Trying to get a tunnel working as I want.

[DanFraser]

I'm building a sunken highway network in a city (well, to be a region) and I'm having issues trying to create a tunnel entrance.  As you can see from the picture, I have several issues, mostly because of one thing.

No matter what I try, I simply cannot get the slight dip just above the tunnel entrance to get lost.  It's making things unsightly, and I cannot place the tunnel entrance a tile further back, so that it juts up right against my planned avenue that would go across as marked by thin green lines.

[jeronij]

For these situation, I use some Marrast's old lots, which work fine... I'll try to find a link.....

[RippleJet]

No matter what I try, I simply cannot get the slight dip just above the tunnel entrance to get lost.  It's making things unsightly, and I cannot place the tunnel entrance a tile further back, so that it juts up right against my planned avenue that would go across as marked by thin green lines.

You will always get those slight dips. I think the reason is that if the trench were more shallow, the tunnel wouldn't appear in the first place. Instead the highway would cut through the hill. And you will never be able to drag a network next to the tunnel entrance. That could only be achieved by placing a TE lot on top of it.

Finally, you aren't even able to build a tunnel that's got only two tiles between the tunnel openings. The minimum is three tiles.

A solution would however be to build the sunken highway all the way and instead build an avenue bridge across using on-slope puzzle pieces.

For these situation, I use some Marrast's old lots, which work fine... I'll try to find a link.....

Actually, I'm pretty sure Marrast didn't make a lot with a ground highway below an avenue.

[DanFraser]

Ah well, I'll continue with how I did it before.

[Ennedi]

Yes, it can be done and it is quite easy (but it needs some patience - as most things in sc4  ). I understand you know how to make flat sunken avenue, but I decided to show all process - it can be useful for somebody else.

1. Place the "Hole Digger for Avenue" pieces.



2. Drag an avenue as on picture below.



3. Bulldoze Hole Digger pieces.



4. Connect both parts of an avenue. Now you have a tunnel.



5. If you want, you can flatten the avenue now. You can use the street tool, starting from the tile showed on the picture below.





6. Let's say you want to have the sunken part only as wide as the avenue needs (sorry for bad English). Place street tiles along the avenue.



7. Now drag a street/road as on picture below.



8. Bulldoze the street. Now you have a flat sunken avenue with slopes close to i'ts sides.

OK. Now you make the terrain between tunnel entrances completely flat. (as I understand it was your question).
So you have to plop on the slope something wchich will flatten the terrain.

We often use the street/road pieces in such situations, but you can't use it in this case - see below:



But you can use something else - anything wchich flatten the terrain and can be plopped at the tunnel entrance. Some parks are good in this case (not only parks  ). I used the water tile from Oppie's canal set.

9. Plop the water tile at the tunnel entrance:





10. Attention - sometimes you can't flatten all the terrain using these tiles. But if you succesfully plopped 1 water tile at each tunnel entrance, you can make the rest of work using street pieces:





11. Attention again! You can place the street piece at the tunnel entrance, if the terrain is partially flatten yet. But if you will do it, you will not be able to flatten the next tile using street piece.



You must remove the street tile an put the water tile into it's place (compare with previous picture). Now you can flatten all terrain you want.





As you see, if you started from a given level, now you have the terrain lower around your tunnel. You must remember about it.

12. Now you can make what you want:

Avenue with sidewalks



Or something like this:



The custom tunnel entrance from the Buddybud Sunken Highway Set also works well here

[jeronij]

I didnt mean Marrast underspasses, I meant one of the first parks lots he made, but I cant find the link in this moment    . I'll keep trying to find it  


Well, it seems it wont be necessary ... great tutorial Ennedi 

[TheTeaCat]

What a wonderful little tutorial. 

It like finding those little gems every now and again when you come across or learn how to do something new

[RippleJet]

That's a very good tutorial, Ennedi!

[vester]

Never see water used in that way before. Great tutorial. 

[DanFraser]

WOW!  Thank you!

[DFire870]

Ooh, that's great! That'll help with whenever I need to use tunnels, since I never liked the little sloped area.

[Gradonacelnik]

I didnt mean Marrast underspasses, I meant one of the first parks lots he made, but I cant find the link in this moment    . I'll keep trying to find it  


Well, it seems it wont be necessary ... great tutorial Ennedi 

Marrast Road Side Kit Version 1.1

[Ennedi]

Marrast Road Side Kit Version 1.1

Yes, but it only covers the slope - of course very useful, middle and high wealth versions

[DanFraser]

Could you supply a link for that ploppable water you used in the tutorial?  I cannot for the life of me find anything like that.  And if you know where I can get those walls you have on that slope it would be greatly appreciated!

Edit:  Found the water!

[Ennedi]

Marrast Roadside Kit

[DanFraser]

I'm having trouble with the flattening.  For an avenue tunnel it works perfectly.  But trying to makea highway tunnel, it only flattens it so far.  It still slopes enough to refuse a road or some buildings right near the edge 

[Ennedi]

Yes, you are right - I checked (maybe there is a solution, but I'm not sure and i need more time).

But you can use something else: Marrast M - Tel (Marrast Transport Enabled Lots)

One Way



Road (look at the road signs)



You can also make something like this:

[Ennedi]

Sorry for double post, but I found the solution for highways 

Making the tunnel use the Hole Digger for avenue (it is 14 m deep), not for highway (it is only 12 m deep). Bulldoze Hole Digger pieces and avenue, drag the highway. You will have a slightly deeper tunnel.



Than flatten the terrain using the same method as for avenue. Now it is a bit more difficult, but still possible. Be careful, street tiles "block" one to another, if it happens, remove street tile and put water tile.
After some experiments...



And...

[Pat]

LoL wow Ennedi i think you realllllllllllllllly should move this into the tutorial section... WOW cause i learned a little bit here and thank you for show how to - pat

[bat]

That's a great tutorial, Ennedi!