Show us What you're Working On

[Null 45 3,114]

Here is another screenshot of the desert terrain mode. The city is one of the undeveloped ones in Timbuktu, the foliage looks off because it is the stock Maxis tropical foliage but the tropical beach texture doesn't look bad as a desert/sand dune environment.

I also released the DLL as a beta in the following topic, along with the terrain.ini file that was used to create the above image.

[pclark06 12,070]

Somehow ended up at under 100MB. Enjoy!

EDIT: an automall called "Maxis Motors" that I am making before I leave for vacation

[mallenuk 193]

Here is an update on my efforts (and way too many hours) to utilize as many Maxis buildings as possible to curate a realistic, mostly low rise city. My original motivation for this project is the streetscape and detail of the game is lost when tall buildings dominate because they obscure one another.

• I have built out the top half of the downtown since May
• At the very top is a rail line that links the city port, to the neighboring city, this train station is the nearest to downtown (and busiest)
• A road then leads from the train station to the heart of the city center, one of my earliest works from 2013!
• The road bustles with passengers arriving by rail to the downtown so making it a magnet for offices and retail development alike
• Historically characterised by low rise retail the recent office development has been much taller, the contrast between the two gives the offices more sheer and prominence
• Top left, once almost as busy, is now blighted by parking with only some orphaned retail (and one office) remaining
• The Taco Stand lot is effectively a surface level parking lot that happens to have a Taco Stand
• Top right is inspired by a recent visit to Savannah, GA
• The squares are dominated by Victorian Mansions, note all the driveways line up neatly with the street (not on the corner curve)
• There is one mothballed construction site between the Cho & Sons and The Freytag Building
• Behind the The McAdams Building is a small park. this and the neighboring low-rise really help to showcase this building
• I imagine it to be the 'old town hall' before the city expanded
• I found the Dieckmann Consulting building to be the hardest to fit-in, in terms of aesthetics
• That said I think it it fits in great beside the Tinklers Inc. and the plops used, really help to frame it

 

 

[kaimai 1,067]

my attempts at making a custom LOD for the Salim Abu Muslim Mosque, in order to add a tree prop, failed miserably so I tried making a baked-in tree instead

[kaimai 1,067]

16 hours ago, kaimai said:

my attempts at making a custom LOD for the Salim Abu Muslim Mosque, in order to add a tree prop, failed miserably so I tried making a baked-in tree instead

and done for now, although I reserve the right to update it once I've made more trees (if I ever have another 6 hours to kill) 

 

[Lazarou Monkey Terror 1,838]

On 10/21/2024 at 1:08 AM, Barroco Hispano said:

@Krisman Your lotting is quite inspiring! When I'm done making my terrain mod, I'll export olive trees  

---------------

Snow Groomer

new explosion effects?

Makes me think of the movie The Thing....

[Lazarou Monkey Terror 1,838]

People have been so busy these past two months, I still haven't caught up with everything in this thread! 
I have been busy too, but forgotten to take any pictures of activity until recently.
I am revising an old inner city tile, the Growify cheat is giving so many more aesthetic options now. Look at these cute little neighbourhoods. 

 

[jestarr 3,423]

I had occasion to need an extra w2w so I made this. It's 8x10 meters. The windows will change--I don't like them. I'll also make a few variations [textures, facade, different chimney, etc.]. They'll be rendered in 90 & 45 degrees.

[Barroco Hispano 26,931]

On 22/10/2024 at 9:08 AM, Null 45 said:

Here is another screenshot of the desert terrain mode. The city is one of the undeveloped ones in Timbuktu, the foliage looks off because it is the stock Maxis tropical foliage but the tropical beach texture doesn't look bad as a desert/sand dune environment.

I'll try the DLL when I finish making my terrain mod. Thanks for adding the option to use multiple terrain mods!

I think the <Arctic Terrain> can be replaced by another type of terrain. The user who wants to make a winter town should make it on the highest part of the map. It is unrealistic to think that snow will ever be added to skyscrapers or buildings already in the game. In my opinion, it is much better to add snow to small houses, ski resorts, vehicles, trees, rocks and some props found in such towns. The more eyecandy and the more mmp dependent, the better. 

[SneakyDeaky 1,130]

On 10/5/2024 at 10:17 AM, Null 45 said:

This is a WIP update to the Query UI Extensions DLL that makes Shift + Click on a building clone the lot instead of showing the query dialog.

