Sithlrd98 Mods and stuff

[sithlrd98]

Gwail Thanks for the pics and I'll send you something later this evening
David since you are da man with the curve plan,I hope you can give a few tips!

vershner First , let me say great job on the HSRP retexture!
The roundabout pieces themselves are not covered in the mod (or any sidewalk mod)? as they are puzzle piece NAM addons...(If I am correct,and if I understand what you are saying , and that I know anything at all which I probably don't )as I must admit I am still learning. If and when I get some actual progress with this , I think I'll give Buddybuds T-21 textured model project a go and create wealth dependent side walks to the puzzle pieces. I also am gonna try a variation of Davids radius curve texturing trick to see if I can match the curves to the default Maxis overlay and grass base textures.

Jayson

[vershner]

I'm not sure my post before made much sense. Here's a couple of pics to show what I mean.
There is a smooth curve, medium roundabout, and a small roundabout. These three things each handle the sidewalk textures differently. The smooth curve has no sidewalk ever. The medium roundabout works just like the default roads, and the small roundabout has a white paved sidewalk all the time.  It would be great if all the NAM pieces could be set up like the medium roundabout. Is that possible?

 

[sithlrd98]

Ah , I see...this goes back to what Jan (swamper) was talking about:

Actually, all you would need to do is remove the outer sidewalk texture from the NAM's Road Roundabout textures. Then the underlying sidewalk will show through. Same goes for the Street Roundabouts and the grass on the outer edges.

I'd leave the inner circle of the roundabout alone so the center will look consistent all the way around.

-Jan

So it could be done rather easy (I think )

I have a question: I'm at work so I can't test my newest over convoluted plan , but if I were to take a transparent base .png extracted from the WRRC , reverse alpha (white to be what you don't see instead of black) applied a base , edited to remove whatever then create a regular alpha...would this work?

Jayson

[Swamper77]

I'm not sure my post before made much sense. Here's a couple of pics to show what I mean.
There is a smooth curve, medium roundabout, and a small roundabout. These three things each handle the sidewalk textures differently. The smooth curve has no sidewalk ever. The medium roundabout works just like the default roads, and the small roundabout has a white paved sidewalk all the time.  It would be great if all the NAM pieces could be set up like the medium roundabout. Is that possible?

The medium roundabout has sidewalks because it is drawn with the One-Way Road network tool. Drawn networks that are texture-based will have sidewalks. The 2x2 Roundabouts just need to have their textures altered to remove the white Maxis sidewalks from their edges.

Model-based networks don't display sidewalks, but they can be added via T21 exemplars. A prime example of this is the El-Rail Facelift Mod by MIncroabl that is on the LEX.

Puzzle pieces are a little bit different. The underlying network is one of the existing game networks. Some puzzle pieces are for texture-based networks and others are for model-based networks. Puzzle pieces are composed of models, so they don't usually display sidewalks. Some puzzle pieces have been altered to display sidewalks, but it is a lot of work to do add them to puzzle pieces and make sure they don't affect anything else.

Sidewalks are a cosmetic thing, so not much attention is paid to them when making puzzle pieces. Functionality first, cosmetics later is the usual process with making puzzle pieces. Cosmetic changes can always be made later.

I have a question: I'm at work so I can't test my newest over convoluted plan , but if I were to take a transparent base .png extracted from the WRRC , reverse alpha (white to be what you don't see instead of black) applied a base , edited to remove whatever then create a regular alpha...would this work?

That would work, provided the inverted alpha is applied to a new image and not the roadway image. You will also have to create some planar S3D models for the props of the sidewalks to be displayed in the T21's, which is what I think you are going to use to add the sidewalks to the puzzle pieces.

-Jan

[sithlrd98]

OK , thanks to the great pictures that Gwail provided along with a little messing around with PS, I think that I will move out of the game textures and into "real world" textures. I have 2 256pixel single rail textures from the above switch to see what some of you think with the combination of textures.Again , these are .jpg so they aren't a sharp as the .png's but still work! The plan is still to make these  follow the curves , but am thinking that the "jagged edge"thing may not look as good as I had hoped.I also am not completely sure what , if anything, to do with the green (ballast?) and after looking at some of the earlier pics , and the ones by Gwail , I think I finally get it! (I hope )

Just 3 textures combined with a alpha mask and a litlle erasing of the dirt from the rock with a brush.



Same three with some shadowing and highlight adjustment without the erasing of the dirt. Not sure that the extra work is even going to matter in-game.

Is this looking a little more realistic?

Sidewalks are a cosmetic thing, so not much attention is paid to them when making puzzle pieces. Functionality first, cosmetics later is the usual process with making puzzle pieces. Cosmetic changes can always be made later.

Yeah , and we appreciate all that functionality! In some cases , there really isn't need for a sidewalk , maybe just a dirt shoulder.

That would work, provided the inverted alpha is applied to a new image and not the roadway image. You will also have to create some planar S3D models for the props of the sidewalks to be displayed in the T21's, which is what I think you are going to use to add the sidewalks to the puzzle pieces.

-Jan

Great cause I don't want to waste anymore time with my overcomplicated attempts at doing easy tasks! I really wish sometimes that I grew up a little later when programs like PS were being used in school , instead we had The Oregon trail , and Wolfenstein3d! As far as the models go , with Buddybuds permission (I haven't asked yet) I planned on using his with different IIDs and apply them that way and then get them applied via T-21 , just like you figured.

