[Delta ²k5]'s "Chop Shop"

[Delta2k5 311]

I thought it's time to get my own topic running as I started some more advanced, larger project a day ago. Besides the vehicles I created before I started working on some vanilla-style modular airport, based on the vanilla airport and international airport assets. Due to my quiet limited time caused by real life don't expect extra-fast progress

Still I've got to update my "old" vehicle assets too, but the vehicle editor seems to be kinda messed up since the last patch - anyway I'll look into this too by time as I already promised!

 

For now I got the following types of buildings planned for this airport set which is heavily inspired by the AC teams set for SimCity 4

• functional terminal block with three "small" gates
• functional terminal block with two "large" gate
• non-functional terminal filler pieces with gates
• terminal piece with control tower (RICO Office)
• terminal block without gate (RICO commercial low)
• monorail / (elevated) metro / train terminal pieces
• terminal block with taxi stands (AD required)
• terminal block with bus hub (to be connected to the tarmac and without airport functionality - just to connect aircraft stands in some nice way  )
• terminal block with road maintenance service building (connected to the tarmac side to simulate road-traffic on the airport  )

 

• functional terminal with concourse (4 + gates using sub buildings) "T - style"
• functional concourse piece (featuring gates on both sides, will probably require network extensions as it has to be entered on foot from the underground using pedestrian "roads")
• eye candy ends for concourse, left and right

 

• eye candy transition piece between one-level and two-level terminals (maybe even RICO - enabled, we'll see)
• two-level functional terminal blocks (will be a challange to be set up - I try to set the entrances on the upper level, the exits on the lower level)
• two-level terminal with control tower (probably RICO office + functional (using sub building - I don't know yet if something like this is possible))
• large fake-entrance piece for two-level terminals (RICO commercial high) (so especially when using rush hour many people gonna go into this one)
• monorail / (elevated) metro / train two-level terminal pieces
• two-level terminal block with taxi stands (AD required)
• two-level terminal block with bus hub (to be connected to the tarmac and without airport functionality - just to connect aircraft stands in some nice way  )

 

• simple helipads with one of each natural disasters helicopters
• working doppler radar dome (requires ND - a non working version is available on the workshop)
• stand-alone ATC towers
• surface movement radar tower
• some props like (enhanced) vanilla jet bridges, stand guidance displays and other small things which will be pretty

Special features:

• rotating radar domes for ATC towers and the radar tower (gotta look into this!)
• usage of the "vehicle rotor" shader discovered by @Ronyx69 for large glass parts of the terminals (I try to work around the lod-problem)
• stock-game style as I use the textures and models from the game as my start-point  
• usage of the "loading screen mods" benefits → as I use the same texture with the same name most of the times it will be loaded only once into VRAM when using this mod - which is great!
• living airports by the use of RICO settings - which you don't have to use at all (those buildings will work as an landmark if you don't use that mod )
• more space between planes and terminals due to longer jet bridges - you'll be able to draw some road in between using the anarchy tool of your choise

Downsides:

• jet bridges will disappear after a certain distance as I'll convert them to props. I decided to do so to increase flexibility on creating different terminal types and styles  
• by using many working two-gate assets ingame the airport will get really congested! That's the reason for me to include non-functional versions too.

 

Later on I might create a mod to enhance the vanilla runways and taxiways. I looked up the networks in mod tools and changed some values to test something which turned out to be possible:

 

• different wide runways (40m up to 65m for realistic regional and international airports - new network meshes needed)
• more realistic markings with lights on runways (probably by adding more segments to one network, segment[0] would be just asphalt to place some indicator like "20L", segment[1] would be the threshold, segment[2] would contain the dashed line only, segment [3] dashed line + precision marking followed by 2x (segment[2] again, then segment[3]) and finally segment[2] for the whole middle part to start in reverse after  - dunno if that's possible at all)
• two-way taxiways (for special use-cases)
• taxiways with "shoulders" (a bit wider than now) and green lights in their middle
• taxilanes (taxiways with some flat mesh and without dirt-shoulders to be used on aprons. probably just the yellow line with green lights.)
• more realistic speeds for taxiways and taxilanes

I gonna provide one screenshot just to show you the difference:

On the left you can see the vanilla runway which is about 30m wide + 2m "shoulder" (mesh edge) → 32m footprint. The next ones footprint is 46m wide which would fit most regional/domestic airports. The one on the right is 60m wide which fits for large aircraft like the A380.

