How do I use route query?

[linear_player 4]

I have searched the forums already. I can use the building query just fine, but I can't/don't know how to query roads.

I am playing Sim City Delux/Rush Hour and my city has over 4 million sims. I recently found this site and downloaded a bunch of mods, but traffic management has always been my strong suit. But I never new you could even route query, so someone please advise me on how to do this.

Thank you

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

If you look at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen where the interface is, you'll find an oval button that's cut into two. Right up top of that is the Query tool but below that is the Route Query tool. Use that to click on any road network or any building to see where things are travelling to.

[nukeu123 307]

my question is, how do you have 4 million souls and have not even touched the route query?!? hmm i guess you must be good at identifying that sorta thing, or just plain lucky guess.....

[z1 566]

If you're a lazy keyboard user like me, you can also just type Alt-/.

[linear_player 4]

Hi,

Thanks for the responses.

In response to the last guy, I have been playing this game since its release, without ever even downloading the patch, until about a year ago. I always wondered why it always crashed to desktop and also the buildings never changed, and had little variations. I haven't ever modded the game up until less than a year ago.

Playing like that you learn a lot of tricks via trial and error. I am really good at managing traffic and utilizing many options to maximize route efficiency, and only based my decisions on the basic traffic data view which shows congestion and volumn.

Now that I have the NAM, I am shocked and the crap you can do with the game, but the Traffic Simulator Tool is useless it seems to me. I just left it at classic and adjusted the intersection delays, then uninstalled it altogether. Using it makes traffic management almost obsolete, as tweaking it alleviates most of the issues.

I only ask about the route query so I can verify how well the new GLR is working.

I have learned a lot about the game in general since I started modding it, and since I found this site. For example, I had no idea that U-Drive existed, again, until recently. Imagine that.

Thanks again. Great site.

[nukeu123 307]

Hi,

Thanks for the responses.

In response to the last guy, I have been playing this game since its release, without ever even downloading the patch, until about a year ago. I always wondered why it always crashed to desktop and also the buildings never changed, and had little variations. I haven't ever modded the game up until less than a year ago.

Playing like that you learn a lot of tricks via trial and error. I am really good at managing traffic and utilizing many options to maximize route efficiency, and only based my decisions on the basic traffic data view which shows congestion and volumn.

Now that I have the NAM, I am shocked and the crap you can do with the game, but the Traffic Simulator Tool is useless it seems to me. I just left it at classic and adjusted the intersection delays, then uninstalled it altogether. Using it makes traffic management almost obsolete, as tweaking it alleviates most of the issues.

I only ask about the route query so I can verify how well the new GLR is working.

I have learned a lot about the game in general since I started modding it, and since I found this site. For example, I had no idea that U-Drive existed, again, until recently. Imagine that.

Thanks again. Great site.

do you have a multi core prosessor?... sc4 is 100% Unstable with them, thus causing frequent crashing.....

to solve this may i suggest this

right click on you sc4 shortcut (on the desktop)

left click properties

under target window add a space then type -CPUcount:1

this can be done with other shortcut extensions (custom resolution or intro off for example)

if you do have other extensions just add a space and continue....

good luck and have fun!

about NAM's GLR its the same system as elevated rail.. but if you want stations you have to download them seperatly, otherwise its verry useful for downtown setups!

  Edited July 21, 2012 by nukeu123  

[AusBoy94 42]

Hi,

Thanks for the responses.

In response to the last guy, I have been playing this game since its release, without ever even downloading the patch, until about a year ago. I always wondered why it always crashed to desktop and also the buildings never changed, and had little variations. I haven't ever modded the game up until less than a year ago.

Playing like that you learn a lot of tricks via trial and error. I am really good at managing traffic and utilizing many options to maximize route efficiency, and only based my decisions on the basic traffic data view which shows congestion and volumn.

Now that I have the NAM, I am shocked and the crap you can do with the game, but the Traffic Simulator Tool is useless it seems to me. I just left it at classic and adjusted the intersection delays, then uninstalled it altogether. Using it makes traffic management almost obsolete, as tweaking it alleviates most of the issues.

