Seattle, Washington, USA (Update 19: Seattle Municipal Tower)

[hbn 244]

Oh that is very impressive. Can only imagine how painstakingly tedious it was. Looks great though. Patience rewarded. Be easier if you can just copy and paste the rest to the other side... or if CO brought in bridge styles by default.

[Roadman20 601]

Update 15: Procedural Object Bridges Part I

It's been some time since I've done like a comprehensive official update compared to like the stream of small updates that have been going on.  As I'm shifting away from road layout to the time consuming process of custom bridge building along the Lake Washington Ship Canal with Procedural Objects.  I figure I'll be among the very few to go this crazy with this particular mod in the direction of custom bridge building and a few other ideas I have yet to toy with.

As anyone that has followed this CJ during its nearly two year existence, the recreation of Seattle has gone beyond going to a final product, but towards approaching limits and creating innovations as mods, DLCs, assets come along to change original design.  Still at the end of the day, with all this innovation, I am, along with all of you following is to make a somewhat accurate looking Seattle as if you were visiting it in person.

On a side note, I did get a bit bored dealing this... so I dabbled in making a crazy interchange in New Jersey near Newark Airport because someone wanted to see it done.  I did post the basic interchange in Reddit, but I decided to go a little bit further on detailing.  I liked how the top comment was that I was insane... well, they haven't seen this City Journal then.

 

Equipped with a full custom tollbooth made with a few props and overhead structure and pillars by Procedural Objects.  Did TM:PE customization on lane restrictions, gradual speed reductions as approaching the toll plaza.  All the vehicles shown are live traffic going through.

 

Anyhow, back to the main meat of this update... dealing with those objects of accuracy in Seattle is the Interstate 5 Ship Canal Bridge.  Before the procedural object makeover to full double-deck truss arch bridge status, it was a bland looking double deck bridge with no pillars.  As seen below with the test pillars, you can imagine the blandness.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the bland structure in it's original state.

 

As anyone that has dealt with the Procedural Objects mod so far, it is pretty wonky to manipulate objects.  You can note when I changed to the greenish steel texture I went thicker with the girders.  The diagonal girders were the worse to deal with and there wasn't any sort of uniformity with them as I went along which does plague the final produce if you were to look at this bridge up close.  I did my best to mitigate that where possible.  If you notice the girder transition points are covered by the pentagon procedural object to cover the joints to make the appearance of a jointed object bolted together.  Indeed, hundreds of small objects make up the composition of the Ship Canal Bridge to fully make it 100% with Procedural Objects. 

As you also know, I also raised the original bridge deck when I was halfway complete with the build to make it more realistic with its real life counterpart as seen below.  The first picture is before and then after with the ships props showing height comparison.

 

As a result of the height change, it does have a more arching bridge deck when looking at it from the side compared to the original straight deck.  You can also note the right side has a longer box girder deck approach compared to the left side.

Meanwhile the lower deck is pretty pleasing to the eye with test traffic...

 

Just looks so nice at street level, you can finally see the imposing presence of the structure crossing over the water, dominating the landscape.

 

 

While the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge is one of the major landscape features in the area, this update isn't solely about a finished project, but the beginning of a series of projects which was born out of an earlier post about bridges all along the ship canal.  I do have a supreme amount of patience and dedication to this project, so I have decided to continue the painstaking task to work on the various ship canal bridge individually with their own object projects.  So this is going to be an ongoing project as much along the lines of the road layout; however, I do have some exclusive early shots of my approach to two bridges receiving their unique bridge work.

The first candidate is the University Street Drawbridge.  As you can see it is in a somewhat advanced design phase with part of it's drawbridge arch and supporting deck girders. If the results look good, then you'll probably see the rest of the drawbridges on the ship canal to follow suit in rapid succession.  The sailboat is height reference.

 

Last of all, the only other high truss arch bridge in the area, the SR 99/Aurora Aveune Bridge is receiving it's custom treatment.  Unlike the I-5 Bridge, the SR 99 has a girders spreading out in a V from the support pillars.  I figure this bridge will be a bit more complex to complete based off this.

