Building Stuff over underpasses

[DJ Bnw 0]

It seems to me underpasses work only when the underpassed are seperated by a/a group of tile(s) that connect a road/rail etc above it

I wanted to try if underpasses can be seprated further than what the videos/ tutorials ive seen do.

If it cannot be done as the roads will not be connected ( transit enabled) , then i would suggest making a tile that just links underpasses.

What i want to achieve

===Road     {} underpass tile   #open land ( so i can build stuff over it, not having road tiles linking the whole way)

  ==========={}########################{}==========

To add to this , i would like to ask then how are underwater passes made if they are not linked by the special tiles.

Also , would connecting the underpasses by a long group of those special tiles and then deleting them away keep the link of the underpass

Thx n Cheers

[Sam 163]

I don't know exactly what you mean. I got a bit confused with the over under thing.  I just use tunnels if I want to have a road or highway go under an area I want to build on. I usually hand terraform the land for the tunnel entrance, but you can use smoncrie's hole digger lots to help you if you want.

For underwater tunnels, you create a straight berm with teh terraforming tools along the path you want the tunnel to take (it must be straight). Then put your tunnel in. Then sink the underwater part of the berm with the terraforming tools. As long as you don't touch the tunnel entrance or the immediate tiles around it, the tunnel won't collapse.

I don't have any really good pictures but these ones have some such tunnels:

rail tunnel top left side. Avenue tunnel mid right side.

highway tunnel top left edge. Avenue tunnel centre left.

[Rady 94]

AFAIK there are two more solutions to that problem:

First, there is some custom stuff out at the STEX that converts road traffic to subway traffic (e.g. the "big dig")

https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/details.cfm?id=16732

https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=942

These are tunnel entrances that are connected with subway tubes. The only problem is once you have a "real" subway runniing in your city that the normal and big dig subway tubes should not cross. Otherwise your Sims will encounter a subway train in the road tunnel

Second, there are the Flexible Underpasses (short FLUPs) that provide some puzzle pieces for a custom surface. AFAIK these can be used for beeing placed under buildings. But I haven't tested that so far, I just stumbled over a thread about that somewhere.

[glazert 89]

It is possible that DJ Bnw's question relates to FLUPs (FLexible UnderPasses). If so, read the FLUPs thread over at theSC4Devotion (https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=6626.0).

Having "buildings" over the connecting pieces would require making custom FLUPs pieces or using overhanging props.

Since the roads underground with FLUPs can do right-hand turns, you might be able to design your layout so that the underground connecting pieces wiggle their way round buildings.

Other possibilities include using "Big Dig" or similar pieces which transform (non-freight) road traffic into subway traffic for the underground section (see e.g. https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=942 ; you will have to register with the LEX to download).

[SC4BOY 21]

Sounds like you want what we call tunnels ..

Only other way is to have a "conversion lot" to convert to subway and then back at the other end.. similar to the Blahdy project.. forget name. some Boston highway undercity project.. . they have their problems but also give advantages..

[bigthing 35]

https://www.simtropolis.com/omnibus/index.cfm/Main.SimCity_4.Underwater_Highways_Made_Easy

That is a tutorial to make tunnels under the sea

[DJ Bnw 0]

Ohhh ok... so i have to use the hole digger mod to make it easier.... then why use the FLUP tunnels if the exisiting tunnels ( with the use of the hole digger mod) is more flexible ... lol. Only reason is for a 3 way or 4 way underpass? Oh yeah ive seen those b4 , but how do they actually work? As in how to i ensure ther are "transit enabled"

Thx sam and the rest

Sry , more lol ,

1)Anyone seen highways above roads? i saw it once in a video..and i cant seem to find the mod. As in its a double decker tile , with highways directly above roads, following it thru.

2)How can i get the avenues convergence into highways. i saw it on a video. The avenues make a overhead ramp and the highway went under it with lanes allowing cars to go from the highway to the avenues and vice versa. Is it on the FLUP mod? im new to it.

