Single track trams do happen but they're not important. I think there's something to be said for simplicity. There are a lot of pieces to the set even before you expand it,so I think the value of having the single tracks would be wiped out by the hassle of looking for the pieces in the catalog.
Is there anything you can do to make the pieces easier to place than the originals? I have almost given up putting track in my neighborhoods because I can never get anything interesting to actually line up. Slopes are a huge problem, of course: if only there was something like Silent Lucidity's angled omsps for neighborhood view! But maybe the little filler pieces will help with the lining up issues on the flat, at least. Would an angled filler piece (well, two, mirrored) be possible?
I think I might use a shortish 45 degree piece. I think to be helpful to me it would have to be pretty short, though.
Anyway, thanks for taking this on. I love to have tracks in my neighborhood, I just get frustrated.
Yeah, it's a pity we can't have the collections function for neighbourhood deco. As for the placement of pieces, mine are grabbed on the edge instead of the center, just like the originals. I don't know what else could be done to make it easier. Do you look straight down when placing those? I find that view relatively easy for lining up. I did the longer straights for that purpose, less lining up to do. :)
I have thought about adding pieces for slopes. Only I don't know which angle would be required for the usual terrain slope. That will need some testing.
The 45 degree piece would be half of the 90 degree, that is hopeful short enough. I can't really make it shorter because that would make the turn unrealistically sharp. I could add 30 or 22.5 degree pieces to the mix, though.
I would love more angles but as with the single tracks I worry that there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to the amount of work involved and the number of pieces and paging through the catalog to choose them. So maybe just do what you've planned so far, and see how it goes?
I just noticed that the buttons for rotating neighbourhood deco rotate it 10 degree per click, so other pieces would never match a 45 degree curve. 30 degree would be possible, but I also noticed that the distance between the two track changes throughout the curve, so a curve with a smaller degree would need quite some rearranging to make it match other pieces at all configurations. I won't do other curves then, if someone really needs something like that they can improvise with the filler pieces.
I did however create two pieces for slopes, and while they only really work on one particular angle of terrain that's better than nothing. Freetime would be good to have for the tool to alter neighbourhood terrain. Can that tool also influence road pieces or only unoccupied terrain, like the terrain tool for lots doesn't work on floor tiles?
Wow, I've never known what that angle was, just that there were a lot of clicks in a full circle! So yeah, that makes the other angle pieces impractical
( ... )
Ohhhhhh,new (makes big stary eyes...) tracks with wires for the good ol tram! They really look great.Love all the variations and possibilities you can do with the tracks. As for suggestions and ideas...uhmm careful,i`m also an avid Simcity 4 Gamer :D Maybe for additinal pices,how about an intersection and some tram stops for the 2-to-4 switch. Another really cool thing for the tram would be an elevated Tram line,like the famous ones in Chicago,New York or less famous like the ones in Berlin for example. But i guess this would go beyound the scope...
Criquette, the master of hood deco, is/was a SimCity player, too. ;) Wait, you mean you actually play SC4 and don't just use it to make terrains for Sims? :D
Hm, I think an intersetion could already be done with these parts. What kind of tram stop do you mean? The kind of stop as in end of tracks or a passenger station? The former would be easy enough, the later would be tricky. You see, all pieces take their texture from the original straight piece and all the space on the texture is already used. I think it will be more fun to build your own station like I did and use it as a community lot. :)
And yes, an elevated tram line would be an entirely different project.
Mjep,i`m actually playing Simcity 4 and also downloading tons of custom content.Of course i also use it to make hood terrains for sims 2,but i`m never really satisfied. About the tram station,i meant something like criquettes train stations,only shorter and lower so it would fit the height of the tram.
Psychosim, it looks awesome as all your projects! I, for sure, will download.
Btw, an elevated tram would make my head explode with joy!
