Soulstealer LOTing your city

[soulstealer]

Soulstealer's port realism pack II – The container docks.

This release will have 13 lots 6x6 6x3 and 3x3. With them you can create realistic container docks and yards. Some lots will provide I-M jobs some will generate income to the city and all slightly boosts ID-IM demands and give moderate air/water pollution.

It was roughly based on Rotterdam's seaport - The busiest seaport in Europe.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.953853,4.0625161&z=15&hl=en&t=h

I used prop families as many as I could find most are from Jestar's excellent prop packs. The dependencies will be from 15 different files, but if you are a SC4D regular you probably have them all already. I will make a cleanitool for easy file locating.

My base template lot was Jeronij's Cargo Docks on which I built all my lots. So they will blend in nicely with his/her (??) docks as well as with his/her seawalls. The cranes are from SG Rail yard so the lots will also blend in well with them.
I modified the finished lots with the reader to give them proper stats, menu positions, query GUID's etc' and I also made custom intuitive icons for each lot.

13 lots - docks yards and freight


freight station


The docks



I need help with a few things.
1. First I need to locate links to two dependencies I cannot find their source.
SFBT_stephenhh_Props.dat
Vehicle_Props-V3.dat

2. The containers in the pack are made with 2 prop families from BSC Mega Props - JES Vol07.dat. One family contains several 3 stacked containers, another family contains single containers. In the single container family there is an error as it includes one container that is rotated compared to the other 8-9 containers. This creates weird looking containers when plopped.


I've made a patch, to put in a zzzz folder, which fixes this issue and was wondering if I can release it with this pack. I know I should have created my own proper prop family (I haven't learned how yet), but I only discovered the problem after I had placed hundreds of these props. So creating a new family means I need to remake all the lots. 

3. I need a beta tester before I make the final release I want to make sure everything is working well. Please pm me and I will give you ftp link for the zip.

I'm still working on the readme and the cleanitool. I hope I can release it soon probably on STEX since I don't have LEX UL access.

I hope you will like it.

[BarbyW]

If you want these to be put on the LEX then you should open a Candidacy thread. They can then be given to our scrutineers who will report back.

[ScottFTL]

You can find the vehicle props at Gizmo's site:  http://gizmo.lunarpages.com

He has released V4, but I believe you can use the new version in place of V3.  I haven't tried this myself, though.

The container lots are great.  I'm looking forward to these!

[SC4BOY]

Looks like you're off to a great release there! You may want to consider an MML (Menu Management Lot) for the package. Diggis has made a very good "how to" thread here: Making an MML Lot Keep up the good work!

[Andreas]

SFBT_stephenhh_Props.dat is contained in the SFBT Essentials. I assume it's the European garbage bins that you were using on some of those lots.

[soulstealer]

Thanks guys & barby! I can now complete the readme. I will post more pictures later today. Any feedback on the fine details will be very welcome.

I still wonder about my patch to Jestar mega pack. Is it kosher to attach it to my release?

[vester]

What kind of patch is that ?

It's a NO-go to include any models in such a patch.

[soulstealer]

There are no models in the file. It's a copy of the exampler file of the problematic container. I simply removed the building/prop family value from the prop, excluding it from the family.

[demivengi]

nice work, hope i can get these files soon!!!!!
are u planning to upload them here?
otherwise send them via mail to me please!
demianvenghaus@aol.com

[vester]

Patience is a virtue.


Don't give write out your mail, replace the @ with a (at) or similar, even better, send it in a PM.

[SimNation]

You shouldnt make any of them provide Industry jobs...Industrial Plops clogg up ur sysmtem...as in they cant get access to freight at all. Its never been resolved and many times the Industrial plops will darken and become abandoned because they cannt access the freight system.

Other then that..ur lots look fantastic something that shoulda been though of awhile ago.

[soulstealer]

Some updates

I've been working on the lots some more, adding more clutter and action. I don't like lots that look as if nothing is happening down there.





Also reworked the freight stations. I added some more prop families. It will hold 20 I-M jobs to minimise risk for abandonment and will also spawn freight trucks automata.

I've posted the previous version of these two lots in picture competition thread and the reviews are so far so good. I'm waiting on more input.


last I added another puzzle piece. It's a 3x3 lot to be used as an end for the big cranes tracks. It can be ploped at any E,W,N,S corner and will look like a service area.



One thing really bugs me. You can see it very clear in the freight station picture. The base textures the concrete with yellow marking appears to be same as the rest of the plain concrete base textures in LE. But when you plop the lot they appear to be darker. Any idea why is that?

I'm also reworking my port realism pack 1, released more than a year ago on STEX. I'm adding some props, another warehouse and changing the base textures to fit with this pack.

Thanks all for the input. I hope this will be out very soon.

[ky72x]

I first saw these awesome lots in a picture over at the Best SC4 Picture Competition... and I thought, "That's one heck of an lot editing job done on those lots!" 

These will really help out with making ports look so much better.  I can also see using some of the lots separately in an industrial area.  Perhaps some more lots like the "freight station" one would be possible.  But even if you just stick with what you have now, I'd would definitely put something that looks this good to some heavy use. 

As for the textures, I have no idea what may be the cause of the problem.  Maybe you are actually using different textures, try to double-check on that.

Keep up the excellent work! 

- Kyle

[dragonshardz]

I think that you went a bit over board with the yellow cranes. Maybe just one yellow crane per lot?

[soulstealer]

Thanks ky I hope people will find them usefull

@dragonshardz I first thought to use one per lots but looking at port pictures I notice they have loads of cranes.

[Gaston]

Great lots!    I am working on an area that these would be fantastic in.     I was about to agree that there were too many cranes then you posted the pics and well...   so much for that.   LOL    Are the seawalls based on Jeronij's.    I personnally would love to see some stuff that exsisting seawalls and port stuff would blend right into.   And this seems like it might.


---Gaston

[jestarr]

soulstealer:  Making a prop family, for the containers, is fine with me, however, I wouldn't include the Canadian National, as it's an intermodal rail container, not an ocean type.  Also, the zzz thingy shouldn't be necessary, since I never made prop families for these.  Just include your family dat with your upload and everything should be fine.  Cheers!

[soulstealer]

Hi Jes. First thank you for making these awesome props. This pack wouldn't even come to mind without them.

About the prop family. I didn't make my own family I used one of yours from your mega props 7.
The cohort file for the family is 51500021 and it includes all the 40ft straight containers.
The jes_40ft_Container_CN_Strt01 prop has two instances in the prop file.
instance no. 5625 is OK and does not include the prop family value.
instance no. 5753 is identical and has the prop family with value of 51500021. I guess this is a mistake, is it?

Hope I'm clear.

So without a fixed release of the megaprops file the zzz patch is necessary.


Another question maybe any BATer can answer this. why does the white crane from newman Inc. mega props does not drop shadow?

[jestarr]

OK, I've fixed the offensive little sucker!   See, this is what happens when you get old.  Elderly moments come more frequently, causing these annoying little glitches.

[soulstealer]

everybody is entitled to their senior moments