DeWitt County - Blasts from the Past (aka "Long Lost" CJ Images from 2003-2005!)

[coolwiththecool2 827]

How did you make it a top-down view like that?

[Sabretooth78 808]

congrats it looks amazing how did u take a pic like that? i would nevr have the patience to do that lol

 

 

How did you make it a top-down view like that?

 

It's very simple, actually.  Output a region image from Region Census (download here) and open it up in a photo editing app (Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.net, etc.).  Scale the vertical dimension by 1.98 times (keep the horizontal dimension at the original scale), rotate the result by 22.6 degrees counterclockwise and crop.  That's it!

 

This can also be done with any in-game camera snapshot, but the scale factors will vary from those I just quoted based on your zoom level as the various zooms use different angles.  There is a tutorial over at SC4Devotion which is very helpful (link).

 

A possible future endeavor I may attempt is a Google Maps style street map (tutorial here); one issue I'm wrangling with is depicting the locations of all my plop water streams on it (vs. just not showing them).  I could use the top-down view as a tracing aid, but due to the mechanics of how that image is created there will be discrepancies - cells at higher elevations will tend to be vertically displaced from their actual coordinate locations in the game.  Then again, most of my plop water is very close to "sea level", so I may just be making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

Speaking of maps, here's my updated power sharing arrangement.  The "yellow" coal plant in Lansing is stretched about as thin as I can possibly stretch it!  

 

[coolwiththecool2 827]

Oh thanks! I kept trying to make mines top down by changing the perspective I never thought rotating would work.

[Sabretooth78 808]

Here are a couple of sneak peeks at a coming attraction:

 

 

[Sabretooth78 808]

As you could probably tell from the previous teasers and the prior hinted "possible" endeavor, I've spent the better part of the last two weeks developing a "Google Map" of the region inspired by Packersfan's tutorial and excellent District of Wenzel streetmap.  Anyway, here's how far I've finally gotten...

 

What amounts to 10% magnification thumbnail (you can make out some detail!):

 

...and here's a 75% closeup of the area just to the left of center above:

 

 

Basically, the bulk of the setup work (the hard part!) is complete.  Municipal boundaries (which are not always coterminous with the game tiles) are done, as is the Maxis and plop water mapping.  Adding the plop water was quite tedious but helped by image dumps from RegionCensus; translated to fit the topography as necessary (to account for the elevation discrepancies inherent to the "squaring" of those images).  What mostly remains is route labeling.  As time goes by I intend to add other features such as parks, mountain peaks, selective POIs, transit mapping, etc.

 

One of the main reasons I decided to tackle this project now instead of later (besides the obvious fact that the more advanced the region becomes, the harder it would be to start) was to help me get a little more familiar with the roadway network and its deficiencies, of which there are plenty.  For instance, there are no roadway bridge crossings of the major rivers.  Sure, I had a good idea of it and the game has the regional transportation view, but once you see it laid out in this fashion it's a completely different beast.  Honestly, it renders the transportation view all but obsolete.  Now, one of the things I'll focus on as I start building out the region will be to work on the deficiencies and missing links now that I finally have a means of seeing the "big picture" as it relates to the entire region as opposed to just a tile or two.

 

Note that I'm still not ready to post the full file for viewing, but when I am it'll be featured and linked to each update (and a link will likely replace the regional transportation view on the original post).  The thing is going to be massive so I am probably going to have to figure out a web hosting arrangement.  It also currently exists as a single massive monolithic GIMP image (as opposed to the tutorial HTML tiling).  I haven't decided how I want to go forward with it.  For the setup, while somewhat cumbersome the monolithic approach has worked great in getting everything to match up.  Chopping the monolith up for the sake of uploading would negate that benefit going forward and not to mention probably add a significant amount more tedium in the process.  It'll work out somehow!

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

As well as farming will there be urban centres to?

[Sabretooth78 808]

As well as farming will there be urban centres to?