Edit: The update has now been released as Query Tool UI Extensions DLL version 1.5.0: https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/36202-query-tool-ui-extensions-dll-for-SimCity-4/

WOW! I can't believe I missed this!!! This is such an exciting mod! I even basically made a request for something like this in one of your threads, but I didn't know if it possible and didn't really expect to see it!! This is going to save so much time! Just the other day for instance I wanted to use two of the same landmark, each flanking a different landmark. I placed the left building, scrolled forever down to the middle building, then spent forever again scrolling back up for the right building. With this mod I could have at least cut the last part of all that out.  

Many thanks for all the work you have done with these literally game changing mods!  

[Null 45 3,114]

57 minutes ago, Barroco Hispano said:

I'll try the DLL when I finish making my terrain mod. Thanks for adding the option to use multiple terrain mods!

The DLL is still a beta. I am trying to decide if additional features need to be added before its 1.0 release, my current ideas are:

1. A new terrain.ini section to provide longer terrain names for the UI, currently the DLL uses the section prefix, Desert, Tropical, etc.
2. A new terrain.ini section that allows weather exemplars to be paired with the terrain mods. The way that would work is that the terrain weather exemplars would use a different TGI than the Maxis one, and the DLL would make the game load that override when SC4 asks for the Maxis weather exemplar.

The weather exemplar idea is based on feedback I received on SC4E.

57 minutes ago, Barroco Hispano said:

I think the <Arctic Terrain> can be replaced by another type of terrain. The user who wants to make a winter town should make it on the highest part of the map. It is unrealistic to think that snow will ever be added to skyscrapers or buildings already in the game. In my opinion, it is much better to add snow to small houses, ski resorts, vehicles, trees, rocks and some props found in such towns. The more eyecandy and the more mmp dependent, the better. 

I suspect that Maxis intended Arctic to be some kind of snow covered ground texture. You don't need to use the 4 terrain section prefixes Maxis defined (Arctic, Desert, Temperate and Tropical), the prefix can be any ASCII string other than Terrain. But using any value other than Tropical will require the DLL.

[SneakyDeaky 1,130]

On 10/18/2024 at 6:02 PM, Krisman said:

Trying something new here ...

A couple of weeks ago I was traveling through Spain visiting some places in north-western Andalucía. And while visiting places like Úbeda, Baeza and Jaén the surrounding landscape was stunning as well ... as it was covered with olive trees as far as the eye could see. Especially terrasses where these threes are grown looked stunning.

So ... I had a try to replicate that look in my region (with is southern Europe based anyway) ...

The result so far:

 

On 10/20/2024 at 5:14 AM, Honolulu said:

A small update of the main entrance to the walled city and a beginning of port activity. Not much after all...

I am truly flabbergasted and, of course, inspired by the incredible eye for detail and patience both from @Krisman and @Honolulu and your extensive (and exhausting?) custom lotting. Awesome!

 

On 10/20/2024 at 10:11 PM, 11241036 said:

My newest WIP: One out of the many small villages along the hilly southern shore of the peninsula shown below. In earlier days, it was founded by poor people living mostly from fishing, animal breeding and a few farm fields. Nowadays, it is slowly starting to add tourism to its list of sources of income. Hope you like it.

 

 

 I absolutely love all those farms and fields in the west-side of your region, it looks so pretty in region view! Are you using any particular farm collections? (Like I was thinking of the Dutch farms FrankU Dutch Farm Lots Stage 0 - Agricultural - Simtropolis)

[Tyberius06 12,267]

Hi everybody!

I bring you three updates today. Two things were recently brought up in the CFI thread:

Jack - Polish High School

as part of the never ending SimCity Polska Restoration and the 

Vortext - Historic Monastery Props and MMPs

Slower than expected, but I finally managed to upload the Mattb325 Transportation Collection (separate Dark Nite package as well) (collecting both the STEX and the former LEX related transit station contents from Matt).

About the changes:

• All transportation lots have been updated to NAM/MTA standards
• The Victorian Diagonal L1 E-RRW station had been added (see image below, but bear in mind that the diagonal L1 HRW version is NOT part of the package, but will be released as part of the upcoming NAM v49)
• Submenu Support
• As part of the preparation of this release and as part of the unification process regarding the restoration efforts, the former Mattb325 Multifunction Stations Prop Packs (and also the Civic Rewards Prop Packs) have been updated and rebranded as follows:
  • BSC BATProps Mattb325 Multifunction Stations (Dark Nite)
  • BSC BATProps Mattb325 Multifunction Stations (Maxis Nite)
  • BSC BATProps Mattb325 Urban Civics (Dark Nite)
  • BSC BATProps Mattb325 Urban Civics (Maxis Nite)

Important note: Some of the contents (City Link Hub, Chicago Central, Parking Garages) are also available on STEX. For now the contents of the Transportation Collection are superior than the equivalents on STEX, but the STEX releases will be updated in the near future to match with the contents of the Transportation Collection.   