Creating the main span with road references and basic pillar set up.  The pillars in the middle is just measuring for the box girder structure that straddles the middle with the connecting arch truss.

After referencing, they became part of the supporting girder structure.  Also, equipped with see-through glass suicide fencing on the bridge deck.  Not much progress beyond this point to show for.

If you're wondering about the hit on performance with going with so many procedural objects, I have no idea what is going to happen, so I'll let you know if the game dies with my madness.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  

[hbn 244]

Great work as always Roadman. So many roads in the second shot though.

[Turjan 1,048]

How many props do you have in this city now?

I hope your computer will last you a while, but if I look at YouTube examples, highly decorated cities stay rather small or only have a few showpieces. It definitely looks impressive though.

[Roadman20 601]

14 hours ago, Turjan said:

How many props do you have in this city now?

I hope your computer will last you a while, but if I look at YouTube examples, highly decorated cities stay rather small or only have a few showpieces. It definitely looks impressive though.

I have like 5,500 prop being used right now, which is strictly on the retaining walls on the interstate highway corridors.  That number will go down as I do more procedural object replacements on sections.  Procedural objects so far doesn't count towards buildings or props when I look at the limits data, so the limit is a mystery and I'm going to be the guinea pig to test that boundary it seems.  

[Turjan 1,048]

Interesting - and somewhat frightening. Good luck!

[mutton noir 170]

My concern is that you have spent so much time and effort in creating intricate  infrastructure  you reach the game limits before the main build- hope not!

[Roadman20 601]

The SR 99/Aurora Avenue Bridge in the background as finished.  Also the first bascule bridge, Fremont Avenue Bridge is completed.  It looks good I think.

 

Advance work on University Street Bascule Bridge, the fourth bridge of six to receive Procedural Object treatment.

[Roadman20 601]

Update 16: Reaching Technical Boundaries

My PC is feeling the heat of the Green Cities DLC update.

Work on the BNSF Ballmer Yard in the Interbay neighborhood looking south towards Elliot Bay completed in late December 2017.  Ballmer Yard comprises of 80 acres (320,000 meters squared) in size.

Happy Holidays and New Year.  Things have been quiet in Seattle's development for sometime and that is due to extensive combination of work and leisure traveling starting in late October and lasted until last week.  I was work traveling for most of November and then spent all my weekends in December, except Christmas traveling to Brugges, Belgium, Strasbourg, France, and Nuremberg, Germany.  Then I spent my New Years and the following week in Budapest and Bratislava.  

I don't have much of an update on Seattle except the part where I've been modifying my mod and asset list since the Green Cities DLC affected my RAM usage to the upper level of my 32 GB DDR3 installed on my PC.  I'm currently loading about 25 GB of mods/assets during loading sessions.  I've initially reduced my mods from the previous 142 to about 130 and overlooking the over 2000 assets to see what is on the chopping block for now.

This delay has also affected my use of Procedural Objects since for some reason I can't select my local textures any more to create more objects for Lake Washington Ship Canal bridges project.  I've spent minimal time trying to troubleshoot that issue though, so hopefully it is nothing too major.  Overall, the lack of time made by me for Cities has left me a bit unmotivated to progress Seattle beyond this current junction at the moment until I figure how to move on from here, which seems to be making the major PC upgrade jump.

I'm just letting you what's going on for Seattle in Cities:Skylines.  There probably won't be another major update until April 2018 since going back out on extensive work travel for the next couple months and settling on the PC upgrade...

 

[Roadman20 601]

Update 17: The Return to Seattle

The latest generation of the I-5/I-90 Interchange in Cities:Skylines, now with all major pillars done with Procedural Objects

Well, it's been just over two years since the last update on Seattle.  Life calls and at some point after the last update in 2018, I could no longer load up my saves of Seattle, so the project was indefinitely sidelined.  A return seemed inevitable at some point, but being the slow and pain-staking builder that I am, it seems that the current global COVID-19 pandemic facilitated the return more than anything else.  At the moment, in true Roadman fashion, it's just infrastructure focused, going around tinkering with things once again.

