HRS (Highway Re-Styling) Project

[MandelSoft]

The Highway Re-Styling Project is a mod that gives a new look to the Maxis highways. The concrete walls will removed and a emergency lane will be added. Basicly, the ground highways alone get the re-style, but with co-operation from other users, the Elevated highways can be done. Here are some pictures of what I mean.





The models are edited with Ilive's Reader.

Post Updated: 10/23/2008

CURRENT PROJECT STATUS: Version 0.3 released (STEX). Concrete and Asphalt version available.
Progress:
- Normal GHW pieces
- GHW end pieces
- Corners
- NAM Smooth Curve
- NAM GHW Ramp to elevated roads
- Cloverleaf
- Maxis Underpasses
- 6 to 4 lane transition
- Re-Texturing Maxis Highway
- Maxis On and Off ramps
- Maxis T-Interchange ramps
- NAM On and Off ramps
- NAM Interchanges
- Ground to Elevated transitions
- NAM Underpasses

Green = done
Orange = partitially done
Red = undone

All help is welcome (and actually wanted). The more people are working on this project, the better it becomes.

FAQ's about V0.3

1. What's the difference between this mod and the Highway Re-Styling Mod Asphalt Texture Set Complete
There is a difference between the previous release and this one. It has edited models

2. The NAM interchanges still don't work. The only pieces that work for me are the maxis t-interchange and th maxis cloverleaf. Does anyone else have that problem?
This is version 0.3 and not all models are done, because I need to remake thousands of models (really, thousands! the cloverleaf alone has about 30 models) manually with iLive's Reader. If some-one knows how to export full 3D files in gMax, please let me know.

3. Should I place it in the NAM folder
DON'T place it in the NAM folder, It won't work properly. Place it in the folder with a Z_ in front of the name, just like the Euro Roads Mod for example

4. How do you get the concrete version?
If yu remove ZZZ_Textures_Asph2.dat you'll have concrete textures.


Best,
Maarten

[girlfromverona]

Great start! I love that you're taking the concrete walls off. They always bugged me. 

[M4346]

This does look really good, I must agree, but I have one small request though... Would it be possible for you (in some way or the other) to not have the terrain texture show in the middle?

EDIT: Or does it become textured if you build next to the highway?

[MandelSoft]

@M4346: No, this replaces ALL Maxis highways. And about the median, I like the open one, because the old model always annoyed me.

[M4346]

Thanks for your response, what I meant was does the median become textured if you build next to the replacement / remodelled highway? Like with avenues?

I hate the old highways and this is definitely an improvement! 

[Shadow Assassin]

Unfortunately, M, no, it doesn't.

The ground highway is a 3D network...

Unless someone'd care to experiment with wealth textures?

[Jonathan]

It looks great, a vast improvement over the MAXIS highways.

Does the highway still have some 3D to it or is everything flat?
And is it textures or models?
Just wondering, but keep up the great work.

[Getron]

De nieuwe restyled MAXIS highway zit er echt goed uit. Zeker met de Nederlandse bewegwijzering (ik ga ervanuit dat deze Nederlandse zijn). Maar ik zie ook dat je beschikt over Nederlandse stoplichten. Zijn deze ook nog in ontwikkeling en worden ze ook ooit vrijgegeven?


The new restyled MAXIS highway is really good. Especially with the Dutch signs (I assume this are Dutch). But I also see that you have Dutch traffic lights. Are they still in development and will they ever be released?

[CasperVg]

Looks great to me, will a concrete version also be made? I'm not a fan of superbright asphalt.

[Patricius Maximus]

   Looks pretty nice. I wish you good luck with this project.

[MandelSoft]

@Warrior: The network is based on 3D models. The network is not completely flat. The emergency lane is actually sloped.
@Getron: Thanks. About the traffic lights, there are some little problems with those
@CasperVG: I check the possibilities for re-texturing
@Patricius Maximus: Thanks!

[HandsOn]

I very much do like what you're doing here - its about time the ugly Maxis highways get the boot.  - great stuff!!

Yet, while I do on occassion use mrtnrln's Dutch highway signs, I wonder if the it is a good idea to always have to use them - presuming here they are part of the design. Would it be possible to leave those in a separate DAT so others can contribute signs for different looks - think of all those poor folks required to drive on the "wrong" side of the road 

Another question is about exits; those currently in the game are largely insensible and rather unrealistic (RHW exits do far better in terms of realism). Especially: how will the exits work with NAM pieces. And then there is the overpass question: NAM contains lots of highway overpasses for different modes of transport. How are these going to be dealt with?

Gosh - I am glad someone is doing that - it sounds like a mountain of work 

[gn_leugim]

ohh yes.. take that wall off please 

[ehbk2006]

I think the matrix signs are a little bit out of proportion. Could you make the space between the signs bigger.

[MandelSoft]

@HandsOn: It IS a mountain of work. And my highway signs are already seperate from the main modd
@gn_leugim: Thanks
@ehbk2006: Altough the matrix signs aren't part of the HRS-mod, I can rescale them

The first test version (v01) of the HRS-Mod is at the overview post on the top. Also included: a small mod that removes the Maxis standard signs.

Best
MRTNRLN

[superhands]

OMG great work mrtnrln

[HandsOn]

Great (having "collected" too many tickets on thos Dutch speedtraps, I really don't want to subject the population to it).
The median, however, in my opinion ought to stay as is, some green is never amiss. The interchanges on these three-lane motorways ought to be interesting. Am looking forward to the first teasers. Just hope your mountain wasn't built by Sysiphus..  

[j-dub]

You have done the impossible Mrtnrln. I applaud  So I drew an overpass with this mod, and to my suprise, it looks like the game developers were considering the exact shoulder Mrtnrln made at one point before release, (see pic below) because the original Maxis overpasses are wide enough already for Mrtnrln's superb shoulder work to go right underneath. Its almost like fate was waiting for this to happen. However, if the game was released with the shoulders like this already, we wouldn't be able to congratulate Mrtnrln for doing better than the original  developers. Also, the width is better suited for the other networks.

[Monorail Master]

Good job man, good job. But can you make a version with a HOV lane on the highway?

[Jonathan]

Great work, the diagonal transition reverts back to the MAxis highways, did you forget them or is something wrong with my files for some reason?

May I suggest to make the shoulder slightly narrower, and make the highway take up the full tile, and make the normal lanes wider?

Monorail master: HOV lanes would only be eyecandy and you'd get cars on them.