Definitely.  I'm expecting to build up 3 or 4 good cores, as well as several minor ones and the requisite infill following a growth pattern similar to what you would see in a US/Canadian conurbation.  In general, the farming is now at its peak (if I really need to say that).  While I definitely have the plugins to super-detail a farming community and just leave it, in general I don't have the patience - for super-detailing or just being able to "leave it alone" (hence what I think is one of my hang-ups against super-detailing).  That's not to say I won't pretty something up for an update here and there, nor does it mean I'm going to pave over all of these farms.

 

Other goals include a good highway (RHW) network involving a certain degree of retrofitting/context sensitivity (have to have cities before that!), seaport(s) and at least one good custom airport.  Among other things.

[Benedict 3,119]

Fantastic road map - looking forward to more of your work.

[Sabretooth78 808]

Replies:

 

Benedict:  Thanks - I really like the way it has come out and fortunately GIMP has been pretty easy to learn so it's fun to add new features to it.

 

 

6th Update - New Street Map Online

 

I've found a web hosting solution and as a result what I would consider a "Beta" of the DeWitt County Street Map is up and running (link below and on the Original Post in lieu of the Regional Transportation View).  As you will see, there is still quite a bit of labeling missing (hence the "Beta" designation) but in general I think it's good enough for release.  Check back often as incremental updates not worth mentioning here will be quite frequent in the coming days.

 

DeWitt County Street Map

Your browser does not support inline frames. To view this

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[Sabretooth78 808]

Well, after considerable tinkering I have revamped the entire layout of the street map. Included now along with the original Political view are Terrain and Zoning views.  Honestly, it seems like a lot of content but it wasn't very difficult at all to implement.  At this point I could very easily add additional views but I'm not sure there are any more that would be of any real value.

 

A few notes:  It requires Javascript to be enabled (for the switching between views) and if you zoom in or out with the browser things can get a little funky.  Odd browser zooms (basically non-25% increments) will cause lines to show between the various tiles comprising the map (I'm assuming due to rounding errors and the fact that not all of the tile edges are collinear).  In addition, since I'm utilizing frames any change in browser zoom will cause all of the frames to zoom.  I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to prevent that and only have the map view zoom, but no luck so far.  I'm considering exploring options with CSS and inline frames to see if it rectifies these issues.

 

All in all I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

 

Some samples:

 

Political:

 

 

 

Terrain:

 

 

Zoning:

 

 

 

Enjoy, and please provide feedback should you find any bugs!

 

DeWitt County Street Map

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

Cool, nice maps

[Benedict 3,119]

Awesome map skills.

[Sabretooth78 808]

 

Schriefer, Benedict:  Thanks!  I'm really happy with how they turned out.  Certainly much more detailed than I ever envisioned them, but well worth it.  It's amazing how much having it helps with layout going forward.  Though, it can be an issue of information overload as I have a tendency to overanalyze things instead of just building them.  Today's blunders are tomorrow's retrofits!

---

 

 

First things first, if you go back to this CJ's original post, you'll find an inline version of the street map if you don't feel like loading it up in a separate tab/window.  I'm rather impressed I pulled that one off as I don't consider myself very skilled at HTML.  As you look at it, you will also note that most of the major gaps in the transportation network have been filled; today I completed FR 38 bridges over the Marquette and Bristol Rivers.  As you will see below, FR 38 is poised to become somewhat of a "Main Street" of the county.

 

Today's focus is on some of the developed areas around DeWitt County.  These villages are the seeds of civilization at the moment.  Some will develop into urban centers, some will eventually be engulfed by their more powerful neighbors and others might just remain isolated small villages.  Time will tell.  Currently there are 12 such villages and hamlets; I have plans to add maybe another 5 before I start focusing on growing  all of them.  Featured below is a sample of 6, in order of decreasing population.

