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ÆRDEN ~ new streets!

Started by vortext, May 31, 2013, 11:31:03 PM

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vortext




Hi there and welcome to my Mayor Diary. Below you'll find the table of contents for your browsing convenience, or you could just start reading from here onwards. Either way, enjoy!

[tabular type=4]
[row][head]Date[/head][head]Contents[/head][/row]
[row][data]June 1 2013[/data][data]Introduction to ÆRDEN[/data][/row]
[row][data]June 8 2013[/data][data]Replies & a few words on Seasonal Flora Timing[/data][/row]
[row][data]June 15 2013[/data][data]the Zodiac[/data][/row]
[row][data]June 22 2013[/data][data]Replies & old gifs[/data][/row]
[row][data]June 28 2013[/data][data]Replies to the Replies[/data][/row]
[row][data]July 6 2013[/data][data]Potyomkins' Travel part 1[/data][/row]
[row][data]July 21 2013[/data][data]Replies & seasonal mmps[/data][/row]
[row][data]August 10 2013[/data][data]Potyomkins' Travel part 2[/data][/row]
[row][data]August 31 2013[/data][data]Replies & more mmps[/data][/row]
[row][data]September 21 2013[/data][data]Texture Talk[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 3 2013[/data][data]Potyomkins' Travel part 3[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 14 2013[/data][data]OSITM Feature: Blast from the Past[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 26 2013[/data][data]OSITM Feature: Replies & more[/data][/row]
[row][data]December 1 2013[/data][data]OSITM Feature: Enseade[/data][/row]
[row][data]December 24 2013[/data][data]Texture Talk 2[/data][/row]
[row][data]January 8 2014[/data][data]Replies[/data][/row]
[row][data]February 12 2014[/data][data]Texture Talk 3[/data][/row]
[row][data]April 12 2014[/data][data]Current Affairs[/data][/row]
[row][data]May 12 2014[/data][data]Replies & Tidbits[/data][/row]
[row][data]June 1 2014[/data][data]One Year Anniversary[/data][/row]
[row][data]June 15 2014[/data][data]Replies and then some[/data][/row]
[row][data]September 4 2014[/data][data]Historic Harbor Release![/data][/row]
[row][data]September 13 2014[/data][data]Replies & sidewalk compliant props[/data][/row]
[row][data]October 12 2014[/data][data]A brief geological history[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 3 2014[/data][data]Potyomkins' Travel: Arrival[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 29 2014[/data][data]Replies & Cobble Stone retexture update[/data][/row]
[row][data]December 15 2014[/data][data]Even More Replies & Stuff[/data][/row]
[row][data]February 12 2015[/data][data]a Year of RCI Development[/data][/row]
[row][data]April 4 2015[/data][data]Current Affairs & Random Pics[/data][/row]
[row][data]April 27 2015[/data][data]Base Textures Released![/data][/row]
[row][data]May 10 2015[/data][data]Replies & Hybrid T21 lots[/data][/row]
[row][data]August 13 2015[/data][data]The Prop Pox Chronicles[/data][/row]
[row][data]September 13 2015[/data][data]Grass & Dirt overlay textures released![/data][/row]
[row][data]November 24 2015[/data][data]4-in-1 OSITM: Traelonisk: Ye Olde Tile[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 26 2015[/data][data]4-in-1 OSITM: Traelonisk & the Terraformer Trick[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 29 2015[/data][data]4-in-1 OSITM: Traelonisk - Work in Progress[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 30 2015[/data][data]4-in-1 OSITM: Traelonisk - Mosaic Mania[/data][/row]
[row][data]December 31 2015[/data][data]Replies and even more replies[/data][/row]
[row][data]April 10 2016[/data][data]Current Affairs[/data][/row]
[row][data]April 17 2016[/data][data]Replies & more BAT stuff[/data][/row]
[row][data]May 4 2016[/data][data]Yet more Replies & BAT stuff[/data][/row]
[row][data]June 15 2016[/data][data]Traelonisk - Teaser . . sort of. . [/data][/row]
[row][data]June 25 2016[/data][data]Replies & Proper Teaser[/data][/row]
[row][data]July 3 2016[/data][data]Replies & BAT Talk]Replies & BAT Talk[/data][/row]
[row][data]September 21 2016[/data][data]4th year[/data][/row]
[row][data]September 28 2016[/data][data]T21 mod & pic comp ramblings[/data][/row]
[row][data]October 21 2016[/data][data]Replies! And picture competition musings[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 1 2016[/data][data]Traelonisk ~ Mosaics[/data][/row]
[row][data]January 8 2017[/data][data]Traelonisk ~ Growing![/data][/row]
[row][data]January 29 2017[/data][data]Replies[/data][/row]
[row][data]March 4 2017[/data][data]Replies & more growth[/data][/row]
[row][data]November 4 2017[/data][data]an admittedly long overdue update[/data][/row]
[row][data]December 22 2017[/data][data]winter update[/data][/row]
[row][data]January 14 2018[/data][data]a proper winter update[/data][/row]
[row][data]June 27 2019[/data][data]new streets![/data][/row]

