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3RR-ST - Page 53

Started by dedgren, October 29, 2008, 08:27:43 AM

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dedgren

This is the SC4D archive of Page 53 of Three Rivers Region at Simtropolis.  Comments are locked for now.

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Page 53
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1560  12/19/2006 05:48 AM [/data] [/row]
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emilin
[/data][data]Edit: Welcome to page 53!

Uh? The downtimes and strange occurances here on ST has been so random that I seemed to have missed your annoncement. Well, I'm just as happy to follow your work over at SC4Devotion so I don't mind. I think you will lose parts of your audiance though, but I understand why you would be frustrated. I update my CJ once a week or so, so I can stand the waiting time and database troubles, but you often do it several times a day.

I'll see more of you over at jeronijs then. :-P
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1561  12/19/2006 07:36 AM[/data] [/row]
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purpledaddy
[/data][data]Wow, here I was getting ready to read your update and make a silly comment and then...
...a jaw dropper. 
Thinking of a next comment...  uh, uh, Congratulations on your Trixies and thanks for your journals! :D

And make a holiday wish for a better server for ST?? ()what()
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1562  12/19/2006 08:45 AM[/data] [/row]
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asturianu
[/data][data]No! It can't be real! 3RR gone...This cj and you, David, you are one of my friends and the only person from Alaska that visited my cj. And all because the server.
I'll tell you one thingh: The same as you happends to me, when I have a big update or replies and I try to post it, the server say goodbye to this part of Spain and I get really angry. But ST is so good to receive this bad news from you and the server.
You gone, my friend, "THE MASTER" for me, and the server says goodbye when it wants. Yesterday, I couldn't enter on ST. I don't know if all people on ST could seen it. At the least in Spain ST was dead!

I'm really sorry about your frustration, and I will remember you as my good friend from Alaska ;)

And please, remember that you will have a friend in Spain, David,
take care and bye,

Cristian
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1563  12/19/2006 06:25 PM[/data] [/row]
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hondo42769
[/data][data]David,
I fully intend to follow your work at SC4Devotion and I have been in contact with Jeroni trying to get this thing figured out.  After breezing by my previous post, I feel that I was a bit rude  with regard to my frustrations.   ()sad() Jeroni has been extremely helpful and I apologize for any offense I may have caused.

James
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1564  12/19/2006 06:44 PM[/data] [/row]
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Darmok
[/data][data]David,
sorry 'bout being really short of time to do regular comments those last weeks....

Talk about a shocker! 3RR moving!

I'll certainly continue to follow the progress at Jeroni's site, you can count on it.

I'll be in touch with a PM..

Take care my friend
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1565  X/XX/2008 XX:XX PM[/data] [/row]
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Grneyes78
[/data][data]First, I just wanna say "WOW!!!!" I discovered this earlier today and just finished. I really should have been studying for a final, but oh well. I do have a couple of questions: How do you get your billion simoleans? Can you terraform and forest a whole region? Can you forest in God Mode w/o getting wildlife? Are your tutorials ever going to be pulled out and made into just tutorials? I would like to print them out and use them for notes. Can you organize my plugins?

I noticed in your 3RR map that you have the Des Plaines River and the Fox River, having grown up in northern IL, on the Chain O' Lakes in the town of Fox Lake, those nams are nice to see and bring a sentimental tug to my emotions. I thought I also saw Round Lake, which in RL is ten minutes from my parents house.

I just discovered ST and now will have to go to SC4 Devotion to see the rest of your developments.
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1566  12/20/2006 12:29 AM [/data] [/row]
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bat
[/data][data]fantastic pictures! Nice work!

bat  $%#Ninj2
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1567  12/20/2006 10:57 AM [/data] [/row]
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keithsed
[/data][data]Hi David:

You probably have already seen this lot "CSX Lodge Randy Trout" but as I was downloading some of his stuff I saw this and immediately thought of you and the GREAT natural landscape you create. I thought, "You know, I can see this lodge parked on one of your lakes with a dirt road leading through the forest to the lake."

