Three Rivers Region

[girlfromverona]

Sorry about the brief absence

When you come bearing pics like that, I think I can safely say you're forgiven. 

[GNUCyberKat]

Sorry about the brief absence- I just sent the following on over to the printers.


Imm.  i.  nent.

Oh yeah!!!  The days of far more realistic rail are almost upon us.  Thanks David and thanks to the rest of the RAM team!  Congratulations on this fine addition to the NAM!

Scott

[meinhosen]

Did you say imminent?   Another question... is that wooden trestle coming with it too?  Either way its looking sharp.

[running naked in the snow]

a longtime lurker (and one-time beta tester here) checking in -- is there a way for someone like myself to get into the quad collaborative? I already sent an PM to dedgren, but as seeing hes busy making magic, consider this my request to join in the festivities.

[calibanX]

Beautiful looking rail there David. I'm looking forward to seeing it used extensively in the new collaboration. I'm working on a fairly large rural region and this is just what the doctor ordered.

Geoff

[dedgren]

This might be useful, errr.... imminently.


David

253022

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Single Track Rail Plugin



The RAM Team [linkie to Team's dev thread] is please to announce the release of Single Track Rail (STR) for SC4, Set 1.  This set includes everything that you will need to get detailed STR rail lines into your cities and quads.

The STR consists of three types of content: starter pieces, draggable trackage, and ploppable trackage.  Each of these is covered in this readme in its own section below.  In creating a STR rail line, you will begin your line by using one of the two starter pieces and then extend it by using the familiar "click and drag" technique employed for laying other SC4 transport networks such as highways and roads.  Finally, you can superdetail the default draggable trackage with ploppable items such as long radius curves and switches.  The STR is found here



in the "Rail" submenu of the Mayor Mode "Transport" menu.

   Starter Pieces.  Starter pieces do just that- they allow you to start laying your STR line.  If you've used the Street Addon Mod (SAM), you are familiar with the concept- you plop the two-tile starter section and then drag the desired network away from one end of it.  The starter pieces: one for orthogonal and one for diagonal trackage, are the first two selections in your STR submenu.  The ortho starter shows up immediately



and the diag starter is just a push of the [ tab ] button away.



You can rotate each piece in one of four different directions (ortho: 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees, diagonal: 45, 135, 225, and 315 degrees) by pushing the [home] key to rotate the piece counterclockwise and the [ end ] key to rotate it clockwise.  By doing this, you have taken your first step toward including STR in your game.

   Draggable Trackage.  You then select the game's track laying tool by pressing the [ T ] key, click and hold the left mouse button with the cursor positioned on the end of the starter piece that is not "dulled," and drag STR track in the direction determined by the orientation of the starter piece.



Releasing the left mouse button "lays" the track.



You then demolish with the "bulldoze" tool (shortcut: press the [ B ] key) the dulled starter piece tile.



This leaves with with a stretch of STR trackage that you can drag from either end.





To create a default curve, you use the same technique as for a road or dual track (game) rail line- click-drag from the end of a STR segment, but this time offset the drag in the direction you want to curve the track.



Click-dragged STR segments will automatically connect to other previously placed segments.



If a STR segment is click-dragged onto existing dual track trackage, it will convert that segment to STR.



Click-dragging over crossing STR and dual track lines will automatically create crossovers.





Default switches are easy to create, either by click-dragging one STR segment that is at a 45 degree angle to another STR line onto the second line



or by click-dragging from the existing STR line onto the the segment.



Please note that you cannot use the click-drag technique to connect STR lines to dual track lines.  This must be done with a ploppaple "puzzle piece" switch, which is covered in the next section.

Roads and streets are click-dragged across STR trackage just like you have always done it.



You can also click-drag the STR to make a crossing.



Special level crossings have been created for several of the SAM Sets (3: dirt, 4: gravel, and 7: asphalt).



While these are done with the click-drag technique, they involve additional steps related to SAM placement, and are thus outside of the scope of this readme.  A tutorial is being developed to cover use of these items.

Three bridges are currently included with the set: a wooden trestle



Howe truss



and plate girder.



