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NAM: Development

Started by memo, April 29, 2007, 06:33:33 AM

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kassarc16

To be specific, the fact that the intersections Maxis designed for those particular ones just seem wrong. Missing crosswalks and/or stop lines, and most importantly, stoplights. Not really a biggie, but I avoid using those two intersections in my game.

Swamper77

Texture artistry is not my strong point, so someone else will have to make the textures for the intersections.

I could fix up the intersections to include the missing stoplights, but the fix will probably end up in the NAM. I'll see if I can make the files standalone, if it is possible.

-Swamper
You can call me Jan, if you want to.
Pagan and Proud!

superhands

SA, great great work. better than great, fantastic!- that's one word SC4Devotion doesn't get every day! :thumbsup:

j-dub

Good point kassarc16, I couldn't agree more. There was no reason for the developers to skip out on properly signaling and marking alot of the intersections they did, I could understand if they lost the time to correct that with the release date, but its good to hear you'll correct the acute ones Swamper, especially with the new slip lanes.

kassarc16

Mostly they seemed to have skimped on the diagonal intersections (though from what I've seen and heard, those seem to have lots of technical quirks.) Not just roads, but most other networks too. Swamper, I know you ran into problems back when you were attempting to put new signals on the avenue rail crossings. Those diagonals seemed to cause no small amount of grief with prop mirroring.

Swamper77

Kassarc,

Is this closer to what you were suggesting?


This is one of the intersections you mentioned. I have done both the normal and the mirrored version of this intersection. However, the game only makes one pointed at the side road function when the tile is flipped.  &mmm The flipped version is on the left side of the image. I tried various options, but the game absolutely refused to make the other two work when the tile was mirrored. It just may be a problem with the EXE and it's handling of mirrored tiles.

I'll work on the other intersection you pointed out another night....

-Swamper
You can call me Jan, if you want to.
Pagan and Proud!

kassarc16

That's indeed quite adequate on the prop side of things! Too bad the core of SC4 just refuses to allow some things to correctly work.

Swamper77

Good to hear that I am doing okay with the props. I wasn't sure when I started if I was doing the right thing with the props. Now I know what you're expecting and I will do the other intersection in a similar manner. I'll do it another night as it is getting rather late and I have to get up early for work. *wishes it would take less than an hour to get to work during rush hour*

-Swamper
You can call me Jan, if you want to.
Pagan and Proud!

Swamper77

I'm double posting, but I don't care. $%Grinno$%

Kassarc,

I fixed the other intersection that you indicated in your posts:


The only one stoplight doesn't work in each, but you said you could live with that as long as the props were in the right locations. For the mirrored instance of the intersection, there is a stoplight on the near side for the orthagonal road that is connecting to the diagonal road. It wouldn't work if it was placed across the intersection.

The props exhibit a bit of weird behavior on the mirrored tile. The diagonal and orthagonal signals are both in the same state, but the traffic behaviors as if they are in different cycles.

I also updated the path file for the tile. The Sims will no longer cross diagonally across the intersection and the quirky left turn from the orthagonal road onto the diagonal road has been fixed. Maxis didn't line up their coordinates up properly. The left turn finished 1.2 meters closer to the centerline compared to the traffic that was traveling on the diagonal road. The left turn now ends inline with the traffic on the diagonal road. I fixed the pathing by manually plotting the points of the paths in GMAX using lines. Then I manually copied the points back to the SC4Path file via the Reader. I have a habit of using programs for uses other than they were intended for :P

-Swamper
You can call me Jan, if you want to.
Pagan and Proud!

j-dub

Thank you Swampper! Do you think the one way intersection lights are fixable?

Xyloxadoria

#430
I had an idea of making a Avenue GLR to Subway transition. The avenue would turn to normal avenue and the glr would go underground. Would making such an item violate the two network per tile rule? Where could i get the texture or FSH file that is used in the Avenue GLR transition to Avenue, and a texture for a straight tile of Avenue GLR if it is possible to make such a transistion?

Also while on the subject of Avenue GLR, would it be realistic to have a GLR station in the middle of the Avenue GLR roundabout? I tried modifying one that was alredy on the lex by making a relot with overlapping overlay textures, but the top overlay texture would disappear and show the avenue through again.

