Bridge Height Modd

[joerg 280]

One of the things i hate so much in RH is how high bridges have to be. I mean come on what bridge has a 40 degree slope leading up to it. So i was thinking that the bridges required hieght is probabaly determined by a file somewhere in the dats and maybe this could be changed so that we could theoretically make a suspension bridge or any other bridge for that matter ride right accross the top of the water like you can do with the plain highway bridge.

 

So has anyone seen somewhere where this could be done or perhaps anyone want to take this challanage up.

[Stardog13 44]

I would really like this, good luck.

[KoolNeil 11]

this would be a great idea. I hope someone decides to take this on

[KoolNeil 11]

Also, ive never heard of a Birdge lol

[Vatt3 8]

All the bridges are in SimCity_1.dat, but you probably knew that. I found all the exemplars for them, and there is a property called "Bridge Height" that may be what you are looking for. I'm not particularly sure though until I do a little more work on this.

[AX 1]

I dont think its realistic, too, but what i do, is terraforming a little hill leadind th tha bridge, with a realistic slope, and after i build the bridge...

 

AX

[BamaKid325 1]

I, too, start mine out with a little slope first after I see where I want it to go. I don't fully place the bridge, but exit out of it before it plops. I would also like to see them a little more realistic where you don't have to make the slope first. That is a good idea.

[MayorTim 16]

This is an easier and faster way. right before the bridge (about 4 tiles from the water) change to ground highway and use that for the bridge. It is much easier than making a modd, looks better than haveing the Golden Gate drag apon the water, and it is realistic because you now get concrete walls on eather side of the slope!

[Ra_TheGreat 1]

Another marvellous idea from our boy genius joerg.......... looking forward to see the new mod

[DuskTrooper 314]

Excellent idea!  I hate the fact that the bridge has to be so far above the land-it ruins everythnig.

[Stardog13 44]

There might be a problem with allowing ferries to pass under, that information might be hard-coded.

[Stardog13 44]

You mean like this:

 

All I did was change the Bridges: Bridge Height property (0x482CB441) to 0 for the Golden Gate Bridge. I haven't tested this at all except it works visually. The only problem I see is that it won't allow ferries to pass under it.

[joerg 280]

Exactly like that Stardog. And as far as turning avenues to higways sure that is good and fine if you dont mind the slope you still get. But i dont want any slop ither than what i make myself. Also there are alot of bridges that should be clost ot the water that in the game are not.

 

Thanks for the info Stardog. If you dont mind i will probably make a mod for this unless you want to in anycase i am very anxious ot go maess with my bridges now.

[Pegasus 2,819]

What can be done for one bridge, or "birdge" if you prefer , can probably be done for them all.

I think the concern will be regarding the ferries... and that concern will be two-fold. 1. Will they visually pass under them and 2. Will they 'technically' pass through them.

From my work on the rivers, I discovered that the ferries will not 'visually' pass up a waterway that is too narrow or too shallow. But 'technically' it passes through. It visually disappears at the point it can't navigate but then appears past that point at the other ferry terminal. The usage stats for both terminals seem to be unaffected.

So, it appears that a bridge height mod is feasible and fairly simple from a technical stand point... but testing will have to be done on the impact it may have on the game.

Great idea, joerg! Sounds like a fun and interesting project. So who's running with it? Do we see any hands?

[joerg 280]

Im almost done with a dat setting all bridges to 0 hieght restrictions. So bridges will now be whatever hieght you want them to be realims will be up to you to decide. Sure a suspension bridge riding right on the water might look wierd but that will now be up to you. Also i think ferries simply cant go under a certain hieght that this property doesnt even mess with. I will test to make sure though.

[Trolca 15]

Thanks for making this mod. It's something I've been waiting for.

[mrbisonm 1,620]

Me too....Thnx!