With this update as far as I know, only a handfull of Mattb325 contents left to be released (some parks which came in conjunction with the Urban civics), otherwise his collections is completely restored.

Have fun!

- Tyberius06

[11241036 5,115]

18 hours ago, SneakyDeaky said:

 I absolutely love all those farms and fields in the west-side of your region, it looks so pretty in region view! Are you using any particular farm collections? (Like I was thinking of the Dutch farms FrankU Dutch Farm Lots Stage 0 - Agricultural - Simtropolis)

Thank you. Yes, I'm using particular farm collections, very particular, in a manner of speaking. I'm mostly using Colossus Farming, SPAM, and FrankU's Dutch Farms, and a few SG farm fields, but I've heavily modded them in a way that I'm only using Stage 1 lots that look exactly the same as the farm fields connected to them. This way, it looks like only fields themselves are growing in my region, and if I want to have farm houses, I make them separately.

SPAM already comes with 1x1 farm field anchor lots, and you've already seen that FrankU has done the same; I don't know if there is any similar viable plugin for SG's fields, and most likely not for Colossus Farming. I might share my farm field collection (however, with SG and CF, it isn't complete) if people want it.

[Honolulu 2,779]

Final tests for the growable lot that I expect to release shortly.

[Girafarig 1,414]

I had been placing a lot of Motokloss's streetside parking lots, which I find gave a lot of life to my city. Unfortunately, they also have a tendency to either strangle traffic or, if their numbers are adjusted on the reader, turn the entire city into a Park & Ride fest. Which is nice, I suppose, but they also block buses.

So instead, I downloaded this lovely little T21 mod for OWR-1, which adds the cars as eye candy instead.

Finally driving to the Opera

I was kind of on the fence about turning most of my one-way roads to OWR-1, but then I realised this also doubles as a very near traffic calming device, and it gives me the correct configuration for bus stops, too.

It would be nice to have T21 parking in roads and avenues, though.

[redfox85 659]

2 hours ago, Girafarig said:

I had been placing a lot of Motokloss's streetside parking lots, which I find gave a lot of life to my city. Unfortunately, they also have a tendency to either strangle traffic or, if their numbers are adjusted on the reader, turn the entire city into a Park & Ride fest. Which is nice, I suppose, but they also block buses.

So instead, I downloaded this lovely little T21 mod for OWR-1, which adds the cars as eye candy instead.

 

Finally driving to the Opera

I was kind of on the fence about turning most of my one-way roads to OWR-1, but then I realised this also doubles as a very near traffic calming device, and it gives me the correct configuration for bus stops, too.

 

It would be nice to have T21 parking in roads and avenues, though.

 

Well the issue is you would have to either a) turn off Automa or b) deal with the cars going through parked cars or c) new textures with a wider road surface to handle the parking. My regions have very little traffic due to my somewhat unique build style so I opted for option B in my current region ..

[Girafarig 1,414]

1 hour ago, redfox85 said:

 

Well the issue is you would have to either a) turn off Automa or b) deal with the cars going through parked cars or c) new textures with a wider road surface to handle the parking. My regions have very little traffic due to my somewhat unique build style so I opted for option B in my current region ..

Motokloss's lots manage to make enough space for one or two lanes, parking on both sides, and even a cheeky tree or two. That being said — yes, what I'm suggesting would require a different road surface. We do have a couple of street mods that handle that with no problems, though, so I don't think that would be much of an issue.

[11241036 5,115]

A close-up of the old core of a small village. Hope you like it.

[jestarr 3,423]

I wanted to use the vw plant in one of my regions and since I lost it to HDD failure I remade it. The first pic is from PIM-X. The Second is from in-game. I can only assume that, since textures and props are missing, I've exceeded the lot limit. I don't remember having had this problem originally, but after 18 years my memory may be faulty.

[Dead_End 1,630]

Not sure if I shared this one before, but here's a @Haarlemmergold relot I did.