Swamper77

#431
Quote from: j-dub on May 13, 2008, 07:46:12 AM
Thank you Swampper! Do you think the one way intersection lights are fixable?

The stoplights that face roads and avenues that are intersecting the one-way roads work fine for the most part (mirrored/flipped tiles being problematic, of course). Stoplights facing one-way roads will never work due to how Maxis coded the one-way roads. The main problem is the functionality of the stop points in the path files for the one-way roads. For whatever reason, they do not work on one-way roads so cars on the one-way roads don't stop at intersections or railroad crossings. This is something that Maxis/EA would have to fix, as it is an issue with the EXE.

The ANT/RHW road traffic also has the same problem as the one-way roads in regards to the stop points. It behaves like a highway by not allowing development along it, so it is probably reasonable that the traffic wouldn't stop on it. Then again, it was an unfinished network, which may also explain why traffic on the ANT/RHW doesn't use the stop points properly.

Xyloxadoria,

Such a transfer/connection will require a transit-enabled lot, much like the NDEX Rail <-> Sub connector lot and it's GLR variant. There are puzzle pieces for the Avenue GLR so you can split the Avenue and the GLR tracks apart, and you can use those to split the avenue to place a GLR <-> Subway connector lot and then rejoin the avenue on the other side with one-way roads. The split will expand the Avenue GLR to 3 tiles, so I can see your point about trying to keep it within a 2 tile wide space.

-Swamper
You can call me Jan, if you want to.
Pagan and Proud!

Chrisim

#432
Quote from: Xyloxadoria on May 13, 2008, 08:38:09 AM
I had an idea of making a Avenue GLR to Subway transition. The avenue would turn to normal avenue and the glr would go underground. Would making such an item violate the two network per tile rule? Where could i get the texture or FSH file that is used in the Avenue GLR transition to Avenue, and a texture for a straight tile of Avenue GLR if it is possible to make such a transistion?
Such a tram-avenue transition to avenue and subway would be great!  :) It should not violate the two network per tile rule if the transition from GLR to subway is modded to be at the border from one tile to the next tile. I could help with the modding.
The texture for the Avenue GLR transition to Avenue is attached below. It's from the NAM puzzle piece GLR-avenue to avenue and GLR turning left/right that I created.
EDIT: it's a NAM traffic (dark) texture, for a lot it would have to be a bit lighter. I could do this, after your confirmation that this is what you are looking for ...
The normal tram-avenue texture (light version for lots) is also attached, also as png file. I can easily extract or prepare more textures of this type.
A tram-avenue transition to an avenue and an elevated light railway left or right of the avenue would be great too.  ;)
Quote from: Xyloxadoria on May 13, 2008, 08:38:09 AM
Also while on the subject of Avenue GLR, would it be realistic to have a GLR station in the middle of the Avenue GLR roundabout? I tried modifying one that was alredy on the lex by making a relot with overlapping overlay textures, but the top overlay texture would disappear and show the avenue through again.
We designed the NAM GLR-avenue roundabout in such a way that a station in the middle is possible. The first station that we used for testing the NAM, shown in this thread, is ready for publication as soon as the BSC will provide me with a texture range. So hopefully, you'll find it on the LEX soon. Then you can easily copy or reference the texture and path files and prepare more stations.
It is also possible to prepare a roundabout GLR station with underpasses for pedestrians. A second lot with steps to be placed next to the tram-avenue (outside the roundabout) would be necessary. I can prepare the pathing that would connect the two lots (Sims would walk down the stairs outside the roundabout and walk up the stairs inside the roundabout or vice versa).

nerdly_dood

@ Swamper77:  WH0A, those traffic lights look a lot better!  Too bad about the one-way roads though...  The only way to get the OWR traffic lights that I can think of that may or may not work is ... dare I mention it? ... no, that probably wouldn't work ... oh, what the heck:  a transit-enabled lot? (that you could rotate as needed)

I expect a lot of  :o 's...
My days here are numbered. It's been great and I've had a lot of fun, but I've moved on to bigger and better things.
—   EGO  VOBIS  VADELICO   —
Glory be unto the modder and unto the fun and unto the city game!