I only ask about the route query so I can verify how well the new GLR is working.

I have learned a lot about the game in general since I started modding it, and since I found this site. For example, I had no idea that U-Drive existed, again, until recently. Imagine that.

Thanks again. Great site.

The route query is the button right under the building query. Once you selected that button, click on any network piece you want to query and then it will show you lines of traffic. Each line will be a different colour for different types of traffic. There is a key that will also appear. The route query also show you how many of each travel on that network.

In addition, you can use the route query to track workers to their places of origin, or people to their works. If you click on a business it will show you all of the people that work there, where they come from and what networks and transportation methods they use. If you click on an industrial building it will also show you which direction freight trucks leave the facility. If you query someone's home it will show you where the people in that building or house travel to work and all of the different networks/transit types they take to get there.

You can also query bus stops, subways stations, train stations, monorail and EL train stations, etc. You can do this by clicking on the station and it will show you where the people come from who use it, where they are going. I believe a light ground rail is the same as a subway, so it should be an orange color.

I hope I was able to explain it well. If not, there are thousands of users to this site, I'm sure someone can help you.

  Edited July 21, 2012 by AusBoy94  

[z1 566]

Also, be aware that the route query tool shows data applying only to a single commute period at a time. The selected commute period (initially Morning) is shown in the legend window in the upper right of the screen, and can be changed there as well. This commute period is completely independent of any you may have selected in the Traffic Volume Data Views.

[linear_player 4]

Thanks for the info. I always thought the question marks in the little oval were for help screens, as I always used the keyboard shortcut for the standard query. Go figure.

I abolished my city and started a new region in San Fransico since it has larger plots. I am using the three large connected plots in the bottom left hand corner to build a massive city in the middle, and have already built the smaller surrounding 8 plots around the main city with industry and agriculture. I haven't even started on the three main plots and already have over 300,000 sims in the region, and the connecting points between cities (highway, rail, subway,) are already getting heavy usage.

The main city plot in the middle is going to be epic.

Thanks again for the info.

[AusBoy94 42]

Thanks for the info. I always thought the question marks in the little oval were for help screens, as I always used the keyboard shortcut for the standard query. Go figure.

I abolished my city and started a new region in San Fransico since it has larger plots. I am using the three large connected plots in the bottom left hand corner to build a massive city in the middle, and have already built the smaller surrounding 8 plots around the main city with industry and agriculture. I haven't even started on the three main plots and already have over 300,000 sims in the region, and the connecting points between cities (highway, rail, subway,) are already getting heavy usage.

The main city plot in the middle is going to be epic.

Thanks again for the info.

There are ways to create custom regions that aren't difficult at all, if you'd like. It's much better than using default regions, especially if you like big maps.

[Steven Dziedzic 3]

Good point

[linear_player 4]

Thanks for the info. I always thought the question marks in the little oval were for help screens, as I always used the keyboard shortcut for the standard query. Go figure.

I abolished my city and started a new region in San Fransico since it has larger plots. I am using the three large connected plots in the bottom left hand corner to build a massive city in the middle, and have already built the smaller surrounding 8 plots around the main city with industry and agriculture. I haven't even started on the three main plots and already have over 300,000 sims in the region, and the connecting points between cities (highway, rail, subway,) are already getting heavy usage.

The main city plot in the middle is going to be epic.

Thanks again for the info.

There are ways to create custom regions that aren't difficult at all, if you'd like. It's much better than using default regions, especially if you like big maps.

I see you changed your pic and put some clothes on.

I was able to get 4 million sims on the large San Fran plot without the CAM, so now I am going to see how many I can get while building the entire surrounding region with the CAM, and forcing all high wealth Res and Corp into the middle plot using skyscrapers.

[AusBoy94 42]

I see you changed your pic and put some clothes on.

I was able to get 4 million sims on the large San Fran plot without the CAM, so now I am going to see how many I can get while building the entire surrounding region with the CAM, and forcing all high wealth Res and Corp into the middle plot using skyscrapers.

