off-set lots under elevated rail

[Andreas]

If there are no T21 exemplar files, you'll have to create them yourself. The important key is the "kPropertyID_LotConfigNetworkTileId" property, this is the ID of the texture that is placed on the network lot. You can browse through all network textures in the Reader (Tools/Texture Viewer). Just copy an existing T21 exemplar file, give it a new, unique ID, and change said property to the texture ID you found via the Texture Viewer (for straight monorail, this should be 0x0d031504). Needless to say, it's a tedious and boring work to create those T21 exemplar files, and then place the necessary props on them. It requires a lot of experiments, since there is no preview of what you're doing anywhere, so you have to test everything in the game again and again...

[jeronij]

So.. is it possible to add completely new lots for intersections and such if there isn't one already?

I dont see why not  If we can add T21 to puzzles pieces (which did not exist at all) I think we can create them for monorail. Maybe there are not many props for these elevated networks because the T21 are originally intented to place props over a network and not under it, and there is no much stuff that can be place over a monorail network 

Ooops, I missed Andreas post. I have to add that you can use the lot editor to create the T21 lots, and then copy and paste the appropriated properties using the reader, which is tedious, but not soooo tedious 

[MIncroabl]

Had a look at the network textures today, there sure are a lot of them! The amount shouldn't be overwhelmingly huge though, and I've already thought of some ways to ease the process.

I also did some work on the props:



Don't mind those blank spots next to the shops, I haven't yet made the medium wealth ones. I was thinking of making base props for the default Maxis low and medium wealth gray/white brick texture, the medium gray industrial one and perhaps for the low/medium wealth grass. The brick props would be used for Med-High-R$/R$$-$$$ and low to high density commercial. The industrial one... for industrial (duh..), and if I bother to make the grass prop, that would be for the low density residentials. I propably won't be doing one for the high wealth bricks (the pinker ones), as I personally don't like that texture and would rather see the $$ one.

[metasmurf]

Sweet 

[MIncroabl]

Had a go with creating the new T21 exemplars, and everything seems to be running smooth:



Except for that the base prop doesn't appear on mirrored tiles... I suspect this has something to do with the kPropertyID_FlipsAllowed and/or kPropertyID_RotationsAllowed parameters, but couldn't figure them out. Also, there seems to be several network lots with a blank image when using the Texture Viewer. Can anyone tell me what these are for or is it normal that they don't have preview images?

[metasmurf]

Great progress! Is it possible to add sidewalk to street/road/rail/avenue going under el-rail with this kind of method?

[mightygoose]

using T21's its possible to add any prop you could normally put on a 1x1 lot. if its an overhanging prop thats still fine... although you cant add base textures you can add very flat textured props 16mx16m, although these would only work on flat ground.

[jeronij]

... although you cant add base textures you can add very flat textured props 16mx16m, although these would only work on flat ground.

... unless you make the pieces and render your LODs the right way ... 

http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=158.0


and set the props to conform to slope 

[mightygoose]

sorry didnt see those pics before... i thought you couldnt add base textures to model based transit types....

anyway one more question.... hypothetically if i was modelling alternative models for an elevated transit network and wanted an 2nd model piece to appear every X number of tiles, is that also possible.... using T21 exemplars... or otherwise in fact...

[jeronij]

sorry didnt see those pics before... i thought you couldnt add base textures to model based transit types....

anyway one more question.... hypothetically if i was modelling alternative models for an elevated transit network and wanted an 2nd model piece to appear every X number of tiles, is that also possible.... using T21 exemplars... or otherwise in fact...

The kPropertyID_NetworkPlacementPattern property controls that. Unfortunately I dont know how it works exactly, so, some workaround would be necessary to accomplish what you are looking for.

[mightygoose]

jeronij, you have helped me so much in past weeks with my modding questions.... now a myriad of possiblities are running through my head.... lets see what i can come up with....

[jeronij]

 

[MIncroabl]

@ metasmurf:
As it appears, some of the blank preview images I mentioned earlier are in fact for various other networks that go under the el-rail. So, it is possible to add sidewalk props to them.

Still struggling with the mirrored tiles, I can't get the base prop to appear. Any help regarding this issue would be welcomed. I did, however, begin the task of adding props like crates, trucks and other things to the industrial T21 exemplars. I'll propably make these lots only for the straight and diagonal pieces, because the different intersections shouldn't really dominate the network. I'm making a couple of prop families with them so the lots should have enough variety.

[jeronij]

MIncroabl, I cant help you with these properties, but I will make a help call 

[memo]

Jeronij just pointed me at this thread. I used not to visit this category of the forums.
Regarding the mirroring problem, IIRC, you need two T21-Exemplar files which both link at the same network tile. The first one needs to have the property FlipsAllowed 0x02 for the non-mirrored version of the tile. The second one must have the value 0x01 for this property and is the flipped version. Therefor the game rotates the props by 180°, but I'm not sure about this though. If flips aren't possible for a particular tile, then only one exemplar is necessary with the value 0x00 for the aforementioned property of course.

... unless you make the pieces and render your LODs the right way ... 

http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=158.0


and set the props to conform to slope 

Well, this isn't necessary for non-orthogonal and non-diagonal tiles because they are flat anyway.

@mightygoose: I don't think that your idea is feasible because the props would have a certain height (15.5m) so they couldn't conform to slopes. I might be wrong about this but I think the models would appear distorted. Nonetheless, it is possible to let props appear only each second/fourth tile, but I don't remember the correct value for this purpose at the moment.

[Andreas]

Nonetheless, it is possible to let props appear only each second/fourth tile, but I don't remember the correct value for this purpose at the moment.

If I'm not mistaken, this is controlled by the "Pattern Size" property.

[jeronij]

Thanks for your quick and accurated help memo  

Deleted last comment. it was totally wrong    

EDIT: Pattern Size property seems to have only two possible values. 3 or 4. After a quick check with the Reader, I think it is related to a diagonal pattern (3) or orthogonal pattern (4). 

[memo]

Deleted last comment. it was totally wrong    

It wasn't. But I think the big question concerns which values can be used for the NetworkPlacementPattern and which exact results do these values have? For instance, I experienced that one can use different values to achieve the same result. Though I have to admit that I haven't a clue for what the Pattern Size property can be used.

[MIncroabl]

Regarding the mirroring problem, IIRC, you need two T21-Exemplar files which both link at the same network tile. The first one needs to have the property FlipsAllowed 0x02 for the non-mirrored version of the tile. The second one must have the value 0x01 for this property and is the flipped version. Therefor the game rotates the props by 180°, but I'm not sure about this though. If flips aren't possible for a particular tile, then only one exemplar is necessary with the value 0x00 for the aforementioned property of course.

Odd.. I came to this conclusion myself earlier today by studying the default Maxis T21 Exemplars, but when I tried it... no success. I'll have try this again though.

[Andreas]

EDIT: Pattern Size property seems to have only two possible values. 3 or 4. After a quick check with the Reader, I think it is related to a diagonal pattern (3) or orthogonal pattern (4). 

For my rail catenary mod, I used "2", and now the catenary props are placed every two tiles. When I set it to "3", only every third tile had a prop.