Lets Join trying to build a scary! realistic port (Dysseldorf's River Port)

[vetram 221]

without many words , what is that in your opinion ? first of all what exactly is that strange thing?  ... what do you think? .....and whats your first impressions?   .....how do you think we can approach it?     

[vetram 221]

-As i dont see any answer , i will give an answer to myself ....

..Well after some time now ,that i am trying to represent a quite difficult real city (Dusselforf) into this game , i think i have come to some conclusions....

..i must admit that during my effort to built something similar , i learned too many things since now , very useful informations mostly about NAM , and of course that was the reason mostly that i began a project like this one...

...I am building in a slow tempo of course , as i am facing too many difficulties for my knowledge since now , but i am trying hard to continue and NOT to give up!....

...Lately i reached to a point that i ought to built the seaport of this city,  but WOW  this is something i have never seen into my life....!!!

so,  i looked everywher for help , i received some, but mostly i realised something.....   I couldnt find the custom lots i wanted in order to be as close as i can to such a seaport...may be i am wrong , but if i am right perhaps i ought to make myself any lots that i need for my project ...at least i may try...this is something similar that i had done a long , long time ago in SC4Devotion at that time ...in fact i was also trying to build also a  seaport at  that time , and i found that my posts still exist in SC4Devotion today....!

...At that time i had made some good steps to become a good lotterer , but nowdays i have forgotten almost everything ...so perhaps i may try again to remember and also learn many new things that exist today , if i get some help from all you...

...so,  my first great help would be to find the LOT EDITOR MANUAL (it doesnt exist on my GOG version) and any guide or tutorial or anything you may know ...i am interesting which is the steps from the start to finish with a new lot which has its own icon in game menu....I am willing to stop my project and start learning , but that depends mostly on your help...Thanx

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

2 hours ago, vetram said:

my first great help would be to find the LOT EDITOR MANUAL (it doesnt exist on my GOG version)

Try downloading and installing the Lot Editor from this link (on the Maxis Files page).

Then the manual is named Lot Editor Manual.htm and can be found in the location where SC4 is installed. It'll give a good idea of the basics will this.

Then for a step by step overview of the lot creation process, I recommend the following useful tutorial:
 

 

[rsc204 21,857]

14 hours ago, vetram said:

-As i dont see any answer , i will give an answer to myself ....

Sorry, I did mean to reply, but such answers are time-consuming, I didn't get the chance before (or now), to do so properly.

14 hours ago, vetram said:

...Lately i reached to a point that i ought to built the seaport of this city,  but WOW  this is something i have never seen into my life....!!!

Step 1, plan. Get a feel for what you want to go where, then look for suitable content to handle it. I bet FrankU's Container Ports (something like that) would be a useful addition here. Do keep in mind the limitations of SC4's grid system, you often need to compromise on shapes, but if you do this smartly, you can keep the overall feel.

Step 2, mess about with seaport lots (maybe in a test city), to see what fits nicely together, some fillers are going to be helpful too. Decide if you want to stick to pre-built items you can download and pick a style. For example, you could achieve this using the SG's Canals or CAL's remake of them, I would go with the Latter. There is a huge set of BSC Wharves on the LEX, it should allow more flexibility for the creation of the water parts. But equally you could use PEG's CSK mods, they integrate with his CDK seaports and even have options to use them with ploppable (MMP) Tahoe waters, which itself (with some specific terraforming), can transition to game water (best when using Brigantine water mod) and full-on Seaports. There are other options too no doubt, it's going to take some research and messing around to find what will work best for you.

11 hours ago, Cyclone Boom said:

Then for a step by step overview of the lot creation process, I recommend the following useful tutorial:

Well, I wrote that specifically for someone who couldn't use PIM-X, a third party tool made to 'fill in' some of the gaps/limitations of the Maxis apps. I would personally recommend instead you install PIM-X, it's just much better designed and full of handy features. But if you are want to use the LE & PIM by Maxis instead, that tutorial gives you all the basics to get going.

14 hours ago, vetram said:

I couldnt find the custom lots i wanted in order to be as close as i can to such a seaport.

Either take the closest match and modify them, which will be a lot less effort, or you can of course go from scratch and make your own. Just bear in mind these aren't likely to be functional (in-game) seaports, you should make neutral park lots and add them to the Seaport Menu. Either way you are going to need to source the textures and props for your project, so it's worth looking at how the existing ones are put together and getting familiar with their dependencies.

It's much easier to answer a specific question, than to answer a big-open ended one which is more suited to discussion and personal tastes. So if you find yourself getting stuck, just ask (or try Google, often that gives you a quicker response and over the years, most things have been asked before). Either way, if you are committed to making content, people round here will do their best to help you.

