thepianist

I thinks someone mentioned SF's BART Pleasanton-Dublin line runs a portion along I580. Just wanted to add it's the same along CA24 along the Pittsburgh-Bay Point Line in Oakland.

REPLIES Jacqulina: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it! Kahara: Haha thanks! Lucky7: Thanks! Haha - with the slope mods I try to avoid cliffs (and it is especially hard to lay rail lines down.) (: Tomasneto: Thank you! De Ja Vu: Thank you Fabsies55: Mmm. Thank you! Alabaster: Haha challenges are fun! Thanks - it's slightly like the mountains near my home, but in truth, I'd rather have super green ones. The brownish quality is...not as awesome-looking as forested ones. Or that's what I think... Doesn't it feel so nice in Sostenuto Hills? So dry! --- UPDATE 3 (TYPO: Chinese characters are incorrect - I'll fix in the next update. :\ Oh well) Bay Point: North of the Railroad station is Old Downtown, with its tiny grid of small shops and local dealers. Along the Bayshore Hwy, A St., and 2nd St. is the current Central Business District. Bay Point is accessed through the Bayshore Highway under a short tunnel before emerging in the middle of a small community called Seashore Heights. The last time I've been here, this suburb was still partly under construction: Seashore Heights back in the 1990's. Nothing much to see except dirt piles, porta-potties, and *gasp* bulldozers! Hehe. Seaside Heights has expanded quite a bit in the few years I was away. Now, the community was quite large...expanding from the first cycle... Bay Point Junior High could be seen in the middle left of the picture. To what it is today. A few members complained how the contracters set many of the same models NEXT to each other. As they were already built and lived in, the development company never bothered to destroy and rebuild. An overview The Bayshore Highway exits through the tunnel, splitting the community into two halves. We then wound down to the central business district, where the Bayshore Highway became a divided boulevard. An old photo from the 1990's. The cross-processing is a nice touch, but not done well enough. On the left you can see the entrance to Baypoint Park. The city bikeway system isn't finished as of now. The gantry reads: Yushan (Jade Mtn.), bear left. Bayshore Hwy., bear left. Old Downtown, bear right. Baypoint Park is accessed from nearby the roundabout where A St., Bayshore Hwy. and Bay Point Blvd. meet. The city never had the funds to finish the pathway - most citizens simply walk down the grassy slope on the left. Bayshore Hwy continues on the right and bottom left. Bay Point Blvd. continues on the left. A St. continues to the top. Nearby is Bay Point Main Station, eight platforms of steel, glass, and cement. You can also see the Pacific Express leave on the bottom right. However, tickets are expensive on the express, and regular trains to slow and jampacked by commuters. The Central Business District is roughly definied by the limits of: 2nd St., Ferry Dr., Bayshore Hwy., and WIllow Road. I spy with my little eye something tan and small in between two striped lines. If you continue north on the Bayshore Hwy., you'll pass Frederick Memorial Bridge (after user MrBisonm, who hosted the Grand River Valley Community CJ. He helped me in improving the realism of my city as well as a few tips and tricks. Plus, his lots and BAT's are very nice. ) Next to Frederick Memorial Bridge is the Sapphire Bay Trestle. The Golden Bay Department of Transportation, however has something planned for the Bayshore Hwy north of this point... GBDOT just received a grant in the government to...do what? We have no clue. Here is an example of preparation in Bay Point: Hmmm...and to the north is also the airport. A little strange... Anyways, the trip was a great one with sightseeing and some small shopping. At around eight in the evening, we prepared to go back to Sostenuto Hills. --Thepianist

Just a region view since I haven't shown it the the last update. Four towns/communities (Population greatest to least): Bay Point Sostenuto Hills Moon Lake Jade Mountain (I'll get to replies tomorrow...thanks for the kind comments!) -Thepianist

