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NAM Traffic Simulator and Data View Help

Started by z, January 18, 2009, 05:24:20 PM

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z

Quote from: the7train on July 27, 2010, 06:16:20 AM
Thanks for your response z.  How do you change the commute period selection for the route query tool?

In the Legend box in the upper right hand corner of the screen that appears whenever you use the route query tool, there are a couple of radio buttons at the bottom that select the commute period.  They're very easy to miss; I didn't know they were there the first few months I was dong modding myself.  If you don't change these, you can have the traffic volume view showing the evening commute, but the route query tool still shows figures from the morning commute.  Not a good design...

QuoteAlso, can you explain what you mean that they're returning in the evening commute?  Wouldn't they have to continue on their route into City B and turn around?  I can see for RHW they could just turn around in the connector loop, however this is happening on Maxis roads too.  Also, I would think I should be able to see them come in and turn around on the connector loop unless the game somehow doesn't show this "u-turn".

You have a good point here.  There are some peculiarities with intercity travel, to say the least.  The whole time warp thing makes this very messy, and though it usually ends up working, I have heard of a few cases such as yours.  No one has figured out what the problem is, at least to my knowledge.  I thought that the evening commute data would be useful simply in getting a more complete picture of what's going on.  But there may not be a known solution to what you're experiencing.  It may simply be another game bug.

jondor

#201
I have a question about the traffic volume data view.  I haven't managed to find an answer in my searches, so hopefully I haven't overlooked it somewhere:

I'm wondering how the Properties work which control the colors of the various volume levels.  I'm thinking it has to do with the Data View: Color Ramp and/or Data View: Legends Color, but I'm not exactly sure how they work.

Thanks in advance for the help!


Nevermind  :-[  After just a little playing around with it, I figured out enough to do what I wanted to do.
All new animated railroad crossing props for networks of all sizes! (Phase 1 complete)--> http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=13209

Mostly writing pony stories on FimFiction.net, but Cities: Skylines is my new best friend.  Anything and everything I made for SimCity 4 is fair game for use and distribution.

skyscraperC3

Hi I have 3 questions. I apologize if they've already been answered; please direct me to the correct location if they have. All 3 refer to the very original post. Does 'capacity by tile' mean that to get the capacity of any two-tile network, one would technically multiply by two? Why is the avenue capacity the same as the road? (I read awhile ago that it had to do with the Network Widening Mod (NWM), but I'm not sure why this would matter exactly.) And, finally, are the 'classic' capacities the exact same as the original Maxis simulator?
skyscraperC3

Back for Summer 2011

z

Quote from: skyscraperC3 on May 29, 2011, 02:21:39 PM
Does 'capacity by tile' mean that to get the capacity of any two-tile network, one would technically multiply by two?

Yes.

QuoteWhy is the avenue capacity the same as the road? (I read awhile ago that it had to do with the Network Widening Mod (NWM), but I'm not sure why this would matter exactly.)

First of all, as indicated above, this is on a per-tile basis, which for Maxis road networks is the same as a per-lane basis.  In the real world, capacity is proportional to speed.  Roads and avenues have the same speed limit in the NAM traffic simulator, which means they should have the same capacity.  This is also important for NWM, because the NWM avenues are constructed out of Maxis roads.

QuoteAnd, finally, are the 'classic' capacities the exact same as the original Maxis simulator?

On average, yes, but not exactly.  The reason for this is to make the Classic simulator compatible with NWM, as described above; the Maxis simulator is not.

stmnf2

#204
Hi
It's not all clear for me in capacities and congestion. Sorry, I could not quickly find the answers to these questions.

1. Does congestions devided to morning and evening ones? Say, any section of the road is very overloaded in the morning and speed on this section is low. But in the evening this section isn't overloaded. In congestion view we see this section of the road in red irrespective of time of the day. But what about speed in the evening? Whether it is low too or not?

2. As I know, capacities of the roads are per tile per day. Lets take simple road with capacity of 1200. In congestion view I want to see beginning of traffic jams, which is 100% of capacity, say, in yellow-green (I'll modify color ramp if need). So what total daily traffic in both directions I should take as beginning of traffic jams, 1200 or 2400? I don't quite understand "per tile".