[/tabular]



Now, I've got plenty of ideas for this MD and perhaps even more to say on what to expect but first things first. Without further ado I present you Ærden, in mint condition.




Please allow some time for this rather large gif file to load. Also, click to see full size.

Currently in its third iteration, Ærden is a bit of a Frankenstein as it consists of three different regions, each of which was selected for certain geographical features. See, despite the enormous amount of regions already available none were to my liking, which is kinda indicative for how I go about things. ;)

Anyway, the region as a whole has been manipulated a number of times to make for perfect building grounds, in theory at least. In practice. . . well, frankly I've yet to develop a decent region so only time will tell how far I'll make it this time around.

That's not to say my goals are any different, which is to create a thriving European metropolis and the hinterland, following natural-growth principles over a time-span roughly from the 11th century to the Interbellum.

In addition, I've got a few projects lined up in order to realize this grandiose region, which brings me to the next point. Over time I've found playing, lotting and modding kinda go together for me. So besides pretty pictures there'll be no shortage of wip pics & side-projects and as such, this MD will in part be a continuation of my former thread, Street Geekery. For those unfamiliar I'd suggest to take a look to get an impression.

Alright, since it's quite a wall of text already with very few pictures, I'll discuss other ideas for this MD on a later date and instead provide you a sneak peek of what's to come in the near future.





And with that the very first entry draws to a close. Onward to the next, when we'll have a closer look at pristine nature. 'till then, Erik
time flies like a bird
fruit flies like a banana

woodb3kmaster

Just two pictures so far, but I can already tell that this MD will be a real treat, Erik. I can't get enough of that region view - at first, I was so busy examining all the geographic features on the map that I didn't notice the changing seasons, but boy, when I did... :o

The second picture is also very well done, and it looks like I'll learn a lot from following Ærden that I'll be able to use in Nyhaven. Suffice it to say that you've already earned one fan in me, my friend.

Looking forward to more soon!

Feel brand new. Be inspired.
NYHAVEN - VIEWS FROM WITHIN
Nuclear City - 5/8

Kergelen

Finally, vortext goes MDing!

This MD promises to be unique and fantastic considering that starts on the 11th and the work you have shown on the Street Greekery.
Both the gif and the picture are truly beautiful. &apls

The region is a good mix: mountains, flat lands, delta and wetlands.


                                    Links to SC4 websites

Swordmaster

Okay, I think we can all close up shop now and sit with arms crossed on chairs waiting for your next update. Somebody rename Recently Published to This Is Where Vortext's MD Is, please.


Cheers
Willy


(And really, the gif, how did you do that?)

art128

I saw the region, I was impressed. Then I realized it was a gif. My jaw dropped.

Absolutely fantastic start.

Looking forward to what you have in your pockets!
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

Props & Texture Catalog

Shroud

Beautiful pics! I really look forward to your MD Erik.

sc-4

You're region GIF is fabulous.
I just can't wait to see more :D

Call me Ludo

metarvo

Nice work, Erik!  :thumbsup:  It looks like this will be an interesting region with the varied terrain.  In the close-up shot, the wagon trail looks good.  I look forward to the next update.

