Growable Question

[Xander Dax 310]

Hi i have a question concerning growables, a lot of the growable files available for download say to hold ctrl and zone each area specifically for each building, however i was just wondering if i could just zone one large area and then use roads or streets to make the required size zone areas for the buildings and lots, and still have then grow and grow correctly?.

[jason leo 485]

I don't think so, the cell would be break when something is placed in that large tile, and that building won't grow correctly, so I'll make the road/street first, then zone it and don't forget to hold ctrl, and you can't do the opposite of this method.

Look at here for an example:

Before anything is placed in that large tile:

And after:

See that, the tile break into several smaller tiles. The proof: those lines between tiles is not exist before.

I hope that this post could help you.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

You don't have to zone specifically for growable sizes unless they are off beat. Anything up to 4 x 4 can be assembled by the game from nearby smaller lots. Large lots such as 4 x 4 may also be subdivided. Recently I had a C$$$ 4 x 4 divided into two 2 x 4's. The building routines play fast and loose with zoning if necessary. The only thing the game won't do is create zones.

If you need a 4 x 7 lot for some building, you can lay it down, but don't bet the game won't subdivide it. Lots are not sacred.

[arozarker12 51]

Call me crazy, but I just go with the flow and let my growable grow when and where it wants. Hmmn, maybe I am just lazy!

[KonstantinII 1,106]

I have a chart for every single growable thing I have with the name,creator,type(Co$$),size(2X3),and capacity.

It helps when I want to grow a specific building an a place of my choose.So I can build city according to plan.

[Xander Dax 310]

Ah ok thanks guys, was just curious because i recently zoned a LARGE area for industrial, but had not got around to putting in roads/streets for it (or through it) and a bit later i had a whole bunch of lots in various sizes (such as 6x6, 4x4 and others) grow all over the zone, and yet in the instructions for some of these lots, it says for them to grow you need to use the ctrl method to zone the specific size zone for each building to grow.

I Didn't i just zoned a great big area and yet a lot of them grew anyway weird lol.

[jason leo 485]

Ah ok thanks guys, was just curious because i recently zoned a LARGE area for industrial, but had not got around to putting in roads/streets for it (or through it) and a bit later i had a whole bunch of lots in various sizes (such as 6x6, 4x4 and others) grow all over the zone, and yet in the instructions for some of these lots, it says for them to grow you need to use the ctrl method to zone the specific size zone for each building to grow.

I Didn't i just zoned a great big area and yet a lot of them grew anyway weird lol.

the rule of industries is different with residential and commercial, there are no cell in industry, and that mean if something is plopped inside the large tile, it will not make any effect, "hold ctrl" law is only for R and C, not I.

[Xander Dax 310]

ok thanks i didn't know that, thanks for the help guys!.

[Fatherted 129]

in fact, using the ctrl on industry FORCES it to use 6x6, 24x43 or whatever you did, meaning if you have no lots that crazy size, the game cannot use it.

(Tip: Create a new city. Zone 1x34 or something similar (using one). Then watch 34 farleys foundrys grow!)

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

in fact, using the ctrl on industry FORCES it to use 6x6, 24x43 or whatever you did, meaning if you have no lots that crazy size, the game cannot use it.

(Tip: Create a new city. Zone 1x34 or something similar (using one). Then watch 34 farleys foundrys grow!)

'Fraid not. I often zone 8 x 8 industrial lots using the CTRL key, and they fill in quite normally. The click and hold zoning generates too large a patch for me.

[Fatherted 129]

'Fraid not. I often zone 8 x 8 industrial lots using the CTRL key, and they fill in quite normally. The click and hold zoning generates too large a patch for me.

Well, it seems not to work like that for me. (?)

[jason leo 485]

'Fraid not. I often zone 8 x 8 industrial lots using the CTRL key, and they fill in quite normally. The click and hold zoning generates too large a patch for me.

Well, it seems not to work like that for me. (?)

What kind of industrial density that you use for the testing? Low density or Med/Hi density industrial zone? It works well for me too, they still grow normally after hold ctrl key if I use Med/Hi Density, but low density/farms won't grow in those tiled area, as i know.
  Edited October 8, 2012 by jason leo  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, I don't usually zone low density industrial. This is the one time I may use click and hold, but I have also drawn plots. SPAM will build a farm on any contiguous zoned area larger than 4 x 4. On 4 x 4 (exactly) it will build speciality farm fields like tomato patches. For smaller areas and really irregular shapes there is a full set of 1 x 1 filler pieces that can be just plopped. Did that today beside a diagonal rail line;

For medium and high density industrial I usually use 8 x 8 pods because it fits nicely into my grid pattern for cities. If I am going to be stuck with a grid, I am going to try to get the most out of it.

I haven't used Maxis farms in so long I tend to forget about them totally. I am committed to SPAM and find it quite satisfactory. I guess I am set in my ways, which is a privilege of old age, I guess.

I really don't test this any more. The last thing I did was a restart, dropping all regions, to implement Paeng's industrial textures. These are very nice, but required new regions, unsullied by other stuff.

Generally speaking, I don't plop RCI lots with the exception of some C lots for special purposes, namely to get the old timber look from Paeng's commercial set. These same models will grow as well, but there are times when uniformity of style is needed.