Yeah, someone yelled at me for it, it was my Facebook, I figured out how to change it on here, sorry to disappoint.

And dang. I got mine to 900,000 but the city with 850,000 would barley even work anymore, like it would play through a month, then the clock would stop for like 5 minutes, then it would play again. Someone told me that's just normal simulation. Have you encountered this problem?

[linear_player 4]

I see you changed your pic and put some clothes on.

I was able to get 4 million sims on the large San Fran plot without the CAM, so now I am going to see how many I can get while building the entire surrounding region with the CAM, and forcing all high wealth Res and Corp into the middle plot using skyscrapers.

Yeah, someone yelled at me for it, it was my Facebook, I figured out how to change it on here, sorry to disappoint.

And dang. I got mine to 900,000 but the city with 850,000 would barley even work anymore, like it would play through a month, then the clock would stop for like 5 minutes, then it would play again. Someone told me that's just normal simulation. Have you encountered this problem?

No I have not. I also turn all the city detail, sim levels, draw speed, clouds, shadows, etc to low or off while I am in building mode to help speed the system. I also only use day mode while buidling.

Then the game moves nice and quick regardless of the size, and size does matter.

When I am pretty much done with all major work on the city, I then turn all the aforementioned options on or to high, turn the city to night time, and sit back and enjoy the action and nightlighting.

I am also playing on a 4 year old laptop with not much by way of processor, RAM, or graphics card, but the game has always ran really well for me regardless of size, once I downloaded the patch. Before that, all it did was stall and crash.

[AusBoy94 42]

I see you changed your pic and put some clothes on.

I was able to get 4 million sims on the large San Fran plot without the CAM, so now I am going to see how many I can get while building the entire surrounding region with the CAM, and forcing all high wealth Res and Corp into the middle plot using skyscrapers.

Yeah, someone yelled at me for it, it was my Facebook, I figured out how to change it on here, sorry to disappoint.

And dang. I got mine to 900,000 but the city with 850,000 would barley even work anymore, like it would play through a month, then the clock would stop for like 5 minutes, then it would play again. Someone told me that's just normal simulation. Have you encountered this problem?

No I have not. I also turn all the city detail, sim levels, draw speed, clouds, shadows, etc to low or off while I am in building mode to help speed the system. I also only use day mode while buidling.

Then the game moves nice and quick regardless of the size, and size does matter.

When I am pretty much done with all major work on the city, I then turn all the aforementioned options on or to high, turn the city to night time, and sit back and enjoy the action and nightlighting.

I am also playing on a 4 year old laptop with not much by way of processor, RAM, or graphics card, but the game has always ran really well for me regardless of size, once I downloaded the patch. Before that, all it did was stall and crash.

Interesting. I don't have any problems with game lag, or graphical stuff. The game itself runs perfectly fine with everything turned up. The simulation (or so I've been told) takes longer to update traffic routes with more people. If you're saying you don't have this problem, it clearly means something is wrong here on my end, and I would like to get it fixed.

What game speed do you play on?

What are your computer specs? lol

[linear_player 4]

I see you changed your pic and put some clothes on.

I was able to get 4 million sims on the large San Fran plot without the CAM, so now I am going to see how many I can get while building the entire surrounding region with the CAM, and forcing all high wealth Res and Corp into the middle plot using skyscrapers.

Yeah, someone yelled at me for it, it was my Facebook, I figured out how to change it on here, sorry to disappoint.

And dang. I got mine to 900,000 but the city with 850,000 would barley even work anymore, like it would play through a month, then the clock would stop for like 5 minutes, then it would play again. Someone told me that's just normal simulation. Have you encountered this problem?

No I have not. I also turn all the city detail, sim levels, draw speed, clouds, shadows, etc to low or off while I am in building mode to help speed the system. I also only use day mode while buidling.

Then the game moves nice and quick regardless of the size, and size does matter.

