Draggable Texture Project

[Filasimo]

Hey guys,
Welcome to the revolution!

The purpose of this project is to develop different draggable texture networks that will replace most modular networks. This also will lead to new ways to make transit enabled networks as well. This was a wackly concept that I have thought of one day when working on the 3RR Runway Project that me, David (Dedgren), and Fred (Freedo) are developing was an idea of creating draggable runways and taxiways. I then had the honor of meeting Alex in ST Chat and had brought up this concept. After talking a while Alex was very interested in the concept and developed the first prototype which is draggable water that also can be transit enabled. This concept opens up a new window of how modular pieces are developed. How this method works is by using the same concept as the GLR starter pieces where u plop the starter piece allowing you to drag the network. Instead of it being a road texture for example, you can use a runway or taxiway texture.

Instead of developing individial pieces that hog up the menu groups, there is now a possibility that they can now be draggable. Some potential networks:

Draggable Park Trails
Draggable Canals
Draggable Water which the prototype has been developed
Draggable Runways and Taxiways
Draggable Sea Walls

In order for this to be achieved, Knowledge in transit modding is a plus and also the ability to develop numerours RUL overrides for this to work properly. In the coming months I will be learning how to transit mod and implement these types of networks to existing sets. Alex will also be helping me with this project as I develop and progress as a transit modder. I am happy to bring this great concept to SC4D and expect great things in the coming months for this will be a long road ahead. Now for the pics of the first prototype:

Draggable Water:










As you can see the grid is still visible through the textures. With additional RUL overrides the gridding should be eliminated. Special thanks for Alex in developing the first prototype and I look forward in developing more prototypes with him in the months ahead.

[Sim Shady]

wow genius idea, but how will you be able to set multiple textures?

Will you be forced to choose between draggable water and canals like we have with brick and dirt roads?

I wish you luck on this project!

[Filasimo]

slim: its quite easy itll be like how members from the NAM team develop draggable GLR as mentioned in my intro and thanks expect to see some magic in the coming months

[BigSlark]

Wow. Simply amazing. I cannot wait to see what you all come up with. And, of course, this announcement comes along just as I'm getting good at plopping sea walls...argh!

All hail the Transit Modding Gods!!!

Cheers,
Kevin

[Diggis]

This is increadable.  Great work. 

[toxicpiano]

Oh awesome! DRAGGABLE SEAWALLS?! EVEN MORE AWESOME!!!1

[bat56]

OOOOH!!!! Incredible project... 
As you say it, it is the revolution. good luck!

[shoreman905]

Another great step. There are so many new concepts entering the game, one hardly has time to master one, when another great one emerges. Cudos, best of luck to you and the team. 

[EDGE4194]

wow  another excellent idea. It is amazing how much the members here have contributed to improving this game! My head hurts- too much new stuff to take in....

[jeronij]

This is another excellent idea, and I just can see a brilliant future in front of it 

[Filasimo]

thanks for all the support and your great comments guys.. knowing that i am new to transit modding please be patient with these developments and that i look forward in sharing these creations with you guys 

[flame1396]

Sweet! Can you TE it for ferries?

I could go for draggable farm fields as well....

These textures are probably pretty easy to do.... Not many RULs because there arent junctions.


Modding has moved fast in the last few weeks.... I am impressed.

[Filasimo]

flame, we are currently figuring out how to develop water automata for water traffic and for some future draggable networks there will be alot of RUL overrides such as the draggable runway and taxiway setup.... it really all depends how its decided to approach it.
Ryan

[jplumbley]

For pathing issues for "watertaxis", I know Goaskin was using the Subway paths.  Maybe for this since Monorail is not used very often unless used in HSRP then Monorail paths can be used with a modification to the speed.  This would lower the speed of the monorail network, but maybe it would be beneficial since we already have EL-Rail.  This is just an idea.