I just want to thank everyone who has been giving suggestions and help along the way, and hope that this turns out as well as I can picture in my head !

[wes.janson]

I really wish sometimes that I grew up a little later when programs like PS were being used in school , instead we had The Oregon trail , and Wolfenstein3d!

Hey now. I won't have anything bad said about the Trail. You get to give your family Cholera.. anybody with a 3 year old in full temper-tantrum mode dreams of that!

And Wolfenstien... you get to shoot Nazis. That's fun for the whole family there!

[sithlrd98]

Hey now. I won't have anything bad said about the Trail. You get to give your family Cholera.. anybody with a 3 year old in full temper-tantrum mode dreams of that!

And Wolfenstien... you get to shoot Nazi's. That's fun for the whole family there!

That's true , but how about playing Gorilla in Basic?

I forgot to mention for those who were interested in having the JRJ sidewalk mod covered in the Road and Ave curves mods, I did get permission so will probably start messing with them soon , of course they will be like the other mods for now since I am more comfortable doing them that way. Question is , which base? Should I just make 3 and allow users to just pick which to install?

Jayson

[Swamper77]

The best way to do it is to make a set of DATs, each one being a different sidewalk texture. Then the player can pick which ones they want to use.

-Jan

[sithlrd98]

The best way to do it is to make a set of DATs, each one being a different sidewalk texture. Then the player can pick which ones they want to use.

-Jan

What I am wondering is if I should create individual .dats for individual transit with each different sidewalk , so that the user could mix & match the road(as one type)and the Ave as another? I think that may be too confusing for some....just an idea.

Here is the final (I think) version of what I hope will be acceptable.Hopefully this will be the last time you see this switch outside of the game! This is a 256x256 .jpg but if you click-it , you will see the actual .png (just to see the clarity)



Jayson

[girlfromverona]

That railway texture is looking really good, Jayson! Can't wait to see some in-game shots of your latest version.

P.S. The Oregon Trail was one of my favourite books as a kid, but I never knew there was a computer game of the same name! I would've loved that... 

[Gwail]

So far so good, Jayson! Although I've got a feeling, that the stones in the underlayed texture are too big. I think you should try to downsize it.

If you give me your email, I'll send you ful size file. And read PM .

[sithlrd98]

So, besides the gravel being to large...is this a keeper?

Jayson

[sithlrd98]

I know I am double posting , but this is what I did at lunch(15 mins of it anyway)..

       

Regular FAR         My sidewalkmod          Wealth dependent Test piece

Once I figure out the line tool and do a little touch-up , I think this will go smoothly!

Jayson

[Gwail]

Here you are another texture to try if you like to. This time it's mine, took 2 hrs ago. A bit overexposed, but I haven't any chance to correct settings  - baterries just went down after two shots .



I'm not an expert about the rails, I'd like to see the in-game pics. On the separate shot it starts to look really nice.

About your FAR mod. Is it a chance to make all custom base textures apart from the roads? Are all road textures as the overlays or not?

[sithlrd98]

Always can use pics!
As far as the FAR (Wide radius curves roads) mod , there are no bases nor any regular way to assign wealth's.
I am presently checking to see , with my limited skills , if/how it will look , then since I did get BuddyBuds permission, make props with his models and T-21 them to the curves. That way , hopefully , if one was using basic Maxis sidewalks these would match. I also hope to make T-21 sidewalk versions of my pre-existing mods , as well as the JRJ mod.

Jayson

[sithlrd98]

This does take a little longer when you don't completely know what you are doing!

Small 90

David makes this stuff look simple!

Jayson

[nerdly_dood]

That looks pretty decent... I might recommend shaving off a bit of grass along the far outer and far inner edge to make the sidewalk a bit wider, though... Not bad!

[sithlrd98]

Thanks Nerdly!Yeah, I'm having a few issues there. In order to keep the grass the same width throughout,the beginning and end is not right. I started off with an road alpha on the top left to get the distance , then some reverse curve alphas  but I have no idea what happened!

Jayson

[Ryan B.]

Nice work, Jayson.  Keep it up!

[buddybud]

I did get BuddyBuds permission, make props with his models and T-21 them to the curves. That way , hopefully , if one was using basic Maxis sidewalks these would match. I also hope to make T-21 sidewalk versions of my pre-existing mods , as well as the JRJ mod.

Hey Jayson.

  just to clarify here. There is really no need for permission from me to pursue this, though i appreciate the respect you've shown.  . Essentially my models for the sidewalks are simply a double triangle 3ds model that forms a square. *for single texture samples. To ask permission for that is like asking me for permission to use bat to make a cube.  ...
The only issue i have is that if its done, that it is done right. The reason being that once introduced these squares and textures could then be reused over and over again. So co-operation between us would be essential to make sure we are on the same page. Also the reason i asked that the sidewalk beta not be redistributed or incorporated at this time is that it is both sloppy work and improperly implemented. I have made a couple of new models for the elrail sidewalk intersections, they are smaller models that use the resource key slightly differently but perform exactly the same.
  Again the biggest problem are non-level intersections or plops (such as far). I am confident from preliminary work that this also could be done, but have not done anything beyond test a couple samples in game. So in order to try this for a far curve or any such bendable plop we would need to play and experiment further with this.

Anyways...i'm glad you see the benefit of how these could be implemented and hope you can contribute to their development. With a bit of work a finished product would not be far off. pm or message or post any questions you have if any!!

Take care.

Bud