Traffic Signals in SC4--A Discussion Thread

[Starmanw402007]

It would be cool to see different types of Light Signals instead the the boring Circle ones  .

[Tarkus]

wow those are really nice signals.  are you guys planning on implementing them and replacing the original ones?

Well, actuallly, you wouldn't have to replace the original ones.  It's possible to set up multiple T21 exemplars (up to 256 per Texture/Model Instance ID), so it would be possible to have choices, actually.

-Alex (Tarkus)

[Edgware]

cool.  but j-dub, why do some of your signals have 5 bulbs.  I've seen 3, or 4 but never five in that figuration.

[Swamper77]

The lower two are most likely a green arrow with a yellow arrow above it. I don't normally see them either, but one of the local DOT's is using that setup for right turn signals. Looks strange, but it works. I personally prefer no more than 4 signal heads on a stoplight. With 5, I worry about trucks colliding with the signal.

-Swamper

[nerdly_dood]

Around here, many traffic lights have both a green arrow and a yellow one - usually they're like the one attached.  Top left is for a shared left turn/straight lane (more common is a shared right turn/straight lane, with the arrow on the right side of the signal)  Top right is for a right-turn-only lane, and bottom right is for no-turn lane (usually because there's other turn lanes.)

There are never any of the tall lights with the bulbs stacked 4- and 5-high anymore, but there used to be some.

Of course, there are many times when there's just the three round lights, too - almost always

[j-dub]

You guys mean in comparisson to this? (my BAT model)

Where I am, it works because the signal heads are higher up. You may see the 5 head one hanging down by red light. Most of the times its the green light in the middle.

[Edgware]

Wow nice.  But there really isn't any use because of the game engine. 

But it would be possible to at least animate it with left turn arrows first right?  Even if it was just eye-candy that would be awesome. 

[Swamper77]

The game's stoplights only use 3 frames: green, yellow, red. So a separate left turn cycle and then the normal thru traffic is not possible. The animation would have to have both the left arrows and thru traffic lit at the same time to work within the game's parameters for how the stoplights work. The alternative would to be have a doghouse style as J-dub has shown and only animate the lights for the thru traffic as left turn on green is normally allowed in most cities, after stopping for oncoming traffic.

-Swamper

[Edgware]

no, what i meant was it would animate a separate left turn cycles even though the game would have forward traffic just run it.  sorry if i get this wrong, i dont know much about modding.

btw jdub on your picture on the last page, how did you get the double yellow line avenues at the intersections?  the nam ones i have are double white lines

[j-dub]

I have seen traffic lights were the green arrow is on the same time, all along with the green light, until it changes yellow. I don't think arrows can even be visible due to the games pixelation level. I had been modeling signals in attempt to see what was visible, but the arrow textures are kind of hard.  I mean, I guess I could pull the cup off the signal head and try that, but every game that has tried this, Burnout Paradise, and Transformers the game, hasn't been able to animate turn arrows as well, but the other lights work. Burnout had some of the same traffic light models I had previously done, but they didn't texture the arrows in at all, I think we just don't have the technolodgy yet to replicate that. Thats an EA game as well by the way.

As for the turn lane, are you aware of the Two Way Left Turn Lane Mod? I am by no means the only one who has that double yellow line texture, as you can see its also in burgsabre87's picture on top.  It gave you the double yellow line, for the avenues, but the white lines/middle curb would still be there in different places too. So it was two turn lane textures at once, and this got tricky because the textures would like to switch off depending which zones were more dominant.  However, it was locked, once slated to be replaced by the ongoing NWM project. So both ways of getting that texture are unavailble. In fact the creator of the TWLTM I think locked all of their stuff away from Simtrop. A number of folks still have the double yellow line texture remaining. This left alot of questioning, some folks thought certain people got their hands on the TLA already from seeing those textures, but in reality, it was just eyecandy. And for some reason I have a feeling that doulbe yellow line texture is only for the NWM, can someone correct me here? You know though, I guess we could force popular demand, and request that turn lane texture be used for the regular avenues for those who don't have the texture at all. Personally I think the white line/middle curb from the NAM avenue turn lane texture should be Euro only. By default since the road turn lane texture is yellow, I don't see why the avenue left turn lane couldn't have been. However, when their are medians in the avenue in reality, there are times when it is a curb instead of a double yellow line.

