Arden Tree Controller Help Desk

[Lowkee33]

Good to see you David. 

Actually, "the perfect" is simply the enemy of ever getting anything done at all.

So true.  Pretty darn close at this point, though: Image.  This is a 256 texture surrounded by 128s.  The actual line between the way SC4 displays base textures is more visible than the difference between the two, so I will call it quits.

This was done with Texture Maker.  I made the oh-so-vibrant 256 texture.  I wrote a script that uses an alpha map to basically copy/paste every other column into a new texture (making a 256x256 texture who's left side is color and right side is white).  Then did the same thing for the rows.  I cropped the resulting 128x128 of color, detailized it, and that is the result.

I could post the script if you are interested.  It has some sort of glitch when going from columns to rows, so I actually have two scripts.  Cropping is done by hand.

The size is 10kb compared to 40kb.  I think it is worth it, but that is up to you.

Edit: It's not quite perfect  .  Perhaps I cut the wrong pixels out.

[vortext]

@Lowkee33, glad you noticed too, otherwise I would've felt such a nitpicker. The script would be quite usefull, if only to have a template to work from.

@Tarkus, it's okay seeing you're busy with secret weaponry and such. I used to use a hue/satutuaration layer too, but following a tutorial by Gascooker on colour correction for gmax I now use an adjustment layer for curves which pretty much nails it.

As for the SAM 10, I changed the textures IIDs and managed to enable the starter piece. However it still shows the maxis streets when I drag from it. I looked around in het RUL files and SAM core file to see what the problem could be but this stuff is beyond me for now. Could you please help me out some more.

Concerning SAM V4, I think NWM-SAM transitions would be of great value, as well as intersections for other networks. When looking in the RULs I already saw diagonal 2/3/4 way intersections, are these ready to go except for the textures? Needless to say fractional angles would be awesome.

@Deionn, thanks, glad you like it.

Actually, "the perfect" is simply the enemy of ever getting anything done at all.

It's funny because it's true.

[Lowkee33]

You can find the scripts attached.  I am not a programmer, so my methods are pretty brute.  There are some bugs, and I have included a readme for what needs to be done.  I must be counting wrong somewhere.

If you want to see if I am a pixel off, you could offset the whole texture 1 pixel up /down and right/left before hand.  I have a feeling this is what has happened.

[vortext]

Finally had a chance today to sit down and give Texture Maker a go. However it seems like I've installed it already in the past and have forgotten about it . . ? 

In anyway, it says the 30 day trial has expired and I need to purchase a license. I've looked around online but it seems the Texture Maker project is dead for quite some time now. Maybe cleaning the registry thoroughly will help but I just did computer maintenance and it was a bit of a hassle to get everything going again, so that option will have to wait untill next time around.

On the brighter side of things, the street mod is near complete, expect to have it finished next week or so. 

[vortext]

Finally had time for a proper update. A little later then anticipated but with good reason. Because when I'd finished what I set out to do, I felt it still looked a little sparse. Carriages only go so far when it comes to variety. Luckily I had come across some props which wouldn't look too out of place.


Lamp posts!  Gas powered, or maybe early electric lantarns. However, what you see is just a mockup street for the t21s.



This is the sad reality.

Besides the trouble it took to actually get the nightlighting to work (never knew an official copy of the game was needed. Serves me right for pirating  ) it turns out props placed on a T21 don't show nightlighting. Or at least I infer so after trying all possible combinations RKT1/4 and nighttime state change properties in the prop exampler. If anyone does know how to get the nightlighting to work at a T21, please let me know, any help is greatly appreciated.

On with the good news, all the textures have been taking care off, including a near perfect colour correction for the wide curves.


After much consideration, I've also widened the fencing. Things lined up pretty good, in fact only the small 90 degree wide curve didn't work out.



And here's a random shot from one of many testcities, all different textures are shown. It may look a bit random but I do like the overall result (especially once you think away all the vanilla stuff )

Now on to a different subject, multi-fsh farmfield textures.  Nothing to say about it really, there are ten of them and almost all can be improved upon either in texture detail, colour or tiling. And a hat tip to Lowkee33, for I've been able to make myself some texture bases entrance props. Argueably it looks a bit silly but that's what a test city is for Here's an overview.












That pretty much sums things up for now. I really hope the issue with the lamp posts can be resolved one way or another. But next few weeks I will be busy lotting so I can finally get on with my first proper region and show some pictures of how it pans out with custom content. Who knows, it may turn into a MD someday. Of course I will continue to work on the street mod & farm fields, seeing there's always room for improvement and I still have some ideas up my sleeve, i.e. add some flora & signposting props. So basically the street mod isn't finished at all but then again it would be quite foolish to think anything simcity related ever is.  Stay tuned for more.

[RickD]

This is actually very nice. 

[vortext]

@RickD, thanks, I think so too 

Minor Update

Just made myself some paving because I couldn't find anything to serve my lotting needs.



Maybe I should rename the thread 'texture geekery' 

[j-dub]

Vortext, I can not believe you revealed that info, I don't know what your experience was, but are you saying the existing T21 light cone models that came with the NAM still do not even appear, if you group them together with your own light models? I know its not the same, but I think the T21 light cones were made so anyone could make their own light model, and plug the existing light cone to their own.