Replies ComputerGuy890100 Thanks! Simsamerica Hm - I dunno why you cannot see it - Update 1 is the first post and 1.5...is um...I believe the 12th. All images are in JPEG. Thanks, though! Suplado Hey, thanks! .:.:. .:.:. .:.:. Update 2 - January 12, 2009 Last time you saw Sostenuto Hills in 1990. In 1992, expansion started occurring at a relatively fast rate, boosting the population to 4000 in less than a month. Also, the school system gets relatively more funding than the surrounding areas, resulting in a better quality education. This aerial picture taken around 1993 shows the two main major thoroghfares of Sostenuto Hills. At the bottom is the Bayshore Highway, hugging the hills at the coast of Golden Bay, and in the center is Sostenuto Hills Road.The two main communities can be seen as well as a small agricultural community further up the road. One can see how the road winds about the mountain. Once, my friend and I took a trip down to Bay Point. The night before, I stayed at his house to enjoy dinner as well as catch up with times. With busy schedules on both sides and long drives, we haven't seen each other for a month. In this picture, Sostenuto Hills Elementary can be seen. Most students travel to Bay Point for high school - a fifteen minute drive if there is no traffic. Otherwise, Sostenuto Hills Elementary is known for giving a high quality education and having high standardized test scores. Sostenuto Hills Elementary is located at: 222 Cactus Ave., Sostenuto Hills, Golden Bay Co. OVLK-SH. My friend lived on Vintage Loop, and since he was most familiar with the roads, he drove. That morning, we passed a few oil drills as we descended toward sea level (Sostenuto Hills is around 200 feet higher than sea level.) Sostenuto Hills has cheap gas prices with an average of roughly NT$29.9 (~0.97 USD per liter. People drive over 20 km just to come here and save ten dollars a gallon. In the end, they use the same amount of money for the gas coming here and waste at least half an hour. At the intersection of Sostenuto Hills Road and Bayshore Highway, there appeared to be construction for a new community going on. My friend Xuchen also nearly got hit by a garbage truck as it suddenly pulled into the highway without warning. The new community seems so small. And the contracters/construction workers leave their equipment lying around. Hmmm... *hijacks a bulldozer* hehehehehe... We exited Sostenuto Hills and entered into Bay Point. An aerial view of Bay Point, containing the Old Downtown, the Central Business District, Baypoint Park, the two bridges*, GBG&E Powerlines (cont'd from Sostenuto Hills), and Seaside Heights. To be continued.... *Bonus: The person who can most accurately estimate the population of Bay Point (as of the date the picture was taken) gets the two bridges in the above pictures named after him/her. Wheee... --Thepianist (Constructive comments are appreciated

Thank you, geoffhaw!

Originally posted by: rainyday is that eyecandyy or is it functional?quote> Functional eyecandy. It's transit enabled, so cars are able to drive on it (and you can UDI it), and cuz I'm tired of waiting for the TLA project, I made a makeshift one of my own - hahaha. Still waiting... BUT - the cars drive like the regular road since the paths are still the same as the road, so it looks almost as if they're going to have headon collisions. haha

Originally posted by: Vegetarian-Dracula Thank you all again. Since the thread went to the 2º page (and i can't accept that ), here's a little update: San Francisco & Oakland Next update will be the last american city (Seattle), so stay alert...quote> Aww - if you moved 2 miles further south I could see my house! hahaha. Woww - wonderful job on the cities!

Woww The buildings and light rail system looks fantastic! (:

Replies: rawr APPLES Haha thanks very much! I'll try my best to keep updates in a timely manner. Tomasneto Thanks! (: anarchy0029 mm - is it really? Hahah thanks! suplado! I try my best. (: Thanks! art128 Thanks! (Photoshop can do wonders to a map. mm...) Raysfan16 AHAHAH I should be finishing my homework right now hehee... What are you talking about - hills are awesome! haha - we'll see how it turns out Petrovar Ambassador Thank you very much! D Schulmanator Thanks! Hmm - something short for today before I turn out a bigger update... Muck308 Haha thanks! Alabaster Mm - but I like interesting things - so yep. Thanks! ComputerGuy890100 Thanks! Archean Ahaha - I see all those great journals on Simtrop, and so I'm like "Oh snaps - can it even reach the bar." I hope this one did. Thanks! Hawkeye9 Thank you very much! :: Update 1.5 :: On both sides of the Sostenuto Grade Road, there are passing lanes so people travelling up or down them don't have to slowly creep behind trucks. Here are two pictures... This is the top of the plateau before the steep 2 mile winding Sostenuto Grade Highway. The two trucks are heading in the direction of Sostenuto Hills. The bottom of the Sostenuto Grade Highway looking toward Sostenuto Hills. I'll make something about Bay Point next time. Thanks! Thepianist

Hi I'm also going to try lotting and would like to request a range for some textures. Please? Thanks!