Just a most humble suggestion from one of your most humbel admirers (govel . . govel . . . kowtow . . .kowtow).

I haven't caught up with the current page on 3RR so maybe someone has already mentioned it to you.

Thanks for all you do.

Keith
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1568  12/20/2006 07:06 PM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]My first post [linkie] is up in the continued 3RR.  It's just a placeholder, but I'm checking to make sure the direct links work.

A major trial today- a guy I really wanted to get custody in an intensely contested case was awarded custody.  And Anchorage had a dumper! [linkie]  Over a foot/31 cm of snow out where I live, and it's still snowing to beat the band.  Pics tomorrow.

I will not go to bed tonight until I respond directly to the great comments of the past few days.  Off to dinner.


David
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1569  12/20/2006 11:54 PM[/data] [/row]
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keithsed
[/data][data]YAHOOOOO!!!!!

I'm finally current! It's been a great ride. A long but very enjoyable journey through all the pages of 3RR. It's taken me about four or five days of after midnight browsing to catch up with all of you, but it's been "Woof" it.

I feel like I know all of you. I've appreciated and enjoyed the banter and comments you've all made. "Davie" is amazing! I should have started with page 53 and worked backwards. It would have saved me hours and hours of converting all of the 256 cities/tiles, using the SC4TerraFormer. But I now have the original map all changed over to the SC4 format but it lacks the master's touch. Govel . . govel . . . kowtow . . .kowtow

I don't know if it is too late, but I would like to be one of the 50 chosen ones and offer my services in the collaboration phase.

I'm a SC fan from way back. I've been playing around with SC4 for some time and got bored with the way things were turning out. It was mass zoning and plopping down roads, buildings and utilities helter skelter and then standing back and saying, "Shouldn't have done that!"

I've ordered both the CD and DVD from STEX and plan to install a fresh copy of SC4 after I receive them. Do any of you have any comments on whether it's worth the $40 bucks? It's like buying a pig in a poke. I should have asked for your opinions before I ordered them but that's life.

Many pages ago someone asked a question that I've been watching for an answer but I've never found it. The answer could have been at 3:00AM and I probably deleted it as my head hit the keyboard for the fourth time. Tee..Hee...

Some guy asked a question about how you keep your plugin folder organized. He asked about the related texture/prop files that are tied to a bat or lot file.

He wanted to know where you keep them? Do you keep them in the lot/bat folder or do you put them in the texture/modd folder? If you put them in the texture/modd folder, how do you tie them back to the bat/lot folder when you want to use a specific lot or building in SC4? Do you hope to find the lot file on STEX again, reading the comments and hope you can find all the supporting files? Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks again for all you've done. It's been enjoyable. Talk to you later.

Keith
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1570  12/21/2006 12:42 AM [/data] [/row]
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van1357
[/data][data]Hi again David, I'm sorry to hear that you are moving 3RR away from ST. Its been my favourite place to check into for quite a few months now. I'll try to keep an eye on preceedings over at SC Devotion. Also, I can't seem to find the post where you requested volunteers for developing quads, but I would love to develop one or more. Anyway, thanks for keeping us entertained over the duration of 3RR on ST...[/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1571  12/21/2006 12:47 AM[/data] [/row]
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thundercrack83
[/data][data]Saw that you're getting ready to begin again over at SC4Devotion. Two questions:

1. Are you getting some kind of commission from SC4Devotion for all the traffic your move has to be bringing? I can't be the only one who signed up over there after you decided to move 3RR!
2. In an earlier post, I'm not exactly sure where (page 52, I believe), asked a question about how you change the perspective of your maps to vertical and you responded that you have a mini-tutorial and that you would post it. I'm just curious if you've gotten around to that or not.
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1572  12/21/2006 05:41 AM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]Trial must have taken more out of me than I thought.  I fell asleep on the couch...

Anyhoo, first things first.  I've promised a few folks a tutorial on creating "square" region maps, as my friend thundercrack83...