----------------------------------------snip----------------------------------------

 

First I gonna take off by showing you some first work I've done before starting this topic. This is going to be the first wall-to-wall terminal building featuring three gates (just like the vanilla airport).

 

 

I removed the jet bridges and details on the left and right to save some polys and - of course - to get the bounding box right  

Next step will be to map those filled holes, after this I gonna cut the windows and create some basic interior as those will get some semi-transparent love they deserve  

[Judazzz 1,936]

That's one hell of an undertaking! Transport isn't really my focus point when playing, especially not airports (usually just plop a vanilla one, add some roads and details, and call it a day), but I'm looking forward to see this progress - perhaps it could even entice me to putting some actual effort into building a decent airport...

[Delta2k5 311]

1 hour ago, Judazzz said:

That's one hell of an undertaking! Transport isn't really my focus point when playing, especially not airports (usually just plop a vanilla one, add some roads and details, and call it a day), but I'm looking forward to see this progress - perhaps it could even entice me to putting some actual effort into building a decent airport...

Yeah, you are right - normally it's a hell of work to create all those assets - that's the reason for me to use a kinda simple design based on the vanilla ones

In reality airports are most times not designed to be eye-pleasuring. They mostly even don't use one architecture for all terminals as they were extended and redesigned over decades (e.g. KJFK) - well, those assets will be designed to fit each other instead of course. Also I know that there are not many people like me around who are that interested in aviation + city simulations as it's not that important for just one city.

Anyway as I'm missing such things I gonna create them for myself mainly and share them to all people who are like me

On top I think that airports will be more interesting to regular players when it starts to play a real role in case of traffic - the vanilla airports lack people moving to and coming from airports, so building road networks and other traffic solutions is kinda pointless when it comes to "simulation". The few tourists that arrive and depart there are only some kind of a joke, so I included the RICO idea as airports are also a place to work for thousands of people irl - providing some good mix of tourists and workers which is able to be tweaked by population changing mods too (instead of just using static values)  

[Leeijo 314]

This is something that some of us are longing for, sounds really good!

One thing I have found myself desperately looking for are some more narrow buildings that are suitable for long and narrow concourses that you often see. I eventually found a vanilla office building which was the closest. Still looks a bit odd, but as you say, most airports are not built to be aesthetic so it kind of works.

Another thing I would really like are some taxiways without lights for connecting things close to the terminal which can become cluttered with lights. The yellow paths you can cover up but the lights are still there making it look a bit strange.

[bsquiklehausen 190]

Fantastic plan! I'd planned on doing some similar modular assets, but these look to be way better than what I was making! I can't wait to see more!

[Delta2k5 311]

1 hour ago, bsquiklehausen said:

Fantastic plan! I'd planned on doing some similar modular assets, but these look to be way better than what I was making! I can't wait to see more!

Thank you for these kind words

 

Still I think we could never have enough variation in that game, so just don't stop on your plan cause I'm doing something  

 

I got some progress to show - I detached the large windows to some new mesh object and build a basic interior to which I gonna add basic chairs. Still I use the texture from CO without any changes:

I had to make changes to the roof like cutting four pairs of windows due to the way CO modded that building.

 

also I gonna look at narrow connectors/concourses after I finished the terminals

[Ploefke 53]

Looks like a nice and ambitious plan. Just a question: Wouldn't it be easier to strip the textures of the runways and the taxiways completely, so everybody can customize it themselves with ploppable asphalt and such?  

By doing that, it would be able to make more rural airstrips too.

  Edited April 9, 2017 by Ploefke  
grammar

[Delta2k5 311]

Good morning everyone!

 

Finally I'm able to grab some time to work on assets again. I skipped and scrapped the terminal by now as I had too many issues with CO's meshes (strange shading issues I couldn't fix).

Also the runway idea is obsolete as there is a nice set of wider runways and bidirectional taxiways is available on the workshop already

 

Anyway I think it's time to check the new possibilities of C:S and so I'm glad to show you my first thing to release since two years! (omg!):

That's the "default" FSX Learjet 45, modified to look like the Learjet 75 (which actually is a modernized Learjet 45)  and stripped down to fit Cities Skylines needs. It still is WIP, but most work is done. It got a LOD model, has no interior and has been fixed in most parts.