Find my power line BAT thread here.
Check out the Noro Cooperative.  What are you waiting for?  It even has electricity.
Want more? Try here.  For even more electrical goodies, look here.
Here are some rural power lines.

sunv123

Alright, an MD from Vortext!

Lets see what amazing flora work you have in store for us... :D

(and that's one heck of a region :o)

Provo, a city apart Updated July 4.

epicblunder

This is going to be good  ;D

which regions did you use to cobble together yours?  I feel i should recognize the mountains on the left.  And the river delta looks really, really familiar but i can't place it. 

nbvc


eclipticalstorm

Oh my!  Your region is incredible and your natural landscapes are breathtaking!  I can't wait to see more!!!

FrankU

I always liked Street Geekery and something tells me this MD will be even more interesting.
Nice start.

Gugu3

Very exciting project &apls

kelis

Your region looks really good my friend !! I wish you a good luck with your new project and I hope that we can enjoy a lot with it. The picture is amazing too.

Great start my friend, keep up the good work  &apls &apls

# Jonathan
.                                                                                                                      

                                                                                     || Benelux Team || Windows on the World || My Photos on Flickr || Kelis BNL Projects ||

Simcoug

An MD by Vortext?  At first I didn't believe it.  But then I saw the region pic changing seasons in front of my eyes  :o
I look forward to seeing how you transform this region over time (centuries!). 
Now... where's my popcorn.

(PS - I second Willy's remark... how did you do that .gif!?!)

benedict

Fantastic opening of your MD. I really like your title image and font.

And congratulations, you've debuted at number one on Ben's Top Ten.
Click on the banner to celebrate!

89James89

lovely region and I'm very excited to hear that your going to be growing it as a natural growth log as they are by far my favourite style of Mayor Diaries.

The image with the cart and all the sloped forest looks amazing as well good job.

Looking forward to more.

James

vortext

#18
  &bis& Thanks everyone for the amazing response!!   &bis&

Really, I feel humbled and frankly, a bit overwhelmed. Of course I expected some interest but not to debut at #1 in BTT, which is soley thanks to you!  &apls

Now you'll have to excuse me as I promised the next entry would be a little sightseeing tour throughout the region. However, it's not quite ready yet but at the same time I couldn't let this moment just pass by. So for today it'll be replies and by request a few words regarding the regional gif. And there's another seasonal gif at the end to make up for the false advertising.  :-[




* * * imagine fancy replies banner here * * *




Quote from: woodb3kmaster on June 01, 2013, 12:48:55 AM
Just two pictures so far, but I can already tell that this MD will be a real treat, Erik. I can't get enough of that region view - at first, I was so busy examining all the geographic features on the map that I didn't notice the changing seasons, but boy, when I did... :o

The second picture is also very well done, and it looks like I'll learn a lot from following Ærden that I'll be able to use in Nyhaven. Suffice it to say that you've already earned one fan in me, my friend.

Looking forward to more soon!

Thanks Zack! It'll be my pleasure if you take away some inspiration from my dabblings.

Quote from: Kergelen on June 01, 2013, 04:03:50 AM
Finally, vortext goes MDing!

This MD promises to be unique and fantastic considering that starts on the 11th and the work you have shown on the Street Greekery.
Both the gif and the picture are truly beautiful. &apls

The region is a good mix: mountains, flat lands, delta and wetlands.

Finally right?! Don't pin me down on the 11th century though. At first it just said from the Medieval Age onwards. However I realized this term alone spans a millennium, so then I picked a century more-or-less at random! As for the region, you've basically reproduced my wish list! ;D

Quote from: Swordmaster on June 01, 2013, 04:35:40 AM
Okay, I think we can all close up shop now and sit with arms crossed on chairs waiting for your next update. Somebody rename Recently Published to This Is Where Vortext's MD Is, please.


Cheers
Willy


(And really, the gif, how did you do that?)

