My Experiment in tunneling

[glossydog 0]

Date: 6/13/2004 8:40:05 PM
Author:

Hi,

I have created a lot that can be used to dig tunnel entrance ramps.

I would like to know if people are interested, and would like me to clean it up and post it.

QUOTE]

Yes please,I for one would like that lot.

[caghaasnoot 11]

Date: 6/13/2004 8:40:05 PM
Author:

Hi,

I have created a lot that can be used to dig tunnel entrance ramps.

I would like to know if people are interested, and would like me to clean it up and post it.

quote>


Please post!!!!

cag

[Duke87 1,070]

Yes! Post that lot!

[jacqulina 162]

yes i would like it too

[jondecker 0]

yes, I agree. This would be an awesome tool to use in my cities. Please release it.

[punkz6 0]

Yeah, go on!! post it....

[Catcher_of_Cats 0]

Please post. This would be a break-through in downtown traffic design.

[threeswept 12]

Yes! Please post the mod. I'm sure it would make a huge difference for those needing to add more tunnels to our cities.

[horatius_cheng 0]

I like it very,very much, please post it as quickly as possible

[Tropod 144]

Date:3/21/2004 11:29:59 PM
Author:BigRedFish

Here, as promised, is my 'Realistic Slope Mod' to csq246's 'Tunnel Mod'.  CSQ hasn't posted since 7 Feb., so I don't see a reason to wait.

 

** I would like to credit csq246 for the research and TunnelMod.dat file that made this mod possible! **

 

To install, just place the BRF_TunnelAndSlopeMod.dat file into your MyDoc Plugins folder.  ** If you are using TunnelMod.dat, remove it! ** 

 

This does everything TunnelMod.dat does, plus adds more realistic network slope limits as I described a few posts ago.  Like the TunnelMod, this can be removed or installed at any time, without messing up existing cities.  It only affects how the road and rail laying tools work, and does not save any data into your saved game files.

 

Here are a couple of pictures to show what it does with rail, when used in conjunction with the 'Bridge Height Mod' from the Mods section.  ** No hand-terraforming was performed to make these! **

 

 

Let me know how it goes, either here or in PM.  I am also now very familiar with the original TunnelMod, so I can help with that one too.

 

I better hit submit before my browser crashes again.

 

quote>

Since this is your doing, I'll ask you [first];

I've already pointed out that the Elevated Rail shouldn't have been included, so for the sake of others who may use this mod file of yours, can you update it thanks & make sure to remove the Elevated Rail Placement Tuning Parameters file, as it should not be included, least not with the changes that have been made to it.

[smoncrie 44]

I see there is some interest. 

 

I posted in another thread about this lot (it also has potential

in making underpasses) and there was not a lot of interest.

 

When I have finnished getting it cleaned up (one or two days) I will post it in the STEX.   I plan to include three lots:

One that digs 8m - just enough for rail tunnels.

One that digs 14m - enough for road, one-way road, avenue, and ground

       highway.

One that digs 23m - just enough for monorail.

 

Comments???

 

Does anyone have any interest in a lot that lifts up the ground level???

 

smoncrie

[jasperdeman.nl 1]

Hey,
I told you people would be interested !
Anyway I think you should make one for ground highways because the 14 meters is just a little too deep, so it loosk a little funky, but yes I love you man!

Oha and about the elevater (let's call it that way) I'd love to see one that goes to exactly under the elevated highway, so I can make a smooth connenction between my ground- and normal highway's!

Anyway, did I mentioned you rock?

Massel, Jasper

[caghaasnoot 11]

Date:6/15/2004 4:23:37 AM
Author:smoncrie

 

Does anyone have any interest in a lot that lifts up the ground level???

 

smoncrie

quote>

YEAH!!!!!!!!!! (Stop teasin' & fooling around - just publish: both the floor lowering as well as the floor lifting lots. IMO it will be a great tool for city modellers!)

cag

 

[ScLu 3]

I've already got the tunneling mod downloaded. I just have to import a city map I'm having problems on and I can get tunnel happy! Annnnd...POST THE LOTS!

[BigRedFish 24]

Date: 6/15/2004 3:41:33 AM
Author: Tropod

Since this is your doing, I'll ask you [first];

I've already pointed out that the Elevated Rail shouldn't have been included, so for the sake of others who may use this mod file of yours, can you update it thanks & make sure to remove the Elevated Rail Placement Tuning Parameters file, as it should not be included, least not with the changes that have been made to it.

quote>

You clearly have a very strong opinion about how my mod should be and what it should include. If you want to alter it to suit your tastes and release the result, be my guest, and remember to also credit CSQ246 for the R&D and initial release.

EDIT: I completely misunderstood what Tropod was getting at. I apologise for my tone, and have attached a file containing the suggested corrections along with my next post.

[Tropod 144]

 

It has absolutely nothing to do with opinions, at all in any way shape or form; it has everything to do with the Technical fact that the Elevated Rail Placement Tuning Parameters file should not have been included, in its current form. Maxis had the MinTerrainSlopeForTunnelStart [0xC804DD87] property for EI Trains set at 89.00 for a reason.

 

If you don't take my word, I'll just post a picture if I must, but perhaps you ought to test trying to build a Tunnel for Elevated Rail & see the results . I just thought since this was your doing, I would simply request first that you change it, for the benefit of others.

[langem13 2]

Hey BRF, awesome job with the mod.  I installed it today and started playing a city that I've been very carefully developing with lots of attention to detail.  At first I was frustrated by the rail and road limitations on grading, but wow.. the results look so much more realistic.  I'll be starting a city journal soon, so check my sig eventually for a link.