...can we call you thunder for short?  how 'bout 83?  tc83?  that'll do, that'll do...

...just reminded me.

QuoteIn an earlier post, I'm not exactly sure where (page 52, I believe), asked a question about how you change the perspective of your maps to vertical and you responded that you have a mini-tutorial and that you would post it. I'm just curious if you've gotten around to that or not.

...note to self- gotta stop making these promises at times when there are so many distractions...

Anyway, I have a stock "recipe" for doing this that I send out in PMs when people really need to know right then.  It's not really a tutorial, though- just a quick and dirty list of steps.

I've now tarted those up into a real tutorial.  Omnibus Gods- if you are listening, you are free to take the following and adapt it as you would see fit,

CREATING "SQUARE" REGION MAPS

This is the output we'll be creating in the following tutorial.




The first step is to open the region you wish to make a square map of in Region Census ("RC").  RC is a standalone utility created by sawtooth1178 that can be downloaded here [linkie].

n.b.:  There have been folks noting that the download link is broken.  The last time I tried several months ago I was able to download but received a "File Corrupted" message when I tried to run the setup.exe file the dowload installs.  I tried again this morning and it appeared that the failure was based on DLing about 3 of the 3.4mb total file size, at which point the DL would abruptly terminate without warning.  Running the setup.exe file generated the same immediate file corruption message.  Well, never one to submit gracefully to adversity, I tried the DL again.  The second time it worked!  I was able to install RC from the setup.exe file.  So, if you don't have RC, use the link I've provided and try a few times before you give up.  If you remain completely unsuccessful, PM me.

Well, that was then, this is now (November, 2008).  The working DL link for Region Census is here [linkie].  Have fun! -DE

Once the region is open and displaying, select the "Save Image" menu choice from the "File" menu.



When the "Save file as" dialog box opens, navigate to where you want the file (i.e. a place where you can find it later on- you'll need it) and give the file a unique name.  The filetype default is to *.png- I don't change this as it produced great results as far as I'm concerned.



Next, open your graphics program.  In case you can't tell, I use an older, but beloved version of Paint Shop Pro ("PSP").  The steps I'll describe are specific to that program, but counterpart menu choices and tools should be in pretty much every full-featured graphics editing program out there.



Open the file you just created in RC...

...now, where'd I put the darned thing?

Note that it's quite large.  This gives you great detail, but might present a challenge if your computer is short on either processing speed or memory.



Once the file is open, you'll have output that looks like this- the standard "squashed rectangle" region view.  Notice that on my computer the image is displaying at 10% of full size.  This is one huge puppy of a region pic.

n.b.:  To all my Japanese friends out there- sorry for my occasional use of colloquialism.  Be assured that "large young dogs" have nothing to do with this process- PM me if I've created any confusion.



Navigate to the "Resize" menu selection of the "Image" menu and select it.  If you use PSP, you can press [ Shift ] and [ S ] to go straight there.



In the "Resize" dialog box that appears, first set the image resolution to the pixels per inc you use.  Everything on 3RR is always 150 ppi.



Next, uncheck the "Lock aspect ratio" checkbox.  This allows you to set height and width independent of eachother.



Set height and width of the image to be output at the same number of pixels.  I use a round number about 60% of the original image size- it gives me good results.  If you don't like what you get, you are free to experiment here- just remember that the height and width must be the same.



Click the dialog box's "OK" but to create the modified image.



Here's what you get...

...hey, it's a square tipped up on one side!  how'd you do that?

I dunno- computers...aren't they a wonderful thing?



For the next step, we'll return to the "Image" menubar choice and select "Rotate" from the menu that drops down.  This, in PSP, creates a popout submenu offering the choice to either select free rotation of the image or fixed 90 degree rotation either clockwise or counter-clockwise.  We'll select "Free Rotate."  If you use PSP, you can go straight to that submenu choice by pressing the [ Ctrl ] and [ R ] keys.