[zakuten]

Just a little comment, in my region, that is to say Illinois, we actually never have doghouse lights. The five-in-a-vertical-line are the norm, but on older ones you see sometimes a green arrow without yellow arrow.

[j-dub]

Yeah, what did happen to my original picture!? My appologizes, I  had these pictured-

at a different host, when I was comparing to the dog house one, but it looks like that img host disapeared already.
@Zakuten, cross the border into Indiana, via U.S. Route 30, I guarnentee the yellow dog house signal is further down there eventually on some side streets. Luckily for me, the IL versus IN traffic lights, had been so close together for me, it was easy to visually remember both from one trip.

I am not advertising, but in case anyone wanted to know if their area, American, or European traffic lights/signs had been done in cgi, there are a mess here. Some people would rather convert models, than making them themselves, but the cost of things shock me. Seriously though, do you think traffic lights like this, with turn arrows, and CA to NY styles- http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3d-traffic-lights/402562 are worth buying? To me, I think everyone had the same idea of signals, but why pay when you can do, or find someone who does it for free?

[Starmanw402007]

Those lights are very cool, including the 5-Light set you have.

[j-dub]

Thank you. And I hope it will be even cooler with ehbk2006 plans to animate them. So this probably will the first signal, other than the default ones to actually work, and I think also will be the first signal to have working walk lights.
http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=5077.msg168033#msg168033

[Edgware]

hey nice job j-dub

it will be awesome if you get the arrows to work even if they're barely visible in game.

Nice job on walking signals btw. 

so are you working on any other models?

i worked on this and here's most of the traffic setups i've seen

[Ryan B.]

Keep in mind, folks - I'm working on getting my signals in-game (via T21).  I hope to have something to show very soon.

[j-dub]

Thats great Burgsabre, a number of people do want flat overhead signals (so the wind won't drop them) in game. Edgware, other than the lights, I would only change what the lights were on after the yellow painted ones were covered. You know what, it seems you really like those in particullar, how about I just let you access the yellow painted signal gmax files like the one you pictured? Once you have the file yourself, you will see there are arrows. That way you have more options to try for yourself. Its just that you have to export the same model twice to have the red and green show. I have considered right turn arrow ones, its just that we don't have main right turn lanes (yet) for right hand drive networks, but the effect can be simulated. Now, under the tools button there is an option called mirror, if you select the traffic light altogether, and hit that, it will flip the arrows the other way.
So below is the attachment, three traffic light styles are in there to change, I advise seperating them.

[Edgware]

ill check out those files when i get back to the other computer as this one does not have gmax.  sadly im not too good at gmax and couldn't make a simple house.  ill try to figure it out.

EDIT

So i've looked at the files.  Now, I don't know how to add in textures.  But once i figure that out here's what i think should happen with the walk signals.  The middle light should have the white man.  But the first and third signals have a problem.  We either need to put don't walk or have walk but add in a sign that says "Yield to pedestrians" or something like that.  They recently put up a few of those signs around here.

[Ryan B.]

Okay, folks - here's the latest development shots I have:



This is for TLA-5 x  TLA-5 intersections.

Here is what I have for regular avenue intersections:



This one could also be used for road intersections.  I will create a special signal assembly for the Road Turning Lanes.

I really want to add the signal visors, but I'm completely clueless as to how to do so.  Any ideas?

[Edgware]

nice job.  but i have a question.  which button is used to apply texture to a gmax model.  this stuff is just very confusing