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NWM (Network Widening Mod) - Development and Support

Started by Tarkus, May 03, 2007, 08:47:23 PM

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Shadow Assassin

Okay, we've got the TLA-7. That's three tiles wide. If we eliminate the middle tile (it'd still allow 3 lanes in both directions) by means of a puzzle piece, we could just use two parallel one-way roads with the 3 laned road marking on the bridge. It'd mean making totally new bridges, but would allow OWR-3 (if ever such a mod was released) compatibility.
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simzebu

Quote from: Shadow Assassin on September 30, 2007, 01:02:08 AM
Okay, we've got the TLA-7. That's three tiles wide. If we eliminate the middle tile (it'd still allow 3 lanes in both directions) by means of a puzzle piece, we could just use two parallel one-way roads with the 3 laned road marking on the bridge. It'd mean making totally new bridges, but would allow OWR-3 (if ever such a mod was released) compatibility.

Why not just use the puzzle piece to turn it into a Maxis 3-lane highway? Then it could just use the standard highway bridges.
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delta9

Quote from: simzebu on September 30, 2007, 08:15:07 AM
Why not just use the puzzle piece to turn it into a Maxis 3-lane highway? Then it could just use the standard highway bridges.
Why not do that in addition to making the piece he mentioned?  They are going for a holistic approach here after all, with the NWM and MIS.  I believe there is an intention to eventually replace (or at least match in function) the Maxis highways with a similar modular system... I mean basically, if you think about it, the RHW combined with NWM capabilities (RHW-6, 8, etc) is a Maxis GHW replacement, if there's some kind of modularity added where you can have barriers and stuff for your urban areas.  Maybe make it a separate network, inefficient as that sounds.  Might be the only user friendly way though, for getting what you really want.  Anyway, the elevated RHW is already being developed, and you combine that with network widening and MIS and BAM! All new elevated highway system.  Except modular elevated interchanges sounds impossible so we'd be stuck with big plops, and the current NAM ones would be rendered useless.  But I mean, maybe modular's not impossible; you can cross other networks with draggable networks, save that the network you're replacing can cross it, and the ramps don't necessarily have to be pathed as one-way when there's only access to one direction. So that opens up some options.  But assuming the ERHW is based off the ANT as well you're gonna have problems from that since you can't control that intersection. Right?  Cause it's still just an RHW/OWR (for example) intersection at its core so you'll have cars jumping off the edge of the ramp onto the highway  :D So maybe if you did some Big Dig style magic and change the elevated ramp traffic to El-Rail so you could cross it with controlled pathing.  You'd have to revert to GRHW, which would slightly limit your options on the ground around it, but no biggie... anyway wow, what was I talking about? :D

Tarkus

delta9, you raise some good questions I can answer.  The way the entire transit modding field has gone is toward modularity and draggable extensions through the various RUL Override technologies, so you're right on the money about that.  However, there will in fact be elevated modular interchange capabilities, and to complement the draggable ground-level MIS ramps and the draggable ERHW, there will also be draggable EMIS.  While the ERHW is based off of the ANT, a grade-separated crossing with the ground RHW will not have any issues with stop paths, since the traffic can't directly cross--the system functions just like any of the in-game elevated networks (El-Rail, Monorail, Maxis El-Highway) in that regard.  I'm also planning on doing some RUL rewrites which prevent intersections in which the lack of stop paths on the RHW/ANT would cause problems (mainly some at-grade stuff). 

As far as SA's idea of using OWR-3 bridges for the TLA-7/AVE-6, that's a viable possibility--though there will likely be some sort of "totally tweaked out" Maxis Highway bridge which looks nothing like a Maxis Highway bridge.

Hope that makes sense.

-Alex (Tarkus)

Crissa

Just as long as there's a three-lane-per-tile urban highway with tight lanes and suicide walls so I won't feel too far from LA...

^-^

-Crissa


ssc4k

im not an expert or antything but my instinct tells me that its because that bridge would have to be 3 tiles wide and the widest networks are only 2.. something i think i read from rhw. my guess probably off a little though...
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jplumbley

Quote from: Warrior on October 02, 2007, 10:57:16 AM
I don't undersatnd why it isn't possible to make a modified avenue bridge which you can select to build from the bridge select menu?

Well, let me try to answer your question as best as possible here.

There may be a way to do this for 2-tile networks...  For TLA-5, I think it is possible to make a bridge with TLA-5 on it, but really what is the purpose?  Noone is going to turn left off of the bridge anyways....  It would simply just have to be rendered with the TLA-5 texture on the top rather than the Avenue texture on top.

Now, for TLA-7 or ANY of the RHW bridges, it may be possibe....  These bridges would have to be made separately as a single tile width bridge and rendered in such a way that each portion is a new bridge.  This is ALOT of work as for TLA-7 one bridge would in essence be 3 bridges.  Then for RHW-4 there would need to be 2 bridges one for the textures going left and the other for the textures going right.