[joerg 280]

Here is the dat. It has been tested as can be seen in the screen. If someone wants to post this in the mods section go ahead. Thanks Stardog13 for finding the propertie for this. Also according to the screen ferries cant go through so it looks good.

[joerg 280]

Well thats not working hmm ill try again.

[broken 0]

Great job, joerg. I haven't checked it yet, but I'm surprised it could be done. I know I read something somewhere before RH came out that the devs said that the incline before bridges was unavoidable. I took that as meaning that it was hardcoded into the bridges.

Chris

[Equinox 1,209]

I also appreciate this mod.  Another fantastic job!

You should be a Modd Squad Groupie, LOL. 

[TheGrandHooHa 0]

Good job joerg and stardog. This mod goes a long way in terms of adding realism to cities.

[Teirusu 38]

Fantastic Joerg! Your off to a very good starting on your modding career!

This will make placing bridges much easier!

[Pegasus 2,819]

I just tested it and the lower bridges do, indeed, impede water traffic.

I tested it in an area where I have 2 ferry terminals on opposite ends of a river that leads from an ocean to off map/'Sim Nation'. With a normal, pre-mod bridge crossingn that river, the ferries ran between the terminals, the usage stat indicated usage. Also, large ships, tugs, fishing boats, and all the smaller craft ran up the river and under the bridge as well.

Once I installed the mod and replaced the original bridge with a lower one (too low for ferries), all river traffic stopped. The ferry usage stats dropped to zero... and all ships and boats stopped using the river all together. They just stopped at the head of the river... wayed a while, started wiggling (looked like convulsions), then faded away.

The low bridges seem to act just like land. In order to make this work, you're gonna have to also change the mimimal height requirement for the various water vessels.

** As is, it can be usefull bridging small areas where water traffic won't go anyway.

[Pegasus 2,819]

PS - I forgot to report my follow up. After bulldozing the lowered bridge, the river traffic resumed. But... when I put a new 'High enough for ferries' back in its place, the water traffic stopped again.

Either a residual effect from placing a lowered bridge... or with the mod installed, even 'high enough' bridges don't work right... Not sure which... or either... but somethings not working right.

[Minotaur420 2]

Wow Joerg, you took my thoughts and put them in thread and dat form. Nice job man. I don't forsee any problem, the bridge still has to be a certain height for ferries to pass under, the only thing different is that now we're allowed to build bridges that are lower and don't let ferries pass underneath. Now I don't have to switch to freeway to build low and level avenue bridges. I've included some ss's to show how I have built bridges that allow ferry traffic and how I have dealt with building level avenue bridges.

 

ferry-passable bridge design and sloping:

 

what you had to do before:

 

Hmmm....Peg, thanks for testing that, I pulled the dat out of my plugins folder until someone else checks this, I don't want to lose my ferry traffic, and I don't have time to test myself right now (school in the morning). The bug doesn't really make sense unless you need to like dezone after demolishing the low bridge to get rid of a residual effect. Hopefully it will all clear up.

[xcalbier 43]

Yea the mod works just fine you can put a lower brige in and up grade it to boat hight and it wokrs .But I have descuvered a bug not a bad bug a Good bug.
Make a very small river lets say 4 tiles in a new reagion .Now using your road ave or highway tool (this works with all of them) start laying a road from one end of reagion to other end .next the brige tool comes up and select your brige .Now raise the briges hight.
And wala a Land Brige that goes as far as you draged the road.

[+Guest]

Using the road tool, I level the approach at bridge height for a while, then soften the ascent using the smoothing tool.

[Equinox 1,209]

Minotaur, exactly how did you manage to make those slopes?
Those look really good to me!

[joerg 280]

That is a wierd bug wiht the ferries. Hmm i wonder if this would have happened before. I will test this when i get home. But i suggest for now that if you need to have a ferry go under it you make sure and get it right the first time. Also make sure and save before you place the bridge. I always save before i use a mod of some kind in my cities when i first start usign the mod.