Adara - Update 184 - March 26, 2012

[rooker1]

 Hmmmm.....I searched all around Whistler for hours and couldn't find any similarities and now you tell me it's closer to Squamish, thanks a lot.
Just kidding.
Nice looking valley, it'll be interesting how you fill it in.

Robin  

[Exla357]

Hey, looks great!  I was wondering, how do you get the smooth street curves to be overrided by the SAM? I've tried and it just doesn't seem to work for me. Also, for the river beds, do they come like that or do you make them? If so, how? I'm always trying to make realistic rivers, and I think I could learn a thing or two from you! 
Can't wait for more!

-Alex

[Reikhardt]

Nice work & great advice Noah!

[threestooges]

I like the developments, but sorry to hear about the bridge building issues. As for the ones you installed, I'd wager that either they're not included in your NAM bridge controller file (in which case, updating to the newest one ought to fix it), or it may be that the bridges need to load after the NAM itself (not sure about that one). Which bridges were you attempting to use?
-Matt

[canyonjumper]

Looks interesting Battlecat, I think I know where 'Lehman' came from Looking forward to seeing how you detail this tile

          Your friend,
                         Jordan

[Battlecat]

noahclem: Thanks again, I appreciate all feedback and suggestions.  You've certainly made some good ones recently!

Robin (rooker1): Yeah, that was my mistake.  That's what I get for not looking at the map before posting!  Glad you like the look. 

Alex (Exla357): As I mentioned via PM, the SAM curves are actually in the Rural roads plugin that can be found on the LEX.  As for your question about river beds, I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to but the channels had to be carefully created by terraforming and then adding transparent plopable water.  Let me know if you have other questions.

Reikhardt: Thanks!

Matt (threestooges): Yeah, it's been a bit frustrating but I think I've mostly got it figured out.  I do have the newest NAM controller file and I think the one I'm missing actually shows up as a road, not a street.  Glad you like the developments!

Jordan (canyonjumper): I'd be willing to be that you do based on the familiar names in Cascadia!  Hope you enjoyed the latest update!

Update 162
Lehman Valley – Exploring Details

Now I know I've been mysterious about the terrain features of this tile, that's partly for the surprise and partly just to draw your attention to it while I try to figure out some of the details.  So today I'm going to take a preliminary look at the feature I'm trying to emulate and explain my reasoning behind some detailing choices.  Then I'm hoping for some feedback while I work on other aspects of the tile. 

So let's get this started. 

162-1: So here we go.  This is the area I'm trying to emulate highlighted in red.  You can have a closer look in google maps.  The Ring Creek lava flow is an unusual one for its length but my primary interest is its impact on the valley.  It is part of the Mount Garibaldi volcano complex.  Garibaldi is the northernmost volcano in the chain that includes Mt St Helens.  There are two streams that parallel it on the north and south sides of the valley.  Additionally, the forest on the lava flow is sparse when compared with the rest of the area.  Having been out there on foot, there are rocky ridges with trees on either side. 


162-2: So this area here in Lehman Valley is the equivalent to the toe of the lava flow in the real world.  This is where I will establish my detail test. 


162-3: First things first, these are lava rocks from one of the many mayor mode plops that I have available.  I have to be careful to keep the rock placement sparse. 


162-4: I've place a few trees in among the rocks and then lots of grasses and flowers.  Clusters of older trees grow in low lying areas between ridges of rock where dirt has collected. 


162-5: This is a very rough draft and I'm already considering some options for improving it.  I'm thinking of keeping a fair chunk of this area as a regional park.  But I'll be interested to hear your thoughts. 


162-6: In the meantime let's get some civilization here.  I'll be starting up here at the top of the valley.   


162-7: A gas station and a power transformer make a good place to start. 


162-8: The main industry and employer of this tile is logging.  These logging lots are by Paeng and can be found at simpeg.com


162-9: Nearby there will be a logging camp.  In this case a series of mobile homes built by the logging company to house its employees. 


162-10: The small maxis low wealth homes fit the goal here just perfectly.


162-11: A quick swath of trees around the area finishes it up nicely. 


162-12: Last but not least, here is a new composite image.  Hopefully you can see the lava flow now that I've explained my idea!


And that's a wrap for today.  Looking forward to hearing any feedback and suggestions for other approaches I might take to detail the lava flow area.  By the way, the source volcano is not visible on this tile.  It is further up the valley. 

[Rayden]

Nice detailing  Very well done, those rock sets are awesome, I use them as well, they fit well anywhere. I also use Heblen's mossy one on river/creek beds.

[Reikhardt]

Good progress! Where would we be without Heblem's rocks? 