 

First, situated near the junction of FR 38 and SRs 39 and 276 and weighing in at 2736 Sims, we have the County Seat and largest incorporation (by a whopping 10 Sims!), Caledonia.  You'll note that Caledonia is largely identical in format to what we saw in Update No. 1, before I found that the tile was stricken with Prop Pox.  So while it isn't the same city featured then, it's not exactly a violation of canon, either.  Looking north:

 

 

Next, situated along the southern end of the FR 38/SR 1 multiplex and standing at population 2726 is Telford.  Telford is largely a counterweight to Caledonia on the other side of the county, but is perhaps a bit more balanced economically.  These two villages have been in a see-saw battle for largest in the county and it would probably be a fair guess to say that trend will continue for some time.  Also similar is the incidence of Prop Pox vs. Update No. 1.  The main difference here is that a thriving industrial cluster has popped up near the junction of FR 38 along and SR 1 upon the completion of those routes.  Looking north:

 

 

Coming in 3rd is the working class town of Aurelia, at population 2353.  Aurelia, situated at a bend along FR 38 between its junction with SR 15 and the new span over the Bristol River is currently the industrial powerhouse of the region.  It also boasts an excellent inland harbor which figures to factor in prominently going forward.  Looking north:

 

 

Bidwell is currently the westernmost population center in the county, located on a bend along FR 38 as it transitions from an east-west to north-south trajectory.  With a population of 1166, development is largely residential in nature, taking advantage of the abundant agricultural job offerings in the area.  Looking north:

 

 

The lone significant development on Bird Island, Lawrence, comes in next in our feature.  Lawrence is currently the 6th largest settlement with 889 residents.  SR 585, which forms an incomplete loop around the island, serves as the main drag through town.  Like many other villages, Lawrence features a large sheltered harbor.  Note my pathetic first real attempt at MMPs; the dirt road heading up to the water tower.  Hey, you have to start somewhere!  Looking west:

 

 

Finally we reach one of the smaller hamlets, Hazard.  Hazard is located along a jog in SR 15 a few miles north of Aurelia in the municipality of Northwood.  Local legend has it that its name comes from the "treacherous" bends in SR 15 as many nighttime motorists find themselves lost on dirt roads and switchgrass fields.  Looking north:

 

 

Finally, as an aside, we have to remember that the business of running a county isn't all bucolic villages and farm fields.  All these things need power and create some level of waste.  Enter Lansing.  I'm still in the process of fleshing this town out, but the plan is for the northeastern portion of the town to become a major industrial and shipping powerhouse.  Needless to say, the result of that isn't always pretty.  Speaking of which is the first of what will probably be a total of 3 or 4 county-wide landfills.  Note that the two power plants pictured supply electricity to nearly the entire western half of the county - 31 tiles to be exact.  Looking north:

 

 

As always, you can click through on these images to see larger versions.

---

 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this tour as much as I enjoyed piecing together what felt like the first substantial update to this CJ.  Until next time!

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

Cool towns you did

[mb1.0.2 193]

Wow, this journal is fantastic! The level of thought and planning is stunning and it's really showing as the towns start to be developed. I cannot wait to see where this journal goes. Really nice job.

[Sabretooth78 808]

 

Schriefer, mb1.0.2:  Thanks!  I'm glad you enjoy it.

---

 

At the risk of appearing to engage in necromancy, I thought I owed the community an update as to what I've been doing while apparently letting this journal languish.

 

Let me assure you that the region, and by extension this journal, is still alive and well - just dormant.  There are a few reasons for this dormancy, which I will explain below.

