MGB's Mods and other stuff

[belfastsocrates]

I plan to use Girafe's flora, urban pack, car props, bikeprops & French road signs. Additionally I will be creating a number of new props to fill any gaps. Different zone types will have different props and it should look as British as I can make it.

Sorry to RHD users, but the goal here is a LHD UK Streetside mod. Where possible all the generic T21s will be split from the LHD stuff. But the likelihood of me making RHD variations is close to 0. I really get annoyed with T21s, this is a big project, I simply don't have the motivation to do that unless I can find a solution that doesn't massively increase my workload.

Music to my ears!   

[Girafe]

Sorry to RHD users, but the goal here is a LHD UK Streetside mod.

sounds like a Brexit 

I love this project, always sense of details and perfection. 

As discussed earlier I will support as I can even with my mediocre activity 

[belfastsocrates]

sounds like a Brexit 

[mgb204]

My only question as of right now is this: for the 4-way intersections, should one of the center lines actually go through the intersection?

Looks great!

Maybe there should be some gaps in the median line at the intersections, because I reckon double solid lines are too much for most motorists to cross. Anyway, just what I thought when I saw them.

Thing is, this was supposed to be quick and dirty, I would have had the mod wrapped up by now, except...

Now I'm on v6 of the textures. Because in the end you guys are right and I intend to make the adjustments. Appreciate the feedback. But this is the final time I'm going back to them, because otherwise I may get sick of them and they'll be cast aside. So if anyone else has something to say, speak now or forever hold thy peace!

As discussed earlier I will support as I can even with my mediocre activity 

Oh Girafe, nothing you do is mediocre. You are like an expensive fine spice. You just need a little touch to make everything much better .

[Vizoria]

Sorry to RHD users, but the goal here is a LHD UK Streetside mod. Where possible all the generic T21s will be split from the LHD stuff. But the likelihood of me making RHD variations is close to 0. I really get annoyed with T21s, this is a big project, I simply don't have the motivation to do that unless I can find a solution that doesn't massively increase my workload.

Alrighty!

Stuff everyone who drives on the right hand side of the road! It feels good to be British right now.

[Missvanleider]

Although I use drive on right in game, driving on the left is the more historically 'normal' way. The Romans walked on the left. This is because most people being right handed would have a sheathed sword on their left side (to make drawing it in a hurry with their right hand easier) Therefore convention made people walk on the left side as walking toward someone down a narrow alleyway meant that sheathed swords could clash or become entangled if you both walked on the right.

Napoleon was a) an egomaniac (unlike me   ) and b) left handed (exactly like me) and he reversed the convention, and that stuck in much of Europe.

If none of that is true, blame the BBC's QI.

Sorry for the off topic tangent, loving your work 

[carlfatal]

Wowwowwow...since my last visit on SC4D the complete game seems to be overhauled, and yours is not the smallest part... 

And okay, I am very sad, that this sidewalk set will be only for left hand fanatics, so indeed, this IS the Brexit, thanks Girafe. 

But I don´t really mind, cause I am not the most advanced user but I definately like to lookat pictures. And I know, some people here will create wonderful sceneries (again and again), while I try to avoid a Detroit in my regions. But nonetheless I am using some of your mods, and I will try the noGrass as next together with the new NAM and RRW.

So only a Thank You from my side, keep the good work on! 

[mgb204]

If none of that is true, blame the BBC's QI.

Yeah, they have a habit of screwing with everything you thought you knew  .

The RHD thing is something I don't like to do, philosophically speaking, I always tried my best to support everyone's setup with my mods to date. Rest assured, I will make sure parts of the mod are suitable for all, such as the trees and the lights. You just might have to forgo those parts that are LHD specific (I.e. traffic signs removed). That said, I'll make the same offer here I did on ST. If anyone is willing to take on the conversion from LHD to RHD, I'd be interested to hear from you. I'm happy to train such a person how to do it. Not to mention, since all the hard work would mostly be done, it would be a fraction of the effort really. T21's are just lotting really, so in-short it's moving some props about.



In other news, I'm really just here to show off this prototype  :



I can extend this to all the single-tile RHW networks, assuming the network fits in the tunnel. I'm guessing RHW-2 and 4 will work fine, possibly 3 too. Small issue though, you'll need buddybuds unreleased underpasses as a dependency. Not to mention, you need to modify one piece using model tweaker, if you don't want it to look awful (z-fighting).

But, it's functional as you can see. RHW converts to subway, so no freight traffic can use them. If there was some way to release them, the option of making NAM Flups or something would be nice. I might even try my hand at replacement models, solving a lot of issues with the concept in the process. Ignore the texture (street) issues, I just need to adjust a prop and that will be fixed up properly. One last bonus, as usual I've referenced the NAM texture, so whatever you are using texture wise, will appear correctly.

[Simmer2]

Those tunnels look sweet, Robin 
A bit of retexturing and they look amazing.

Nick

[mgb204]

Story of my life right now, I'm having problems making them work .
The idea is sound. I've removed parts of the existing models by adapting the Alpha channels. This works, leaving behind a gap to fill on the base (sorted) and the annoying fact that the foundation then shows through the gap  . This I tried to change to a transparent foundation, suddenly all the slope properties are messed up. Anyhow, it looks like I'll need to render new models perhaps for the tunnel part. Thankfully BuddyBud was into modularity, so each piece is separate, not one BAT. Making the job of adapting them that much easier. Other than that they are tested and functioning, so I just need to iron out these little kinks.