[noahclem]

Looks great! The lava flow idea is really interesting. But is a lava flow a safe site for development?    I've been wanting to make a logging area myself, not least because it is the dominant industry where I live now, so as always I'll be watching closely 

[Exla357]

Thanks for your answers!

The lava flow area looks pretty good for the limited knowledge I have about such areas. The only lava plain I've been to is Craters Of The Moon National Monument (or Park?) in Idaho, USA, and that is just lava rock for as far as the eye can see, dotted with extinct cinder cones.
Looking forward to see how this will shape up!

-Alex

[bat]

Nice work on the last two updates!!!
Great looking small town.

[nedalezz]

I really have no knowledge on lava valleys and such, but in terms of pure aestetics (did I spell that right?), your valley looks beautiful, as they always do.

[sumwonyuno]

The area looks like it's off to a great start!   

I don't live near any active volcanoes (does 200 miles count?).  All the islands are the accumulation of hundreds of thousands of years of lava flows (when volcanoes were active).  New lava flows destroy, but in a few years, plants actually start growing.  Sadly to say, there are people who live in at-risk areas, though the whole Big Island of Hawaii is vulnerable.

[canyonjumper]

I can see Mount Baker from where I live, and I've climbed the extinct volcano Nazko Cone near Quesnel. That was pretty cool, because you can see the remnants of old lava flows and such on the way up to the crater lake in the summit.
Very interesting implementation you've got of the flows, I look forward to seeing the improvements you add

               Your friend,
                              Jordan

[supremec]

Superb  I would like to see the future waterfall 

[Battlecat]

Rayden: Thanks very much!  I'll probably be using his mossy rocks on the riverside in this valley as well. 

Reikhardt: I'm not sure where, but I'm glad we've got them!

noahclem: A lava flow is indeed safe for construction, you only need look as far as Hawaii to see how quickly we can build on those surfaces.  The ring creek flow that is inspiring this valley is about 12,000 years old now. 

Exla357: Oooh, that place sounds cool.  I'll have to go there someday.  Glad you like how this area is turning out!

bat: Thanks very much!

nedalezz: Thanks!

sumwonyuno: You certainly live closer than most people I know!  It's amazing how quickly plants reestablish themselves.  The big island is at the top of my list when I visit Hawaii again.  Thanks for your thoughts!

Jordan (canyonjumper): Thanks for your kind words!  Yeah, I can see Baker as well if I walk a couple blocks.  Nazko cone is pretty cool as well it's been a while since I've been up there.  If you liked those, I highly recommend a visit to Brandywine Provincial Park halfway between Squamish and Whistler.  There are some fantastic basalt formations. 

supremec: Thanks!  Good spotting!  Yes indeed there will be two waterfalls on the creek by the lava flow.  Lots of white water as well. 

Update 163
Lehman Valley – Border Issues - Vavenby

Thanks for your thoughts everyone!  Originally I was going to work more on the lava flow today but then I realized I should start getting the borders cleaned up.  So today I'll be working on the tile boundary with Vavenby.  I got less done than I hoped due to an apartment building disaster that thankfully didn't impact my home.  Some idiots were playing with the sprinklers and set them off apparently.  But our home wasn't damage at all as far as I can tell. 

163-1: So here is a familiar sight!  This is the start of Lehman Valley on the Vavenby Tile. 


163-2: A quick bit of matching shows the reality, this is a composite showing the Lehman Valley-Vavenby tile boundary before detailing. 


163-3: The terrain query cheat is a fantastic tool for this.  First up is extending the RRP styled farm fields. 


163-4: A quick bit of detailing wrapped this up really nicely.  Cross border composites will be at the end. 


163-5: Next up on the other side of the river there will be a handful more farms leading up to the bridges.   I've just zoned a few here to start. 


163-6: I'll be replacing one or two of these later but for now they look fine. 


163-7: The biggest challenge is matching up the rivers and the detailing since this area uses a style I haven't worked with in some time. 


163-8: Let's see how it worked out.  First up we have a high detail cross border mosaic of the river. 




163-9: And now a mosaic of the RRP styled farm.  The only thing that gives the border away is the high tension power poles doubling up. 




163-10: Last but not least, here is an overview of the valley.  I'm very pleased with how this turned out once again. 


That's all for today!  See you next time!

[peter007]

Ow Wow 

It looks great already.
I'm curious about what's going to happen in that piece of land at the top of your last picture

-Ernst

[noahclem]

Beautiful border crossing! I love the RRP look, water, and farms!

[sumwonyuno]

Excellent seamless results!   I can't tell where it starts and ends now.    It's been a while since I had to mess with putting tiles together.

[canyonjumper]

Wow, can't see the border unless I really look

My family and I are going to Porteau Cove in July, and we're taking a trip up to Brandywine while we're up there, though I had no idea of the basalt formations, thanks

                         Your friend,
                                        Jordan