NAM General Discussion Thread

[gstommylee 6]

the ATL mod (Aveune turing lane) is a mod where it replaces the medium with a turning lane. When it is finished it will include Avenue to avenue, Avenue to road (and maybe) avenue to one-way (if we can get it to work as what we want it to)

[AJHAINC 0]

After experimenting with the NAM for a while now...I still haven't figured out how to use the ANT network, nor do I completely understand what its for either, if someone who does could explain it either in this thread or just PM me with an explaination I would greatly appreciate it.

-Thanks

[GoaSkin 2]

Why do we speak about ANT when the network is originally called Dirtroad?

[Andreas Roth 607]

@GoaSkin: Was this intended as a rhetorical question? As far as I know, Tropod named the dirt roads some modders found buried in the SC4 files Additional Network Tool, since it showed the potential to be used as an additional network. The exact type (dirt road, rural highway etc.) wasn't determined yet, so the generic name was quite fitting.

Date: 6/6/2005 2:18:57 AM Author: AJHAINC After experimenting with the NAM for a while now...I still haven't figured out how to use the ANT network, nor do I completely understand what its for either, if someone who does  could explain it either in this thread or just PM me with an explaination I would greatly appreciate it. -Thanks

quote>

 

As I said above, the ANT was originally intended to be a dirt road network - at least this seems to be the plan that Maxis had when developing it. But due to unknown reasons (maybe time or functionality issues) it was deactivated in the original game. Tropod re-activated the tool and named it ANT, for the reasons just mentioned. The mayor drawback in using this network tool is the inability of using zones along it. That means that no buildings develop when you use the ANT as streets or roads. This is the same behaviour the in-game highways are showing, so Tropod designated the ANT as rural highways.

 

In it's original form in the NAM it looks the same like the roads, but the capacities and speeds are higher. Therefore, you could create a network that looks like a road, but behaves more than a highway. If you don't have a clue why to use it, then simply don't use it. If you think you need a road with higher speeds and capacities in the undeveloped areas of your city, go ahead and use it instead of the normal roads. But remember, no building will grow along it!

 

At the moment, there are some efforts in converting the ANT into something more useful. Teirusu is trying to create one-way highways, so you will be able to split the original highway and create individual stretches for both directions (useful for mountainous areas and such), and togehter with frimi2 I'm creating a mod that converts the ANT into diagonal streets. We still have to deal with the inability to grow any buildings along it, but with some clever zoning, this issue can be solved quite nicely.

[AJHAINC 0]

Good. Now I know what the ANT is or the dirtroads (heh) are. I appreciate your help. Thanks again.

[GoaSkin 2]

I don't like to use ANT-based network tools. The network is buggy and limited. Apart from that, various developers want to make ANT-based stuff but it can be only used for one kind of network.

[AJHAINC 0]

According to Andreas' description, the whole ANT system sounds a bit useless, more so than when I was experimenting with it, unless someone can, like he said, turn it into a oneway highway or something. Also I have had my game crash on me when using the ANT as well...

[GoaSkin 2]

I am more pleased with puzzle pieces. The only advance of the ANT is that it has a dragging tool. It is not possible to create such tools for new network. But the system itself is somehow useless.

I think the oneway highway pieces will mostly be used to realize complex interchange/exit solutions or to split the highways where it's the best solution, f.e. if there are many hills and small valleys. I think mostly oneway highways will represent short parts of a regular highway and not a replacement for a oneway road which begins and results into a regular oneway road.

Highway puzzle pieces are better.

Forget the ANT! It's useless.

[Teirusu 38]

Goaskin,

I don't quite understand your dislike for ANT.  Granted I agree with both you and Andreas that ANT in it's current form is practically useless.  So, we just need to give it a use.  And besides, in this case I believe we can have both ground-highway puzzle pieces and ANT-related tools and functions.  So, what's the problem?

 

-Teirusu

[Andreas Roth 607]

Well, yeah, in it's current form the ANT isn't that useful, esp. with the restrictions mentioned above. But there's one big advantage - you can drag it instead of the need to place dozens of puzzle pieces. And I think it's a good thing to have it separated from the main NAM file, independent of the main RUL file, which is always a headache to maintain when a new mod is created. Using the NAM, you only have to create some (ok, hundreds and hundreds ) textures, modifying some exemplars, and you're done. And unless we find a better solution, why not using it for the diagonal streets or whatever? It might be not perfect, but still serves a purpose, and that's what counts.