These are fully draggable.  More bridges will be added in subsequent sets.

   Ploppable Trackage.  An extensive set of ploppable trackage, also known as puzzle pieces, has been developed and released in STR Set 1 to supplement the default draggable content.  Several of these items are also necessary in order to be able to connect your STR line to your existing dual track lines.



Ploppable trackage pieces follow the two starter pieces in the "Rail" submenu.  Starting with the next [ tab ] key click after the diagonal starter piece, they are, in order

[tabular type=4]
[row][data]90 degree ortho to ortho STR curve (8x8)[/data][/row]
[row][data]45 degree ortho to diag STR curve (5x3)[/data][/row]
[row][data]90 degree ortho STR off ortho STR switch (8x8)[/data][/row]
[row][data]45 degree diag STR off ortho STR switch (5x3)[/data][/row]
[row][data]90 degree ortho STR off ortho dual track (game rail) switch (8x8)[/data][/row]
[row][data]45 degree diag STR off ortho dual track (game rail) switch (5x3)[/data][/row]
[row][data]parallel STR off ortho STR switch (5x2)[/data][/row]
[row][data]parallel STR off ortho dual track (game rail) switch (5x2)[/data][/row]
[row][data]"S" ortho to ortho STR curve (6x3)[/data][/row]
[row][data]45 degree ortho STR off diag STR switch (5x3)[/data][/row]
[row][data]45 degree ortho STR off diag dual track (game rail) switch (5x3)[/data][/row]
[row][data]"S" diag to diag STR curve (5x5)[/data][/row]
[row][data]ortho STR "filler" piece (1x1)[/data][/row]
[row][data]diag STR "filler" piece (1x1)[/data][/row]
[row][data]ortho STR to ortho dual track (game rail) transition (7x1)[/data][/row]
[row][data]ortho STR to ortho dual track (game rail) transition (wye switch) (3x1)[/data][/row]
[/tabular]

Ploppable STR trackage is used just like the FARR- you select the piece you want, position it



and plop it.  The wide radius curves are about four times as gentle as the default curves, and really add that RL look to your STR lines.



Switches have been made so that you can position them by placing them over existing trackage.





The STR to dual track transitions give you a different way of integrating STR into your existing rail system.





Finally, the filler pieces allow those "hard to convert" spaces to be addressed.









We've tested the STR thoroughly, but nobody's perfect.  Please report any bugs or other issues you might run into using using it here [linkie].  We look forward to working with you to make this great new content as good as it can possibly get.


The RAM Team

[rhizome21]

just WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the linkie ! the linkie !

a huge bravo to david and all the team. It's not only a masterpiece. It's just... a whole new world opening in front of us.

[abcd]

WOOOHHHHOOOO! I'm speachless! Btw whats that terrain mod and the poles you're using? Looks great with the tracks.

[Orange_o_]

 

spectacular!!!

[Jmouse]

Absolutely beautiful photos, David. I think your work is an inspiration to many. Those bridges are especially attractive - hope they will be available imminently, too!

Later...
Joan

[Simpson]

These pictures are incredibe my friend

[FrankU]

Oh yeah!

A supercalifragilisticexpialidocious development! This is worth another 250.000 replies.

[frdrcklim]

just WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the linkie ! the linkie !

a huge bravo to david and all the team. It's not only a masterpiece. It's just... a whole new world opening in front of us.

Yes David, the linkie. Give the linkie .

Great job. Too awesome .

[io_bg]

Wow stunning pictures!!!

[beutelschlurf]

moin david,

what can i say!


b_schlurf

[Glazert]

Thanks for another wonderful contribution to SimCity 4.3RR.

[JoeST]

*blinks* thats awesome

Joe

[mayorfabz]

Yeeee-Haaa !
David, you rock. From now on, there will always be a David Edgren Street/Ave/Blvd in my cities. Which rail network I am going to have to start over, by the way. Well, that's the fun in the game !
Chilly greetings from Montréal (-13°C)
Fabien

[FrankU]

I somehow appear to overlook the download link  and it's not on the LEX or the 3RRex....
What am I doing wrong?

[Youcefk69]

WOW 
Congratulations !!