Kitsune

Heres an AVE GLR (or Streetcar ROW as we call them in Toronto) to subway example (again, in this case its just an underground streetcar loop.)

Example

Thats pretty much exactly what we need. If any other pictures are required I'll be glad to get them as its only a couple minutes walk from my place.
~ NAM Team Member

thundercrack83

Quote from: Xyloxadoria on May 13, 2008, 08:38:09 AM
I had an idea of making a Avenue GLR to Subway transition. The avenue would turn to normal avenue and the glr would go underground. Would making such an item violate the two network per tile rule? Where could i get the texture or FSH file that is used in the Avenue GLR transition to Avenue, and a texture for a straight tile of Avenue GLR if it is possible to make such a transistion?

Also while on the subject of Avenue GLR, would it be realistic to have a GLR station in the middle of the Avenue GLR roundabout? I tried modifying one that was alredy on the lex by making a relot with overlapping overlay textures, but the top overlay texture would disappear and show the avenue through again.

If possible, I think this would be an absolutely fantastic idea, Xyloxadoria!

redraider147

while we're on the subject of GLR/El/Subway, i've been experimenting with subways and elrail to try to create express tracks (much like the ones that exist in NYC). so far the express works, even when running the 2 subway lines through a transit enabled lot which tend to mess with the pathings...i am in need of some modding help on an elrail station with 2 tracks running through it both transit enabled, and one that has 2 tracks running through it, but only one would stop...would the second station have to use overhanging lots?

also tarkus, i was wondering if the old RHW technology could be applied to the el system to create a 3 or 4 lane track structure?

Tarkus

Quote from: redraider147 on May 13, 2008, 01:47:36 PM
also tarkus, i was wondering if the old RHW technology could be applied to the el system to create a 3 or 4 lane track structure?

It is completely possible.  It'd probably be best to do it as some sort of puzzle drag, though, similar to how the RHW-4 and RHW-6 are set up now.

-Alex (Tarkus)

Xyloxadoria

Quote from: Chrisim on May 13, 2008, 12:53:49 PM
Such a tram-avenue transition to avenue and subway would be great!  :) It should not violate the two network per tile rule if the transition from GLR to subway is modded to be at the border from one tile to the next tile. I could help with the modding.
The texture for the Avenue GLR transition to Avenue is attached below. It's from the NAM puzzle piece GLR-avenue to avenue and GLR turning left/right that I created.
EDIT: it's a NAM traffic (dark) texture, for a lot it would have to be a bit lighter. I could do this, after your confirmation that this is what you are looking for ...
The normal tram-avenue texture (light version for lots) is also attached, also as png file. I can easily extract or prepare more textures of this type.
A tram-avenue transition to an avenue and an elevated light railway left or right of the avenue would be great too.  ;)We designed the NAM GLR-avenue roundabout in such a way that a station in the middle is possible. The first station that we used for testing the NAM, shown in this thread, is ready for publication as soon as the BSC will provide me with a texture range. So hopefully, you'll find it on the LEX soon. Then you can easily copy or reference the texture and path files and prepare more stations.
It is also possible to prepare a roundabout GLR station with underpasses for pedestrians. A second lot with steps to be placed next to the tram-avenue (outside the roundabout) would be necessary. I can prepare the pathing that would connect the two lots (Sims would walk down the stairs outside the roundabout and walk up the stairs inside the roundabout or vice versa).

Thoose are exactly what i needed. With a little bit of phtoshop work and color correction i could get the texture to work. I will make the transistion be lot based. I am planning to make a 3x1 lot and have two tiles that are avenue GLR and have the last tile just be avenue. To make the station, do i use the same networking, but change the inside to outside el rail el rail to el rail subway?

Also, does there have to be custom pats or could i just make a station without them

kassarc16

Ouch, Swamper... with the mirrored intersection acting that way, I think I'd stick with the Maxis one. I wonder, would overlapping props make a difference? Instead of having on light per pole, position the props so it looks like there are two lights on each?