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RHW (RealHighway) - Development and Support

Started by Tarkus, April 13, 2007, 09:10:49 PM

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LucarioBoricua

I have the perfect site to try the diagonal D1 ramp with RHW-4S splitting into two MIS! This interchange is almost perfect as-is but has an awkward short 2-lane cross-section when transitioning from the RHW-3 to the interchange ramps due to using the RHW-3 to RHW-4S transition.





I could probably shrink the interchange footprint if I also use said ramp for the other side, this interchange required an awful lot of excavation to fit in this mountainside area.

Tarkus

Quote from: Wiimeiser on December 09, 2020, 03:14:24 PM
More diagonals are always good. Surprised that's not in NAM 39, to be honest. I assume the E1 is next?

I wonder if we'll get a diagonal RHW-3 to RHW-3S transition. Though we don't even have an orthogonal one of those...

The textures for the Diagonal D1 ramps weren't started until November 28th, just a few days before NAM 39 was finalized, and the release was taking long enough as it was (in large part because the power supply on my SC4 system decided to give me a "birthday present" and fail back in October).  I've just started on the Diagonal E1 texturing now, and as of writing, we're looking at diagonal A1, B1, D1, and E1 for all the ground-level "dual carriageway" RHW networks.  Present plans currently entail RHW-2 and RHW-3 expansion being in a separate phase (mainly as they're going to require separate FLEXRamps), and of course, we have no models for elevated versions at this point.

At the start of each new dev cycle, we're now taking stock of what's in development and what's planned, and what can get brought up to a releasable state in a reasonable period of time.  While I won't say what our official definition of "reasonable" is, I'll note that NAM 38 and 39 both fell right within it, and the only other NAM cycles in the past 10 years that actually fit within it were NAM 29 and NAM 34.  The tendency for either (a) large sweeping projects, or (b) trying to stuff as many features in as possible because it was going to be another 9 months-3 years until the next release was absolutely killing the NAM (and arguably, the community). 

And LucarioBoricua, very nice interchange!   :thumbsup:  Looks like this phase and that future RHW-2/3 one will be right up your alley.

Another taste of what to expect with this latest batch of ramps:



-Alex


Wiimeiser

So it sounds like the NAM Team needs to better coordinate what they need to do each update? Huh... I wonder if I could help?

On the subject of D1 and E1 ramps, could we get one for RHW-3 to RHW-2?
Pink horse, pink horse, she rides across the nation...

Tyberius06

Quote from: Wiimeiser on December 13, 2020, 06:09:09 PM
So it sounds like the NAM Team needs to better coordinate what they need to do each update? Huh... I wonder if I could help?

On the subject of D1 and E1 ramps, could we get one for RHW-3 to RHW-2?

Phrasing, phrasing! Come on...
I don't think, there are such things what we need to do. There are things what we would like to do, and there are things, that we actually do for each release. And there is RL (which always comes first) and other things. This is still a hobby and not a job. So chill, relax and enjoy the features what you get with each release or sit tight till the next release which might contain some stuffs what you would like better... or might not. Who knows... :)
Peace!

- Tyberius
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

Tarkus

Quote from: Wiimeiser on December 13, 2020, 06:09:09 PM
So it sounds like the NAM Team needs to better coordinate what they need to do each update?

Quite the opposite, in fact.  The plan for NAM 39 all along was the new Subway-based FLUPs and the Alternate Viaducts--that was finalized back at the end of September, and the Diagonal D1 ramps were never part of the plan. 

I simply shared that tidbit about when the D1 work started to demonstrate that changing those plans to have that feature in NAM 39 would have been a bad idea with regards to our new release strategy, and reminiscent of all the way-too-long development cycles that certain releases of ours have had--i.e. NAM 30 (1 year, 1 month), NAM 31 (1 year, 6 months), NAM 33 (1 year, 10 months), and NAM 37 (2 years, 10 months).  I'd even throw NAM 32, 35, and 36 onto that list, as they all came close to that one-year mark (32 was the shortest, at 9 months, not counting those hideous "31.x" releases).

Simply put, we're not going to break our new release paradigm just because someone thinks we "need" Feature X in a certain release.  That's a road to ruin.

Quote from: Wiimeiser on December 13, 2020, 06:09:09 PM
On the subject of D1 and E1 ramps, could we get one for RHW-3 to RHW-2?

Logistically, that'd probably end up being part of that future RHW-2/RHW-3-related expansion.  There's also still a lot to figure out with respect to RHW-2 and RHW-3 Dx/Ex/Fx ramps in terms of FLEXRamp implementation, since the RHW-2's status as a base network actually throws some complications into the picture.  And puzzle pieces are out of the question.

-Alex


matias93

No idea about US type road markings IRL, but wouldn't make more sense to start the yellow line from the bifurcation iself?

"Lets be scientists and as such, remember always that the purpose of politics is not freedom, nor authority, nor is any principle of abstract character,
but it is to meet the social needs of man and the development of the society"

— Valentín Letelier, 1895

flann

Quote from: matias93 on December 15, 2020, 03:13:20 PM
No idea about US type road markings IRL, but wouldn't make more sense to start the yellow line from the bifurcation iself?

Indeed the way that this ramp is marked is how it is done in the US.  https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/services/publications/fhwaop02090/fwymarkings_longdesc.htm

Tarkus

And here come the overrides for the Diagonal E1. . .

(still need overhang cleanup on this first one)







And I thought I'd show you all . . . of all things . . . an Orthogonal A1 . . . ::)



-Alex

LucarioBoricua

#13049
Any news or plans for making a centered width transition from RHW-6S (with wide median) to RHW-8C, such that it looks like the already available centered RHW-4S to RHW-6C transition? Making the transition go from RHW-6S to RHW-8C takes up a lot of space (10 cells if using the RHW disconnector to have both transitions interface directly.

