• Welcome to SC4 Devotion Forum Archives.

Tarkusian Moddage - Support and Development Thread

Started by Tarkus, August 14, 2014, 12:40:04 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

noahclem

What I great surprise! This is something that's been on my wish list for many years. Can't believe you kept this under your hat for so long :D  Thanks a lot man!!

Tyberius06

#21
Hi Alex!

Is this behaviour normal on your street texture replacement mod? (see picture below) On medium and high density zoning it's turning back to maxis default street at the intersections.
I have installed the NAM v36 (with the NWM MRCs, since I'm working on these paths), but I emptied everything else. In the install dir plugin folder contains the simmaster patch dll and the extra cheat dll, but apart from these nothing else.

I thought it's interfering with some other mod from Rivit or MGB or others (because I got strange turning back behaviour with street roundabouts, but I'm using some overrite mod for that, so that could cause troubles), but I don't have a clue what's the problem with it and an empty plugin folder.

Thanks in advance!

- Tyberius (Tibi)

PS: I've installed it with the RHD/Euro-International/RRW option.
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

matias93

Looks like the NAM optional textures are overriding the mod. Did you try to load it after the z_NAM folder?

"Lets be scientists and as such, remember always that the purpose of politics is not freedom, nor authority, nor is any principle of abstract character,
but it is to meet the social needs of man and the development of the society"

— Valentín Letelier, 1895

Tyberius06

Its default folder structure is supposed to load after the NAM folders but I have the same result with five underscore (z____).
Also I don't have any wealth texture by agricultural zones, but that's not a problem.
Anyway it's more or less a clean NAM install what I used here.
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

Tarkus

#24
The original North American version of the NAM Retexture and Cosmetic Mod by superhands did include additional mid/high-density wealth textures that looked exactly like that, for the Street x Street OxO + and T-intersections.  They weren't particularly popular, and we had quite a few requests to remove them, and eventually did at some point after the R&C Mod was brought into the Monolithic NAM.  It does appear, however, that the Euro version that MandelSoft did also included those same mid/high-density textures, and those escaped removal.

The Default Asphalt mod did not include the texture IIDs for the mid/high-density textures, so these weren't covered up, allowing the retextured Maxis Streets to show through.  In the process, I found that this also needed to be done with the RRW crossings. 

Fortunately, it was a pretty quick fix, and I have updated the mod to Version 1.1 on the LEX as of just now.  Simply install the new version right over top of your existing installation--it will overwrite the old files automatically.

Thanks for spotting that, Tibi! :thumbsup:

-Alex

Tyberius06

#25
Thanks Alex!

It's working now, but I encountered an other odd thing, which I don't understand about street roundabouts. But as I see the default NAM street (2ns pic) has the same strange behavour. See the below attached pictures. In with certain set-ups the whole street roundabout geometry is changing. I don't know if it's a new or an old leftover NAM feature or what is that, but it's only working as it is on the picture. If I want to draw any other side streets from the roundabout it falls appart. The Rivit TSR streets doesn't have this behaviour, I guess it's due to the texture replacement of some kind.

Also I was wondering if there would be a chance to get a copy from your street mod texture repository, because I would like to make a version which doesn't have any grass, if it's possible. It's basicly an NGN (No Grass NAM - MGB's mod) version of your street. MGB already made the NGN mod which covers the default maxis street and made an additional experimental "NGN-type" repository which works with Rivit's TSR Streets repository, so I could make my No Grass TSR streets. And that would be the plan for your street mod too.

Edit: well I got the information that it's not that easy, but the plan is still a No Grass TRK asphalt override...

Thanks in advance!

- Tyberius/Tibi
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

mgb204

Pictures 1 & 2 show a special roundabout "End Piece", which only appears when drawing one from a cross-intersection. This is intended NAM behaviour, actually I've some work on supporting this for all SAM sets.

Picture 3 is simply an unsupported RUL setup, street roundabouts were not designed to be placed together like this. However the road ones can have multiple roundabouts strung together.

Tarkus

Glad to see it worked, Tibi--and to follow up on the NGN question, here is a link to the source files.  I did indeed try to follow the original NAM behavior, and modeled my textures with the roundabouts to be like the NAM defaults.

And now for something completely different . . .



What's the saying . . . "cactus makes perfect"? ;D

In any case, I had been on the search for a proper "tree" controller to handle more Arizona-type desert flora, and as it turns out, there isn't one.  c.p. did make a bunch of models in his Mega Props Vol 02, and while both he and tfinvold over at ST did make MMP brushes that cycle through a selection, a God Mode Brush does not exist, nor do MMP brushes for single types of desert flora (i.e. being able to plant saguaros one by one). 

So, I've started diving into this whole other area of modding . . . my God Mode Brush isn't quite working well enough (still need to get the hang of FloraPreferences--only the sagebrush wants to get planted right now), though my individual MMPs, as seen above, are working well.  They're also semi-seasonal where applicable (much like CP's multi-flora brush).

