NAM General Discussion Thread

[GoaSkin 2]

Are bridges you built before still existing or missing/ showing boxes?

[+Guest]

Tropod 2005-06-19 16:53:30 EDT

Schattenparker:

it does more than just that. The changes to the Traffic Exemplar for the commute time actually increases the upper commute time allowed for Sims, by x10. So they're more willing to travel further to look for & travel to work. The changes to the Graph are made simply for adjustment purposes, because of this, nothing more.

quote>In my own traffic plugin, rather than changing the graph to reflect the increased times, I decreased the commute time (internal units) to minutes multiplier in proportion to the amount that I increased the commute length. Wouldn't that be a more elegant (and smaller) solution?

[Tropod 144]

Date: 6/20/2005 3:34:58 PM
Author: abcd

I have a annoying Problem with the NAM: I downloaded the latest version and installed everything I need!

BUT I'm unable to build One Way-Bridges, I can't build them at all!

In earlier versions I was able too.

What I'm doing wrong?

quote>

Chances are you have a file conflict issue on your hands. I know of at least one of the AvenueTurningLane Mod versions released some time ago, contained a file conflict that caused this. There are other files capable of causing this, but I doubt they'd be the issue. Either way though, you should check all your files in the Plugins folder. And remember, to look at the Q&A file in the documentation in the first instance when encountering issues.

[abcd 5]

Date: 6/21/2005 4:58:33 AM Author: Tropod

Date: 6/20/2005 3:34:58 PM Author: abcd

I have a annoying Problem with the NAM:  I downloaded the latest version and installed everything I need!

BUT I'm unable to build One Way-Bridges, I can't build them at all!

In earlier versions I was able too.

What I'm doing wrong?

quote> Chances are you have a file conflict issue on your hands. I know of at least one of the AvenueTurningLane Mod versions released some time ago, contained a file conflict that caused this. There are other files capable of causing this, but I doubt they'd be the issue. Either way though, you should check all your files in the Plugins folder. And remember, to look at the Q&A file in the documentation in the first instance when encountering issues.

quote>

OHHH shame about me!

I had an old BETA version of the Avenue Turning Lanes installed somewhere in my plugins folder!

I think that caused the Problem!

 

But anyway thanks for your help!

[trixin 2]

I just need to take a moment to congratulate all the users who worked on the NAM. I downloaded it a few days ago and I just tried it out. The extra puzzle pieces are great and I love the monorail overpass! I can't wait until there's another version out! Great work guys!

[andy33b 0]

First, I want to congratulate all the people who contributed to this mod.

 

Second... my question... is it somehow possible to extend the GLR over the city borders (make a connection to the neighbour city)?

So far I have to raise GLR to el-rail go through the city border and then (in the other city) go back to GLR. The anoying part is that the GLR-to-el-rail transition needs so much space.

Making a el-rail connection and then placing GLR-tiles over the el-rail destroys my connetion to the neighbour city.

 

[ktsurfdk 0]

I am still missing puzzle pieces even after I looked through all my plugin folders and removed anything that I thought might interfere with the NAM/GLR. I have made sure that the structure of my NAM plugin folder is as follows:

C:\...Modfiles\
...NetworkAddonMod.dat
...NAM_Automata.dat
...NAM_Avenue_Turning_Lane.dat
...NAM_Traffic.dat
...\Modfiles
......AAX1_Traffic_Lights.dat
......GLR-Textures 5 is 4.dat
......GLR-Textures.dat
......Intersection_Avenue4Way_Paths.dat
......NAM Cosmetic.dat
......NAM FSH.dat
......Ped Cosmetic.dat
......ZGLR_base_Textures.dat
......ZGLR_new_nam_rul_fixed.dat
......ZFLR_overlay_textures.dat

Is this the correct installation? or do I need to rearrange how the folder is organised to make sure I get all the puzzle pieces? Thanks

[GoaSkin 2]

If you're using a jun/05 NAM, delete all the sub-MODs you use!

[ArkenbergeJoe 35]

Here's my modified avenue intersection for the rail

 https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Gleis_blau.JPG width=639 align=baseline>

It is not finished yet.

