(OpenTTD) Utility Lines (Pipe and Power Lines)

[NekoMaster]

With the creation of rail types for OpenTTD we can now have different types of rails, thus the name of the feature.

With this you can have other types of rail with its own locomotives and wagons\cars which may or may not be able to go on other rail types.

As the title of this thread suggests, using the new rail types feature we could now create Utility lines by making a new railtype that looks like a pipe line or power line. Pipe lines could hold Water, Oil, Natural Gas, people, etc. where as Power Lines will only carry DC (1800's) or AC (When eve ac becomes the standard).

Instead of trains on these lines they would have invisable locomotives that will have varying running and purchase costs as well as speeds and capacities.

Locomotives for pipe lines could be Labled as "x Pump" where x is the type of pump (eg. Turbine Powered). Depending on the "pump" purchased, you could move oil faster or slower at varying amounts depending on what you can afford. Powerful Pumps will usually either pump A LOT of liquid and\or pump it fast vs a Weaker pump which might pump liquid slower and at a smaller rate.

As for power lines its a different scenario. Since by defualt there isn't electricity as a cargo in openttd either industry sets will have to include a new cargo labeled as electricity or using existing industry sets like FIRS and ECS and have the current hold supplies or vehicles (or fertilizer) to industries that need them for production boost. I know it sounds stupid to send a "Vehicle" through miles of power line but its either this or we have every industy set include electricity and possibly mess up industries (since as far as I know theres a limit on how many cargo types you can include in a set and the max acceptance for industries is 3 differnt types of cargo (+1 if you include passengers for some industries))

For power lines the locomotives could be labeled as "x Transformer" where x is the type of transformer (eg. 40Kv AC Transformer).
I don't really know the specific details behind the advantages and disadvantages of DC and AC, though I know that DC can't do as far as AC but some machines don't like AC current. DC could be cheaper but may not carry as much electricity\supplies.

So far Im trying to tackle the pipe graphics but Im going to need some one to help code this as GRF Maker doesnt support new rail types. If anyone would like to help please inquire.

PS. To make graphics work for all climates with one graphic set do i just use transparent blue where the ground would be?

[NekoMaster]

Heres what I have so far, Ill do the diagonal's tongith or later.

[Gremnon]

Question.
If the engine and rolling stock are these adaptors or power units, how are you going to display them on the pipes? What about depots, stations and signals?

[NekoMaster]

Question.
If the engine and rolling stock are these adaptors or power units, how are you going to display them on the pipes? What about depots, stations and signals?

Hmm... maybe instead of making the pipes look like a track it'll be catarnery over normal grass and there might be points where the flow might be seen.

Depots : Make it looke like a Transformer for the stations which...
Stations : Will look like a small building for the pumps and such. Would be nice to have some tank graphics like the oil tanks in Industry Stations Renewal set.
Signals : Probably valves with a little signal light next to it. the valve will have its type icon to show if its a entry, exit, combo and PBS.

I'll figure out something. One of these days I wanna have a nice Alaska Scenario with some trucking (thank you ice road truckers), and oil lines and ships and all that jazz.

[2006TTD]

I think you should keep the way of making the pipes look like tracks.
One fine but cartoon way of representation
Engines can be disguised as spurts in the pipe,

Code: Select all

  /-\
==   ====
  \-/
   /-\
===   ===
   \-/
    /-\
====   ==
    \-/
     /-\
=====   =
     \-/

Another way is the disguise the 'engines' as a special coloured pipe section that moves along the pipe network.

Code: Select all

======
##
======

======
  ##
======

======
    ##
======

Either way, the engines will carry the cargo and thus wagons are not needed.
For other utilities, I think the depot, signals and station ideas are great and fits, NekoMaster.
For breakdowns, the engines can be drawn as broken pipes with fluid flowing out.

EDIT: better illustration

[NekoMaster]

Hmm, that makes a little more sence, have a darker section of the pipe by having a dithered graphic to make the pipe look darker without too much problems, i'll experiment later when Im done with the graphics.

In the mean time I'll need someone who can code railtypes in newgrfs.

[FooBar]

In the mean time I'll need someone who can code railtypes in newgrfs.

If you're willing to paste your graphics into attached format, and are willing to license your graphics GPL v2, then consider the code done

Note that you shouldn't draw landscape for railtypes.
Also note that if you need to make any sprite-box larger, that also needs changes to the code, so you might want to keep track of such changes

Drop a PM if you're interested.

[NekoMaster]

In the mean time I'll need someone who can code railtypes in newgrfs.

If you're willing to paste your graphics into attached format, and are willing to license your graphics GPL v2, then consider the code done

Note that you shouldn't draw landscape for railtypes.
Also note that if you need to make any sprite-box larger, that also needs changes to the code, so you might want to keep track of such changes

Drop a PM if you're interested.

