008, 02:08:16 PM

Ok I think I'm nearly done. Yoman has released his great prop pack. So this means I can can proceed and release this as well. I only have the readme left to do and a bit more testing. I'm guess it will be out by this weekend.

Yoman · March 21, 2008, 07:20:45 AM

Wow! Those look incredible, no straddle carrier's though? Well not all ports have em.

Would you mind sharing some of those textures you've created though, especially the ones under the large gantry cranes and my smaller yard cranes?

soulstealer · March 21, 2008, 08:04:14 AM

Thanks Yoman!

I have wraped everything up and will release this pack today or tomorrow with the textures dat.
About the straddle, I have an add-on in mind, another freight yard lot, something big maybe 6x6 or even more, with Jes diagonal containers along with the diagonal straddles. we'll see.

soulstealer · March 22, 2008, 04:41:14 PM

Finally it's out on STEX

The textures are in the remake of Pack I: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=19553
And pack II: http://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=19554

I have removed the jobs from the freight yards so they don't go black on you. I did some testings, so I hope there aren't any bugs. Please give feedback.

I have pack III - Oil refinery filler lots, SAM dirty concrete roads and Back Alley lots in the oven. We'll see how they come out.

Now I can play the game a little.

But in a couple days I going on a vacation for a month and a half.

Hang tight.

projectadam · March 25, 2008, 12:50:45 PM

Soulstealer: love how the ports came out, have not down loaded them yet but I am sure I will

FrankU · March 25, 2008, 02:48:46 PM

Soulstealer, this is incredible work!
I will use them ASAP....

I have, maybe, an answer to your coulouring problem in the freight yard. Though a bit late.... But just found this thread today.
Some Maxis textures appear to contain severeal versions. What you see depends on the wealth level of the lot. You can change that in LEprop (probably also Reader, don't know about that). So I suppose you had some lot with low and other with medium wealth level. No wealth also changes the looks.

Can't wait to get my hands on these.

soulstealer · March 25, 2008, 04:07:39 PM

@projectadam: Thank you.

@FrankU: Thanks and thanks for the info. I ended up doing my own textures which I'm quite pleased with the way they turned out. And the pack is out on STEX since sunday.

And since we are talking about textures... I'm done with the alley kit and SAM textures. Still have to see how they look ingame before I make them finale.

Alley Textures

SAM

Pat · March 25, 2008, 04:16:59 PM

WoW impressive work here Soulstealer, I love that port and also the textures so far for the SAM!!!!

FrankU · March 26, 2008, 04:02:42 AM

Soulstealer,

Got up this morning at 5.30, downloaded your lots and all the dependencies. Then it took about 45 minutes to install everything into the right directories and my backup directories (never throw everything just into one large black box!). And startet building.
Really great!
At 6.45 my wife and daughter woke up and I shut down the computer.

When it's finished I might take time to show it here, or somewhere else whatever the appropriate thread is.

CasperVg · March 26, 2008, 04:12:56 AM

Looking great there, soulstealer!

FrankU · March 31, 2008, 04:10:33 AM

Soulstealer,

I have pictures of a large terminal I built with your lots this weekend.
They are gorgeous!

I took the liberty to add something to them:
I downloaded PEG's very new Containerships pack and added these ships to your lots. So now I have seven extra lots with each a containership. Looks great!
Also PEG is working on a new container port project. I will gladly use them both in my seaport.