SAM 8 Override - Full Cobblestone Street

[11241036 5,093]

I'm a fan of the SAM Street 2, 7, 8, and 9 and use them frequently. For older parts of my cities, I'm fond of the SAM 8 Cobblestone Street. I also like to use them in combination with the Cobblestone Pedestrian Malls, for in my country, old town parts are frequently barred to motorized traffic.

 

However, the usual white sidewalk has frequently been bothering me. Well, this hasn't really been the worst problem in SC4 to me (there are really much worse issues), but one day I thought that it might look awesome if this texture could be replaced by the Cobblestone base texture from the NAM.

 

Now, I know that a mere sidewalk mod would replace ALL base textures on traffic routes with the Cobblestone texture, and this would go too far for me. So I created a little modification that overrides some of the SAM 8 overlay textures to combine them with the Cobblestone texture.

 

How it works:

* Several street overlay textures have been modified by adding the cobblestone texture. In other words: The cobblestone sidewalk is part of the street overlay texture itself. There is no transparent part anymore; therefore, any sidewalk mod will not have any effect. This modification affects all wealth lots, as well as SAM streets through empty terrain, mid- or high-density zones or agricultural areas. Exception: The 2x2 roundabouts. The little grass area in its center will adapt according to the wealth of the adjacent buildings (yet that's not really a big deal).

* Various connection pieces between SAM 8 and Road/OWR/etc. have also been modified.

 

I've only modified textures from one NAM file so far: Network Addon Mod/Street Addon Mod/Textures/SAM - 8 - Cobblestone Street Textures.dat.

 

This is a screenshot of my first attempt of doing such a thing:

 

 

Please note:

* I'm using a sidewalk mod that replaces those ugly white base textures by a gray asphalt texture.

* Also, I'm using Euro Road textures.

 

For the sake of finding out how my new modification will look when combined with Cobblestone Pedestrian Malls, I've placed a few of them (labeled with PedMall); and I've also placed a few lots (those with trees on it) with a Cobblestone base texture.

 

 

All of this leaves me with a few questions, along with some issues:

 

* You can clearly see that the cobblestone on the SAM streets looks much darker than the cobblestone on both the PedMall pieces and the lots. The most obvious solution would be brightening up the sidewalk cobblestone part. But unfortunately, this means doing all the work from scratch, so my question is: Does anyone already know by how much % I need to brighten them? I have a few basic skills in working wth GIMP, this should be possible. An answer of yours could surely save me some trouble.

* About the area encircled in red: I've actually created a texture for this, but unfortunately it does not appear. I'm sure that my new override mod is loading last, so the textures there should override any other textures with the same IID. I'm thinking that this has something to do with the Euro traffic textures, as I had to delete another SAM override mod I had previously installed that completely canceled out my override mod to make my override mod working in the first place. Does anyone know something about this?

* You can also see that even along agricultural zones the SAM street appears fully with a cobblestone sidewalk - something I actually do not want. I've replaced all textures with an ID ending with -800, -810, -820, and -830 by my own textures. Are textures with an ID ending with -800 being used in both agricultural AND mid-density/high-density zones? If not, is there a way to have agricultural zones display the standard dirt base textures while having mid-/high-density zones display cobblestone textures?

* As I'm already thinking of the future: Does someone know how to place props on this SAM street, like I've seen it in many sidewalk mods (e.g. those by Moonlight, I think)? And can this be limited to the SAM 8 street only?

 

 

If somebody from the Network Addon Mod Team wants to have a look into my modified file, please send me a PM with your E-mail address, for (as far as I know) I can't share it here without your permission. By the way, I really do not necessarily want this to be introduced in a futural NAM update, I've merely created this override mod for myself. I might share it in public if enough people are interested and if I'm getting the permission to do so.

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

I can pretty much answer almost everything here.

1. It's totally fine to distribute a textural override for any one of the NAM's components; in fact, we welcome it. We (any member of the NAM Team) can also provide guidance on what to do as well.

2. We have a devtool that can brighten or darken textures as needed, but as it stands, it's only accessible to NAM Team Members. If textural development becomes any more commonplace, it may have to be made public. In the meantime, use Paint.NET to see if +14 brightness and +10 contrast works; that was one of my long-standing ratios for darkening (-14/-10), but I never tested it on brightening.

