Serious NAM bug

[soulstealer]

Sorry if this had been posted already I can't find any ref to this.

If you use the diagonal street helper tool and you accidentally placed the diagonal helper under a another lot / building then the lot base textures disappear. you can then demolish the lot tile by tile (the lot isn't bulldozed as a whole like it normally would). What is more serious is that now this area where once the lot stood shows as occupied and you can't build anything on it. If you accidentally saved your city then this area is doomed forever.

[Andreas]

This is not a NAM bug, but a problem that is the case with all "interchange-related items", including the in-game highway onramps etc. Like with puzzle pieces and transit enabled lots, the best advice I can give is being careful when dealing with those items.

[RebaLynnTS]

I also recomend making a back up of your region folder every few days of play. If something does go wrong, at least you don't lose it all.

[soulstealer]

Thank you, thank goodness it was a fresh new city. it might be wise to remove this tool from future releases. I think it isn't much use. I ploped it by accident I thought I was selecting the street.

I was once told about a way to recover this area by surrounding it completely with the lot that was previously there and then demolish everything together, but it didn't help this time.

I also recomend making a back up of your region folder every few days of play. If something does go wrong, at least you don't lose it all.

yeh the primitive "undo" tool 

[RebaLynnTS]

Removing that tool (which I do use, often) would not really solve the overall problem, as even Maxis orginal items can cause the same problem. Hope you have better luck in the future.

[pilotdaryl]

Actually, as far as I know all you have to do is de-zone the area.  Try it, and hopefully your problem will be solved.

[vester]

Always a good idea to make backup...

some weeks ago, one server hard drive  at work burned...

[soulstealer]

shhhhhhhhhh.... spreading salt and garlic throwing holy water 

that's the most dreaded computer bug

[Shiftred]

I don't know about you but I use the diagonal street tool more then aything else in the NAM. 

[soulstealer]

I didnt find it very useful but maybe there is more to it then I know of. How do you use it?

[RebaLynnTS]

Well, normally to make a diagonal street, you have to draw a zig zag pattern, that is then converted into a diagonal texture set as you progress. This can be very time consuming. The diagonal street tool, let's you place several tiles of diagonal street at one time. If someone ever finds a way to do draggable diagonal streets, it will no longer be needed. But, I would not hold my breath. I am pretty sure, there is no way to do this, sadly.

[Swamper77]

The diagonal street helper puzzle pieces also allow you to build diagonal streets across slopes, which the current draggable ones do not. They also allow for more intersections with other networks.

-Swamper

[soulstealer]

That sounds great I wasn't aware of these functions, yes yes I was zigzaging for hours . I always thought this was some visual aid.

Thanks!

[simbud]

Whatever kind of issue this is, it happens if you aren't careful using the avenue traffic circles as well. My favorite way of dealing with the problem when I haven't been careful enough to avoid it is to exit the city without saving the mistake. 

[Shadow Assassin]

As for that little problem, nothing we can do about it. Probably something to do with the way they are coded. Who knew a string of ones and zeros could cause so much trouble?

I suggest doing your puzzlepiece stuff first before developing around it... or bulldoze the immediate area [1 or 2 tiles should do it, more if you hate the area in question].

Problem solved.

Actually... this problem can be really annoying with the avenue puzzle pieces because sometimes the avenue puzzle pieces sometimes move over one tile to the left or right in some rotations.

[Jonathan]

If you get building with no base texture, then just zone residential ontop of it, bulldoze the building again then dezone the residiential, and it will be bulldozed.