What's so special about this? Well - I decided this to be a experimental project of mine featuring sub meshes: I build myself a list of flags which are used by planes and helicopters ingame over time using Mod Tools. So I thought it would be great to use them in a visual way

This plane will feature: 

• retracted landing gear and flaps while flying
• extended flaps and gear on landing
• extended gear and retracted flaps on ground
• flaps in takeoff configuration and extended gear on takeoff
• rotating fans (using Rotors FlipXZ mod)
• custom lights using "vehicle effects" (and compatibility for users without this mod ofc)
• custom sounds also using "vehicle effects"

If this one succeeds I got other planes in pipe right now:

• Airbus A220-100 and -300
• Cessna C208 Grand Caravan (Cargo, probably)
• ATR 72-200 and -500

Also I'll update the old assets I created to fit the new standard and provide also (finally) some props.

 

When it comes to props they'll also have some features I gonna test with the Learjet 75:

Prop variations: Just the jet, jet with open door and stairs, jet with engine and pitot covers (probably animated using flag shader), jet with open door and stairs + covers.

Also I'll try to put navigation lights on the prop version too!

 

On the train end I'm working on the (refurbished) CTA 3200:

It's based on a free model I found on the net which was labeled as a CTA 5000 and had a cab on both ends (lol). I already fixed that and removed the interior. Still I've to lower the tris count and scale (as you can see I set my grid to 8m per cell...) and prepare it for usage with additive shader mod (Lights and destination signs). My plan is also to provide sounds with it

 

[bsquiklehausen 190]

I have meshes for the CS100/300/A220-100/300 already made, though only one CS100 released.

[Delta2k5 311]

Always loved the CS100/300  so I decided to work on a version which suits my other planes (also it will be, like the LJ75 quiet heavy on tris, so it's always great to have a well optimized version in the workshop too!)

 

Some progress as I imported the proper configurations by now:

Clean (flight) (Gear and flaps up), status = 'Flying'

 

Takeoff (Gear down, flaps 8° down), status = 'TakingOff'

 

Landing (Gear down, flaps 40° down), status = 'Landing'

 Ofc. there is also a taxiing state ('NOT flying') which will display just the gear. I have to figure out ingame which combinations work best

Also the two turbine "modes":

Standing still

 

rotating

[Delta2k5 311]

Update: worked a bit on the prop version featuring the open door plus the entrance area:

As there was never a paintkit available for this Learjet I use a blank low-res texture by now. Maybe I'll try to create a texture with better details but I'm still unsure - have to check how it looks like ingame by time. Also these objects are individual meshes by now as I gonna clean up the meshes which will take much time (I'm currently unhappy with the polygon directions as they don't face in the same direction which causes strange shadings in some areas. After rotating those edges I'll convert them to quads for more easy editing).

Btw. this is the LOD:

 

[Delta2k5 311]

Tripplepost

I was bored by the Lear as it's kinda ready for import now (one of the things I cannot do at work ofc), so I prepared another one I found over the net:

Some parts have to be remapped - the only thing I created was the spinning prop model by now. guess I'll add a submesh for the landing lights to not completely appear while taxiing

This is going to be a cargo plane. I don't know if I'll do a passenger version afterwards, but chances are high as everything will be in place

[Delta2k5 311]

New week, new post (somehow the forums are quiet by now).

This time, finally, some infrastructure and this time I created the whole model on my own:

This is going to be be the first international terminal of the set I wanted to do

As I stepped back from a modified version of the C:S airport model this one is loosely based on Hamburgs International Airport. The real terminal is qiuet bigger (approx 100m long (x-axis), this one is 80m long.Maybe I gonna make it longer a bit, but I have to check how it looks ingame.

Due to this size I guess I'll add the "plane stop" itself as a sub building. I'm going to use some already existing workshop props created by Vasimir22 to enhance it later on - like jetways and trucks.

That project will be something like the international airport set the "AC-Team" created years ago for SC4

On the modding end I'm at 972 tris by now increasing (I created the building half and mirrored it to make it more easy for me to map it later ). The windows at the top have been cut as I think about adding a basic interior and glass.