Tarkus

Both the morning and evening commutes count toward congestion, so if you have 1200 in the morning and 1200 in the evening, the game would consider the road to have 2400 total (100% in the case of "Low") in calculating congestion.  You'd start seeing the color change from green toward yellow at that point on the Congestion DataView (if its within two tiles of an intersection, it might even be bright red because of the Intersection and Turn Capacity Effect property). 

The "per-tile" concept means that the capacity is for one tile width of a given network.  This comes into play when you start talking about 2-tile-wide networks like Avenues and Maxis Highways.  The 2400 capacity given for Avenue is for a one-tile width of Avenue.  To get the capacity for a full 2-tile span of an Avenue, multiply that "per-tile" figure by 2--this means the full width of an Avenue would have a capacity of 4800.

-Alex

stmnf2

Thank you, Tarkus. Now I understand how congestion view works.
But that about the real situation with speed?
If we have 2400 in the morning and 0 in the evening does this mean that we don't have congestion all the day?
And if we have 5000 in the morning and 5 in the evening does this mean that we have congestion all the day and low speed even in the evening?

z

Quote from: stmnf2 on July 22, 2011, 04:30:06 PM
2. As I know, capacities of the roads are per tile per day. Lets take simple road with capacity of 1200. In congestion view I want to see beginning of traffic jams, which is 100% of capacity, say, in yellow-green (I'll modify color ramp if need). So what total daily traffic in both directions I should take as beginning of traffic jams, 1200 or 2400? I don't quite understand "per tile".
In the case you mentioned, 1200 is the total capacity in both directions.  At that volume, there is no congestion (aside from intersections), and the congestion map shows green.  As soon as you go over 1200 (100%), you get congestion, meaning that the speed of vehicles drops below the road's speed limit, and the congestion map starts showing yellow-green at that point.  So I think it already does what you want.

Quote from: stmnf2 on July 22, 2011, 04:56:53 PM
If we have 2400 in the morning and 0 in the evening does this mean that we don't have congestion all the day?
And if we have 5000 in the morning and 5 in the evening does this mean that we have congestion all the day and low speed even in the evening?

The answer to both questions is "Yes".

ivo_su

Steve can you suggest that there should  be no  traffic jams  if you  choose  option  ULTRA  installing the NAM. AFAIK, it gives the greatest capacity of types of networks, which means that there should be no  congestion  on them  correct?

Ivo

z

Quote from: ivo_su on July 22, 2011, 07:10:21 PM
AFAIK, it gives the greatest capacity of types of networks, which means that there should be no  congestion  on them  correct?

Although the first part of your statement is true, the second part doesn't follow.  The Ultra capacity was designed to provide sufficient capacity for the largest and most traffic-intensive cities that can be built in SC4.  But large cities are prone to traffic congestion, and it was not the goal of the Ultra simulator to eliminate it completely.  By providing sufficient transportation networks for your city, though, you can keep congestion to a very reasonable level with the use of the Ultra simulator.

stmnf2

#210
Quote from: z on July 22, 2011, 06:06:56 PM
In the case you mentioned, 1200 is the total capacity in both directions.
Hmm, 1200 or 2400 yet in BOTH directions? Tarkus wrote about 2400 for road and 4800 for avenue. Or it for 'Low' version, not for 'Classic' which I meant?

QuoteThe answer to both questions is "Yes".
So the answer to the first question should be 'No' then for 'Classic' version (it will congested too)? But for 'Low' the answer is "Yes", isn't it?

z

Quote from: stmnf2 on July 24, 2011, 01:54:06 AM
Quote from: z on July 22, 2011, 06:06:56 PM
In the case you mentioned, 1200 is the total capacity in both directions.
Hmm, 1200 or 2400 yet in BOTH directions? Tarkus wrote about 2400 for road and 4800 for avenue. Or it for 'Low' version, not for 'Classic' which I meant?

Yes, Tarkus must have been referring to the Low version.

Quote
QuoteThe answer to both questions is "Yes".
So the answer to the first question should be 'No' then for 'Classic' version (it will congested too)? But for 'Low' the answer is "Yes", isn't it?

