NAM General Discussion Thread

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

OK, the NAM site is properly working now.

[GoaSkin 2]

I converted a small railway for handling El-trains instead of passenger trains because I read that with the NAM the usual railroad tracks are able to be used be El-trains too. But the only result was that the station wasn't used anymore by any kind of train.

Are the railtracks really usable for EL-traffic too or is it just visually so that they can be used by elevated railway vehicles but not really handle the passengers?

[sjh123 0]

Date: 1/30/2005 10:42:21 AM
Author: newyorkrunaway1

Date: 1/30/2005 9:41:06 AM
Author: morifari
I was wondering: Is everyone with a knowledge of overpasses and puzzle pieces lost to RLS, or are there someone left who can tell up from down when it comes to those things? Because I need some help.

As you may be aware, some folks in another corner of Simtrop have recentlt been working on a mod to change the road textures in the game to a more European look (have a look here ).

Now, I'd like to also switch over the NAM puzzle pieces and overpasses to this new look. The new road textures are basically based on the one-way textures, so the NAM one-way pieces fit the bill just right visually. All that's needed is to make them two-way, or to do a switcharoo on the textures used on the road pieces. I've had a look at the files, but it's all a bit too complex for me. If anyone is interested in helping with this, send me a PM or post in the thread mentioned above.

Thanks!

BTW - on a different note: I've noticed what seems to be a compatibility issue with the new stack and that nice gradual elevated hw to ground hw transition. When the stack is installed, the transition doesn't work. RedLotus - you may want to look into this.

^^^^^^^^^^
I am checking on this for you right now.

 i am having the same problem with the slope piece

[wraith90 1]

After I got the Stack the Pedesterian Puzzle pieces would not plop down.

[slincoln 2]

I also cannot get the stack interchange to place. Is there some special way to do it? I am unable to place it in the middle of nowhere, or even on a ground highway / elevated highway cross-over.

[LBraden 14]

when will another version of the NAM be released

[Cjah 15]

Adm Lee J.E. Braden:I'd say not for a while...

GoaSkin:I to was pondering this...why do el trains show up on ground rail if they don't do anything...

wraith90:I've always had problems with the ped pieces....My comp always crashes when I place them....

My question...
I want to know if any of the old work will resume on the N.A.M?I mean will the original founders continue their work or are they lost to RLS?

Also I remember seeing some onramps that were cool.(the diagnol ones)

Will they be in the next N.A.M or will they be forgotten?

[GoaSkin 2]

Hello,
can somebody help me please with puzzle pieces?
I have:
- a 1x1 lot with a texture showing a railway part
- usable path and RUL-files for it

What have I to do to transform that into a rail piece added to the rail piece menu?


@CJAH: The animations of vehicles on streets and rails are not declared with the same code which explains the game what passengers can be transported on it. So I think there may be a PATH-definition which allows you to see El-Trains going on usual rail tracks if you use a ramp and the UDI-mission is also possible on usual rail tracks but the RUL-definition is still missing so that there is no real El-service possible on rail tracks which the game uses to route the commuters.

[morifari 65]

Date: 1/31/2005 10:52:41 PM
Author: smoncrie

Morifari, I think I can help.
First open the NetworkAddonMod.dat file with reader. Then press on the Instance column head to sort by instances. Search for instance 10000000 and verify that it is a RUL file. Right click on the file and select Save decoded file. Note the files it creates. Change the file's type from .rul to .txt, and double click on it to open it as a text file.
In this text file search for the puzzle piece you want e.g. roadxrail puzzle piece
Keep searching until you find something that looks like:
[HighwayIntersectionInfo_0x0000702A]
; roadxrail puzzle piece
Scroll a short distance down to find:
AutoTileBase= 0x03120300
Note the number (or copy it into the paste buffer).
Go back to reader and type control-g
In the Goto window that pops up select Instance, enter the number (the number should begin with 0x) and click on Go.
This will take you to the model that the puzzle piece uses. Make sure you select the S3D file with that IID. (Caution: sometimes a model is used by more than one puzzle piece.)
Click on the Mats tab in reader. The numbers now shown in the Material ID are the IIDs of the FSH files the model uses, and you can use them to find the FSH files. The road texture is usually only a portion of the total FSH texture.
There may be more than one model for a puzzle piece, their IID's will differ from the AutoTileBase number in the 6th and/or 7th digit.
I hope this is clear enough.
smoncrie

quote>

Thanks a lot! This looks very useful indeed (as soon as I figure it all out).

[smoncrie 43]

wraith90,

The stack beta uses an old RUL file datad 10.04.04

When you use this beta you are, in effect, reverting to an older version of the NAM. That version has only the two original ped malls.

