New Additions to RTMT

[catty]

If I continue to get a unanimous response supporting the expansion of the queries, I will keep them

Definitely would like to have, its just getting the balance right

In any case, everyone seems to agree that an MTA building (by whatever name) is a good idea.  I think what we would want here is something that's not too modern, but would look good in any type of city.  I'm thinking of the buildings in Washington, D.C., which by and large aren't very new, but have an elegant look with their classical Greek architecture.

Deadwood created a Ministry of Garbage found here

http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=442

It was done using marcszar's McCormick and Co Spice building model which is also on the LEX, its a nice looking building as are the rest of marcszar's buildings 

[z]

Yesterday, I posted this entry in the main T-RAM thread, announcing that RTMT stations for T-RAM in Streets would be included in the V3.60 release coming up, and asking for input on what type of stations people would like.  I thought that the T-RAM thread would be a good place to post this, as currently there are no tram stations for this new network.  It's been only a day since I've posted, but so far, I've had no responses.  As a result, I thought I should bring the post to the attention of the larger RTMT community.  What types of stations would people here like to see?  In my original post, I mentioned three alternatives; if there is no further feedback, I will go with the first, at least for now.

[tamorr]

   I personally don't have much a preferance on which stations are used as I know you'll come up with some good ones, but I know I like the style of SGs bus shelter ones and SFBTs shelters for bus/sub.... I really haven't looked much into the GLR ones, however I don't mind the lengthy stations like the Marrast ones as they can be useful at times. As far as design goes it is quite a tough decision for me, since I see a whole lot of sets out there, but a simple stop would suffice. So having smaller ones eventually would be a good idea as well for space concerns, and the longer ones for bigger cities with little room for additions.... This is my oppinion, as for me as long as the variety in usage and style is there, like the regular Road Top stuff. I definately like the variety i them as they are so versitile.... Either way as long as it will fit to look nice among the buildings...

[catty]

Having had a look thru the T-RAM thread, I would agree that your first suggestion

Trams are much like buses, and you would expect to shorter (i.e., single-car) ones on streets, although that's not essential to this option.  But in any case, you could simply use the standard bus stop as a tram stop.  If you had both a bus stop and a tram stop, they could share the same shelter.

is how I would see a Tram stop 

I think tho that if I had a choice of using a Tram stop or Bus/Tram Stop combination, I would only ever use the Bus/Tram Stop, as it makes it alot easier to tie your transport network together and I think its something that would happen in real life as well 

[CaptCity]

My two cents... For what it's worth...

Since we are dealing with streets, I'm thinking that the keep-it-simple variety would be more suited. I've done a bit of re-touching of the Tram-in-Road stops and have come up with these.



Would a bench, a lamp, maybe a phone, and a simple shelter (used the one from the SFBT set) - or not - be good for a street stop?

As for the type of stops, I feel that having all available (Tram, Tram/Bus) would be a good thing, but I'll defer to those who have more experience in areas that use this type of transportation.

Just some thoughts...

[z]

CaptCity, you can do the stop on the left right now using RTMT's customization feature.  Just remove the props you don't want from the Props folder, and you can end up with a stop as you showed.

As for the stop on the right, that's an interesting idea - benches instead of shelters.  (That would probably work best in sunnier climates, such as Southern California. )  There's no reason that couldn't be a bus stop option as well - would people be interested in that?

As for the street lights, that's an option that's being considered for V4 for RTMT stops in general.

[CaptCity]

CaptCity, you can do the stop on the left right now using RTMT's customization feature.  Just remove the props you don't want from the Props folder, and you can end up with a stop as you showed.

Yes, but wouldn't that affect all RTMT stations? Either that, or doing the whole save-change props-reenter-plop anew procedures? I guess I was thinking of a more permanent difference in the street stops.

...that's an interesting idea - benches instead of shelters.  (That would probably work best in sunnier climates, such as Southern California. ) 

Touche (accent on the 'e')... I usually do play with the clouds turned off, so it's always sunny in my cities 

[z]

Yes, but wouldn't that affect all RTMT stations? Either that, or doing the whole save-change props-reenter-plop anew procedures? I guess I was thinking of a more permanent difference in the street stops.

GLR-in-Street stations are being implemented as a separate category of stations, so the answer to that is 'no.'  However, currently all bus stations are the same, including those for GLR-in-Street, unless you do the customization procedure you so succinctly describe.  But you've put your finger on the major reason for the customization redesign coming in V4, which will automate this process significantly.