@edit: Screen #2

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//Bahnfahrt.JPG width=511 align=baseline>

Greetings from Germany, from the simszone.de

[Tropod 144]

Date: 6/22/2005 4:50:39 AM
Author: ktsurfdk
I am still missing puzzle pieces even after I looked through all my plugin folders and removed anything that I thought might interfere with the NAM/GLR. I have made sure that the structure of my NAM plugin folder is as follows:

C:...Modfiles\n
...NetworkAddonMod.dat
...NAM_Automata.dat
...NAM_Avenue_Turning_Lane.dat
...NAM_Traffic.dat
...Modfiles
......AAX1_Traffic_Lights.dat
......GLR-Textures 5 is 4.dat
......GLR-Textures.dat
......Intersection_Avenue4Way_Paths.dat
......NAM Cosmetic.dat
......NAM FSH.dat
......Ped Cosmetic.dat
......ZGLR_base_Textures.dat
......ZGLR_new_nam_rul_fixed.dat
......ZFLR_overlay_textures.dat

Is this the correct installation? or do I need to rearrange how the folder is organised to make sure I get all the puzzle pieces? Thanks

quote>


As GoaSkin has pointed out, if you use the most recent NAM version (061705), remove any files that are older than it. When a new NAM version is released, usually anything prior to it can safely be, or needs to be for functional reasons, deleted. This has historically always been the case. If in doubt, check & compare the date (time stamp) of the files involved.

http://ndex.simvision.net/files/signature.html

[smoncrie 43]

Andy33b,

I have a working GLR puzzle piece for crossing a border. It has not yet been released.

This is how it will work: You create a neighbor connection using elevated rail, then you plop the puzzle piece on top of the elevated rail tracks to convert them to GLR.   The piece has to be plopped on both sides of the border.

The puzzle piece will be straight, 3 tiles long, and will work for orthogonal border crossings.

Ktsurfdk,

I notice that you are using Ped Cosmetic.dat.  I suggest that you replace it with Ped CosmeticV2.dat.  It is designed to work with the latest NAM.  You can get it here .

[javispedro 0]

Date: 6/17/2005 7:31:46 PM
Author: GoaSkin
If you need a spanish version of the NAM, try this link:

It will be placed in the usual download area there soon.

quote>
I've just uploaded it. The original files + spanish translation + translated install readme (technical details were too much ).
Check it here .

[gstommylee 6]

just a fair warning for the turning lane project its a work in progress try not to do any intersections that have less then 4 turning lanes for the orth to orth cross the paths aren't finished.

[ktsurfdk 0]

Thanks for your help guys. Once I deleted the extra files, I had no problems getting all the puzzle pieces. I had no idea that the main .dat compiled everything; it was kinda vaguely worded in the readme.

[GoaSkin 2]

Thanks for uploading the spanish translation! I linked it on the GLR homepage too.

[Bones1 96]

Who decided to set the pathfinding heuristic in the traffic simulator to 0.0465 in betterpathfinding, and 0.003 in perfectpathfinding. Why did you choose those values? Is there something significant about those particular values, or were they just tried out at random? Why not 0.04 or 0.05?

[GoaSkin 2]

If we set a big value, we could have a stupid pathfinding engine to make the game faster for slow engines. Does this make sense?

[lookinin 2]

GoaSkin: Maybe it's the Beavis avatar above you, but I can't decide if you have a wonderful sense of humor or if that's just an absolutely brilliant idea

[Bones1 96]

I don't know about your sims, but my sims are already plenty stupid enough!

What I meant, was, why pick 0.0465? That's kind of an odd number, don't you think? Is there some significance to that particular value?

[shanghai kid 6]

Date: 6/22/2005 6:44:05 AM Author: ArkenbergeJoe

Here's my modified avenue intersection for the rail

It is not finished yet.

@edit: Screen #2

Greetings from Germany, from the simszone.de

Wow, this looks great

[Tropod 144]

Date: 6/25/2005 4:43:04 PM
Author: Bones1
Who decided to set the pathfinding heuristic in the traffic simulator to 0.0465 in 'betterpathfinding', and 0.003 in 'perfectpathfinding'. Why did you choose those values? Is there something significant about those particular values, or were they just tried out at random? Why not 0.04 or 0.05?

quote>

1. Me.
2. cause I felt like it & had nothing else better to do
3. randomly


Really though , there is a significance to it.
0.0465 is effectively half the original value. It's basically a balance between what Maxis originally had, & the most accurate pathfinding possible (below). Zero was used as the base in halving the original value, as opposed to 0.003, as the difference is negligible.
0.003 was specifically chosen based on work done a long time ago by the7trumpets. There's a whole calculation base upon which it was chosen (it's amongst old threads somewhere). It's as low as it goes for pathfinding accuracy. Anything lower, will only make the game come to a crawl (even more) with very little or no added benifit. Changes to the pathfinding heuristic though, require that the game given time to update everything.
So in a nutshell; changes made may not always be fully explained/documented or apparent, but changes are usually made for good reason.