Thx

[Rady 94]

Originally posted by: DJ Bnw

1)Anyone seen highways above roads? i saw it once in a video..and i cant seem to find the mod. As in its a double decker tile , with highways directly above roads, following it thru.

quote>

I would be interrested in that, too

2)How can i get the avenues convergence into highways. i saw it on a video. The avenues make a overhead ramp and the highway went under it with lanes allowing cars to go from the highway to the avenues and vice versa. Is it on the FLUP mod? im new to it.

quote>

I suppose you're referring to the sunken highway? You might have a look here

https://www.simtropolis.com/omnibus/index.cfm/Main.SimCity_4.Working_with_On-Ramps_and_Off-Ramps_for_Sunken_Highways_

or here

https://www.simtropolis.com/omnibus/index.cfm/Main.SimCity_4.Sunken_Highway_Tutorial

The stuff neccessary for that all comes with the NAM, so if you installed that, you might start out right away.

[glazert 89]

Originally posted by: DJ Bnw

then why use the FLUP tunnels if the exisiting tunnels ( with the use of the hole digger mod) is more flexible ... quote>

No, FLUPs are more flexible, though you cannot build directly above them except for special pieces. With ordinary tunnels they can only be orthogonal to the grid. Tunnels must be in a straight line. With FLUPs the road can change direction underground.

I suggest you read the thread on FLUPs I mentioned in my post above

The best thing is to use whichever best suits the particular reason you want it. You can use both.

[SC4BOY 21]

actually FLUP's aren't very flexible AT ALL.. they are very restricted and their primary use is to get you around certain difficult situations in built up areas.

[Spinmaster 75]

Tunnels, FLUPs, Big Dig, and Marrast's underpasses... all have their places. Just depends what you're trying to go under, and whether or not it can be a straight route. Note though, that tunneling is very expensive - hence most tunnels even in the real world are straight and short as can be. The only cases where the tunnels twist and turn is where there really was no other cost-effective option. The Big Dig in Boston was a fine example of that. In other words, if you're looking for realism, plan your underground routes to be as short and straight as possible. Even the Big Dig only stays underground as long as it has to - its purpose was to replace the impossible-to-widen elevated eyesore that used to be I-93 through the center of Boston, without shutting that stretch of I-93 down completely during its construction.

Anyway, each has its pros and cons.

• Tunnels (the default in-game ones): generally can go anywhere (so long as you're at least 15m above sea level, otherwise you can't dig), and handle emergency vehicles and UDI... but can only ever be straight. Also, you have to terraform the entrances yourself, which may take up more space than the other options (and as mentioned you have to have enough ground to dig in). Still, personally, I think they look the best when dressed up nicely - when they can be used effectively.
• FLUPs: can twist and turn, and they also handle UDI and emergency vehicles - but you can't build anything on top of them, basically because they're not "really" underground - it's an illusion only. At best, you can plop mayor-mode trees on the empty grass pieces. Best use for these I've found, is for a tunnel underwater (where I can't build anyway) that can't be perfectly straight.
• Big Dig: converts road traffic to subway. As such, it can twist, it can turn, it can go underwater, and you can build anything you want on top, because unlike FLUPs it really is underground. But (of course there's at least one) because it converts road traffic to subway, emergency vehicles and UDI can't use it. And you'll incur the extra cost of the subway tubes to support it (not a significant issue though; if you're implementing Big Dig you probably have a city large enough to support the extra cost already). And finally, you have to be careful not to cross your "Big Dig" pseudo-subway lines with actual subway lines.
• Marrasts Underpasses: great for a dip-under-the-rails or other short over/underpass network intersection. These by far are the simplest sollution - plop 'em, draw networks, done. But they don't have much use beyond that, they're independent, static lots - so going under buildings or water, or an actual stretch underground, they were never intended for those things. Note that the ones on STEX are "eye candy only" - but there are functional ones (emergency vehicle and UDI compliant) on SC4Devotion's LEX.

[glazert 89]

Spinmaster, that is a really good summary.

[DJ Bnw 0]

No it wasnt sunken highways... they were like... ramps u could just select. There were ramps connecting to the avenue from the highway... Either that , or he used another mod for those ramps from highways. But yeah , he(the guy who made vid) didnt sink the the highways.