[tamorr]

  Actually I kinda' like the SFBT shelter for the stop, and the bench only one in the pic above. Both to me are good ideas, and wouldn't mind either for the combo stop, or regular bus stop. I think it would be a good option to add. I've mainly lived in central Cali.... and mostly have seen both kinds with and without. Like in Stockton near I believe the courthouse is a stop that has a small shelter and a few benches along the street aside that shelter, not to mention that there is a small plaza behind it with stone benches surrounding a square area with a few steps down into a flat area in the center of that plaza. Wish I had a pic of it... Anyways I'd be all for the option of a couple bench versions, maybe one wooden, and another one with stone bench without a backing.

[catty]

As for the stop on the right, that's an interesting idea - benches instead of shelters.  (That would probably work best in sunnier climates, such as Southern California. )  There's no reason that couldn't be a bus stop option as well - would people be interested in that?

Checking out the bus stops around the neighbourhood, about half of them consist of a pole next to the road with a bus stop sign attached to it, I don't know if that's the norm for New Zealand or just my bit of it, but as its the middle of winter here and the temperature has been down as low as -3.8c with a wind chill of -6.6c its pretty amazing no one ends up in hospital with hypothermia.

I did like the bench tho, if it was part of the normal RTMT bus stop, you might have to plop the stop a few times before you got the bench appearing, but equally if you got the bench and you wanted a shelter just delete and replop.

[pierreh]

For GLR-in-street stations I think that a short shelter with bench, on each side of the street, is a basic requirement - at least, in recent implementations of GLR in Europe, or in revamping of old tram lines, this is quite common. The implied statement is, here runs a tram (or GLR, or light rail, or whatever), and here it stops, and you can wait for it sitting under shelter. CaptCity's proposal (left side) a few posts above, is quite suitable.

[cogeo]

In any case, everyone seems to agree that an MTA building (by whatever name) is a good idea.
- could we interest you in designing such a building, Cogeo?

Sorry, but as I have announced long ago I have ceased developing custom content. And I may have been involved "a little" in making things like the buttons, or these queries, however this does not compare to making lots or BATs.

I gather that you used an inner bevel for the upper text box.  As I mentioned before, I really liked what you came up with.  Could you tell me the PSP setting you used to get this particular shape?  Also, what settings did you use to get the edge effects around the box?  These are very distinctive effects, and I would find it helpful to know how to make them.  I'm sure some others reading this would appreciate that as well.

Steve, I have just sent you the needed files, check your email.

As for the shelter vs bench debate, this works even as RTMT is now! Using the prop-family feature you can configure the "bus" prop to be a shelter, a "thin" shelter, a bench, or nothing! And I don't really see why GLR-in-Street stations should be any different to, say, GLR-in-Road ones (a GLR shelter should not be used here, of course - unlike in the GLR-on-Road ones), GLR-in-Street networks have much wider sidewalks, after all, so someone could even use full-sized busstop shelters. My advice would be to not make RTMT having some specific system in mind (though this would be appealing to many - they would of course "propose" to make RTMT like the MT system in their own city), just attempt to devise a customisation scheme flexible enough to accomodate as many cases as possible.

[SimNation]

I know this is the Road Top Mass Transit mod but I felt it far better to ask here since the creator made it for RTMT. What I wanted to ask is..would it be possible that this could be done for regular subway,rail and elevated rail as well? I personally think it would be one of the most useful additions to the game going along side the RTMT version of it. Also I know it a few pages late but great job even coming up with the idea.

[z]

In any case, everyone seems to agree that an MTA building (by whatever name) is a good idea.
- could we interest you in designing such a building, Cogeo?

Sorry, but as I have announced long ago I have ceased developing custom content. And I may have been involved "a little" in making things like the buttons, or these queries, however this does not compare to making lots or BATs.

I understand, but I just had to ask...

I know this is the Road Top Mass Transit mod but I felt it far better to ask here since the creator made it for RTMT. What I wanted to ask is..would it be possible that this [referring to the station icons] could be done for regular subway,rail and elevated rail as well? I personally think it would be one of the most useful additions to the game going along side the RTMT version of it. Also I know it a few pages late but great job even coming up with the idea.