I'm a little confused about which questions in which posts you're referring to.  So could you please restate your questions and then I'll be happy to answer them?  Thanks! :)

stmnf2

Quote from: z on July 24, 2011, 01:40:25 PM
I'm a little confused about which questions in which posts you're referring to.  So could you please restate your questions and then I'll be happy to answer them?  Thanks! :)

:)

Quote from: z on July 22, 2011, 06:06:56 PM
Quote from: stmnf2 on July 22, 2011, 04:56:53 PM
If we have 2400 in the morning and 0 in the evening does this mean that we don't have congestion all the day?
And if we have 5000 in the morning and 5 in the evening does this mean that we have congestion all the day and low speed even in the evening?
The answer to both questions is "Yes".
In 'Classic' version I think we got congestion in first case too, but in 'Low' it will be OK, yes?
Thank you for clarification. :)

z

Quote from: stmnf2 on July 24, 2011, 03:23:04 PM
Quote from: z on July 22, 2011, 06:06:56 PM
Quote from: stmnf2 on July 22, 2011, 04:56:53 PM
If we have 2400 in the morning and 0 in the evening does this mean that we don't have congestion all the day?
And if we have 5000 in the morning and 5 in the evening does this mean that we have congestion all the day and low speed even in the evening?
The answer to both questions is "Yes".
In 'Classic' version I think we got congestion in first case too, but in 'Low' it will be OK, yes?

That is correct.

05Slowbalt

I have the latest version of the traffic simulator and I am having a problem. When I change anything and save it. It looks like it changes but when I close the window and reopen is it shows as nothing ever was changed. Also in the game it seems like nothing has change. A great exp. is I reduce the cost of roads, streets, ext. but on my budget it shows what the normal month cost would be. What am I doing wrong?

anthonyca30

Quote from: 05Slowbalt on February 26, 2012, 08:38:29 PM
I have the latest version of the traffic simulator and I am having a problem. When I change anything and save it. It looks like it changes but when I close the window and reopen is it shows as nothing ever was changed. Also in the game it seems like nothing has change. A great exp. is I reduce the cost of roads, streets, ext. but on my budget it shows what the normal month cost would be. What am I doing wrong?

It take a few months to a few years for the sim to kick in.

z

Quote from: anthonyca30 on February 27, 2012, 12:29:50 PM
It take a few months to a few years for the sim to kick in.

This would not explain why when the Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool is reopened, the original values are reset.

There seem to be two possibilities here:  Either the permissions of the traffic simulator are set incorrectly (unlikely), or else you have multiple copies of the traffic simulator (and possibly the NAM), and this is what is confusing the TSCT.  05Slowbalt, could you please check for multiple traffic simulator installations, and if you don't find any, could you please list the contents of your main NAM folder here?

Jack_wilds

#217
also, adding another thought, if the nam is not in the default folder, it wants to find it there, that maybe part of the issue... I have to point it out to the TSCT, where I put the nam folder, every time I open it...

edit: runs on win7 pro and win7 home

Wthrwyz

#218
I had similar problems with the TSCT.  Are you on Windows Vista/7?

If the config tool is installed in your C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86) folder, then you'll run into problems with the tool being able to write backups and save its own internal config (like options/where to look for the .dat file) because it tries to save these things inside the program directory.  Windows Vista and 7 actually enforce the idea that the Program Files directory is for programs, not data, and these areas are owned by the system with no user access (which is why UAC kicks in when you try to install something new - remember that on Vista/7 even if you're an administrator, you do not run with administrator privileges by default).  When you run the tool and it tries to write back to a folder under C:\Program Files to do its work, the write operation fails.  I think Java pretty much ignores the error, so it looks like the program ran properly, but of course the settings don't actually get saved and if you dig through your system logs you'll find the root cause staring right back at you with a nice, fat "access denied" error.

The simplest solution is to locate the folder where the TSCT is installed and to change its security settings (right-click the folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab) to allow the "Users" group Modify/Write access to the folder.  The other option is to remove the TSCT from the Program Files directory and install it to its own folder directly under the C: drive - you may be able to just move the entire folder, as it is a Java program and likely won't break so long as you keep it in one piece.  Just remember to modify your shortcuts to point to the new location.
Wthrwyz: It's "weather wise." You see, it has to fit on a license plate...
Oh, just call me Nathan.

05Slowbalt

Alright I was having alot of problems with everything with the game. So I just completely uninstalled and deleted everything and then restarted it all. Sometimes you gotta do what you go to do. I just reinstalled NAM Traffic Simulator and hope everything will work out.