[Girafarig 1,414]

On 27/10/2024 at 12:41 PM, Tyberius06 said:

• As part of the preparation of this release and as part of the unification process regarding the restoration efforts, the former Mattb325 Multifunction Stations Prop Packs (and also the Civic Rewards Prop Packs) have been updated and rebranded as follows:
  • BSC BATProps Mattb325 Multifunction Stations (Dark Nite)
  • BSC BATProps Mattb325 Multifunction Stations (Maxis Nite)
  • BSC BATProps Mattb325 Urban Civics (Dark Nite)
  • BSC BATProps Mattb325 Urban Civics (Maxis Nite)

It's not really relevant to this post in particular, but since it's the one that led me through two hours of hurried panic —regarding the Urban Civics file, it installs a version of the Old Market Hall that is bugged on the Mac. The STEX version, linked above, does offer a patch for the Mac that solves the issue —but failing to install this patch leads to any interaction with anything health related (or even letting the clock roll 'til the 15th of any month) causing an instant CTD.

I don't think the downloadable file needs to be modified (maybe the original Old Market Hall works better on Windows?), but it would be nice to include a small warning regarding this file.

[Tyberius06 12,267]

2 minutes ago, Girafarig said:

It's not really relevant to this post in particular, but since it's the one that led me through two hours of hurried panic —regarding the Urban Civics file, it installs a version of the Old Market Hall that is bugged on the Mac. The STEX version, linked above, does offer a patch for the Mac that solves the issue —but failing to install this patch leads to any interaction with anything health related (or even letting the clock roll 'til the 15th of any month) causing an instant CTD.

I don't think the downloadable file needs to be modified (maybe the original Old Market Hall works better on Windows?), but it would be nice to include a small warning regarding this file.

I did not know about the issue, but thanks for letting me know. I'll take a look into it and most probably I'll do a direct update on the uploads. The SC4Evermore version of the Urban Civics will receive an update as the only leftover contents from Matt, the Parks, will fit nicely into that pack. 

[Kel9509 1,480]

I'm working on a slight update to the RCI DLL Queries, to incorporate the latest update to @Null 45's Query Hook UI Extensions.  The Query will incorporate the new "building_summary" variable so that  you'll be able to immediately tell the difference between buildings.  Now you don't have to hover to see what commercial buildings are Commercial Services or Commercial Offices, for example, as the Query will incorporate that info from the hover.  I always hated that I needed to do this:

 

This will apply to all of the queries (Residential, Commercial and Industrial, and the tooltips and non-tooltips versions).  It'll just take a bit of time to add it into all 6 of them since I'm placing it right underneath the "Abandoned Due to Commute Time" line at the top, so everything needs to be moved down and it's a bit of work to do that.

[EffTheGrid 3,726]

On 10/28/2024 at 1:06 PM, redfox85 said:

 

Well the issue is you would have to either a) turn off Automa or b) deal with the cars going through parked cars or c) new textures with a wider road surface to handle the parking. My regions have very little traffic due to my somewhat unique build style so I opted for option B in my current region ..

@Girafarig

First of all, I love the way you've developed your city. It looks great!

Could you please link the mod? And, is there a version or OWR-3?

I had requested this type of mod a year or 2 ago, for OWR-3 in the spirit of the streets of NYC. But as they're paving most streets with painted bike lanes and other daylighting techniques this may be the more realistic option anyway.

My only gripe is that I sometimes use OWR-1 instead of MIS in RHW adjacent situations. So this would complicate those situations.

Looks amazing nonetheless.

Link, pretty please!  

[Girafarig 1,414]

50 minutes ago, EffTheGrid said:

@Girafarig

First of all, I love the way you've developed your city. It looks great!

Could you please link the mod? And, is there a version or OWR-3?

I don't know if you meant me, but here's the mod I'm using. It says "street trees" but there's also a file in there that places the parked cars. Unfortunately, there's no OWR-3 version.  

 

 

For the street mod (covering actual streets), I'm using this: 

 Modified by this:

 

 

[Barroco Hispano 26,931]

[jestarr 3,423]

I still have no idea what is wrong with the original textures for the VW Plant lot. That said, I made new textures, since I didn't really like the original ones anyway. Here's an in-game pic working perfectly. The building still needs a slight adjustment, however.

[Tyberius06 12,267]

5 minutes ago, jestarr said:

I still have no idea what is wrong with the original textures for the VW Plant lot.

What's the wrong with them? I haven't completely updated your stuff yet, but your contents are the next on my to-do list that I try to re-rehost before 21 November, because after that I'm not around for 2 weeks. Was there a report about them? Also if you have creative changes on the lot(s) we could include them with the rehosted uploads... 

I sent you a DM on discord, I'm gonna be around for a few more hours before I go to bed.

[kaimai 1,067]

The new diagonal NY shops from @guepardomountain reminded me to finish the third lot for FTG's 181 Gun Hill Rd, so that all three positions along a FA3 network can be utilised, which I put on hold in order to make the next door filler house. That has now been made. Also fixed an immortal lot problem (hopefully). Redownload if you want I guess.