BRF, I would suggest that you decrease the tolerance for grades for avenues.  I find it strange that you can place an avenue steeper than a road, resulting in bumpy avenues on rougher terrain .  There are ways around this of course:

Helpful hint for everyone:  If you want to make a nice gradual slope to plot out your highways/avenues, use the rail tool with the gradient mod.  Plop the rail, delete the rail, plop the other network.  Results are fantastic, and would otherwise be virtually impossible with standard terraforming tools.   This has really given me more inspiration, and even more inquenchable addiction to playing this game

 

[i don't use elevated rail at all, so I don't know the problem of which Tropod speaks.  Perhaps a screenshot would be instructive for everyone?]

[Swamper77 90]

Date:6/16/2004 1:27:59 AM
Author:langem13

 

[i don't use elevated rail at all, so I don't know the problem of which Tropod speaks.  Perhaps a screenshot would be instructive for everyone?]

quote>

The problem Tropod is referring to is tunnels. Elevated rail doesn't have a model for a tunnel. Therefore, when the elevated rail makes a tunnel, there is a hole in the landscape at each end of the tunnel. Then you see the background image around the city showing through the holes. Hope this explains it.

@BRF,

Another tunnel issue is streets. They have the same tunnel problems as the elevated rail.

-Swamper77

[+Guest]

@BRF - this is really good. Well done. I could have really done with this months back before I finally got to grips with making tunnels!

@jasperdemon - really good idea, I would welcome something that makes the transition from hy to ehy easier.

[BigRedFish 24]

Oh yeah, the missing tunnel entrances.

Here is a version of the Tunnel and Slope Mod that has the tunnel threshold for street and elevated set back to 89. It does not allow building street or elevated rail tunnels at all. The rest is identical to the previous version.

To install, just remove the old TunnelAndSlopeMod.dat and put this b version in its place.

If this is your first installation, just put the enclosed .dat file in one of your plugins folders. It doesn't matter which one, MyDoc is fine.

[smoncrie 44]

I have just posted my hole digging lots in the STEX.  Any comments or problem reports are welcome.

 

caghaasnoot,  I was not teasing.  There was a considerable amount of work to be be done to get the lots in a state to be published.  I asked if there was any interest before the lots were ready because I did not want to repeat the experience of doing a lot of work and then finding that there was little appearent interest.

 

I am still working on getting smooth ramps.  If things work out I will post any progress in this thread.

 

smoncrie

[caghaasnoot 11]

smoncrie,

 

So sorry - I didn't expect you to take me serious on that one! It was just an outcry that I would really like to lay my hands on your mods. In the meantime you put them on the STEX and I already DLed them - they're great, thanks a lot for makin' them available!

 

Keep the good work goin' and of course: publish your improvements!

 

cag

[langem13 2]

Smoncrie, thanks for putting them up.  A great idea, very useful.

 

Just one thing.  I have installed BRF's tunneling (and network grade adjusting) mod, which is posted in a zip in one of the above posts.  Your rail tunnel digging lots don't dig deep enough to create a tunnel.  It's not a big deal; I just use the road tunneling lots, and it works just fine for rail.

 

Just wondering if you or anyone else has run into this, or perhaps I don't have the correct tunnel mod?

[smoncrie 44]

langem13,

 

You are the first to report this problem,  but I must confess that I was a bit concerned that the trouble you are having would be common.
 
My mod does dig deep enough for rail, but only just deep enough.  You need to work on a flat surface.
 
Try leveling the ground using single street tiles as shown in the picture:

 

 

 

Bulldoze the street tiles, and then try using my rail lot.  It should now work.

 

If more people have the same problem, I may need to increase the depth a little.

 

smoncrie

 

[langem13 2]

Ah, good point.  I was working on slightly bumpy terrain, so that perhaps a tile or two behind the tunnel entrance was a bit lower than the top of the entrance itself (?).

 

Don't go out of your way for my sake, but perhaps increasing the depth of the rail lot by a factor of 1 would be wise, to get closer to guaranteeing a tunnel each time.  Like I said, I wasn't working on flat terrain, but it was pretty close.

 

Also, in the description for your lots on the STEX, I don't think you mentioned the tunnel height mod.  This is necessary to make your lots work for tunnels, right?  If so, you may want to add that info to the desc.

 

Thanks again

[smoncrie 44]

langem13,

 

I think I will wait a bit before I make the rail digging lot deeper.  All the lots are only just deep enough. It is a choice between apperance and reliability...

 

So far, the most problems seem to be with the monorail lot.  That is not surprising because it is a bit different from the others, and has the deepest hole.

 

I hope that people continue to give me feedback.

 

As for BRF's tunnel mod, it is not necessary.  It just makes the access to the tunnel less steep.

 

smoncrie

[smoncrie 44]

I see that my Hole digging lots have become the Highest rated Lot of All Time.

 

Thanks guys!!

 

 

[SkyTearer 10]

It sounds amazing, but I cannot get it to work. I place the lot and bring road to it, and follow all diresctions but it does nothing. What could I be doing wrong, and could you please show better directions? BTW I do not have any tunneling mods.

[smoncrie 44]

SkyTearer,

 

Normally if you connect a road to the hole digging lot for roads, it digs.  It is a simple as that.  The only complexity is that different lots need different transit types.

 

I can think of only two reasons why it would not work. First, if the ground level is too close to sea level,  (too close is less than the depth of the hole).  In that case the road shows red when you try to drag it over the hole digging lot.  The other reason is that you are not running Rush Hour.  The lot needs Rush Hour to work.

 

Does any thing happen if you plop the lot on a pre-existing road?  It should dig in that case too.  Is there anything next to the digging lot?  Does it allow you to connect the road?  You need to tell me more.

 

smoncrie

[SkyTearer 10]

It turns red when i drag over it, I guess i'm just at too low elevation. But thanks for replying.