 

I've come to the realization that despite my best efforts, my plugins folder is (was) much like a loose herd of cats.  This is something that is probably true of 99% of the custom content users in the community and to some extent unavoidable, but I thought I should be able to do better.  So, in the intervening time I've begun cataloging my plugins.  I expect to yield a few benefits from this effort:

 

• Ideally, a smaller (or at least tighter) plugins suite and by extension (as anecdotal evidence throughout the community would lead one to believe) fewer CTDs.  Yes, I can manage them well enough by saving often but I felt I could do better.
• The ability to remove content I no longer want to keep, for whatever reason.  In the current (former) state, I had no idea if removing content A would affect some content(s) B that used A as a dependency.  This will no longer be the case.
• Absolutely no missing dependencies.  I've already found a few cases where I had been missing some.  Not many, but some nonetheless.  Read those readmes twice!  Of course, in testing I have also found that some content creators aren't very good at listing their dependencies, so no list is going to be perfect.  I've done what I could - and determined these "missing" dependencies to the extent that I've been able to.

 

As for the results, so far I've indexed 1987 total downloads and I will hazard a guess that puts me at about 85% complete.  My plugin suite is actually now larger than it was before, but I haven't done many removals among my prop pack collection yet - just in case I did want to fire the game up, I didn't want to cause any dependency issues for something I haven't gotten to yet.  Once the index is complete, I'm still expecting to be able to delete a few hundred MB of prop packs and other dependency packages - mission accomplished.

 

If there was one thing that convinced me to embank upon this whole project, it was seasonal trees.  I don't currently use a seasonal tree controller but I explored switching to one.  Ultimately, I decided to keep what I have but decided I wanted to remove as much seasonal content as I could (sitting on the fence between seasonal and non looks awkward).  While I did come across T Wrecks' "Endless Summer Mod", there were some other content items I realized I wasn't going to use.  But were they safe to delete?  And here we are.  I might make my list available when it is complete, just for information.  Know that I have no desire to scour the STEX in the interest of cataloging anything which I am not actually using.

 

Note that I am not making any wholesale changes.  While I would expect there to be some hiccups, I'm not expecting any changes which will render the region unplayable or require extensive reworking.

 

Honestly, I have enough material to post a legitimate Update No. 8; I just haven't gotten around to it and I don't like the idea of posting an update when I'm not actively developing the region.  It's my belief that the two go hand-in-hand in order to develop a context and cohesiveness to the update.  Hopefully I'll be able to post something by the end of the month.  If not, there will definitely be something some time in October.

 

Until then...

[TekindusT 3,809]

I've just seen that interactive map... It is one of the most awesome things I have seen lately in ST, even though it was posted in June!! Massive kudos to you!

[Boombox Gamer 19]

Loving the railroad planning

[Benedict 3,119]

^{Good to see signs of pseudo-life.}

[packersfan 667]

I'd love to bounce ideas off of you about how you manage your plugins and how you developed that map.  Thanks for the shout-out.  Your map is really good, the legend is great, and the terrain and zone maps are inspired!!!  I think the community AND me personally would love to know the details of how you created it...and then how you got a inline version onto the forum.  GREAT JOB!!!

[Sabretooth78 808]

 

TekindusT, Boombox Gamer, Benedict:  Thanks!

packersfan:  Your tutorial (or what's left of it - it's missing pictures) is what should get most of the credit.  I just applied it and took it in my own direction after getting it set up.

---

 

I've finally completed my index, all 2,407 downloads that my plugins suite includes.  With that roadblock completed, I plan to get back into developing the region starting this week, with a new update to follow hopefully not long thereafter.

 

During the creation of the index, I added quite a bit of new content (looking up content you have has a tendency to introduce you to new content from the same creators) but also deleted a fair amount.  Overall, I went from 4.4 GB datpacked to 3.8 GB datpacked.  Most of this is due to more judicious use of prop packs, especially considering I would venture a guess that I have more actual lots now than I did previously.  I expect for this number to gradually shrink as well, as I determine that I don't want to keep things I have.  I tend to rather have "everything" up front and then decide if I really want to keep it after the course of playing.