[frimi2 0]

.... muhaha .... some textures he said Nearly 2000 (with alpha-maps) Textures I've done for the Street-Mod. Our Andreas ... every time good for good joke (double-wide-grin)

[Tropod 144]

I'm not going to comment or speculate on the ANT's functionality. I've said more than enough of my fair share on the matter. But if you don't fully understand it, then please don't comment on it in such a way that it degradates its purpose as far as its inclusion in the NAM goes. It's been made very clear that it's Beta, & I've personally done more than enough for the item to get it where it is. Maxis made it, not us. We can only work with what we've got.


As for the Textures for it; Only the default ones were kept. So there is essentially only one wealth type for them. I'd done this because it reduces the number of required files by 75%. So instead of there being about 2100 Textures, there's just 700. If you wanted to retain the different wealths, then I guess one could do that if so desired. Would just mean more work involved though.

[Tropod 144]

It's been 3 months to the day since the last public release, so thought it only fitting that today be the day to publicly release next version.
Quite a lot of things have changed since the last version. So it is important that you read the Documentation at the first sign of trouble, not come back posting here. If after reading the Documentation, you still have a problem, then by all means post away.


This version effectively brings together the following:
-NetworkAddonMod (NAM) & any new content it contains.
-NAM Cosmetic upgrades.
-Ground Light Rail mod (GLR).
-Avenue Turning Lane (ATL).
- & a variety of other items. There really is just to much to list. To give people some idea as to how much has changed; the number of internal files has gone from about 3,500 to well over 8,000 since last version.
(Please see the History file included for more details).
Please realise that many persons have contributed to this. The various projects & newer items have been done &/or provided by their respective contributors. This includes, but is not limited to, those persons mentioned in the Credits.


Issues:
-Graphical
We are currently aware that some issues still exist between some items. One such example is certain PuzzlePieces & ATL in certain configurations. Some of these issues have already been fixed. Unfortunately, at the moment some of these issues are unable to be rectified (for whatever reasons). In-game work-arounds for some of these issues is possible.

-Pathing
While we expect some pathing issues to arise, for any Pathing issue(s) that you do encounter, please in the first instance make sure you read the documentation before posting the problem.

-Other
The mod is effectively Beta still (yes still). So obviously as users come across any issues, problems, or things that need to be addressed, we will try to address them accordingly where possible & practical. So do bear with us thank you.


URL(s):
Feel free to distribute this. Do note however, that depending on any bugs that users find, & the severity of these bugs, may depend on whether or not a newer version is released (however long after) which addresses them:
6.5 MBs approximately
NetworkAddonMod_Beta_06.08.05.zip


Extra:
Thought I would post this as well. It is not necessary to have this file in order to use the NAM. It is simply a zip file containing a number of images that show how some of the custom content in the NAM might need to be used in order to work. Newer users of the NAM may find them useful. Same applies with this as the above file:
2.1 MBs approximately
NetworkAddonMod_Content_HowTo&Sample_Pics_060805.zip
EDIT: Seems there's a slight issue with this file for my ISP for some reason (maybe it's the long file names). If you have trouble downloading it, you can still view these images in a tutorial thread here: Networks: Custom Content: How To's & Sample Pics

Otherwise, you can also try downloading it from this download  thanks to Andreas.

 

Enjoy!

[frimi2 0]

Date: 6/7/2005 11:28:49 AM Author: Tropod I'm not going to comment or speculate on the ANT's functionality. I've said more than enough of my fair share on the matter. But if you don't fully understand it, then please don't comment on it in such a way that it degradates its purpose as far as its inclusion in the NAM goes. It's been made very clear that it's Beta, & I've personally done more than enough for the item to get it where it is. Maxis made it, not us. We can only work with what we've got. As for the Textures for it; Only the default ones were kept. So there is essentially only one wealth type for them. I'd done this because it reduces the number of required files by 75%. So instead of there being about 2100 Textures, there's just 700. If you wanted to retain the different wealths, then I guess one could do that if so desired. Would just mean more work involved though.

quote>

I like the ANT and I spend many, many hours to make it more usefull and I continue that work. Thanks for your work

[Andreas Roth 607]

Ahh, finally the long-awaited new version is out! Thanks for the great work to all contributors and testers, this release will push the variety of the game even higher.

@all: Please remember to remove any alpha versions of the stuff mentioned above, namely the GLR mod, the ALT mod and the NAM cosmetics mod before you install this NAM version. Hopefully, the integration of these mods will resolve any problems some people still had when trying to use them.

[GoaSkin 2]

Is it possible to replace the NAM in the ModdingFiles section here?