3. Wealthification, as it's referred to, is determined by the seventh digit only, and here's what those digits do:

- 0 - Unzoned

- 1 - Low-wealth low density

- 2 - Med-wealth low density

- 3 - High-wealth low density

- 4 - Low-wealth high density

- 5 - Med-wealth high density

- 6 - High-wealth high density

- 7 - Agriculture

A lot of the time, only digits 0, 1, 2, and 3 are used. If so, then the texture that corresponds to digit 0 will be used for 4, 5, 6, and 7. Likewise, if you only have 0, it'll be reused for 1-7. You can assign a unique texture for agriculture, but it's probably the least used wealth texture and it's just clumped with 0. Similarly, you can also assign a unique texture for high density zoning, but most of the time, you'd want the full effect of sidewalks so it's just clumped with 0. The moment you assign a unique texture, to 4, 5, 6, and 7, it'll stop copying 0 and start using those instead.

And that is everything I can answer right now. Hope that helps.

[11241036 5,093]

Ganaram Inukshuk: Thank you for your answer so far.

 

#1: Thank you. So far, my modification isn't ready to distribute. This will take a while. Anyway, I'm not even sure if there will be people that like it, as it's only a minor change.

 

#2: I'll give it a try.

 

#3: Thank you, that's good to know. I will most likely assign textures for the digits from 1-6 and leave out 0 and 7, as I actually want the game to display no sidewalk at all in unzoned areas and dirt in agricultural areas.

___

 

Edit: It turned out that using Paint.NET to increase brightness by 14 and contrast by 10 really helped. I've furthermore blurred the textures in GIMP; however, I can't explain it in English (the German word for the required tool is "Gauß'scher Weichzeichner").

 

See screenshot. Please note that for the sake of making experiments, I've replaced the street overlay textures themselves from the basic straight SAM 8 street by the same plain cobblestone texture from the PedMall pieces. Everything above the black line is without blurriness, everything below with. I've also placed a lot with the cobblestone base texture to compare. Actually, I prefer the sharp look of the lot's base texture over the blurry texture of the Cobblestone PedMall pieces, but I guess it can't be helped easily.

 

[11241036 5,093]

Sorry for double-posting, but there's another issue I've stumbled upon.

 

I'm using the European road textures, and I've also replaced some of the textures from the European texture set, particularly those connecting SAM 8 with Roads. However, for some reason, the game doesn't use them.

 

Screenshot 1: At low-density zoning, the game displays European road rextures, albeit without cobblestone sidewalk.

 

 

Screenshot 2: At high-density zoning, the game shows US textures with cobblestone sidewalk.

 

 

I've so far only modified content from 2 files:

* Network Addon Mod/Street Addon Mod/Textures/SAM - 8 - Cobblestone Street Textures.dat

* z__NAM/Road Textures/Euro Cosmetic Re-Texture Mod/z0_SAM_8_Euro_Textures.dat

 

For several textures there (including those marked with a red arrow) I've created replacements, assigned to both low and high density zoning, however excluding agriculture and unzoned. I'm actually confused as why the game acts like this, I've made sure that my override mod is loading last.

 

If it's OK with the NAM team, and if you want to look into the files, I can share the files I've created so far here.

 

Edit: I want to create two version, one for US road textures, and one for European.

[MandelSoft 2,769]

You just have to make sure that your files load after the Euro Textures. That is to make sure the override will be applied.

[11241036 5,093]

Believe me or not, I found the reason why my textures weren't overriding the default game's textures.

Sim City 4 apparently has a different way of treating file order than Windows Explorer. The NAM Team stores the Euro Textures in a folder named "z___NAM" (three _'s), and I stored my files in a folder with the name "zzz_SAM 8 Cobblestone Override". Windows Explorer showed my folder last, whereas Sim City 4 seems to consider the z___NAM folder last, probably because for Sim City 4, "_" comes after "z".

Anyway, after renaming my folder to "z___z SAM 8 Cobblestone Override", it worked like it was supposed to work.