CORRECTION: the last transition shown below should say RHW-8S (and thus the lateral shift) not RHW-8C.



Tarkus

FLEX Width Transitions (FLEX-WT) have been in the works for quite some time now--since the NAM 33 cycle, in fact--though they've had a much bumpier history behind the scenes than the FLEX Height Transitions (FLEX-HT), and haven't made it to release track yet.  Both configurations of RHW-8C-to-RHW-6S transitions (the "split" and the "shift") are indeed planned to be supported by FLEX-WT, as well as a number of other setups that aren't supported by the existing puzzle pieces.

I just did a test with my FLEX-WT files/code, and it appears they are pretty broken right now, so they'll need to be fixed back up before any plans to get them back on release track.  Don't know that they'll be NAM 40 material, but they are a near-term priority, especially as FLEX-WT is a pretty huge step in our goal of freeing the RHW from old-style puzzle pieces.

I'll also note, on the front of D1 and E1 ramps, since they've been a major focus here of late (mostly on the diagonal end), I am considering changing the base network on them from RHW-4 to RHW-3, with the lane drop on the two-lane side of the RHW-3.  (And yes, this means the mythical RHW-3 D1 and E1 ramps would move up the queue.) 

The reason for this is that the mainline out the bottom of the ramp (after the lane drop) is the base RHW-2 network.  It's easy to turn the RHW-2 into override networks, but it's very hard to turn override networks back into the RHW-2.  Accordingly, this would cut down on the number of dedicated FLEXRamp/DRI setups required for full coverage.  (The RHW-2 D1/E1 and the RHW-3 D1/E1 with the single-lane side being the lane drop--and RHW-4 coming out the bottom--may require separate dedicated FLEXRamps/DRIs still.)

-Alex

Tarkus

BTW, speaking of RHW-3 D1/E1 ramps . . . here they are in their current state.  The ortho ones are completely done, while the diag ones need a little cosmetic TLC and pathing.



-Alex

b22rian

Lovely transition  here ,

especially for players who use the rhw-2 as more a semi highway/ higher capacity road..

:thumbsup:

Wiimeiser

#13053
Those will definitely be useful. Maybe even as extended slip lanes for those fancy RHW-3 T-intersections...

EDIT: I just had a thought. This would probably fall under FTLs, but how about a piece where the inner lane of the two-lane side of the RHW-3 crosses over to the other side while the mainline transitions to WRHW-2? It can be at a 45 or 90 degree angle. Just a random thought I had...
Pink horse, pink horse, she rides across the nation...

Tarkus

Thanks, everyone! :thumbsup:

Wiimeiser, that definitely sounds like an FTL setup of some sort.  RHW FTLs are indeed still in the plans, but no idea at this point when they'll be revisited.

Finally got the RHW-2 versions of the Diag D1 and E1 textured and in-game.



And before anyone asks, "what about the ramp coming off the one-lane side of the RHW-3?"--because I know everyone well enough to know that someone out there is itching to ask . . .



And also before anyone asks, yes, diagonal versions of these two are planned (currently in the texturing phase).

-Alex

Wiimeiser

Oh yes! I've been asking about that for a while now because I originally found it odd that you'd made a transition between RHW-3 and RHW-4. This preview makes a great Christmas present!
Pink horse, pink horse, she rides across the nation...

Wiimeiser

Will there be something like these meters? Obviously it would be purely aesthetic and would fall under CP Transitions if it gets added at all...
Pink horse, pink horse, she rides across the nation...

Tarkus

#13057
First post of 2021--Happy New Year to everyone here! :thumbsup:

Here's a preliminary peek at the aforementioned diagonal version of the RHW-3 Type D1--it is pathed (as are all the ramps being added in NAM 40--more than 30 of them), though the overhangs still need to be put into place:



For those of you who are fans of the RHW-3, know that NAM 40 is going to be a release where that network really starts to come into its own--there's indeed more planned for it (at least at the ground level).

Quote from: Wiimeiser on December 31, 2020, 10:32:28 PM
Will there be something like these meters? Obviously it would be purely aesthetic and would fall under CP Transitions if it gets added at all...

Ramp meters have indeed been long in the plans for a potential Cosmetic Piece-type addition.  All Cosmetic Piece development is pretty much on hold (and has been since NAM 33), since we're looking to go FLEX with them, rather than break our moratorium on puzzle piece proliferation.  The process of FLEXing the CPs, in theory, is very similar to the process of creating FTLs, so it's not as far-fetched an idea as it might initially seem.  The proposed FLEX-CPs are currently the lowest priority in terms of the FLEX conversion process going on with the RHW, however.

-Alex

Wiimeiser

The RHW-3 can be situational sometimes, maybe these additions will make it a much more general network. (And will there be D2 and E2 splitters and Wyes?)

Oh, I see what's going on... Though given the restriction that the root tile can't be draggable it doesn't seem like every cosmetic piece could easily be FLEXed, though I might be wrong. Transitions, the RHW-4 side ramps and the RHW-3 intersections would be really easy in comparison, though.
Pink horse, pink horse, she rides across the nation...

roadgeek

Quote from: Wiimeiser on December 31, 2020, 10:32:28 PM
Will there be something like these meters? Obviously it would be purely aesthetic and would fall under CP Transitions if it gets added at all...

I have never liked those. The only place I recall seeing them, was on US 75 in Dallas, before they upgraded the highway from RHW-4 to RHW-8C with auxiliary lanes.