Better Neighbor Connections

[diamonddog_74]

I followed the instructions for the Diagonal Avenue Neighbor Connection. I can get the first part of the connection done from the source city, but when I go to the target city and follow the procedure to complete the diagonal avenue, I can't get the "Rail under diagonal avenue" to rotate in the correct direction.

My connection is from the West side of the first city (source) to the East side of the second (target). Am I missing something here?

[metarvo]

Better Neighbor Connections Part 4, Continued

Diagonal Avenue Neighbor Connections, Continued

It would appear Diamonddog_74 has highlighted a rather unpleasent problem that has inhibited neighbor connections before: the Eastside Bug.  Evidently, it applies to some NAM puzzle pieces.  AFAIK, it hasn't been mentioned in regards to pieces not directly related to neighbor connections.  I had almost given up, but then I started working on this again upon realizing that I needed an east side connection for a SE-bound Avenue. 

So, here is an alternate method of creating a diagonal AVE-4 connection which is unaffected by the Eastside Bug.  Note that you can use this method in lieu of the one shown earlier in Part 4 for any quad border or any diagonal avenue direction if desired.  The SE-bound east side connection is the only one that requires it.

4.07
Complete steps 4.01-4.03 from earlier in this tutorial.

4.08

Use the Diagonal Street Helper Pieces to build a diagonal Street across the leftover avenue connection, perpendicular to the direction of the Avenue that will be crossing the border (Remember the preplanning).  Make sure that the Street that is built only touches one of the neighbor connection arrows.  The chart below will tell you which arrow (outbound or inbound) it should cross.  (If you're using a mod that turns off the arrows, you'll have to keep track of where your original connection was.)

Avenue	Border	Street	Arrow (RHD)
SE	E	NE	Out
SE	S	SW	In
SW	S	SE	Out
SW	W	NW	In
NW	W	SW	Out
NW	N	NE	In
NE	N	NW	Out
NE	E	SE	In

4.09

Bulldoze the dirt square that comes with the diagonal Street as well as all of the Street segments you just placed, with the exception of the one segment that rests on the connection.

4.10

Select the Diagonal Rail under Perpendicular Diagonal Avenue puzzle piece and build it over the connection arrow not occupied by a Street tile so that it aligns with the diagonal Avenue you plan to build across the border.  Notice that the Street tile is now replaced with AVE-4.

4.11

With this piece in place, connect your Avenue and you're done!


Here we have Sims making their commute across the newly-built connection.

[solovinodelmal]

wow, almost 2 yrs have past since diamonddog_74's posted his question, I guess there's still hope for my unanswered questions  better late than never.

Question: RHW diagonal neighbor connections... is it going to happen someday? I have my fingers crossed.

[GDO29Anagram]

Question: RHW diagonal neighbor connections... is it going to happen someday? I have my fingers crossed.

All RHW is is a single-tile network, so it follows the same rules of single-tile network neighbour connections.

HOWEVER, you need actual NC pieces for it or it won't work at all.

This isn't something that can be done through special NC trickery; You need an actual puzzle piece for it.

Additionally, diagonal NCs that go into one city go out orthogonally in the other, so you need some sort of CheckType trickery to even get it to place down properly. It's not even high-priority at the moment; P57, you know...

[Wilfried]

Hello,

I just wanted to let you know that the workaround with the High El Rail puzzle piece works for the FAAVE-4 also. Commuters will travel across the border and back.

Here's some evidence from a job town (morning/evening commute):

[GDO29Anagram]

I just wanted to let you know that the workaround with the High El Rail puzzle piece works for the FAAVE-4 also.

Well, that confirms my suspicions. (BTW, it should be applicable to all forms of Fractional-Angle networks.)

[metarvo]

Wilfried: Thank you for discovering this nifty trick!    I've updated the tutorial and credited you with this great find.

Ganaram (GDO29Anagram):  Yes, you're right.    I've tested it with both the FAR-3 puzzle piece and the Rural FAR-3 puzzle piece and it works, although a Road NC must be substituted for an AVE-4 NC in those cases.



Better Neighbor Connections Part 5

Draggable FAR Neighbor Connections

NAM 31 has introduced Draggable FAR, and this has enabled a new method of building Road connections.  The other method of building FAR neighbor connections is still available if you don't want wealth textures or you're using the Rural Roads FAR-3 piece, but I think this method is easier.  Plus, it's required if you're using FAR-2.  First, we'll start with 18.4° and 26.6° intersections of the quad border.

Needless to say, you'll need NAM 31 to build any of the connections in this part of the tutorial.

5.01

Drag out your FAR-3 at an 18.4° angle to the border where you desire a connection.

5.02

Accept the connection that is offered, as you do when building an ortho Road connection.

5.03
Repeat Steps 5.01-5.02 for the neighbor quad.


As you can see, traffic uses the connection.  Note that FAR-2 connections are built the same way.

