Wow! didn't expect this to take off like this. (takes a deep breath...) here goes
RepliesYoman: Thanks for the compliments. Hopefully I'll be adding in several more clever ideas we couldn't do before.
Jmyers: That's a big compliment coming from you. Always loved your work. And I still smile when I see how those cattle guards came out, just did them today

.
Meihosen;Schulmenator;Edge: Thanks for the support guys, wasn't sure how much peoople would care about this, but now I know

.
Thundercrack: I'vbe actually comtemplated something like this for a while, but I totally stubbled into using the transparent textures idea when I accidently forgot I changed a texture ID and ended up with 'em, best damn modding mistake I ever made(since changed over to Jeronij's method for the transparency) Glad you're liking it.
Figui: Thanks!Unfortunately incorporatig them fully into normal farming areas, while a goal eventually, will be much more difficult(at least in the scope I have in mind) due to the large number of textures it would have to be lotted for, but I'm gonna work up something soon just for you to explore the possibilities, so stay tuned.
Zaphod: lol, we'll see how many people actually get that one. I'm actually hoping to reskin the maxis cows if I ever find the right .fsh files as the frickin' Holstien's really chap my a.. well we won't go there. I can actually convert my models to barbed wire pretty easy and plan to, but I have doubts about how well it will look in game, we'll see once I get there. I'm also looking at a number of things like you've mentioned already, so if you have any source pics on anything you'd like to see just post 'em up in here and I'll get to it. Anyway, on a side note, just saw your'e from College Station in your profile, you at A&M?(class of '05-WHOOP!-myself, yea, I know, I'm old)
Bigslark: Stick around, more to come, and if you have any ideas... feel free to post some pictures in here.
Flame: lol, thanks for stopping by, I know you're looking forward to this, and fortunately since you can do everything by mouse in SC4, you won't even have to replace that keyboard....
Additional CommentsAs I mentioned in a few replies, I'm interested in seeing source pics of the kinds of things people would like to see for rural areas. I know what I'd like to see from my area, but I'd like to make this ecclectic as possible as rural areas are not the same everywhere. There's a whole world of things out there and I'd like to see it all come to life through this project. Can't gaurantee I'll get to everything, but the better idea I have for what I'm creating the better the results will be. Yall are a part of this also, so let's make it happen.
Chris
This is the entire original post. I've moved it down here to make room for updates to the stickied post

As Promised to a few folks, I’m starting this thread to showcase and get feedback on my present project, which I’m affectionately calling the Rural Renewal Project or RRP(what would a project be these days without a three letter acronym?) This of course includes the most visible part of it that I’ve shown in a few pictures, my new fences, along with a number of other elements currently in progress or planned designed to increased the realism, fluidity(yeah, like non-grid type s***), and diversity of rural areas.
But enough of talking, pictures are worth a thousand words, so here are a few dissertations on the subject for you(in pixilated form)


So to start off with a breakdown of items currently in progress.
Elements Base Set Fences

Overhanging LotsThe Pieces with paths under them indicate sections with overhanging props, so that the paths are actually separate lots placed under the props. As you can see, all of the gates have been done in this fashion, which means paths and networks(streets, roads) can be run through them, though I still have to render the diagonal gate(notice only one is done at present, the models exist, they just haven’t been rotated and rendered) to be in the right position.
GatesThese are using prop families such that there is only one lot for closed ortho. gates(actually two, one overhanging to the left, one to the right), same for ortho open gates, then just one for diagonal open and diagonal closed(these don't need a left and right version as far as I've seen so far, but haven't really tested yet)
Current ProgressMost of this set is done, with the exception of the gates which have to be rendered and modded. Other than that I have a couple of mirrored pieces to make of one or two lots seen above(such as the ‘S’ Curve with the base texture still showing.) Furthermore Ltexts for them all, and a few custom icons have to be done for the newer ones.
Gravel/Dirt Paths
Current ProgressStill a couple missing here too, in particular 4-way pieces. Most of what is left to do here is though is icons and naming. If anyone sees any important missing pieces I didn’t think about let me know. As a side note you might also have noticed that the street transition is transit enabled.
In the next update I’ll try to show a few of the additional elements I’ve got planned including additional ‘pasture’ mayor mode flora in the works(look around you'll see a few) as well as some additional props, buildings, and entrances. On that note, one more teaser.

Chris