When I am pretty much done with all major work on the city, I then turn all the aforementioned options on or to high, turn the city to night time, and sit back and enjoy the action and nightlighting.

I am also playing on a 4 year old laptop with not much by way of processor, RAM, or graphics card, but the game has always ran really well for me regardless of size, once I downloaded the patch. Before that, all it did was stall and crash.

Interesting. I don't have any problems with game lag, or graphical stuff. The game itself runs perfectly fine with everything turned up. The simulation (or so I've been told) takes longer to update traffic routes with more people. If you're saying you don't have this problem, it clearly means something is wrong here on my end, and I would like to get it fixed.

What game speed do you play on?

What are your computer specs? lol

Oh ok, I misunderstood.

It does take time to update traffic routes when making major adjustments, major upward population changes, and/or changes via the traffic simulator.

However, minor adjustments like deleting a portion of an intersection, show up almost immediately.

I play on the fastest speed possible when simming, but slowest speed when making major changes.

[AusBoy94 42]

I see you changed your pic and put some clothes on.

I was able to get 4 million sims on the large San Fran plot without the CAM, so now I am going to see how many I can get while building the entire surrounding region with the CAM, and forcing all high wealth Res and Corp into the middle plot using skyscrapers.

Yeah, someone yelled at me for it, it was my Facebook, I figured out how to change it on here, sorry to disappoint.

And dang. I got mine to 900,000 but the city with 850,000 would barley even work anymore, like it would play through a month, then the clock would stop for like 5 minutes, then it would play again. Someone told me that's just normal simulation. Have you encountered this problem?

No I have not. I also turn all the city detail, sim levels, draw speed, clouds, shadows, etc to low or off while I am in building mode to help speed the system. I also only use day mode while buidling.

Then the game moves nice and quick regardless of the size, and size does matter.

When I am pretty much done with all major work on the city, I then turn all the aforementioned options on or to high, turn the city to night time, and sit back and enjoy the action and nightlighting.

I am also playing on a 4 year old laptop with not much by way of processor, RAM, or graphics card, but the game has always ran really well for me regardless of size, once I downloaded the patch. Before that, all it did was stall and crash.

Interesting. I don't have any problems with game lag, or graphical stuff. The game itself runs perfectly fine with everything turned up. The simulation (or so I've been told) takes longer to update traffic routes with more people. If you're saying you don't have this problem, it clearly means something is wrong here on my end, and I would like to get it fixed.

What game speed do you play on?

What are your computer specs? lol

Oh ok, I misunderstood.

It does take time to update traffic routes when making major adjustments, major upward population changes, and/or changes via the traffic simulator.

However, minor adjustments like deleting a portion of an intersection, show up almost immediately.

I play on the fastest speed possible when simming, but slowest speed when making major changes.

My game clock just stalls every month, does that not happen to you?

Where the game will remain on the same day for a few minutes?

[linear_player 4]

Oh ok, sometimes. But only when the city is constructing multiple building at the same time. I assumed this is again just tied to too many things at once for my computer to handle, but maybe I was wrong.

But it def doesn't stall every month, and when it rarely does, it is only for a few seconds.

Sounds weird.

[z1 566]

The stall is the traffic simulator doing its thing, and it typically happens every four months or so. Since the traffic simulator's pathfinding algorithm is exponential as a function of population and city size, it gets really noticeable in large cities.

Not a thing in the world you can do about it, either.

[AusBoy94 42]

The stall is the traffic simulator doing its thing, and it typically happens every four months or so. Since the traffic simulator's pathfinding algorithm is exponential as a function of population and city size, it gets really noticeable in large cities.

Not a thing in the world you can do about it, either.

Ughhhhhhhhhh. But it happens every month! it's so annoying.

[z1 566]

Although four months is the average time, in bigger cities, the game tries to spread things out more, and I've also seen the simulator run every month. Usually you need a population of a couple of million to get to that point. But it can happen earlier if the traffic simulator finds a city particularly difficult. In traffic simulator terms, a difficult city is one in which there are a lot of similar routes from residences to jobs, and the amount of time it takes to traverse them is very close. This forces the traffic simulator to follow these routes much farther than average - often until the end - because it needs to know which one is the fastest, even if the difference is only a fraction of a second. A city that has a very uniform look and transportation layout is a good candidate for this scenario.