Hi all! Haha this is my first city journal - don't be too harsh on me D: So here goes... Demand mods are used (sparingly), NAM, RHW, SAM, as well as Cycledogg's Painted Desert Mod. :: Golden Bay - Land of New Opportunities :: The locals still call it J?nw?n, but to the outside world, a literal translation changes it into Golden Bay. Named after the colors of sunset and sunrise when viewed from the many peaks, Golden Bay is a suitable name for the diverse populace that lives there. Picture showing part of Golden Bay before true development began, circa 1930. The above picture shows the modern location of Sostenuto Hills and Bay Point. North is to the right, and the Pacific is to the East. Golden Bay is difficult to reach by car, as the mountainous region proved to be a nuisance for the government to connect to the outside world. Slowly, but surely, development occured and it not only became a thriving center of trade with its natural harbor, but also a favorite for tourists to come in and enjoy the breathtaking views of the three elements of nature - sky, earth, and water. -- 1990 Sostenuto Hills was once described by the president of Taiwan as "A sprawl of strip malls, convenience stores, subdivisions, and parking lots." Map shows Sostenuto's major arteries. Neighborhood map will be up soon. Located by J?nw?n, the name Sostenuto Hills is an understatement for the twelve plus hills with small valleys between them. Sostenuto Hills was started as a suburb to the nearby town Bay Point in 1987, which has a more accessible waterfront, and therefore, there is nothing truly remarkable about it. By 1990, two contractors built two small communities in the pockets of the hills, totally a population of roughtly 3,100. The first (and main) development centers around Cactus Avenue and Sostenuto Hills Road (Highway 12). It also contains a small elementary school and a public library. In this artist's rendition of Sostenuto Hills, you see the first development, named Overlook Terraces. The main road winding along the bottom of the picture is Sostenuto Hills Road, while the only traffic light in the town is at the intersection at Cactus Avenue. You can also see the lower portion of Vintage Loop, which encircles almost the whole community. Near the bottom is the town's small industrial center, including a branch of Solario Ltd., which plans to develop a new type of solar panel that could be utilized by cars. Next to the industrial center is the suburb's small train stop with two platforms and a small ticket building. While train tickets cost NT$25 (~0.90 USD), the bus service is slightly cheaper at NT$20 (~0.06 USD cheaper), and therefore gets more ridership. Also, on the far bottom right, you can see Sostenuto Hills Road climb up one of the hills at a 15% grade. Avalon is a short two minute ride up Sostenuto Hills Road. The second development is called Avalon. There is nothing truly special there except for a small diner called "Quincy's." "Quincy's" is known for its huge servings of breakfast for cheap cheap prices. It's also known that the food there is disgusting. But most truck drivers drop by to grab a bite before going up the Sostenuto Grade, famous for its tight hairpins and the risk of falling off a cliff (the government never got to install guardrails.). Avalon is your typical subruban community. Mmmm... Nearby, a small windfarm operated by Golden Gas and Electricity can be found. They provide electricity to both Bay Point, Sostenuto Hills, and other nearby towns and communities. The windmills near Overlook Terraces. Meanwhile, the powerlines cut through a forest. For some unknown reason, most of the trees are dead, so the locals harvest the wood to make artifacts to sell to the tourists. (Watch out for termites.) To be continued (hopefully - semester finals are coming D: ) Best wishes, Thepianist EDIT: Clicking the pics will lead to the full resolution ones. (If it doesn't, right click the image and click the option called "View Image."

Everything relinked. Pages 1 and 2 of the newspaper can be accessed in full resolution with the links. Thanks, thepianist

It's been a long time since I have been on here, but it was really enjoyable looking through construction of dams, highways (is there a reason for 17, BarbyW? Just a random question. ), straw houses, natural preserves, and much much more. Ooh yes. I forgot...cow manure. Hahaha...you all can put these things together much better then I could. My posts doesn't feel as coherant...you guys rock. As AP week finishes up....I'll be a little more free... Update 5 (I believe) Okay...so while I was rummaging through my old pile of random junk, I found a few things from my last trip to the Grand River Valley: two pages of the Hexi newspaper, a magazine clipping, a historical landmark postcard, two regular postcards, and a flyer. Hm. I scanned them in for your enjoyment. The two newspaper pages (tile 11): Page 1 (Full resolution) Full Resolution Page 2 The magazine clipping (tile 1) (The truth is, I think that the town mayor hated soccer and loved American football. Rumor says that he was hit too many times on the head by a soccer ball. Ouch.) The landmark postcard (tile 1) The Linshan firestation was built in about 1902. One of the main points was that it still had a lightbulb still glowing for over a hundred years ever since it was installed. It is second to Livermore, CA's lightbulb, but is still a major tourist attraction in the Grand River Valley. It is said that once the lightbulb goes out that the whole town would spontaneously combust. Seeing how Sandingshan Township disappeared that way, it wasn't an entirely impossible story. The Police Flyer (tile 14) The scenic postcard (tile 1, 11 respectively) The waterfront was finished in 1995 and is quite beautiful if not a little small. Most of the time one cannot find parking on the streets either because their is a track meet or if there are too many people fishing. In 2007, this waterfront was closed for expansion, but it never happened. However, somebody repainted it so it looks bright and new again. Citizens hope that it will open soon, but the town mayor didn't give a definite date. One of the major events that happened at this boardwalk was when a magician tried to do a magic trick for a show. He showed that he could take a hundred dollars from everyone and make it disappear. He was never heard from again. Now, the boardwalk is nicknamed "Vanishing Bills," not only after the specific type of seagull which doesn't have bills, but also... The pillar bridge over Grand River has one of the most spectacular sights in the region. Many tourists like to gather here to take pictures, causing many train delays. However, I have learned to<

Thanks again for your replies. I've been working with sketchup for a long time, so I had a lot of models I wanted to try to import that I already made. The problem was some of the textures didn't get copied over, so it's good. Thanks Pianist

I want to first thank those in advance who could answer my question... I find that occasionally when exporting to 3ds and importing into Gmax there are parts that go missing... See below: Top is Sketchup, Middle is Gmax, and Bottom is Day Preview I'm still studying from the Omnibus BAT forum, as this is my first BAT....has anyone had this problem before where some textures show up and others don't? Thanks again, Pianist