Three Rivers Region

[meldolion]

very nice snow picture David!! I'm asking myself how a city can survive with that much snow.. here in Milano (Italy) as soon as snows (5-10cm.) it's chaos!!!!
But... From the pictures it doesn't seem you live in city, there mest bè a lot of peace and silence where you live

Edit: WOW 100th post noted just now, thanks for the plaza David!!!

WELCOME to page 6!!!

[bat]

Great pictures and nice trees in fall!

[emilin]

Looks like 3RR 2.0 is coming along nicely. Keep up the good work David!

[jacqulina]

hi my friend how are you,amazing things you are doing,excellent work and pics

[dedgren]

I just thought, before I went to bed, it might be nice to recognize the 100th comment [linkie] here since 3RR arrived at SC4D.



Grazie tanto per tutti, mio amico!

Thanks to all for your great comments!


David

[Ajax]

Good morning and Happy New Year, David!  It's been a few days since I've had an opportunity to stop by 3RR and am thrilled with your progress!  Here in Colorado we have many, many aspen groves, and what you are doing with the aspens in 3RR looks fantastic!  I know several have commented that there is too much yellow in some of your pics of the seasonal trees, but I think they look great.  Although various shades of reds and oranges are common in many landscapes, when you are talking aspens, golden yellow is the order of the day.  However, I do have a suggestion.  In my experience, aspens appear more in groves and do not always blanket an area (admittedly my experience is rather limited as I am not all that well traveled as it seems you are!).  Have you considered breaking up the aspens with conifers?  I think this would provide a more natural look.  Regardless, I like what you have done.

New Jeroni bridges in the new NAM?!?  Can't wait until this is available!

Glad you made it safely home!  Yes, it is a lot of snow, but beautiful at the same time!  If you ask me, Murphy looks kinda PO'd about something, but since I don't know him, maybe that is the way he always looks, lol!  That dog house sounds pretty nice, so I can't imagine he would have anything to complain about.  Probably just lonely.

Congrats  on 1,000 views and 100 comments!

[your_adress_here]

I envy you and all your snow!!!

Oh, and 3RR looks nice. 

[asturianu]

Great work with eye candy, David, and the snow from the cheat modd. But I don't know where or how I can download the cheat mod.                  
And it looks very cold in Alaska. Here the slowest temperature was the past week, at -5ºC, but it didn't snow because there aren't clouds since a month in this part of Spain, David.
And I'm impressed that Murphy survived the snow fall.

This is 3RR, as always, a good place to discover things...

Cristian

[tkirch]

David, Great updates as always.  I live in Wisconsin and can't stand when we get a little snow.

I have a question for you on your Map.  In the SE Corner near the peninsula you have a river running North then heading East.  When you go to work in the Quads with that river do you lower the river.  Because all I am getting is a low beach and not much water. 

[LP_Green]

Wow! I love all the colours in the seasonal pics! It makes it so realistic, great job!

[Rayden]

David, that is not fair, the snow cheat is supposed to be used in game not in RL 

[dedgren]

A Field Guide to the Trees of Three Rivers Region

Coniferous Trees


Balsam fir (Abies balsamea var ponderosaii)

     

Balsam fir is a medium size fir; height 40' to 60' with continuous straight tapering trunk from root to top; diameter 9" to 20" or more; spreading branches form a handsome, symmetrical, slender pyramid.  Older taller trees lose lower limbs and have branches only from the top half of the tree up.  Its bark is smooth, grayish, and prominently marked by blisters filled with resin or balsam pitch.  Its needles are flat; length 1/2" to 1" with rounded point; medium green and lustrous above and silvery-white beneath; arranged on twigs growing in two ranks; The twigs and needles are resinous and fragrant.  Balsam fir bears cones upright on branches, purple, oblong; length 2" to 4"; become ripe in the autumn of the first year; cone scale wider than long; seeds have very wide wings, and when ripe, fall together with scales of cone, leaving hard central axis standing upright on twig like a spike.

This tree is found in the lower upland pine forests of Three Rivers Region; usually associated with stands of aspen; thrives in cool, damp, places; very shade-tolerant.