Oh, it'll be a long time before rails are introduced, let alone RHW or a modern seaport and I really need some good examples beforehand!  ;)

Quote from: art128 on June 01, 2013, 04:37:15 AM
I saw the region, I was impressed. Then I realized it was a gif. My jaw dropped.

Absolutely fantastic start.

Looking forward to what you have in your pockets!

Thanks Arthur both for your kind words and the k-point. Guess all the effort that went into making it already paid off!

Quote from: Shroud on June 01, 2013, 04:51:21 AM
Beautiful pics! I really look forward to your MD Erik.

Thanks, glad you already liked that one picture!  :D

Quote from: sc-4 on June 01, 2013, 05:12:56 AM
You're region GIF is fabulous.
I just can't wait to see more :D

Thank you, stick around for more!

Quote from: metarvo on June 01, 2013, 06:51:13 AM
Nice work, Erik!  :thumbsup:  It looks like this will be an interesting region with the varied terrain.  In the close-up shot, the wagon trail looks good.  I look forward to the next update.

Thanks! You're right, there're a lot of interesting places, some of which I even haven't explored yet!

Quote from: sunv123 on June 01, 2013, 06:51:31 AM
Alright, an MD from Vortext!

Lets see what amazing flora work you have in store for us... :D

(and that's one heck of a region :o)

Hope todays gif is to your liking! The region isn't that big, I'll post specs some other time, too lazy to look it up now.  ;)

Quote from: epicblunder on June 01, 2013, 07:49:21 AM
This is going to be good  ;D

which regions did you use to cobble together yours?  I feel i should recognize the mountains on the left.  And the river delta looks really, really familiar but i can't place it.

I hope so!  :D The river delta is taken from Salt Lake City, rotated and some features erased. The mountains in the lower left and right side are from Agia Triade, which actually served as the foundation before severe cropping took place between 2nd and 3rd version. Mountains in the upper left corner are from Alps #13.

Quote from: nbvc on June 01, 2013, 10:56:37 AM
Great start. &apls

Thanks!

Quote from: eclipticalstorm on June 01, 2013, 12:22:27 PM
Oh my!  Your region is incredible and your natural landscapes are breathtaking!  I can't wait to see more!!!

Thank you!

Quote from: FrankU on June 03, 2013, 03:04:58 AM
I always liked Street Geekery and something tells me this MD will be even more interesting.
Nice start.

Thanks Frank, I hope eventually the region will reach modernity as I'm kinda looking forward to using your Dutch farms & rewards! Maybe I'll just relot them though.  ;)

Quote from: Gugu3 on June 03, 2013, 06:22:39 AM
Very exciting project &apls

It sure was exiting to start with! :D

Quote from: kelis on June 03, 2013, 08:11:59 AM
Your region looks really good my friend !! I wish you a good luck with your new project and I hope that we can enjoy a lot with it. The picture is amazing too.

Great start my friend, keep up the good work  &apls &apls

# Jonathan

Thank you Jonathan! Glad to have you around and I have this feeling our regions will have similar features. Polders anyone?!   ;)

Quote from: Simcoug on June 03, 2013, 11:03:35 AM
An MD by Vortext?  At first I didn't believe it.  But then I saw the region pic changing seasons in front of my eyes  :o
I look forward to seeing how you transform this region over time (centuries!). 
Now... where's my popcorn.

(PS - I second Willy's remark... how did you do that .gif!?!)

There you go!  :D

I'm kinda curious myself as to how far things will progress. If history teaches anything, it is I've a tendency to start over every once in while.  ::)

Quote from: benedict on June 07, 2013, 07:21:51 AM
Fantastic opening of your MD. I really like your title image and font.

And congratulations, you've debuted at number one on Ben's Top Ten.

Thank you! Glad you like the banner, that pic actually provided the final push to start my MD as I thought it'd make for a good opening scene.

Quote from: 89James89 on June 07, 2013, 03:15:24 PM
lovely region and I'm very excited to hear that your going to be growing it as a natural growth log as they are by far my favourite style of Mayor Diaries.

The image with the cart and all the sloped forest looks amazing as well good job.

Looking forward to more.