I am working on a Steampunk/Victorian 'hood and with a few of my earlier Steampunk lots I tried an elevated train connecting lots, but this is where Sims has just serious shortcomings.
Also, for the Sci-fi lots I am currently thinking about I would love an elevated speedrail... I will just have to improvise.
Can I ask you which 3D program you are meshing in? Milkshape? I've been playing around with Wings, but I just don't have enough time to concentrate on it seriously. I just hate when work gets in the way of fun!
Thanks! I think it would be best to use the long straight and combine it with a regular street bridge. Since it has the same width as a road that looks pretty nice. In the second picture of my sharing post you can see I used the maxis stone bridge: http://psychosim.livejournal.com/37192.html. Criquette has some flat bridges here, too: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=324731.
You see, all tram track pieces share the same original texture which has no suitable part for a nice looking metal or brick bridge. So the bridge part would need to be a separate object anyway, or at least its own mesh part with a separate texture. Of course, if the problem is that the longest straight is not long enough, that would be the easiest fix! :)
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Is there anything you can do to make the pieces easier to place than the originals? I have almost given up putting track in my neighborhoods because I can never get anything interesting to actually line up. Slopes are a huge problem, of course: if only there was something like Silent Lucidity's angled omsps for neighborhood view! But maybe the little filler pieces will help with the lining up issues on the flat, at least. Would an angled filler piece (well, two, mirrored) be possible?
I think I might use a shortish 45 degree piece. I think to be helpful to me it would have to be pretty short, though.
Anyway, thanks for taking this on. I love to have tracks in my neighborhood, I just get frustrated.
Reply
I have thought about adding pieces for slopes. Only I don't know which angle would be required for the usual terrain slope. That will need some testing.
The 45 degree piece would be half of the 90 degree, that is hopeful short enough. I can't really make it shorter because that would make the turn unrealistically sharp. I could add 30 or 22.5 degree pieces to the mix, though.
Reply
Reply
I did however create two pieces for slopes, and while they only really work on one particular angle of terrain that's better than nothing. Freetime would be good to have for the tool to alter neighbourhood terrain. Can that tool also influence road pieces or only unoccupied terrain, like the terrain tool for lots doesn't work on floor tiles?
Reply
Reply
They really look great.Love all the variations and possibilities you can do with the tracks.
As for suggestions and ideas...uhmm careful,i`m also an avid Simcity 4 Gamer :D
Maybe for additinal pices,how about an intersection and some tram stops for the 2-to-4 switch.
Another really cool thing for the tram would be an elevated Tram line,like the famous ones in Chicago,New York or less famous like the ones in Berlin for example.
But i guess this would go beyound the scope...
Reply
Hm, I think an intersetion could already be done with these parts. What kind of tram stop do you mean? The kind of stop as in end of tracks or a passenger station? The former would be easy enough, the later would be tricky. You see, all pieces take their texture from the original straight piece and all the space on the texture is already used. I think it will be more fun to build your own station like I did and use it as a community lot. :)
And yes, an elevated tram line would be an entirely different project.
Reply
About the tram station,i meant something like criquettes train stations,only shorter and lower so it would fit the height of the tram.
Reply
Btw, an elevated tram would make my head explode with joy!
I am working on a Steampunk/Victorian 'hood and with a few of my earlier Steampunk lots I tried an elevated train connecting lots, but this is where Sims has just serious shortcomings.
Also, for the Sci-fi lots I am currently thinking about I would love an elevated speedrail... I will just have to improvise.
Can I ask you which 3D program you are meshing in? Milkshape?
I've been playing around with Wings, but I just don't have enough time to concentrate on it seriously. I just hate when work gets in the way of fun!
Reply
Reply
You see, all tram track pieces share the same original texture which has no suitable part for a nice looking metal or brick bridge. So the bridge part would need to be a separate object anyway, or at least its own mesh part with a separate texture. Of course, if the problem is that the longest straight is not long enough, that would be the easiest fix! :)
Reply
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