Black spruce (Picea mariana)

     

Black spruce is a tree commonly found on or near lakeshores and river and stream banks.  It has a straight trunk up to 12" in diameter with some-what drooping branches; mature tree usually reaches a height of 20' to 30', although under favorable conditions, it can attain a height of 70' to 80'; often associated with balsam fir. In cold swamps the growth is practically stagnant and trees 2" in diameter have been found to be 127 years old.  The bark is grayish- to reddish-brown and scaly.  The needles are bluish-green, short, pointed, four-sided; length 1/2"; found scattered thinly over branches.  It bears cones that are oval shaped, length 1/2" to 1 1/2"; young cones purple, mature cones dark brown, remaining on trees indefinitely; open in the fall to liberate seeds; seeds small, dark brown, and winged, mature in one season.

Black spruce is found near water throughout the region except for the area immediately adjacent to Hotham Inlet, where jack pine, locally called shore pine, replaces it.  The tree is shade-tolerant; common marsh or bog species.


Jack (Shore) pine (Pinus banksiana var Hothamii)

     

Jack, locally called shore, pine has a straight trunk; height 25' to 60'; diameter 8" to 20"; top or crown of spreading branches and scant or open foliage. Small dead branches often remain on trees for many years.  Its bark is dull red-brown; irregularly divided into small scales.  Its needles are 3/4" to 1 1/2" long, stubby, flat, grayish-green; two in a bundle and slightly twisted; remain on branchlets for about three years.  Cones are about 1 1/2" long, often strongly curved, brown when ripe, turning gray later, sometimes remaining on branches unopened and containing good seeds for many years; small winged, triangular seeds can be carried far in strong winds. Many trees have ripe cones when seven years old.

Jack pine is found in abundance in along the shores of Hotham Inlet, on Pratt and High Islands, Iron Hook Cape and along the banks of the lower Wind and Grand Rivers.  It occurs generally in pure stands on the poor sandy soil of lake and river shores, and will sometimes spring up and occupy inshore lands following fire until replaced by other local trees.  The tree is hardy and thrives on soil too poor for other cone-bearing trees; very shade-intolerant.


Red pine (Pinus resinosa var fictitiaii)

     

Red pine is a large to giant upland pine with a height 80' to 100', sometimes 140', diameter 50" to 80"; straight trunk; branches on mature trees start far up the tree and form an open, pointed, picturesque head that towers above the other trees in the area.  It is locally mistermed eastern redwood.  The bark becomes divided into large reddish-brown plates as it matures, which gives tree its characteristic appearance and its name, red pine.  Needles occur in clusters of two; dark green; 4" to 6"; breaks cleanly when bent.  Cones are about 2" long, light brown fading to gray; thin, slightly concave.  Cone scales are without spines or prickles and are free from resin; cones ripen about the middle of September of their second season, but stay on branchlets until following spring or summer; seeds small, length about 1/8", dark or mottled brown, winged, and widely scattered by the wind.

Red pine is found along the bluffs and on mountainsides and hillsides of the Northern and Southern Ranges.  It is commonly found growing with or near the northern white pine common to the area.  It has excellent disease and insect resistance and the wood is commercially very valuable.  The tree thrives on sandy loam or dry, rocky ridges, and is shade-intolerant.

White spruce (Picea glauca var montainaii)

     

White spruce is a squat, stout conifer usually 30' to 50', occasionally 60', with a diameter of 20" that grows in the highest mountain and hill areas of Three Rivers Region.  The tree has a straight trunk; stubby, stout branches form broad conical head.  The bark of this tree is dark gray or gray-brown and scaly.  The term "white spruce" comes from the tree commonly being seen covered with snow in winter.  The needles are four-sided, crowded along branchlets; length 1/3" to 3/4"; pale bluish when young, dark bluish-green to bluish-black when mature; sharply pointed; has a slightly disagreeable odor when crushed.  The tree bears a slender cone, length about 2"; cone scales round and soft at ends; cone thin and flexible when mature; narrow-winged seeds mature in one season; cones drop during winter after opening and shedding seeds.

The tree grows extensively in the higher mountain and hill areas of Three Rivers Region up to tree-line.  It thrives on dry and rocky soils associated with these areas; intermediate in shade tolerance.