You can also intersect the quad border at a 63.4° angle with FAR-2.  You won't be able to use the direct Road connection method, though.  This one seemed weird to me at first, but I got over it when I saw how it worked.

5.04
1. Follow Steps 4.01-4.03 above, leaving only the NC arrows.  Yes, we're using an AVE-4 NC for a Road, but it has to be done, likely because two Road tiles are leaving the quad rather than only one.

5.05

2. Drag your FAR-2 up to the border at a 63.4° angle so that the two tiles leaving the quad line up with the two NC arrows.

5.06
3. Repeat Steps 5.04-5.05 for the neighboring quad.


Traffic uses the connection.  Sadly, I've yet to find a way to make this work with FAR-3 leaving at a 71.6° angle (R-Zones show NJZ's), but if I do, I'll update this tutorial accordingly.

[memo]

5.04
1. Follow Steps 4.01-4.03 above, leaving only the NC arrows.  Yes, we're using an AVE-4 NC for a Road, but it has to be done, likely because two Road tiles are leaving the quad rather than only one.

5.05

2. Drag your FAR-2 up to the border at a 63.4° angle so that the two tiles leaving the quad line up with the two NC arrows.

I am astonished that this works. Great find.

Though, I don't think you can make it work for FAR-3 because of the way the paths of FAR-3 are set up. Essentially, a 71.6°-FAR-3 neighbourhood connection would consist of three tiles – the paths of which enter and exit on the first and third tile.

[buncheesy]

Trying to make a diagonal road city connection but without the pictures am finding it impossible (tutorial 2?).  Can anyone at least tell me as precisely as possible which underground rail pieces are being referred to ie the duel network or the underground rail-maxis puzzle pieces?  Furthermore have the RHW starter pieces changed? they do not appear to generate a 3 long section?  am using NAM32.

cheers

[noahclem]

Wow, imageshack strikes again. I wonder if there's a way we can block that image so we never accidentally send them a customer in reward for destroying useful tutorials like this....

The RHW starters have changed, and now just take up one tile, can be drug in either direction (including straight through the tile) and their colors should now match the surrounding highway--the only way they function differently from regular sections of highway, besides working as starters, is that they don't tolerate slopes. I'm not sure which underground piece exactly but I can tell you another (I think easier) way to do this:

The neighbor connection that's been created automatically in the second tile after you made the diagonal one in the first tile should be orthogonal and a couple tiles long.

1)Drag elevated rail across the road, immediately adjacent to the edge of the tile

2)Bulldoze the road except for the portion that goes under the elevated rail. The portion under the elevated rail should then also disappear, leaving the elevated rail intact.

3)Bulldoze the elevated rail. The neighbor connector arrow should still be visible if everything is working correctly.

4)Drag a new diagonal road to the border so that it lines up for the neighbor connection arrow.

Hope that works 


I've downloaded all remaining pictures from these tutorials before they too disappear and can upload them to another host assuming metarvo approves

[metarvo]

Wow, imageshack strikes again.

Oh, my, you don't say.    As far as the remaining pictures go, you can do whatever you want with them to protect them.    The new method sounds good to me, too.  I haven't been able to play the game much lately, so playing around with neighbor connections will be on my to-do list. 

[buncheesy]

Thanks very much guys for getting back to me.  I was playing this game 4 years ago using this tutorial but forgotten what I was doing then.  Keep coming back to SC4!  AS far as I am concerned enabling these types of functional neighbor connections is one the most essential technique to make regions look natural.  This tutorial and perhaps 2-3 others are to me the critical ones.

Will try the alternative method listed when I get the chance and report back here. Will also do some testing re street connections and avenues.  I have never uploaded images to a third part host but will look into putting up my findings in support of these tutorials if necessary.

cheers and thanks again.

[buncheesy]

Noahclem your technique doesnt work as the road just ends in a stub.  However I have found a revised method that does work

For a diagonal road connection on the receiving city tile
Do steps 1 -3 of noahclems method. (1. drag elevated rail perpendicular to the edge over the connection.  2. bulldoze all the road but the stub. 3. bulldoze the rail on either side of the connecting arrow.)

4.in the "rail puzzle piece" menu find the rail over diagonal road puzzle piece - this being the straight rail over a diagonal road corner on 1 grid square.  Place over the arrow with the road pointing the way you want it to go. the rail viaduct section should be pointing perpendicular to the edge.

5.in the "rail tunnel under roads duel networking" menu select the first piece, this being the straight rail under straight road piece.  place it 1 tile from the edge so that the rail lines up with the rail viaduct.

6.  Bulldoze this piece leaving a diagonal road connection.  Now you can connect the diagonal road top it. 

ps - both the straight street and orthogonal street tutorial of metarvo's still work as written.

cheers and thanks again for all you help and this tute.  hope my little snippet of info helps someone.