Why does it have to be the absolute fastest route? Well, actually it doesn't. But it turns out that the way the pathfinder algorithm is implemented, you don't save much time by allowing slower routes; in fact, unless you allow really slow routes, the traffic simulator will generally take longer to run. Also, the way Maxis implemented the whole thing, unless you insist on the fastest route, you start to get problems with abandonment due to commute time, regardless of what you set for the maximum allowed commute time.

This was all determined by a lengthy series of experiments, and the results are all hidden under the covers, so to speak; this is why you can't tune the pathfinding algorithm by using the Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool.

[AusBoy94 42]

Although four months is the average time, in bigger cities, the game tries to spread things out more, and I've also seen the simulator run every month. Usually you need a population of a couple of million to get to that point. But it can happen earlier if the traffic simulator finds a city particularly difficult. In traffic simulator terms, a difficult city is one in which there are a lot of similar routes from residences to jobs, and the amount of time it takes to traverse them is very close. This forces the traffic simulator to follow these routes much farther than average - often until the end - because it needs to know which one is the fastest, even if the difference is only a fraction of a second. A city that has a very uniform look and transportation layout is a good candidate for this scenario.

Why does it have to be the absolute fastest route? Well, actually it doesn't. But it turns out that the way the pathfinder algorithm is implemented, you don't save much time by allowing slower routes; in fact, unless you allow really slow routes, the traffic simulator will generally take longer to run. Also, the way Maxis implemented the whole thing, unless you insist on the fastest route, you start to get problems with abandonment due to commute time, regardless of what you set for the maximum allowed commute time.

This was all determined by a lengthy series of experiments, and the results are all hidden under the covers, so to speak; this is why you can't tune the pathfinding algorithm by using the Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool.

Well, I'll just have to deal with it I guess. I just don't see how some people get their cities so big!

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Probably better PC specs (more RAM, faster CPU) and less resource-hungry traffic simulator. Not to forget z1's explanations on the influence of city layout on the traffic simulator.

[Porsche28 4]

Well, my PC spec is more than resonnable (1,5 TB of hard drive, 12GB of ram, intel core I7 950 3,06, nvidia GTX580 1500 MB). I have one big-tile city that has only 650K of population. Sadly the simulation has already started to slow down as hell every 1-2 month. Soon i will have to lower the graphic option to help the simulator to run a bit faster... So I can't think of a 4 million city that still runs fast unless I'm missing something.

[AusBoy94 42]

Well, my PC spec is more than resonnable (1,5 TB of hard drive, 12GB of ram, intel core I7 950 3,06, nvidia GTX580 1500 MB). I have one big-tile city that has only 650K of population. Sadly the simulation has already started to slow down as hell every 1-2 month. Soon i will have to lower the graphic option to help the simulator to run a bit faster... So I can't think of a 4 million city that still runs fast unless I'm missing something.

That's my point exactly.

[linear_player 4]

I am not sure what to say. My computer specs are not all that great, but I have never had an issue with slowdowns or crashing in even my largest city, which had 4 million sims.

Again, I do know turning all the options down to low or off helps greatly.

Only time the game used to crash is before I downloaded the patch, and now, it has crashed twice when I bulldoze a small fire station. Not sure about that one.

[AusBoy94 42]

I am not sure what to say. My computer specs are not all that great, but I have never had an issue with slowdowns or crashing in even my largest city, which had 4 million sims.

Again, I do know turning all the options down to low or off helps greatly.

Only time the game used to crash is before I downloaded the patch, and now, it has crashed twice when I bulldoze a small fire station. Not sure about that one.

It's not about crashing or lagging, it's the actual game clock that just stops or goes slow, nothing obvious. Just about once a month everything stops developing, the days don't change, nothings statistical changes, but the game still runs perfectly.