Northern white pine (Pinus strobus var northeii)

     

Northern white pine is a large tree 50' to 80'; up to 40" in diameter; straight trunk and regular pyramidal shape with soft gray-green foliage; often like red pine clear of branches for many feet when growing in the forest; on young trees, branches extend horizontally in whorls (circle arrangements), marking successive years of upward growth.  The bark is thin, smooth, and greenish-gray on young trees, but thick, deeply furrowed, and grayish-brown on older trees.  Needles are 2 1/2" to 5" long; bluish-green on upper surface, whitish beneath; occurs in bundles of five; soft, flexible.  Cones are 4" to 8" long, cylindrical with thin and usually very gummy scales, each containing two small winged seeds; cones mature at end of second season.

Northern white pine is important in upland areas throughout the region and is commonly found with growing with red pine; thrives on fertile, well-drained soil; intermediate in shade tolerance. The wood from the tree is commercially valuable, but it is increasingly difficult to find the formerly abundant large trees that were the basis for the Three Rivers Region paper products industry in the mid 1900s.  White pine blister rust, white pine weevil, and deer browsing are problems that take a heavy toll on the tree's survival.


Based on copyrighted work done by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2007. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site (online). Accessed 2007-1-4 at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/sitetools/copyright.html
________________________

n.b.:  tkirch- I'm on your question and I'll get back to you later in the day.

[mattb325]

Sweet work there dedgren  ....one of those rare moments when sleeplessness pays off

[your_adress_here]

Whoa, it's amazing to see just how much detail you put into making your forests. That was an interesting read, and an educational one at that! 

[Gaston]

 
Wow David,
     I've got a degree in Wildlife Management and I didn't learn that much in all the botany and related subject I had to take.   LOL    Are you sure about the latin names?

Red pine (Pinus resinosa var fictitiaii)

LINKIE   Okay I should have known better than to question the master.   LOL   I'm still not so sure about the variety of red pine.    But I'll give you that one.   


---Gaston

[LP_Green]

Like your_adress_here said, very educational. I like it Impressive work 

LP

[thundercrack83]

Every time you update, I learn something, usually about SC4, but this time, it's about the trees! Like many have pointed out, it's very educational, but I also applaud your creativity for even thinking of an update like that. From where did you find all this information, or are you a dendrologist by night?

[dedgren]

tkirch indicated here [linkie] that he had a problem with a too shallow river on one of the 3RR maps he imported from off the STEX.

In the SE Corner near the peninsula you have a river running North then heading East.  When you go to work in the Quads with that river do you lower the river.  Because all I am getting is a low beach and not much water.

I looked at the quad in question- that's the Des Plaines River, btw.



Mine seems just fine.  I note that I never change the default "game" water level, as doing so has always had weird consequences.  The Des Plaines is very shallow, though.  Probably, I created the river after a long day's terraforming and was simply too tired to dig any deeper...

Actually, I think the trouble you are having is just an artifact of the process of turning the region into an .SC4TF map, uploading it to the STEX, then you DLing it and processing it at your end.  Some water musta leaked out along the way.  Or, more likely, the process doesn't allow perfect reading of the elevation of subaqueous bottoms (I've always loved that term) when you create the region in SC4TF or the Mapper at your end.

Whatever...

Anyway, how do we fix it?

Since you are in Canada, you'll have to start by applying to the agency that is the counterpart of the USEPA for a dredging permit

...let's try that again, shall we?

Open the region in question and get into the "God Mode" cheat [linkie].

Select the "Plains" terraforming tool.



Reduce the size of the tooltip to its smallest diameter by pressing the [ Shift ] and [ 1 ] keys at the same time.  Position the tooltip in a place in the streambed of appropriate depth near the area you are making deeper.  Click-drag the tooltip along the streambed.



Repeat as necessary.

Once you've achieved the desired depth, you'll probably find that the stream is wider and more "regular" than you want it to be.  Using the same reduced-size tooltip, position it on a stream bank where you want to narrow or otherwise add "noise" to the edges of the stream.  Click-drag toward the stream in short "brushing" motions.



Repeat as necessary.

That's how I do it, anyway.  PM me if I can be of further help with this.


David

[Gaston]

David,
    Once again you have taken something complicated and made it so easy for everyone to understand.   In one post we now know how to make a tool, that I have never found particularly useful, very useful.     You are still in my opinion, The Terraforming Guru!

---Gaston

[thundercrack83]

Another brilliant lesson from the master! Gaston is correct--you are the Terraforming Guru!