As you know towards the end of this journal, I was one of the pathfinders with Procedural Objects to take notice of the potential that mod would have for the game; however, much more creative people have taken on showcasing that in my hiatus and I'm glad to see Procedural Objects become even easier to work with in the passing years.  In the short time I have been back tinkering around with the game, back with new freeways and tramways by Clus everywhere, I've been at work with Procedural Objects all over the revamped road network, fake ground, and initial Port of Seattle dock sides. 

At this time, I've implemented about 900 objects into the game so far.  I've taken to tinkering with terraforming networks and slope assets, Procedural Objecting ploppable grass still seems to be a requirement in my eyes.

Towards the end of this update, you can see me working on Interstate 5 into the Downtown Seattle core, mainly working the southern portal of Freeway Park and Washington State Convention Center.  Now, long-time followers of this journal note this is largely where I stopped last time as I when I was deeply involved in Procedural Objects in trying to build an entire multi-level lid in Procedural Objects.  That effort is being revisited again as much as what you see was part of my vision with Procedural Objects for Seattle.

It's good to be back.

Seattle's Industrial District rail infrastructure now anchored by Royx69's Railway mod

Interstate 5 at Yesler Way with a new Procedural Object retaining wall and false grass to cover terrain differences.

Completing the other side of the Procedural Object retaining walls and terrain modifications

Multi-level Interstate 5 at Madison Street

Interstate 5 multi-level transition receiving Procedural Object treatment

[JHoward88 38]

Having lived in Tacoma, WA most of my life, I definitely take a special interest in this project.  Your attention to detail is incredible, and I look forward to your progress in the future!  Great work here.  

[Harry's_Place 34]

That's some impressive PO and highway work ! 

[Roadman20 601]

Update 18: Some Seattle Update

Greetings fellow Simtropolis people, it has been a while since I have visited the forums.  Seattle in Cities: Skylines did not get much of an update through the pandemic as time was always dedicated to other projects.   No worries though, I am showing some piecemeal progress around the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC).

I suppose we should go back to the beginning of this City Journal to experience Cities: Skylines in its infancy state to see this same of Downtown Seattle around the WSCC and Freeway Park.  The first couple of screenshots is from 2015, shortly after the game was released.  The evolution away from building tunnels and janky assets to recreate the freeway lids towards a full-blown Procedural Object construction of this short, yet densely packed area of Seattle.  This is one of the most technically challenging areas to recreate in Seattle bar none.

Looking south towards Pioneer Square and the Industrial Area in 2015

Looking south from Olive Way in 2015.  

 

Trolleybus traveling on James Street at the intersection of 6th Avenue under Interstate 5.  Thank goodness for the addition of trolleybuses as a DLC addition to CSL to recreate the Seattle Trolleybus network.

Spring Street and Madison Street - Interstate 5 Overpasses

Interstate 5 Express Lanes Entry and Exit at 5th Avenue at the site of the Seattle Municipal Tower.  The entire route under Interstate 5 is Procedural Object for creating custom tunnels.

Constructing the Washington State Convention Center Freeway Lid out of Procedural Objects

Additional Progress on the WSCC Lid

Constructing the Procedural Objects framing for Freeway Park Lid

Completed sublayer of the Downtown Seattle Freeway Lid complex while constructing the framework of the Freeway Park Parking Garage.  Ready for WSCC building to be plopped on top of the freeway and laying out the basic surfaces of Freeway Park over the mass of concrete.

Northbound Interstate 5 under WSCC with the Union Street offramp to the right.

[Roadman20 601]

Update 19: Seattle Municipal Tower

This is a brief update to Seattle to account for a key piece of infrastructure in Downtown Seattle when _luminou_ published their version of the Seattle Municipal Tower to add to the Seattle recreation.  As the previous update accounts for massive updates to Interstate 5 through Downtown Seattle, the key focal area is the reversible express ramps to Interstate 5 under the Seattle Municipal Tower, Seattle's fifth largest skyscraper at 722 ft (220 m).