Edit: The GLR homepage has been updated. If someone wants to continue the localization projects and wants to translate the whole NAM into another language, please leave me a message!

[garfiedude 2]

Would i be correct in assuming that this glitch is due to the euro-mod?

Edit: just checked, yes it is.

Noticed something else though



Is that right? Or do i have something interfering? ( i removed the all ALT and the euromod but its still there).

[Andreas Roth 607]

@garfielddude: Probably. Try removing the Euro Road Textures Mod temporarily and see if it works.

EDIT: About the avenue turning lanes, do you mean the darker color of the texture? Yes, that's something I noticed, too. gstommylee might want to check them again. But remember: Tropod already said that the ATL still have some bugs.

 

@GoaSkin: I just finished updating the German language file for the NAM. The GLR language file is now obsolete, please remove this link from your site. I also uploaded the new NAM onto my webspace as a mirror. Download it here.

 

@Tropod: I just discovered that the sandstone pedmall puzzle piece with GLR tracks has a wrong label. It should read 0x580F4700 instead of 0x580F1700 in the RUL file. I already fixed this glitch in the NAM I uploaded to my site.

[garfiedude 2]

OK, for the turning lanes, thats just how it is for the time being, so live with it.

For the euromod issue, is there a latest version of the euromod for this NAM?

Also, i notice that there aren't any oneway and avenue over sunken highway pieces yet, are they in the works?

Otherwise graet stuff.

[Swamper77 90]

Date: 6/7/2005 5:50:58 PM Author: garfiedude OK, for the turning lanes, thats just how it is for the time being, so live with it. For the euromod issue, is there a latest version of the euromod for this NAM? Also, i notice that there aren't any oneway and avenue over sunken highway pieces yet, are they in the works? Otherwise graet stuff.

quote>

Garfiedude,

Attached is a fix for the problem with the Intersections on the puzzle pieces. I made it for my own use after discovering the bug that you found. Create a subfolder in the NAM folder and install the file there. It only affects the T and + Intersection Textures.

-Swamper77

[garfiedude 2]

It fixed it, excellent thanks.

One tiny other thing, is it me, or does this pedmall have two shadows?

[thatmonkeysim 8]

just so you know i just got the new NAM [6.08.05] and the diagonal one ways arent UDI and i was making sure that ok...

[smoncrie 43]

Garfiedude, I am about a third of the way through a new cosmetic mod for the new NAM (including a euro version).  I have already addressed two of the problems you mentioned.

 

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//New%20Cosmetic2.jpg align=baseline>
 

[Ryan B 35]

Tropod & everyone else who worked on the NAM, GLR, & ATL Projects:

Thank you for all your hard work.  These things you're turning out just make SimCity better and better.

The only thing I need now is a fast Internet - it takes me around 2 hours to download this latest NAM!

[kassarc16 4]

A few things here:

 

Great job guys! Looks like you've outdone yourselves again, and we've got things wrapped up in a neater package.

 

About garfiedude's problem with the ATL. I think he's referring to the grass strip at the end of the turning lane. Makes for an interesting drive there. Maybe it's fixed when the avenue has sidewalks?

 

 

Swamper77, that fix is needed only if we use the Euromod right?

 

smoncrie, are those fixes in the last version you released in your thread? And that should be the ONLY separate cosmetic mod with the new NAM?

I'll see if the documentation answers any questions! Thanks for all your hard work, people!

 

 

 

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

tropod, your picture tutorial file does not work properly. Can you try and fix this please?

[Tropod 144]

@newyorkrunaway1:
I've just downloaded that again now. Works fine (including the images), though it did seem slow to respond. Might be an ISP issue, dunno. Try downloading it again later. If a problem continues, let me know.


@thatmonkeysim:
If there is something in particular that isn't working, by all means do please actually post a picture of the problem. Otherwise, UDI seems to work fine on diagonal OneWayRoads.

[Andreas Roth 607]

Just in case anyone has problems with downloading the picture tutorial, try this download . Tropod's server seems to be a bit slow, at least for Europeans (I didn't get much more than doubled dial-up speed in spite of having 1 Mbit DSL).

[smoncrie 43]

kassarc16, I released a small cosmetic mod today.  The lamp post is in that.  For the other stuff, it is still unfinished and unpublished.

 

garfidude, there were major changes in one-way pieces and I was busy with the Cosmetic mod, so I have not yet completed any other Onslope pieces.   I expect to be working on them soon.

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files//New%20Cosmetic3.jpg align=baseline>

 

[Shadow Assassin 336]

YES! DIAGONALS!

Now I'll be using them far more often. Thanks, guys!