As described before this will be the start of a modular set featuring also RICO shops and offices to get the airport area more populated, esp. if you use mods like "realistic population and consumption"

Here is a photo of the real world terminal(s) at Hamburg:

  Edited January 29, 2019 by Delta2k5  

[Leeijo 314]

7 hours ago, Delta2k5 said:

New week, new post (somehow the forums are quiet by now).

This time, finally, some infrastructure and this time I created the whole model on my own:

This is going to be be the first international terminal of the set I wanted to do

As I stepped back from a modified version of the C:S airport model this one is loosely based on Hamburgs International Airport. The real terminal is qiuet bigger (approx 100m long (x-axis), this one is 80m long.Maybe I gonna make it longer a bit, but I have to check how it looks ingame.

Due to this size I guess I'll add the "plane stop" itself as a sub building. I'm going to use some already existing workshop props created by Vasimir22 to enhance it later on - like jetways and trucks.

That project will be something like the international airport set the "AC-Team" created years ago for SC4

On the modding end I'm at 972 tris by now increasing (I created the building half and mirrored it to make it more easy for me to map it later ). The windows at the top have been cut as I think about adding a basic interior and glass.

As described before this will be the start of a modular set featuring also RICO shops and offices to get the airport area more populated, esp. if you use mods like "realistic population and consumption"

Here is a photo of the real world terminal(s) at Hamburg:

Nice! Hurry up with this!

[Delta2k5 311]

On 29.1.2019 at 6:07 PM, Leeijo said:

Nice! Hurry up with this!

Unfortunately it's the opposite - I'm forced to slow down

 

Some component of my computer seems to die and I guess it's the graphics card (the build in RAM to be exact).

I cannot start C:S up properly as I get a BSOD as soon as the card tries to draw the level.

A similar issue happens in X-Plane. During a flight I got a BSOD too when the load on VRAM increases. Bummer.

 

So, I will map UVs and prepare stuff - but a release isn't likely to happen that soon. I want to wait till DDR5 has been released by the major companies to build me a whole new rig.

[Mr_Maison 2,426]

19 hours ago, Delta2k5 said:

Unfortunately it's the opposite - I'm forced to slow down

 

Some component of my computer seems to die and I guess it's the graphics card (the build in RAM to be exact).

I cannot start C:S up properly as I get a BSOD as soon as the card tries to draw the level.

A similar issue happens in X-Plane. During a flight I got a BSOD too when the load on VRAM increases. Bummer.

 

So, I will map UVs and prepare stuff - but a release isn't likely to happen that soon. I want to wait till DDR5 has been released by the major companies to build me a whole new rig.

Awesome stuff! I feel your pain. I'm going through similar issues. Can't play like i want until I build a new PC due to RAM slots that went bad kicking me back to 16gb. My whole system crashes if I try to load with more than 3000 assets.

[prado_vini 0]

Hey Delta. And the ATR 72? Do you will make one?

[Robban040 1,091]

15 hours ago, prado_vini said:

Hey Delta. And the ATR 72? Do you will make one?

Oh yeah please make the ATR 72/42! :-)

[Delta2k5 311]

17 hours ago, prado_vini said:

Hey Delta. And the ATR 72? Do you will make one?

 

2 hours ago, Robban040 said:

Oh yeah please make the ATR 72/42! :-)

You both should read the post from january 20

[Robban040 1,091]

24 minutes ago, Delta2k5 said:

 

You both should read the post from january 20

Haha yeah cool stuff! Cant wait for it! (the aircraft i fly in real life <3 )

[cchang47 0]

Hi I am wondering where you found the CTA 5000 model? I really wish I could print it on my 3d printer... Thanks!

On 2019/1/20 at 8:59 AM, Delta2k5 said:

On the train end I'm working on the (refurbished) CTA 3200:

It's based on a free model I found on the net which was labeled as a CTA 5000 and had a cab on both ends (lol). I already fixed that and removed the interior. Still I've to lower the tris count and scale (as you can see I set my grid to 8m per cell...) and prepare it for usage with additive shader mod (Lights and destination signs). My plan is also to provide sounds with it