I dont know if this is 100% feasible, but it may be possible.  But, lets just say it will be the last thing to be worked on and experimented with, there are many more important things to deal with first.  Any bridge modder who wants to take up the challenge, by all means, go right ahead.  Just be forewarned it is a shot in the dark to try this.
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Tarkus

Quote from: jplumbley on October 02, 2007, 03:07:22 PM
This is ALOT of work as for TLA-7 one bridge would in essence be 3 bridges. 

Actually, the main difficulty there is that it's impossible to have a setup with three bridges in a three-tile span, and it appears there isn't a way around it.

-Alex (Tarkus)

jplumbley

Quote from: Tarkus on October 02, 2007, 03:12:11 PM
Actually, the main difficulty there is that it's impossible to have a setup with three bridges in a three-tile span, and it appears there isn't a way around it.

-Alex (Tarkus)

I dont believe you!  ::)

I have SEEN with my own two eyes someone drawing a rail bridge in between 2 road bridges....  I need to find that CJ or Tutorial or whatever and wherever it was now... grrr at the search engines!
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rickmastfan67

Quote from: jplumbley on October 02, 2007, 03:24:10 PM
I dont believe you!  ::)

I have SEEN with my own two eyes someone drawing a rail bridge in between 2 road bridges....  I need to find that CJ or Tutorial or whatever and wherever it was now... grrr at the search engines!

I think that they used a plopable bridge that had to be made to a specific length to get it to work.
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jplumbley

OK now I am disgruntled with this game.  %bur2$  I hope your happy Alex!  I quit for tonight otherwise I might go  $%#Ninj2 and pull out the  ?$%kar&%h on this computer.  I did my test but I dont have the level bridge mod or anything like that installed, so... its not a you have be proven right... just yet.  $%Grinno$%
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Tarkus

I do have the slope/bridge mod installed, and I just tested it as well, to no avail. ;)

-Alex (Tarkus)

ssc4k

well if nones going to use the turn lan on the bridge, which is obvious..., why not just use some highway bridges and make some changes so you can select it in the bridge menu and it has 6 lanes in a differnt texture or somehting like this. after all highway=6 lanes :P
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Crissa

Ahh, yes, I suppose someone could do the hard work to give us three-tile-wide bridges or a way to draw two bridges side-by side...

-Crissa

Shadow Assassin

#155
My guess is that this behaviour is hardcoded into the EXE file.

This limitation is probably because of the 2 tile networks.

As for the TLA-5, it really should be converted back to an avenue and allowed to proceed as a conventional avenue bridge. This would save quite a bit of work, because TLAs are really not necessary on the bridge.

QuoteThen for RHW-4 there would need to be 2 bridges one for the textures going left and the other for the textures going right.

Not necessarily. :P If we use True3D bridges, we really only need one, as they will be drawn in opposite directions. But the key is ensuring that the bridges can react to the overrides and use the appropriate model/texture.

EDIT: Looks like we do indeed need two bridges with different textures. It seems the texture remains the same on both northbound and southbound bridges. If those bridges can be given a RUL override (two identical bridges, but with different texture IDs), only one icon might be needed.

EDIT2: For the modelled bridges, it seems that the model rotates when needed, so maybe for the conventionally modeled bridge, we really only need one?
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jplumbley

I know, there are alot of people out there who wonder, why does JPlumbley always say when 'we' (as in Tarkus and I) get our work done on the NWM....  Well now, I finally have proof that I have done something towards the NWM since Alex has been hogging all the showcase time on this.  Today and yesturday I worked VERY diligently to get some work done towards the TLA-5 Intersections.  Id say I have done pretty darn good!!

Now, what I am about to show you does not have the Road Turning Lanes installed.... This was easier to do without the RTL mod in NAM.  I will have to work on that one a little bit longer as there are a bunch more RULs I must write to finish it to be compatible with RTL.

What have I got shown working in this following picture?
1.  Both Street 4way and T-Intersection works. (Since this works once I get OWR textures they will work too.)
2.  TLA-5 4way and T-Intersection works.
3.  Road 4way and T-Intersection works.
4.  It is 95% stable, there is one texture that reverts every once in a while... why? I still have to determine that.

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Haljackey

Wow!  Nice progress here!   &apls

Its great to see the TLA up and running!  I guess its no longer a texture anymore but rather a fully functional network!  Keep it up :thumbsup:

Pat


OMG Jp that is stunning work and for once i think you are stealing the lime light lol

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Tarkus

Quote from: patfirefghtr on October 08, 2007, 09:36:39 PM
OMG Jp that is stunning work and for once i think you are stealing the lime light lol

Very deservedly so. :)  That's some awesome work there, JP.  I wouldn't expect any less.  :thumbsup:    Now we just need to decipher the RTL plugin . . .  ;)

-Alex (Tarkus)