Also, I am curious, if the lights would work for someone else that got the light patch to work.

[jdenm8]

My understanding is that Night-Lights don't work when used in T21s (It's a limitation) and the lightcones used with streetlights (the light and pole assembly and the actual light cone are two separate entities) are specially coded to force them to appear at night and disappear during the day.

[MandelSoft]

^^ The Light Cones use one property of the RKT4 (a prop consisting out of multiple objects) that you can turn objects on or off when they are in a special state. This could be during the night (streetlights), after a specific time (seasonal props) or by another mechanism I can't recall.

[vortext]

@j-dub, jdenm8 & mrtnrln, thanks for the replies, I was hoping for someone to come to help and suddenly there're three of you. 

However I should clarify the problem a bit because the discussion focuses on the wrong part. The lightcones are not the issue. The problem is with the nightlighting on the lamppost prop (i.e. the actual SC4model aka BAT). 

Also, I am curious, if the lights would work for someone else that got the light patch to work.

Maybe I'm repeating myself but this isn't the problem. The lampposts do show nightlighting when used on a lot, only when placed on a T21 does it not work.

My understanding is that Night-Lights don't work when used in T21s (It's a limitation)

Well, that would be quite a serious limitation but it does seem to be that way.   
Maybe someone else has confirmation on this?

[MandelSoft]

I can confirm that sithlrd98 attemped this too and he had the same problem. I solved this with small light cones (small bulbs of light).

[vortext]

@mrtnrln, well that settles it then. A shame really because the lightbulbs aren't as bright as the actual nightlighting, or fit the model particularly well.

[vortext]

hi all, nothing new as far as the street mod is concerned, just some ingame pics to show what I've been up to lately.

But first.

This weird glitch happened to me all the time and I was hoping a reinstallation would take care of it. I was proven wrong
After fiddling with the options on the graphics card however, it's finally a thing of the past. 

Almost everything is seasonal, even the tomatoes (in the top) change colours from red to yellow, didn't know that.




Having a go at a seasonal forest. Unfortuantly the shadows remain in winter time but I guess this could be solved by superimposing two pics, one taken with and one without shadows.


Thanks to the positive effect of Lowkee's seasonal CP flora, the first medium wealth sims moved in. Kinda surprising since they live close to the 'powerhouse'   
The water well is my own creation and for power there is the nexis sandpile. Still a bit confused as to why next to the sandpile there are medium wealth textures but not in front of it.


Of course it couldn't last and the lot degraded. But there're still 8 medium wealth sims living in this nameless village.



And finally some random shots.



note to self, when zoning on corners, the entrance props look weird






You may have noticed a distinct lack of carriages and other street stuff, that's because they're in desperate need of redoing (the T21 instances are a mess  ).
But that's just one among many things to be taken care of, so stay tuned for more 

[marsh]

Amazing work. Even more-so that that is all grown. 

For the carriages why not instead of T-21's make automota? I understand the polygon limit and all. Is that what's keeping you from doing it? It would be worth a try though.

[Lior]

Wonderful work!! COngratulations!!

[dwelln8hss32]

Votext, how I did not stumble upon your showcase in June, I'll never know. Your outstanding work here really resonates with the era of projects I'm working on. It hits home in a big way!! I'll try not to be such a stranger and offer feedback. Just, excellent!!! 

Jake

[dwelln8hss32]

@marsh: Great suggestion! If someone is working on carriage automata, I'd be a truly happy man.

Vortext, gotta say, love your carriage T-21's! The horses may look a bit strange without animated legs, but automata model can be pulled off, I'm sure.

[vortext]

@marsh, thanks. It is has been a long standing frustration not being able to start out in a realistic fashion. In fact, it was one of the reasons I grew tired of simcity years ago, before discovering the online community. See below for more on the automata suggestion.

@Lior, thanks

@dwelln8hss32 / Jake, it will remain shrouded in mystery forever  But I'm glad you did find your way eventually, any feedback is greatly appreciated. Feel free to drop a line now and again.

On the carriages automata issue; I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it yet 
However, while looking into it, I came acros some issues which - perhaps unfortunately for some - make it highly unlikely I will go down that road street anytime soon.

First there's the modelling. As far as I'm aware, it's simply not possible to take a prop and conveniently turn it into an automata. It would require some 3d program, with which I'm unfamiliar, to import them and take the skin or start modelling from scratch.

Secondly there's versatility. Automata are applied to a network irregardless of development (if any). T21s on the other hand allow for every possible combination of wealth, zoning & rci-type (though not quite straight forward which adds to the hassle). 

Then there are minor issues like pathing. The streets are designed to have the carriages in the middle, which would make the automata in opposite direction crashing into each other all the time. Unless I redesigned the whole darn thing 

In short, it has already been a rather lenghty learning curve and I feel making automata would take too much time and effort for too little result. Especially given other projects already in the pipeline. I just need to sit down and sort stuff out but I had too much fun lotting and actually playing the game once in a while 

[noahclem]

Really nice to see all the progress around here since I last visited! Things seem to be going really well and I like you're suggestion that it could eventually turn into an MD--It's certainly one I'd like to become more familiar with 

Keep up the great work!