On the "Free Rotate" dialog box that appears, select "Left" (counter-clockwise) and then type the number 22.6 into the "Free" text field.  This means, in sum, that you'll be rotating your image 22.6 degrees counter-clockwise.  This number of degrees should be the same in any graphics program- I say this based on much trial and error on my part in arriving at it.

Click "OK" to do the rotation.



Your image now looks like this.  Square, and aligned with the perpendicular and horizontal planes.  But, we're not there yet.



On the left side of the PSP work area, we'll select the "Crop" tool from the "Tools" icon menu.



We then drag the selection box the tool creates around our image.  Note that you'll lose some of the mountains at the top and on the left side that protrude beyond where the edge of the image would be if the region was completely flat.  This is a loss, given the nature of RC's output, that is not avoidable.

Click to tooltip in the center of the image to complete the cropping.

What we now have is a region image that looks like this.  Perfectly rectangular...

...but we want perfectly square.



One last time, we'll return to the "Image" menu and select "Resize" ([ Shift ] and [ S ]).



A glimpse at the original dimensions noted at the top of the dialog box that appears confirms that all we have created so far is a rectangular image.  In the "Width" and Height" text fields, type in two identical figures that are the dimensions of the final region image you want to create in pixels.  I use the multiple of 1,024 that is closest but still under the smallest of the two original dimensions.  Why- well, that's complicated and beyond the scope of this tutorial to fully explain.  Suffice it for now to say that doing this allows for accurate scaling between the region grid and the image you are creating.  I'll revisit this topic in the future.

...uhh-oh- another promise.

Click "OK."  We're almost done.



The final step is to save your "square" region image in the output format you want to display it in.  If it is purely for your own use, save it in *.png or in your graphics program's native format.  If you are going to put it on the web, though, you'll want to use *.jpg format based on image size considerations.  That's what we'll do here.



Note that you should once again use a unique name for your image, and save it where you can find it...

...that's the voice of experience talking.



And you're done.  I can do one of these in about three minutes tops, so it's not that hard once you master the steps.

Here's a link to the "square" region image we just created [linkie].

Back again later with more responses to your posts.


n.b.:  I posted this as I went along out of an abundance of caution.  It's a good thing I did- about midway through a three hour session I lost 20 minutes of typing to this.



No recovery- no nothing.  Jeez, I'm sick of this happening.[/size][/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1573  12/21/2006 05:55 AM[/data] [/row]
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asturianu
[/data][data]Hey, David!! I'm so happy to see that you are here again. I though that you wouldn't come again in days. The progress on the region is amazing! I registered in SC4 Devotion and i will visit your journal soon.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

I'm very impatient to see the Anchorage and Wasila Beach snow pics....

Cristian
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1574  12/21/2006 06:56 AM [/data] [/row]
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giligone
[/data][data]hey, sweet tutorial. Thanks. That way is easier than how I was doing it before! haha. Good luck over on SC4 devotions. [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1575  12/21/2006 09:38 AM[/data] [/row]
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hondo42769
[/data][data]David,
Just followed your link over to SC4Devotion. That's a beautiful pic to open up 3RR there. And, Jeronij solved my registration problem, so I will lurk all over SC4Devotion. Fantastic tutorial, BTW.
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1576  12/21/2006 11:41 AM [/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]Well, it was still snowing early this morning...



...and it's still snowing now.


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[row] [data colspan=2]#1577  12/21/2006 12:44 PM[/data] [/row]
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purpledaddy
[/data][data]No question about a white Christmas for you this year, huh! [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1578  12/21/2006 12:50 PM[/data] [/row]
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thundercrack83
[/data][data]Thank you for that excellent tutorial! It is a great resource for not only me, but all of those here that wish to make maps in this fashion. I must apologize though, for mentioning it at a time when you were busy with so many other things, though. And you may call me Dustin, if you like.