In fact I'm running into so many brick walls recently, it's sapping my motivation hugely for anything SC4. That said, I found time today to finish off all the EU Road textures for the SAM Ind Mod. Attached is Preview #3, in EU guise only for now. This contains 80% of the final textures, just the OWR and Ave junctions are missing.

Quite a few changes have taken place to improve the following areas:

• Added curbing to the edges of the textures.
• Widths changed to 80px, the same as roads.
• New intersection markings.
• Slightly adapted colour scheme, to better fit the game.
• And more, just can't think of everything right now.

Once more I'd like to give a huge thank you to Rivit for his assistance with these textures.

[eggman121]

Story of my life right now, I'm having problems making them work .
The idea is sound. I've removed parts of the existing models by adapting the Alpha channels. This works, leaving behind a gap to fill on the base (sorted) and the annoying fact that the foundation then shows through the gap  . This I tried to change to a transparent foundation, suddenly all the slope properties are messed up. Anyhow, it looks like I'll need to render new models perhaps for the tunnel part. Thankfully BuddyBud was into modularity, so each piece is separate, not one BAT. Making the job of adapting them that much easier. Other than that they are tested and functioning, so I just need to iron out these little kinks.

If you need any help I can help you the best I can. For Tunnels you can use a True 3D model and just export it to the reader and go form there, (of course knowing your abilities I think you know the drill  )

I usually work on another project when I get stuck and usually find a solution by giving something else for my brain to work on 

I'm sure you will find a solution and we will do our best to help you! 

-eggman121

[mgb204]

As alluded too in my previous post, I've been suffering from a number of problems lately that have all but destroyed my productivity in respect of SC4. So if you'll indulge me, having spent much time faffing around, this tiny bit of progress is a big deal to me...

But before all that, I need to offer some thanks. Firstly to SimGoober for making the original pieces, in addition to Callagrafx for remaking them. Both these creators took the time to share their models and resources, otherwise this simply wouldn't be possible. I must also give a shout out to MattB325, who gave me his original diagonal models for SG's pieces, saving me the effort of re-making them. What am I talking about...?



Well, it might not seem like much, but that's the beginning of adding diagonal support for CAL's Re-mastered version of SG's canals. I say beginning, but actually I've wasted many hours previously on attempting this. Simply put, changes in 3DS Max make the chances of colour-matching these pieces somewhere around 0 using my 2011 copy. However, after a lot of digging, I've used 3DS Max 9 and ALN's BAT4Max v3, which has finally overcome this issue. The piece on the left (Red Arrows) is a straight piece, just a proof of concept. The piece on the right, that's the first of 6 diagonal pieces which will be needed. Everything else you see here is from the original set, so you can see the water matches perfectly. There seems to be a small problem with these pieces lining up. - always something, right! - But, I have confidence this is now something I can achieve.

If I don't get really fed up in the process, I'm already considering how I can add FAR support too.

[vortext]

That's a perfect match indeed, excellent work! 

And FAR pieces . . that'd be really, really awesome!!!   

[Tyberius06]

 
A few weeks ago, I thought about this project, after  it had not been any news since I asked about the possibility to making these pieces. So I thought it's simply impossible.

Thank You!!!!

[FrankU]

Ho wow!
That would make me really happy! Diagonal CAL canals. 

[simangel]

Oh Wow Diagonal CAL canals! hope we do eventually get this it will make the CAL canals SO much more versatile!.

[mgb204]

Progress is good, 4 of 6 pieces already finished. Just need to fix the alignment on the remaining two.

So on to some new stuff entirely, like this 270° bend here:



Wait... what's that, it's the wrong canal!  - Well I figured if I'm making new pieces, I might as well make them for SG's originals too. Since everything else was converted from them to CALs re-mastered versions. Now to see how hard FA (Fractionally Angled) pieces would be.

[MushyMushy]

Looks great - it's exciting to see diagonals on these old canals! (Although I think that's a 225° angle and not a 270° one)
I'm curious about the FAR implementation - if you do it, are you going to make it FAR-2 or FAR-3?

[Simmer2]

Great progress.

Robin forgive my ignorance on this matter but is the water texture baked in those pieces?
If not then, in time, I will redo the water texture into a more realistic fashion.

Nick

[mgb204]

...is the water texture baked in those pieces?

Yes and No. Like almost all of the Canal/Water pieces that were released, these are BATs and not texture-based. However, because both SG and CAL released a basic 1x1 Straight for each model with full resources, you could change the texture. However, you'd have to re-make every other piece in the set, since only the 1x1 straight was publically released.

Although I think that's a 225° angle and not a 270° one... I'm curious about the FAR implementation - if you do it, are you going to make it FAR-2 or FAR-3?

Perhaps I got the angle wrong, despite my ignorance, I got what I was after in SC4 BAT though . Probably FA-2, but I need to do some tests and planning to look at how the pieces would combine/line up. Although I won't likely be doing both.