Before the tower was constructed, this block of real estate in Downtown Seattle was home to the 95-unit Doris and Breslin Apartments on the northeast corner at Columbia Street and 6th Avenue and the WSDOT reversible express ramps to I-5 occupied the rest of the block.  Plans to build the Seattle Municipal Tower started under proposals in 1981; however, construction would not start until 1987 with completion in 1990.  

The Seattle Municipal Tower was designed by Herman Sarkowksy and Delbert Belfoy with two designs: a 55-story skyscraper with 500,000 square feet (46,000 sq m) of space on the site of the apartments; or a 65-story skyscraper with 1,100,000 sq ft (100,000 sq m) of space on the northern half of the site and the southern half occupied by a parking garage and shopping arcade.  The proposed 65-story skyscraper was designed to cantilever over the Interstate 5 express lane ramps, which required leasing the air rights from WSDOT.  There was also a proposed sky bridge to the Seafirst Fifth Avenue Tower to the north; however, that was never constructed.

The proposals resulted in the apartments' tenants, represented by the Seattle Displacement Coalition, filing a lawsuit in King County Superior Court on January 21, 1981, against Sarkowsky and Belfoy; they also sued the apartments' owner, CHG International, of which Sarkowsky and Belfoy were board members. The tenants claimed that CHG violated a 1979 agreement with the coalition to maintain the apartments, refrain from evicting tenants without cause or replacement housing, and create alternative affordable housing options.

The developer, Sixth and Columbia Associates settled on the 65-story proposal; however, the present tower rises 62 stories with 990,540 sq ft (92, 024 sq m) of space with the cantilever design over the I-5 ramps and parking garage over the I-5 ramps.  The city of Seattle purchased the tower in 1996 to house utilities and general government functions at the price of $124 million.  The tower is still owned by the city housing the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, Seattle City Light, the Department of IT, Human Services Department, and the Office of Economic Development as part of the Seattle Civic Center complex in the immediate surrounding area.

A Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper article in 1981 detailing the proposed Seattle Municipal Tower

 

So beyond the brief history lesson, getting this building into the Seattle recreation was quite time-consuming as it required converting the skyscraper asset into a Procedural Object.  While I will laud how detailed _luminou_'s work is, the number of editable PO points in the building was good for modifications; however, also bad since the amount of dots made it very difficult to perceive what I was editing.  Progression to the final elevation changes to the tower took several attempts as messed up significant portions of the tower by accident modifications within PO edit mode. 

The first major modification to the tower was raising the "base floor" to accommodate the height of coach buses for the tunnel ceiling of the I-5 express lane ramps at 5th Avenue. Also, the outside lobby needed to be high enough to not clip into the I-5 express lane ramp tunnel.

The second major modification was ensuring the tower parking garage was properly flushed with 6th Avenue, as the garage runs fully north-south between Columbia and Cherry Street.  This also meant one more big rise in the skyscraper, which visually manifests itself in bigger "middle" base lobby windows and brick textures for that floor. 

So yeah, hills in this game are not a lot of fun.... Yet, the final product is such a chef's kiss with the following screenshots.

Overview of the final PO modification of the Seattle Municipal Tower and some view of in-progress PO modifications happening with the Columbia Tower

Showing the additional procedural objects to support when the Seattle Municipal Tower is modified to Procedural Objects

Interstate 5 express onramp at 5th Avenue and Cherry Street, requiring significant changes in the corner compared to the original design by _luminou_

Interstate 5 express lane offramp under the Seattle Municipal Tower at 5th Avenue and Columbia Street, this required significant widening compared to the original design by _luminou_

Testing tunnel ceiling height with the rest of the tower complex

The Seattle Municipal Tower still has functioning night lights after the PO conversion with the Seafirst Fifth Avenue Plaza Tower in the background

Another evening shot from Interstate 5

 

Well... that is all for now.

[thecitiescenter 3,058]

I remember seeing this building being constructed when I was a kid.  The newspaper clipping is awesome.  Really like the modifications you made especially the Express Lane ramps they look just like they do in reality!