 

Another reason it dropped so significantly is due to the elimination of 50+ airport/aircraft packages - I want to build an airport eventually but I don't want to have 100 MB tied up on 300 airliners/liveries when I may only want say 10 airlines servicing a 30-gate airport.  Strategic relotting will be the name of the game.  So there will be a few modes of plugin growth going forward.

 

If anybody is interested, here are some links to the list (no viruses, I promise!):

 

XLS format (802 kb)

ODS format (148 kb)

 

Plugin management:  I basically serialize all of my plugins into folders ultimately to have a strict control over loading order.  Dependencies come first in the 100s, then follow the in game toolbar/menu system from the top to the bottom - MMPs are 200s, RCI Growables (ok, they're not in the menu obviously - think of it as zoning) are 300s, RCI Ploppables are 400s, Transportation are 500s, Utilities are 600s, and Civics are 700s.  Pegasus' themes (CDK3, MTP, etc.) are 800s, although I might eventually merge them into the rest of the structure.  I haven't decided - the way he's set the packages up really helps make them standalone.  Finally, general mods come in at the 900s with the "load lasts" in the 990s.  Within each of those, there is further resolution (fire stations are 720s, for instance).  Being as I work with state highway specs in real life, you may notice that the structure is similar to the standard specs and pay item numbers you'd find on a highway construction contract.  I guess that's not entirely a coincidence.  I've also found it helps to give DAMN menus more of a logical structure.  Speaking of said structure, I may revamp it a little as there are a few categories which have become a little muddled and confusing.  This is going to go hand-in-hand with my eventual DAMN menu reboot.  Fortunately I can still play the game while that is ongoing.

 

Regarding the map, the terrain and zoning maps are just 2 additional maps created by screenshots and GIMP just as the street map is - and more easily for that matter.  So all-in-all, it's really three separate maps cross-linked by the top-right frame.  I could just as easily add more maps based on anything else in the game data views, but I can't envision a usefulness for anything else at this point.  As much as I know the community would love to see a regional radiation map view.

 

Getting it to work in-line in the forums was almost an accident.  I got the street map to work (the lower left frame) using the iframe code, and once I saw what I had it was just a little tweaking the get the whole thing in there:

 

 

<iframe src="http://sabretooth78.east.freepgs.com/Map.html" width="800" height="600">

Your browser does not support inline frames. To view this

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://sabretooth78.east.freepgs.com/Map.html'>document</a>

correctly, you'll need an up-to-date copy of Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

</iframe>

 

That's all it is!

 

Maybe my next update will be a real update?  Stay tuned...

[Benedict 3,119]

Looking forward to the next installment.

[packersfan 667]

Organization is a constant battle for me.

[Sabretooth78 808]

 

Benedict: Here it is!

packersfan: Sometimes I think herding cats is easier.  I finally have an organizational scheme that seems to work.  We'll see how it holds up going forward.  I still seem to have made no progress on the CTD issues.  Grrrrrrrr.

---

 

 

Today's installment brings us to a couple of the developments that have taken place along the coastline.  DeWitt County features an extensive and rather irregular coastline affording many protected harbors, therefore seafaring commerce and industry will be every bit as important as agriculture is to the young economy.

 

One particularly excellent deep water harbor is Joliet Bay.  The bay is essentially the mouth of the watercourse formed by the confluence of Joliet River and Genesee Creek.  Due to the natural environment, the bay was selected by the federal government as a location of a small naval base.  Looking north:

 

 

Columbian Naval Forces Base (CFNB) Joliet Bay is currently home port to one heavy cruiser, the CSS Intrepid, 6 destroyers and a small naval reserve center.  There's not a whole lot to it now, but the location has proven to be very successful and talks of expansions and spinoff "development" are almost constantly occurring.  

 

Thanks in large part to the location of the naval base, the village of Joliet Bay has grown from a small rural street corner to a bustling little village of 2,254. Looking west:

 

 

The naval base is located just off to the lower left corner of this frame.  SR 276 is the main route through town; CR 125, which comes in from the north, connects the town to FR 38 approximately 2 km to the north.