Edit: Goaskin,

I may look at doing additional puzzle pieces when I get some of my OnSlope puzzle pieces in the NAM.

smoncrie

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

I wonder if I can get a personalized title like other people who contribute to simtropolis? I created this amazing, stable site to host the NAM and its development, so, what do ya say admins?

[Andreas Roth 607]

Date: 2/2/2005 10:23:37 PM
Author: newyorkrunaway1
I wonder if I can get a personalized title like other people who contribute to simtropolis? I created this amazing, stable site to host the NAM and its development, so, what do ya say admins?

I guess you can only get a title when you're not asking for it...

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

guess so, oh well. lol, it was a long shot. lol It was worth the shot though.

[Cjah 15]

I've long envied those with titles...I wish I had one...Like....Well I don't know but at least I'm finally a member after being here for like a year and a half...

I had no e-mail adress....

Anyway how can we fix it so the ped malls work?

[momo 1]

Date: 1/30/2005 11:46:06 AM
Author: newyorkrunaway1
This is possible and im not sure what your doing to make it not work, the below picture shows it.

T

quote>

I have the same problem too. As soon as I put the NetworkAddonMod_TGC_El_Grnd_Stack.dat file in my plugins directory, the Ground-Elevated Highway transition is no longer available from the Custom Interchanges menu (via the TAB key). If I take this file out, the Ground-Elevated Highway transition item becomes available again.

I am using the 11-29 version of the NAM. I have also removed everything from my plugins directories except for the NAM and the NetworkAddonMod_TGC_El_Grnd_Stack.dat file but it made no difference. The presence of this stack file in my plugins folder consistently eliminates the Ground-Elevated Highway transition from the TAB-cycle when the Custom Interchanges menu item is selected.

I have removed everything from my C:\Documents and Settings\ROOT\My Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins directory--it is empty (I login to XP as ROOT.) My C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Plugins directory only contains these files:

NetworkAddonMod.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Automata_Plugin_Radical_Automata24.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Custom_Highway_Menu_Plugin_Optional.dat
NetworkAddonMod_TGC_El_Grnd_Stack.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Traffic_Plugin_BetterPathfinding_5xCapacity_10xSpeeds_10xCommute.dat

Why does the stack file conflict with the Ground-Elevated Highway transition item? What am I doing wrong?

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

I am not sure what you guys are doing. All my plugins from the NAM work, ped tiles, tgc stack, gradual elevated/ground transition, etc. Post pics of your problems so we can see exactly what kind of problem your having with it.

[SimCop 4]

Although that wasn't exactly my intention at the time, I simply PM'd Dirk with an idea, and poof, I got a custom title.  

[Cjah 15]

I have all of the above probs....Except I can place my stack interchange...
(Picture two pages back..)

Anyway I notice in cities I had a grad freeway transition it still stays...

But my only problem seems to be with getting it to work again...Like I'll get rid of it and it wont come back..Like I try to get it to work and it wont..Also it isn't in the menu...

And again with the malls,they don't work and have never really worked for me...I kinda don't care about the malls cuase I don't use them...I only noticed the problem when I accidentaly clicked it and my comp crashed...

Well other then that I have no problems.....

I still think these problems are worth having just to see the glorious Stack...

(Cjah bows down to the N.A.M. gods for this great creation..)

I have been waiting for it for ever!But its all worht it...

[momo 1]

Date: 2/3/2005 12:57:47 AM
Author: newyorkrunaway1
I am not sure what you guys are doing. All my plugins from the NAM work, ped tiles, tgc stack, gradual elevated/ground transition, etc. Post pics of your problems so we can see exactly what kind of problem your having with it.

quote>

The problem is is that when the TGC stack file is placed in the plugins directory the Ground-Elevated transition is NO LONGER AVAILABLE. The TGC stack itself works. If the TGC stack file is there the Ground-Elevated transition is NO LONGER AVAILABLE period. It is no longer available from the menu or from plopping an Elevated Highway over a Ground Highway (or vica versa)--the game does not prompt you to build the transition. If the TGC stack file is removed from the plugins directory, the Ground-Elevated transition magically becomes available again (from both the menu item and from the in-game building prompt.)

These are the files I have in my plugins directory C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4\Plugins (I have no files in the Documents and Settings plugins directory):

NetworkAddonMod.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Automata_Plugin_Radical_Automata24.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Custom_Highway_Menu_Plugin_Optional.dat
NetworkAddonMod_TGC_El_Grnd_Stack.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Traffic_Plugin_BetterPathfinding_5xCapacity_10xSpeeds_10xCommute.dat

The above files are from the 11-29 version of the NAM. Out of curosity I removed the NetworkAddonMod_Custom_Highway_Menu_Plugin_Optional.dat file to see if it would make any difference--it didn't.