EDIT: Just went through a trial run on a random region using your tutorial and it worked perfectly. I was even able to download the Region Census Pool without a hitch. Thanks again!
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1579  12/21/2006 01:01 PM[/data] [/row]
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DanTso
[/data][data]THanks a lot dude!
wondeful region!
keep it going =D

Dan
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1580  12/22/2006 09:09 AM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]A small post showing the current state of 3RR topo mapping is up over at its new home [linkie].  I'll be posting the promised responses to recent great comments over the weekend, so check back here as well.

Happy Last Three Shopping Days 'til Christmas!


David
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1581  12/22/2006 09:24 AM[/data] [/row]
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purpledaddy
[/data][data]Wow! Get to learn about topos! Thanks for the link. Happy Holidays! [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1582  12/24/2006 06:11 PM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]Not real busy on this side of the fence, I see.

I've posted a "water features" map [linkie] and the current draft of the 3RR backstory [linkie] over at the new place- thanks in advance for checking them out.

I hope to do the collaboration announcement tomorrow.  I'll make sure it's posted here as well.

Have a great Christmas Eve!

UPDATE: (12-25-06) And a great Christmas Day as well.

No collaboration announcement today- I'm still working on getting it just right.  We'll travel to Texas tomorrow night for a week, and I'll be taking 3RR on another road trip- probably happen then.

In the meantime, the forestation of 3RR is ongoing.



I have a short post about the status of that effort here [linkie].  I also address some good comments I received about snow.

Later.


David
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1583  12/29/2006 07:10 PM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]...bump...bump...

3RR topo stuff



over at its new home [linkie].

The collaboration announcement may be up this weekend, or may be rung in with the new year- we'll see.

Later.
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1584  12/30/2006 12:33 AM [/data] [/row]
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thundercrack83
[/data][data]As I said over at SC4 Devotion, the new topographic map looks great! See you over there! [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1585  12/30/2006 01:50 AM[/data] [/row]
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jacqulina
[/data][data]excellent work my friend and pics [/data][/row]

[row] [data colspan=2]#1586  12/30/2006 02:04 AM[/data] [/row]
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bat
[/data][data]fantastic work, see you at sc4devotion!

bat  $%#Ninj2
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1587  01/01/2007 08:34 AM[/data] [/row]
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dedgren
[/data][data]Well, I would have posted this last night



but ST was down for hours.  Anyway, I'm looking for help from one of you Reader Gods out there [linkie].  There's also, in the post, a bit of a sneak peek at what's up at 3RR.

I've promised a few PM responses- couldn't do that last night for the usual (sigh) reasons.  I'll try to get them out today.

Hope this is a great day for all, and every new day in 2007 is even better than that.


David

p.s.:  BTW, does anyone know the new NAM has been up at www.simszone.de [linkie] since December 28th?  Granted, it's in German, but, what the hey...Fahrvergnügen!
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1588  01/01/2007 08:46 AM[/data] [/row]
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asturiana
[/data][data]Happy new year,David. I can't wait for my SC4 Devotion E-mail acrivaton to comment at your cj 3RR there. I had some problems in my registration and now I'm trying to solve it with jeronij. But I can talk Spanish with him. I'm glad to see that you are back again. The snowy pics make me feel impatient for our snow falls in January. But the past week we had -5ºC at night, and isn't normal in the N. coast of Spain.

Cristian
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[row] [data colspan=2]#1589  01/02/2007 12:41 AM[/data] [/row]
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Kalanc69
[/data][data]Hello David, sorry to hear that you are moving to SC4Devotion, but I have already registered there and plan to follow 3RR as often as possible. I have really enjoyed your CJ here, and I have used it extensively as a resource as I attempt to create my first region in SC4. Thanks again for everything you do, and I also wanted to tell you that your work is unbelievable and a pleasure to watch unfold!!

Kalanc69
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[/tabular]
D. Edgren

Please call me David...

Three Rivers Region- A collaborative development of the SC4 community
The 3RR Quick Finder [linkie]


I aten't dead.  —  R.I.P. Granny Weatherwax

Skype: davidredgren