[11241036 5,093]

Since that last texture issue is fixed now, next up is trying to place a few props on the Cobblestone Street.

 

I personally would like to see some planters on the streets, to decorate them and break up the gray colours a little bit. Nekopanchi's planters helped a lot. For the sake of making experiments (I wanted to see how they would look), I've created a bunch of 1x1 lots. This is a first picture of such an attempt:

 

 

Pretty sure I've overdone it with some of the streets, but, as I said, this was just an experiment.

 

Since probably not everyone likes that much "propping up" of the streets, I figured that it would be best to first merely replace the street lights. I do not like the current street lights very much, imo they look out of place. I'd very much like to replace them by the same lantern post that is currently on the White Pavement Pedestrian Mall tile, since it looks "older".

 

I've already looked into the Type 21 file of the SAM 8 streets, however, I can't figure out how to:

 

* place props on a network

* make sure they are restricted to SAM 8 streets only

* make sure they are restricted to e.g. only straight street segments

* make sure they only appear when certain requirements are met (for instance: the planters should only appear along high-density zoning, both residential and commercial, but not industrial)

* make sure the lanters only appear every second tile (as seen in the picture in the 1st post)

* place a street light effect along with the lanterns, so they shine in the night

 

I know that I can copy&paste props via iLive Reader, and I know how to do it, but I don't know everything else. I'd highly appreciate if someone could help me.

[ByeByeBayou 1,936]

@11241036 I downloaded your "Cobblestone Street Override Mod," I followed the instructions and I still can't seem to get it to work. I also can't get the "z_SAM_NoGrass_Mod" to work either. The public transit street modes seem to work fine though. My current theory is that I have sidewalk mod that's interfering. I've pulled every sidewalk or street mod I could find from my plugin folder, but no progress. It looks like I might still have one if you can see the cars and bike racks on the side of the road. does this come with NAM or is there a sidewalk texture I still need to find?

 

Also, @kschmidt, I know you've used this mod. Any ideas?

Here's a link to the mod for reference.

 

[rsc204 21,804]

@ByeByeBayou: I've moved your question here, since this seems the most appropriate place.

43 minutes ago, ByeByeBayou said:

My current theory is that I have sidewalk mod that's interfering.

Whilst that is a possibility, it is quite simple to check. Create a new folder inside the root Plugins folder. Name this z______LoadLast. Then place the mod you want to see into this folder. Such a folder name should pretty much ensure anything inside it will override other similar mods you have installed. But if not, a screenshot showing the contents of your Plugins folder would allow us to be 100% certain of what's loading last inside it.

43 minutes ago, ByeByeBayou said:

I downloaded your "Cobblestone Street Override Mod," I followed the instructions and I still can't seem to get it to work.

You are aware this mod only overrides the sidewalks for the SAM8 Street Textures, I mention it because I don't see any SAM8 streets in your screenshot.

To create a SAM8 street, you need the NAM with the Street Addon Mod (SAM) installed, specifically set 8, the Cobbled Streets. Place a SAM Starter Piece (found in the Road Menu), then drag street from that to override a section of Street to the selected SAM network.

43 minutes ago, ByeByeBayou said:

I also can't get the "z_SAM_NoGrass_Mod" to work either.

Again note this mod only functions with the supported SAM street textures.

For an up to date No Grass mod that supports all NAM networks, for example Roads, Avenues and default Streets, in addition to SAM and NWM, try this instead:

 

43 minutes ago, ByeByeBayou said:

if you can see the cars and bike racks on the side of the road. does this come with NAM or is there a sidewalk texture I still need to find?

Props on game networks are nothing to do with Sidewalks or Textures, instead those use something called T21s. As such a T21 mod by itself wouldn't have any effect on a texture mod such as those you mention.

[ByeByeBayou 1,936]

4 hours ago, rsc204 said:

@ByeByeBayou: I've moved your question here, since this seems the most appropriate place.

Understandable. I wasn't sure the best place to post this.

As for everything else, I found the SAM 8. I've never used the Street Addon Mod before and therefore was unclear about the instructions. I thought this mod was a general street texture override. Thanks for the help @rsc204!! I got everything working properly and it looks great!!