Since the Ground-Elevated transition works with the TGC stack on your machine can you post the complete filenames of all the files from the 11-29 NAM distribution that you are using in your plugins directory? Then I can copy the same files you are using from the 11-29 NAM distribution into my plugins directory to see if it makes any difference. As other people have this problem too it can't just be my setup but if we know what you have in your plugins directories we can try using the exact same files you are using from the NAM and see if the problem still occurs. I'm using Rush Hour with the UPDATE_SKU1_TO_P1_B638.EXE patch from EA Games.

[+Guest]

I like the Stack. what other interchanges are coming soon.

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

Date: 2/3/2005 1:48:19 AM
Author: momo

Date: 2/3/2005 12:57:47 AM
Author: newyorkrunaway1
I am not sure what you guys are doing. All my plugins from the NAM work, ped tiles, tgc stack, gradual elevated/ground transition, etc. Post pics of your problems so we can see exactly what kind of problem your having with it.

The problem is is that when the TGC stack file is placed in the plugins directory the Ground-Elevated transition is NO LONGER AVAILABLE. The TGC stack itself works. If the TGC stack file is there the Ground-Elevated transition is NO LONGER AVAILABLE period. It is no longer available from the menu or from plopping an Elevated Highway over a Ground Highway (or vica versa)--the game does not prompt you to build the transition. If the TGC stack file is removed from the plugins directory, the Ground-Elevated transition magically becomes available again (from both the menu item and from the in-game building prompt.)

These are the files I have in my plugins directory Crogram FilesMaxisSimCity 4Plugins (I have no files in the 'Documents and Settings' plugins directory):

NetworkAddonMod.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Automata_Plugin_Radical_Automata24.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Custom_Highway_Menu_Plugin_Optional.dat
NetworkAddonMod_TGC_El_Grnd_Stack.dat
NetworkAddonMod_Traffic_Plugin_BetterPathfinding_5xCapacity_10xSpeeds_10xCommute.dat

The above files are from the 11-29 version of the NAM. Out of curosity I removed the NetworkAddonMod_Custom_Highway_Menu_Plugin_Optional.dat file to see if it would make any difference--it didn't.

Since the Ground-Elevated transition works with the TGC stack on your machine can you post the complete filenames of all the files from the 11-29 NAM distribution that you are using in your plugins directory? Then I can copy the same files you are using from the 11-29 NAM distribution into my plugins directory to see if it makes any difference. As other people have this problem too it can't just be my setup but if we know what you have in your plugins directories we can try using the exact same files you are using from the NAM and see if the problem still occurs. I'm using Rush Hour with the UPDATE_SKU1_TO_P1_B638.EXE patch from EA Games.

lol, i see what you need now, you need to put the Custom Highway Menu dat into your plugins folder. Then when you get back in game and go down to the old interchange picture, tab through until you get to the ground/elevated gradual change.

[kbriffa 0]

I've downloaded the November 29 NAM version but am having problems with EL double decker. Although the menu item is available, when I select it nothing comes up - the arrow just changes to red. Same problems with the malls - those used to work in previous verions of the NAM. Help please!

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

man, i am not sure what you guys are doing, but it works fine for me. Why is all this stuff not working for you guys. hmmmm, just odd.....

[smoncrie 43]

I have a patch that allows one to use the new stack and all the other NAM stuff.  I have only given it a quick test, and it still does not allow one to rotate the new stack.

Should I publish it?

smoncrie

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

the new stack is not rotatable at all, that is why we told you it was a beat version, as it is. Until redlotus makes it that way or one of you guys do, its going to be stuck in that one position. Im sorry about that. I dont think redlotus is going to be able to do that until he works out all the graphics with the stack too. And i have amazing news, i was contacted by tropod, and he says he is working on the NAM too with new stuff. He did not disclose exactly what this was, but he sounded excited. So guys, I think we're in for some new stuff from him. No promises though.

[Ryan B 35]

Well, that's some good news - hearing from Tropod!

[Ryan B 35]

Well, that's some good news - hearing from Tropod!

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

woops, double post ay, lol

yes it is good news, i emailed him back just now, so, hopefuly soon we can get some great new stuff in the NAM.

[mr.v 40]

i don't know, what is last+real 'nam'
i found many link in this forum.
i confuse :S

[greyveil 37]

The link in my sig is the current NAM as well as the link in newyorkrunaway1 sig.

hope this helps...