[Bones1 96]

Thanks for the explanation. One clarification: what do you mean by, the game needs time to update? I've read somewhere here that running the game on slow speed rather than fast speed will cause the path heuristic to figure things out more quickly. Is that true? If so, does one's computer power also result in paths being figured out more quickly in game time?

I've normally found that paths are calculated a couple of times per year (in game time). I didn't think it depended on how fast the speed was set, or how fast one's computer is.

[Tropod 144]

I meant in reference to Real-Time (not game time, though this does has a bearing). The Pathfinding aspect of the game is one of those areas that is very CPU intensive. So the slower a computers CPU, the longer it may take for the game to update changes to the pathfinding (& the opposite is also true. faster cpu = quicker to update). It may also take longer between (checking) cycles depending on the accuarcy of the heuristic. It can really bog a computer down, depending on city size, pc specs & the value of the heuristic.
As for the game speed: depending on the game speed, some things are actually not checked, or not checked as often. This only makes sense considering how much of a resource hog the game is. I'd be speculating though as to exactly what is/isn't checked as much when the game is on the fastest speed. As for the path heuristic updating more quickly with the game speed on slow: well that can all depend on an individual city & what it contains really (& again of course, PC specs).

[buckbeach 8]

I have just downloaded the NAM mod from the STEX and this is the first time I am attempting to use it.  I have tried to extract the ZIP file but it is crashing during the extract.  I have tried extracting under PowerDesk program and Windows and the both close with a direction to report the crashes to Microsoft.  If someone else has already experienced this and it has already been discussed, please direct me to the thread.

 

Note, the readme extracts and several folders with partial (??) files, but I don't think all the items are extracted.

 Only 478KB shows for the 6MB plus download.

Thank you.

 

PS I tried to extract to a non-SIMCity temporary file.

[Andreas Roth 607]

Maybe the download got corrupted, try downloading the NAM from my mirror server: http://www.newspringfield.de/glr_mod/NetworkAddonMod_Beta_06.17.05.zip  You should also try a dedicated ZIP program, such as  WinZip or WinRAR .

[buckbeach 8]

Date: 6/27/2005 11:42:43 AM Author: Andreas Roth

Maybe the download got corrupted, try downloading the NAM from my mirror server: http://www.newspringfield.de/glr_mod/NetworkAddonMod_Beta_06.17.05.zip You should also try a dedicated ZIP program, such as WinZip or WinRAR .

quote>

 

Thank you

[Loodijzer 0]

First of all I like to thank the creators and helpers of NAM. I think it is great. Thank you.

But I've got a little problem, but I'm not sure if it's NAM related. There is one Y-crossing that I cannot make. 

 

It is an avenue running from East ot West (or West to East) and I want to make a branch to the SouthWest.  See atachment.

 

It cannot be done. All other directions are no problem to me, only this one. Mayby it's an bug of NAM or is it something else. Does anyone else has this problem???

 

Once again thank you very much for giving me NAM.

[popewiz 1]

I believe that's a problem caused by the avenue turning lane part of the mod.  You need to look for the very latest release of NAM that has the avenue turning land mod removed.  I believe it's in this thread somewhere.

[MallowTheCloud 41]

Hmm... I'm not exactly sure where this goes, but I figured I'd post it in here.


I'm having a problem with the 'puzzle pieces'. When I try to use the piece 'avenue over rail' (the first one), I have the rail already layed... well, as soon as the piece is in place, the game gives me about 1 second to do anything then crashes to the desktop.

In other words:

1) I layed rail down.
2) I went to the firs 'avenue over rail' puzzle piece.
3) I moused over the rail to put the piece in place
... one second passes ...
4) The game crashes to the desktop.


I did a search on the forums but found nothing on this. Is this known? Is it only happening with my computer?


Thanks in advance for your help.

[Mickebear 2]

MallowTheCloud: that sounds like the typical NAM bug (which cannot be fixed) to me. Were there a station or other network transit enabled item close by when you were hovering over the railway?