-Alex

Andreas

Ohh, that looks very promising! :) I discovered Cycledogg's cactus and Joshua tree props long ago, and always thought "I'd have to use the Arizona terrain mod once", making a huge region with a map of the Arches National Park, but then I found out that there wasn't any flora mod that would suit such a desert area - and using MMPs would have taken ages to fill the map... I'm not very familiar with this type of desert flora, but I hope you get the hang of the flora properties (I always struggled with those myself) for a nice-looking result. :thumbsup:
Andreas

Tarkus

Thanks, Andreas--knowing there's others out there who are also interested in this definitely gives me additional motivation, beyond that already provided by my recently acquired cactus enthusiasm. :thumbsup:  I'm probably going to make an alternate version that swaps the saguaros out for Joshua trees, for more of a Mojave look--though technically, there is a small swath in Arizona along US Highway 93 where the Sonoran and Mojave ecosystems elide for just a bit, and both co-exist. 

I've attempted to adjust the FloraPreferences a bit more, trying the ChrisAdams3997 trick of setting all 256 values to 1 for all the flora in the controller.  Allegedly, that's supposed to make everything fight for space, but the result I'm getting is nothing but organ pipe cacti--which happens to occupy the last two in IID order for my controller (the two organ pipe cacti models are set up as a cluster).  If there's anyone out there with tree controller experience, I'd love to get some tips as to where I might be going wrong, and in the meanwhile, I'll continue to experiment with it.

-Alex

Andreas

Alas, my knowledge is very limited as well; I once made a custom tree controller with Cycledogg's first pack of tree props, which provides such a "wild" mix. But even knowing that the 256 values represent different levels of height and different levels of moisture, I realized that I couldn't properly imagine which REP of that property does what. ;)

I ended up creating a matrix of random numbers in Excel, with values ranging from 0 to 1, and all kinds of fractions in between, and to my surprise, the result didn't look that bad. Maybe I still have the source files buried in a folder somewhere, so if you're looking for some kind of template that randomly plants a dozen types of different flora props or so, this might help a bit.
Andreas

mgb204

11241036 made a tutorial on this, which can be found here on ST.

Simmer2

Very nice start indeed  &apls

Alex has Kung Fu!
.

.
Lol I could def make a model for this ^^

Nick
________________________________________________________________________________

AsimPika3172

Nice! Remind me... CACTUAR...



...from Final Fantasy 8 games!  :thumbsup:
I loves Sim City forever!

Tarkus

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words and support!  That tutorial you linked, Robin, ended up answering a lot of my questions (somewhat surprised I missed it in my search for answers), so a huge thanks for that.  Now that I have a better idea of what to expect with the FloraPreferences property, I think I know what to do.  I did, however, get distracted in the process with more NAM work, as well as using my new MMP knowledge (and some further information I picked up from David's 3RR Plopperizer tutorial) to do something with some files I've had sitting around for quite some time.



Those signs are now working MMPs--and in case anyone's wondering, I have models ready to go for 5mph to 85mph (the highest number seen in the US, on State Highway 130 in Texas), but have only done the MMP implementation on the ones above so far.  There are still some situations where something akin to my long-defunct Signage Piece Mod might be useful in addition to these MMPs (though probably in a FLEX implementation--since it'd negate the need for separate pieces on override networks), but I'm still investigating just what the MMP option will provide.

I also played around quite a bit with the scaling, to find the right balance between RL scaling, SC4 scaling, and legibility with an HD render, and think I have them right where I want them on that side of things.

Here's a few more images of the MMP setups in action--placed along side the new QuickChange Xpress setups:





-Alex

Simmer2

Great idea and HD is the way to go  &apls

Nick
________________________________________________________________________________

mattb325

This is great! I've always wanted something like this that isn't lot-based  ;) And, given the sims drive slowly (at least the visuals), for those of us who use km/h, it's actually really accurate for the traffic flow  :D

matias93

Wow, really cool! And I guess the models are fairly simple, so maybe a novice with scarce free time like me could make some extra models for other RL regions...

"Lets be scientists and as such, remember always that the purpose of politics is not freedom, nor authority, nor is any principle of abstract character,
but it is to meet the social needs of man and the development of the society"

— Valentín Letelier, 1895

Tarkus

Thanks, Nick, Matt, Matias, and everyone! :thumbsup:

And speaking of km/h . . . might be time to speed those sims up with an automata plugin mod. ;D







Quote from: matias93 on December 18, 2018, 09:54:34 AM
And I guess the models are fairly simple, so maybe a novice with scarce free time like me could make some extra models for other RL regions...

The models are indeed fairly simple--I might even do like artforce1 way back in the day, and offer up the source models, along with instructions for how one could swap in their variants in place of the ones I supply.

I've been making some template models for some other sign types, too, so there can be a broader cross-section of sign types.

-Alex

Tyberius06

Oh, this is a nice addition :) Amazing stuff! :)

- Tyberius
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.