It was my intention to release the highlight signs for general use once this version of RTMT was out.  However, you are referring to Cogeo's icons.  These have one big advantage over the signs in that they work for all languages.  For normal text, translating into other languages is not a big deal (assuming you have the translators).  But for the highlighted signs, much more work is required.  So I think Cogeo and I just need to work out the details of how to get the icons implemented here, and then I would think they could be released for standard use as well.



As people have been asking about various features and different RTMT releases, I thought I'd summarize here what the current plans are.  In the near future (hopefully, later this month) RTMT V3.60 will be released; it will be in the form of an add-on pack.  This is the last release before RTMT V4.0.  (Really!)  RTMT V3.60 will contain the following features:

• Stations for SAM streets.  (Completely done.)
• Stations for el rail over road/street.  (Essentially done.)
• Highlighting signs and possibly icons for RTMT stations in the Traffic Volume and Subway Views.  (Signs completely done.)
• Enhanced station queries (Partially done.)
• Stations for GLR-in-Street.  (To be done.)
• Additional shelters for GLR-in-Avenue, all in HD.  (Completely done.)

The dividing line for new features has been set here, as it will be easier to implement further changes once the internal changes for RTMT V4 have been made.  The initial release of RTMT V4 will be a full release, replacing RTMT V3.50; however, it will support stations built with RTMT V3.50 (and with V3.60 as well).  RTMT V4.0 will include the following:

• Significantly automated installation and customization options, as detailed earlier.
• Full integration of the T-RAM in/on Road stations.
• A complete set of stations for Underground Rail, including ped mall stations.  There will even be stations for Underground Rail for Avenue, assuming I can get someone to build Underground Rail for Avenue.
• A completely hierarchical set of DAMN menus for everything.

It will be some time after the release of RTMT V3.60 before RTMT V4.0 is released.  Additional RTMT features will be packaged as point releases of RTMT V4, and will be completely self-contained; i.e., they will have all of RTMT within them, and each will replace the previous RTMT release.

[megabalta]

I don't know if someone mentioned this idea, but ever wondered how maxis' tollbooths work? They automaticly switch to the street/road/avenue you're putting them on, and only have 1 icon. Do you think it's possible make RTMT lots that could do the same? This could solve lots of menu problems.

[io_bg]

Yeah, you're right! I have also been thinking about something like this. It would be really space saving.

[z]

It certainly would.  Unfortunately, Maxis pulls this off with the tollbooths by hardwiring code into the executable for them, and we don't have that option.  So RTMT will have to wait for the DAMN menus, which will help things significantly.  (Oops, I forgot to put them into the list I recently posted.  I'll fix that now...)

[z]

The station highlighting feature is now finished, and I have made a long post in the "Highlighting and Queries" thread describing it, complete with lots of pictures.  This feature will appear in the RTMT V3.60 Add-on Pack.

I've also been thinking more about the DAMN menus.  A year ago, RTMT had 27 stations; with the release of V3.60, there will be at least 60 stations.  The DAMN menus are one feature that are just as easy to implement now as they would be after the changes for RTMT V4 are implemented.  Due to the large increase in the number of stations, I am now leaning toward implementing the DAMN menus for the V3.60 release.  I would expect that this would push the V3.60 release date into the first half of next month.  I would prefer to do things this way, as I'm going to need to take a break between V3.60 and V4.

Comments on any of the above are welcome.

[tamorr]

So does that mean you won't be doing a MML for em' for those that don't use DAMN?

I really don't mind either way, but personally I don't mind scrolling the menus through Icons. For the most part everything looks good to me..

[z]

There are no plans to get rid of the current menu system, which will exist side-by-side with the DAMN menus.  As the additional stations have been added into the V3.60 betas, I've been adding them into the MML as well.  However, there will continue to be only one MML for all the stations.  In the V4 release, which will contain a new installer, there will be options for installing each group of stations, much like the options for installing different networks in the NAM.  This way, the list of icons need not be unbearably long.

Also, I have managed to pry open some of the secrets about the way the news pop-ups work.  It looks like it should be possible to have two versions of the DAMN menus:  one that works with the regular amount of news ticker pop-ups, and one that suppresses almost all of the pop-ups, especially the less urgent ones.  Theoretically, intermediate versions should be possible as well; if this all works out, they may all be present in V4.0.  I will try to get at least the first two versions I mentioned operational for V3.60.