 

Moving on from Joliet Bay, the Village of Telford has seen a bit of an industrial boom around the southern end of the FR 38/SR 1 multiplex thanks in large part to a recently built shallow water port which is quickly establishing itself as a grain distribution hub.  Looking north:

 

 

Telford is the region's largest incorporation boasting 5,811 residents.  The influx of money thanks to the new port has been channeled into civic improvements, and it's beginning to show as the village sees the earliest signs of gentrification anywhere in DeWitt County.  Looking east:

 

 

The main street through town is (you guessed it) FR 38/SR 1.  Most of the upscale development is occurring around the peak of a mild hilltop just to the southwest of the CBD.

 

Shifting away from the noise and grit of industry, there are some more secluded seaside attractions to look at.  Not the least of which is Vincent Beach.  Looking west:

 

 

The lighthouse is Vincent Light, which was featured in Update No. 3.  The emptiness of the beach can be attributed to it being the offseason, as well as remoteness.  The nearest settlement, Vincent (population 205) lies about 3 km to the north.

 

For something even more secluded, try the beach at Atkins Cove in the Town of Zander.  Looking west:

 

 

Welcome to the beach ranked #1 in all of the State of Jefferson. Aside from the excellent qualities of the beach itself, much of the allure comes from its remoteness (which no doubt helps keep it unspoiled), over 4 km away from the nearest settlement, Telford, and the fact that it is accessible only by hiking or off-road vehicle.  The highway pictured is CR 47, currently the only roadway along Cape Recovery.

 

All of these locations are present on the street map, which finally got an update after a 3 month layoff.  Until next time!

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

That naval port looks amazing. The docked warships are a great add-on!

[jmsepe 2,040]

Nice sandy beaches and yes nice warships too.

[packersfan 667]

Nice.  I'm trying hard to give myself the freedom to radically alter areas so I can use FAR and FARR and stuff, but it is hard with the map sitting there, haha!

 

BTW...what farms do you use?  Can you give me a snapshot of your farm folder?  That region view is amazing.  My original farm layout consisted of basically just the MAXIS farms...but then I add other farm packages but they don't seem to look at nice and interesting as yours from the air.

[Sabretooth78 808]

Nice.  I'm trying hard to give myself the freedom to radically alter areas so I can use FAR and FARR and stuff, but it is hard with the map sitting there, haha!

 

BTW...what farms do you use?  Can you give me a snapshot of your farm folder?  That region view is amazing.  My original farm layout consisted of basically just the MAXIS farms...but then I add other farm packages but they don't seem to look at nice and interesting as yours from the air.

 

Initially, I used only the SPAM farms, which block the Maxis ones.  (In other words, this is a "Pedriana-free" region.)  However, I was finding those to still be a little too repetitive (the makers probably never intended them to be the sole development on a 70+ tile region!) so I supplemented them with some other packages, mostly JMyers and SG's BSC farms with some CSX and BarbyW for good measure.  If you'd like an exact list, download the plugin list I linked above (that copy is still up-to-date with respect to farms), sort by location; growable farms are anything with a location of "371", except for some of the SPAM stuff which is "940".  FYI, any ploppables would be "471".

 

As nice as they do look, now that I'm adding residential population I'm noticing that the few empty farm lots that remain (or those I find room to add) are "infilling" with larger, higher stage farms.  Particularly JMyers'; I think you can get all the PEG/SPAM farms without any residential population.  Oh well.  I'm thinking I might blow up a few other extant farms in order to get them to rebuild to a yet more "diverse" state.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

Very nice update, it's like a real, growing place.  I'm interested in your beaches.  I've used ploppable beaches in the past myself, but without what one might call success, so I was wondering how you went about making yours.

[packersfan 667]

I have all those farm packs but I don't seem to get the colors you get.  Just a lot of Barley and Rye fields....