[vetram 221]

7 hours ago, rsc204 said:

Sorry, I did mean to reply, but such answers are time-consuming, I didn't get the chance before (or now), to do so properly.

Don't worry at all !..i completely understand you and any other friend here......I was just looking for some general ideas posting this thread, from more experienced players than me , just to know which may be are my options and the abilities for building something close to original.... 

7 hours ago, rsc204 said:

and even have options to use them with ploppable (MMP) Tahoe waters, which itself (with some specific terraforming), can transition to game water

is there any link to Tahoe waters ?  what is that? never heard off ...

7 hours ago, rsc204 said:

There are other options too no doubt, it's going to take some research and messing around to find what will work best for you.

Please believe i have made a lot of research lately , found some closer to original , also test them but i didn't felt satisfied .....i am in a dilemma now (as i wrote my thoughts in my previous post)

7 hours ago, rsc204 said:

I would personally recommend instead you install PIM-X, it's just much better designed and full of handy features

i have downloaded it , but i must read it carefully and need to have time.....i also read your tutorial and it is very helpful indeed..in fact i would like to ask you something...for example i was trying to modify a lot from fantozzi's RDE carport ...my question is how do i know what kind  of Buildings Exemplar file  that lot uses?  and generally , how can i know that, for any ready custom lot in case to see if i must change it or leave it?  ...  hope you understand what i mean..

Thanx always for your help and support.

[rsc204 21,857]

On 20/09/2021 at 7:09 PM, vetram said:

is there any link to Tahoe waters ?  what is that? never heard off ..

It's a bit complex, because PEG's content has many elements you need to download separately, the entire CDK (Coastal Development Kit) files are all listed here. Specifically when used with the PPond Patch, the seaports can be placed anywhere, no longer restricted to overlapping game-water. The actual PPond (Tahoe Water MMP) is part of this download. Further canals (CSK - Channel Stream Kit) and Ponds can all work with the same water texture, allowing for a huge number of options, whilst keeping a single consistent water texture. But it's a bit of work to piece it altogether, since the disappearance of PEG's website, they aren't particularly organised on the STEX sadly.

On 20/09/2021 at 7:09 PM, vetram said:

how do i know what kind  of Buildings Exemplar file  that lot uses?  and generally , how can i know that, for any ready custom lot in case to see if i must change it or leave it?

A buildings exemplar is a buildings exemplar, they will always ultimately contain all the properties related to their linked Lot(s). All the properties used are shown in PIM-X when you open such an exemplar, the key things you might want to change are the menu it appears in (for ploppables), things related to cost, pollution etc. Note a lot of this will require another tool, for example iLives Reader to edit these values. When it comes down to it, if existing lots already function fine, you don't need to edit these properties much, if at all. The Lot Config Exemplar is what holds the details of the building, textures and props on a lot, that's typically what you need to change.

It helps to know what it is you may want to change here, because as I said it's usually not necessary.

[vetram 221]

Is there any such bridge as in below pic ?   i mean a bridge that can open and close for ships passing under..  i think i had seen something like that a long ago in a pic...

 

.

[SIM-ple Jack 17,450]

2 hours ago, vetram said:

Is there any such bridge as in below pic ?   i mean a bridge that can open and close for ships passing under..  i think i had seen something like that a long ago in a pic...

 

.

I think I remember seeing a road and rail drawbridge in a PegPond set. Don't remember if they functioned, though. It's a simple 2-frame animation, so you'd figure somebody would have made some by now.

[vetram 221]

I am trying to install Industrial Revolution Mod -Logistic-fillers by KOSC and Industrial Revolution Mod by TWrecks , and i think that i have made all downloads ...Although it seems that something it missing ....i think it's textures ...(see below pic) ...any idea what is going wrong??  Thanx

[CorinaMarie 29,857]

@vetram I see zoned areas which haven't yet grown buildings, but nothing which looks like missing textures. Am I overlooking something obvious? (Maybe use your fav image editor and draw an arrow or circle the problem.)

[vetram 221]

[CorinaMarie 29,857]

Ah! Thanks. So it is the terrain showing thru which I didn't notice.

So, yes that'll definitely be missing textures.

[Gwyain 95]

On 9/26/2021 at 2:09 PM, vetram said:

I am trying to install Industrial Revolution Mod -Logistic-fillers by KOSC and Industrial Revolution Mod by TWrecks , and i think that i have made all downloads ...Although it seems that something it missing ....i think it's textures ...(see below pic) ...any idea what is going wrong??  Thanx

A bit late of a reply, but was this a preexisting zone before you installed IRM? If it was, IRM changes the industrial buildings and as a result can have some wonky effects on existing zones. Its best to de-zone anything before switching to IRM.