This is a reminder for those of you who are thinking these will function like lots.  These draggable textures cannot have properties like lots do.  Meaning if it is a draggable park texture, it cannot have Mayor or Landmark Effects, it cannot reduce pollution or create demand.  These do have the ability to be pathed and given som functionality in this way.  But if you want effects like what I have stated it is not possible, or atleast not known how to do this (probably not possible).

[flame1396]

could you use a dummy invisible automata tha thas a pollution effect that lowers pollution. such as for draggable parks....

And even if it overrides HSRP I wouldnt mind. HSRP is cool but.... there is like 3 stations.

[Swamper77]

Sweet! Can you TE it for ferries?

Ferries are controlled by the EXE and cannot run on land-based networks, such as this draggable water. The routing of the ferries is controlled by the "tag" props that are on the ferry terminal lots and with the settings of the ferry terminal exemplar for the lots (ie is the lot a auto ferry terminal or a passenger ferry terminal). We can make automata that look like the ferries and have them running on the draggable water though.

For pathing issues for "watertaxis", I know Goaskin was using the Subway paths.  Maybe for this since Monorail is not used very often unless used in HSRP then Monorail paths can be used with a modification to the speed.  This would lower the speed of the monorail network, but maybe it would be beneficial since we already have EL-Rail.  This is just an idea.

If recall what I saw in those files that you speak of, Goaskin was using the elevated rail paths like the GLR does. The pieces are still up on the private NAM exchange and are set for Oppie's canals. It wouldn't be much work to make texture replacements for it or to add extra pieces that are cloned from the existing ones.

Creating automata for this draggable water shouldn't be too hard. We have all the water traffic models that Maxis provided, we just need to create new vehicle exemplars for the new "network(s)" and set them up properly to run on it.

I know that the NAM team seems to be over-using elevated rail network for pathing and automata purposes of new "networks", but it has the second fastest network speed in the game and seems to be hardly utilized in bigger cities where subways would be the norm.

This is a reminder for those of you who are thinking these will function like lots.  These draggable textures cannot have properties like lots do.  Meaning if it is a draggable park texture, it cannot have Mayor or Landmark Effects, it cannot reduce pollution or create demand.  These do have the ability to be pathed and given som functionality in this way.  But if you want effects like what I have stated it is not possible, or atleast not known how to do this (probably not possible).

Actually, if they are puzzle pieces, we can attach the effects/pollution values/occupant groups/etc. via the exemplars for the pieces (like the pedmall tiles had the hoards of peds). Otherwise, we will have to develop an invisible prop that has all the effects and pollution values of a park and place it/them on the tiles via the Type 21 Exemplars (Network Lots).

could you use a dummy invisible automata that has a pollution effect that lowers pollution. such as for draggable parks....

Invisible automata, no. Invisible props, yes. (see above block of text to Jason)

-Jan

[flame1396]

Oh hey! So I was technically right! But wrong. I overcomplicated it.... Why make the prop into automata if it will work as jsut a prop. Its very clever. Once again... why do we need SCS?

[Tarkus]

Ryan, I have to hand it to you.   This is a fantastic idea, and I'm glad to have been able to assist in the prototype.  Viva la Revolucion!

And Jan, I don't think we really have much to worry about with overusing the El-Rail.  From what I can tell, there's still plenty of options for creating the "false intersections" for each network.  There appears to be hundreds of possibilities of puzzle drag overrides for each network from what I've seen.

-Alex (Tarkus)

[Zaphod]

Cool!

Just curious, I dont know anything about pathing, is there is a difference between buses and cars, or is pathing just for road vehicles in particular? What im asking is if it would be possible to make a draggable Busway or maybe mod the monorail and have a new network that would be streetcars separate from GLR

[FromTheAshes]

Cool project. Would be great, if you'd use the water Cal "developed".

Diffuse colour:  R:37 G:49 B:49

Bump map: Noise

Everything default except:
Size: 1.5
Levels: 3
Phase: 3.6

Then set the bump map level (the number to the side, defaulting to 30) to 10
The reflection is set to Raytrace at a map level of 30