James

Thanks James! Natural Growth was quite the trend a few years back though it seems to have gone a bit out of fashion nowadays. Time to bring it back!  ;)






Right, that were a lot of replies!  :D Thanks again!!  :thumbsup:

Now, how to go about making a seasonal, regional gif?! There're a couple of things that go into it.

First of all you'll need to spend some time treeing the region, obviously. Secondly you'll need Sawtooth's Region Census to capture the entire region in the different seasonal stages. Finally you'll need to create a continuous gif out of the discrete stages. Sounds simple enough, though one can make it quite elaborate! ::)

Lets get started. Treeing a region is tedious no matter what, however, here're two tips which make it a little more convenient.


  • Download Whatevermind's Standalone Flora Brush as it covers the entire city tile at once.
  • Next figure out a way to lock the mouse button so you don't need to apply constant pressure (be wary of RSI!!)

Either weigh it down physically, like so.

Picture by Epicblunder.

Otherwise check if your mouse happens to have programmable buttons (mine does) and if so, see if you can assign some sort of lock function.

These two things combined will make for far easier treeing. In my case for instance, all I need to do is enter a tile, fast forward to 1 September, zoom out and hit the scrollwheel to start treeing, the entire tile all at once mind you! Then I leave it be for five minutes or so, come back and hit the scrollwheel once more to stop treeing. Easy, right?!

In fact a little too easy so once I had the easy-treeing-2013™ going I couldn't resist spicing it up a bit.  ;D

One thing that has always bothered me with seasonal flora is how seasons change all at once if you stick to September 1st as planting date. I wanted a more gradual change so after some consideration I settled for the scheme below.

[tabular type=8]
[row] [head]
Flora planted between
[/head][head]
Fall starts on
[/head][head]
Winter starts on
[/head][head]
Summer starts on
[/head][/row]

[row][data]
July 4 – August 3
[/data][data]
August 1st
[/data][data]
November 1st
[/data][data]
February 1st
[/data][/row]
[row][data]
August 4 – September 3
[/data][data]
September 1st
[/data][data]
December 1st
[/data][data]
March 1st
[/data] [/row]
[row][data]
September 4 – October 3
[/data][data]
October 1st
[/data][data]
January 1st
[/data][data]
April 1st
[/data] [/row]
[/tabular]

Given these dates seasons will change over a three month span. In addition flora retains one full month of autumn and winter livery, in October and January respectively. It may not be a completely natural pace but we all know sc4 is a game of compromises.

To make things even more interesting, I also let the game run on rhino speed while treeing and paused occasionally to accentuate a certain month. And why stick to just one tree controller, when you can use all three of them, right?!  ;)

So all things considered, does it still take a long time to tree the region? You bet! And in addition, the next item on the agenda will take a while to complete, too.

To capture the region in various seasonal states, you'll need the Region Census which I assume everyone is familiar with. Typically the region will already be in autumn livery to start with, so that's easy to capture. Then you'll need to go into every tile, fast forward to December and save-and-exit. Once finished, use the Region Census to capture the regional winter state. Rinse and repeat for the regional summer state. In the end you'll have at least three regional overviews.

Finally, the time has come to create the gif. Each seasonal state you just captured will serve as a frame in the animation. You can use a cross-fade in between frames for smooth transitions. There're only about a gazillion tools to make gifs so I've no advice which is best. All I can say is if you happen to have Photoshop, specifically an older version which still includes ImageReady, then that'll do just fine.

And that's about it! To conclude for today, here's another seasonal gif.


Note how distinct flora patches differ in seasonal onset.

Alright, be sure to stick around for next update when we'll have a closer look at pristine nature (where did I hear that before?!). 'till then, Erik
time flies like a bird
fruit flies like a banana

Swordmaster

Ooh, mr Vortext got a fancy mouse, now now. ()stsfd()

Seriously though, I already have a hunch these won't be the last gifs we'll see (thanks for the explanation). Although, maybe make a video so you can add the sound of wind and birds? :D

Wonderful scene again. Looking forward to more. . . erm, pristine nature?


Cheers
Willy