NWM (Network Widening Mod) - Development and Support

[Tarkus]

I just checked all three of those intersections out . . . seems I haven't gotten MAVE-4-ending-in-Single-Tile-NWM intersections in place yet (though MAVE-4-Ending-at-Road works), but the two Tracker mentioned are in place.






-Alex

[z]

Many people have expressed a desire for RTMT stations for NWM.  The RTMT Team has just started building these, but we could use a lot of help.  If you're interested in helping us out in building these stations, please see this post.  Thanks!

[ivo_su]

Some time ago I did something you are talking about.  I'll be glad  if you use  my ideas  and textures that I made  then.  I've uploaded this on Simtropolis LOT but got angry because of his low rating and delete it.  If you need  any help  you can count on me.

http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=13027.0

Ivo

[GDO29Anagram]

Some time after I made my NWM Traffic Restriction Lots, I thought of converting them into bus stops. I thought that instead of having to make 2x1 or 3x1 lots for multi-tile networks, it could just be a set of 1x1 modular lots.

Ivo-Su made a rather nice attempt with his bus stops (especially the OWR-4 and 5), but they took up a large footprint (I believe it was 3x2). However, they had the bus stop on just one side of the OWR, instead of a bus stop building on each side. It would be redundant to have a bus stop on both sides of an OWR when the bus door opens on only one side. One quirk, though: Unless something like Peg's SPOT is used, it would be hard to tell which way to plop the station.

Bringing back my TRLs, the idea of 1x1 modular lots could be a good idea for having asymmetrical bus stop setups (like I mentioned with the OWRs), and for networks such as TLA-5 or MAVE-4, it would work for having stops on just one side of the road, which does happen from time to time. (After all, the separate halves of MAVE-4, MAVE-6, and TLA-5 are more or less one-way roads, so it probably wouldn't matter if you placed a TE-lot on just one side.) Plus, if you want a stop/station on BOTH sides, just rotate and re-plop. (I'd still recommend full-width lots, though I made my TRLs so that an asymmetrical MAVE-5 setup can be permitted.)

This could especially prove useful for TLA-7, AVE-6, and when the time comes, TLA-9, AVE-8, and their asymmetrical counterparts. Instead of a whole bunch of TE-stops of varying widths, it could be just two (Well, technically 6 if you count subways and bus/sub): AVE-6 outer and AVE-8 outer. Plus, if the crossover paths on the TE-lot fail or are removed, it wouldn't really matter, because it's just a one-tile disconnection.

Technically, AVE-6 is just two networks: Two outer parts and the median. Same with the TLA-7, but the middle part is different. (So would that mean that an AVE-7 is actually THREE different networks?) Counting the AVE-8 and TLA-9, there are 6 possible combinations of the two middle parts and two different outer parts, times 3 (Sub, Bus, and Sub-Bus), making 18 3x1 lots needed (assuming that asymmetrical ones are being considered). Just making TE-lots for just the outer parts only narrows it down to 6.

I probably won't be able to help with the testing aspect, but I hope this gives some ideas. Not unless you already had the same idea, then I guess we both are thinking on the same page.

And Alex, it's Raymie, not Tracker. (He told me already.)

And Ivo, my TRLs have an 3.8 average rating, but I thought they weren't too bad... It was my first STEX upload anyway... (My first deviantART works were even worse...) I was wondering where your NWM stops went...

[j-dub]

I guess I don't understand why in the beginning, before Z was here, that the first Road Tops had the words blended with the texture, instead of using props. The only vanilla Maxis road texture made as a prop that I know of, is the flat blue handicap placard.

I guess its good to plan ahead for the wider tile networks before those see the light of day.

[Rady]

Suffice to say, both the ones you've mentioned I'm pretty sure are in the current alpha build.  I know I have textures for them.  Quite a number of those will be filled in this next release.

-Alex

You make me happy!

[TJ1]

May I ask, will there be like orthogonal and diagonal transitions for all the dual tile networks to the single tile networks vice versa?

[Tarkus]

May I ask, will there be like orthogonal and diagonal transitions for all the dual tile networks to the single tile networks vice versa?

That is an eventual goal.  However, NWM transitions, especially ones going between different tile widths, can be quite tricky to texture.  I don't expect much on the orthogonal front for this release and can confirm there will be no diagonal ones yet. 

-Alex

[Ramona Brie]

Quick question...will there be AVE-6 neighbor connector pieces?

[GDO29Anagram]

Quick question...will there be AVE-6 neighbor connector pieces?

It's technically not needed (The middle part is two-directional, same with 6C), but that reduces the connection capacity to 33%, so it would make perfect sense to build a full-width NC piece.

[Opkl]

That is an eventual goal.  However, NWM transitions, especially ones going between different tile widths, can be quite tricky to texture.  I don't expect much on the orthogonal front for this release and can confirm there will be no diagonal ones yet. 

-Alex

So there will be no TLA-7 to TLA-5 piece?

[j-dub]

There is one Avenue 6 to regular avenue connection, but since that transition center is curvy due to the tile reduction, imagine creating the center turn lane texture for that shape is going to be more difficult.

[Opkl]

There is one Avenue 6 to regular avenue connection, but since that transition center is curvy due to the tile reduction, imagine creating the center turn lane texture for that shape is going to be more difficult.

Oh. As long as we can have SOME kind of converter pieces for the 3 new networks to another network I am happy.

[Tarkus]

There is an AVE-4-to-6 transition and an AVE-6-to-TLA-7 transition, however . . . so you can theoretically go TLA-5-to-AVE-4/AVE-4-to-AVE-6/AVE-6-to-TLA-7.

The NMAVE-4 will have a transition to/from Road.

The main thing being focused on NWM-wise at the moment is trying to get all those diagonal intersections in place for the single-tile networks.  After that, it'll be fixing up some things with certain T-intersections on the three new networks.  After that, I'll probably sneak in some MAVE-to-Dual OWR transitions, and OWR-4-to-Dual-OWR-2--maybe some RHW/NWM transitions as Maarten's done a few textures there already.  But that'll probably be it transition-wise for Version 2.

-Alex

[ivo_su]

Thank you for the information Alex. Things you mentioned sound really cool and I already begin to imagine them in my imagination. I also want to congratulate and Maarten aid that you provide for the development of translators and textures.
Only you please kindly is when you gotovis something to show us in a picture.
Glad you guys there.

- Ivo

[io_bg]

Sounds nice!
Are there any plans for a MAVE4 -> road transition?

[Ramona Brie]

There is one Avenue 6 to regular avenue connection, but since that transition center is curvy due to the tile reduction, imagine creating the center turn lane texture for that shape is going to be more difficult.

Yeah. Plop down an AVE-4 to AVE-2 transition and see how the center strip is curvy. Now imagine trying to make that a turn lane.

[Hutts]

anybody ever see this picture?



Was in the screenshots for SimCity 4 Deluxe addition here: http://www.impulsedriven.com/simcity4
Sure looks like an elevated MAVE4 there with an onslope transition to AVE4?  Never seen a train wreck disaster either.

[Moonraker0]

The closest in-game equivalent to that is just an AVE-4 bridge; I know that at least one of the original bridges for AVE-4 has its median close up on both ends of the bridge like shown.  Looking at those supports, that's probably what they meant to show.

[Nego]

That image is extremely photoshopped. I also think that was the bridge GDO29Anagram was referring to when he said:

...
- There's also an in-game bridge that almost fits the criteria of being a MAVE-4 bridge. (It just needs a bit of model-tweeking...)
...

Either way, progress is happening here, and I like what I'm seeing. Great job everyone!