Alright, I wasn't sure about the landscape thing, also should the code for slightly larger graphics be the same? the diagonals only hand a little of the top and bottem. If thats a problem Maybe Ill try making it smaller. I only have it like that so that it doesn't look like the pipe just gets cut off.

[ostlandr]

I like the idea! Signals can be disguised as transformers for power lines or pumps for pipelines.

I like the idea of just the colored "pipe" section for the pipeline vehicle. Perhaps a spark/lightning bolt for the power line vehicle?

The pipeline vehicle could carry a high capacity of oil, and be refittable to fuel oil and water.

The power line vehicle could carry X kwh of the new cargo "electricity." This could require a new industry grf.

For example:

Oil Refinery: Accepts electricity and oil; produces plastic and fuel oil.

Factory: Accepts electricity, steel and plastic; produces goods.

Steel mill: Accepts electricity, steel and iron ore; produces steel.

Fuel Depot: Accepts fuel oil; produces nothing; must be within X tiles of a town with Y population.

Power Plant: Accepts coal or fuel oil; produces electricity.

Electric Substation: Accepts electricity; produces nothing; must be within X tiles of a town with Y population.

Perhaps the factory could accept coal until somewhere between 1890 and 1920, and then switch to electricity. (Is this possible?) If so, perhaps the oil refinery could also accept electricity only after the same date.

Could electric tram and electrified rail depots also accept electricity? They were major early users of power.

[Doorslammer]

Don't forget towns would require some leccy as well.

I like the idea, but don't envy the person doing the graphics much. It's a big task ahead.

[NekoMaster]

Don't forget towns would require some leccy as well.

I like the idea, but don't envy the person doing the graphics much. It's a big task ahead.

And that would be me, as I doubt anyones going to take up this task

Anyways for now the Power Lines will only transport Indutry Boosting Supplies until electricity becomes a supported cargo. This way Power plants can becomes useful in industry sets again rather then being a coal dump

[2006TTD]

I have some time left in my summer vacation, may I help on the drawings?
But pardon me for my lacking experience. May I have a try?

[Kogut]

Stations : Will look like a small building for the pumps and such. Would be nice to have some tank graphics like the oil tanks in Industry Stations Renewal set.

Or use ISR station for "pipe station". As far as I know ISR is working with railtypes.

Signals : Probably valves with a little signal light next to it. the valve will have its type icon to show if its a entry, exit, combo and PBS.

I thought about exactly the same thing, and I planned to have 23000km/h invisible engine (or slower if it is impossible) with maximum possible capacity to avoid signals and double tracked pipelines.
EDIT: with highest possible value for TE

[NekoMaster]

I thought about exactly the same thing, and I planned to have 23000km/h invisible engine (or slower if it is impossible) with maximum possible capacity to avoid signals and double tracked pipelines.
EDIT: with highest possible value for TE

I did at once think about that but I wanna put some challenge into using oil lines, though they may transport a lot of oil or water in real life, for openttd if it pumped millions of liters all at once then a) the train would never fill and b) that would be un-balencing and will lead to spaming of pipes. I want to make using pipes more attractive for larger companies when they have the money to build pipelines across the land scape to transport oil or water to industries\towns. So for now we'll have different "pumps" that pump at different rates of speed and capacities.

BTW, for Depots I was thinking they could be made to look like a transformer that will provide power to the "pump" stations. Oh, and waypoints could look like smaller pumps that keeps the flow going

[Kogut]

I thought about using in my private game so I wanted to avoid double tracked pipelines and thought nothing about balancing against other sets.

[FooBar]

also should the code for slightly larger graphics be the same?

Essentially, yes. Some numbers need to be changed though, to reflect the change in sprite size and possibly to change the offset.

In principle, you shouldn't exceed the borders of each tile, as that normally leads to glitches. With careful drawing and tweaking you might get away with it though. That's basically a process of trial and error: test, change graphics, recode grf, test again, recode graphics, etc.

[NekoMaster]

I thought about using in my private game so I wanted to avoid double tracked pipelines and thought nothing about balancing against other sets.

Well double tracked pipelines could help carry more liquid or carry two different cargos.

Also I forgot that maybe some time in the future these pipeplines could hold Natural Gas to Industry to make plastic or to towns for profit or to the power plants for profit and to generate electricity (or supplies)

Edit : More work done on the pipes

[Dimme]

Wouldn't this idea work better with roadtypes, if/when that is included? I just think it might be messy to have train-type junctions in the power lines, and invisible trains getting stuck in there. With roadtypes one can just create RVs with very high capacity and hope they will not make too long queues.

[2006TTD]

After looking at the png,
So is it that the pipes are now laid underground, with the top part exposed on the surface?
But why sprite 1099, the cross pipes are not symmetric?

Don't forget towns would require some leccy as well.

I like the idea, but don't envy the person doing the graphics much. It's a big task ahead.

And that would be me, as I doubt anyones going to take up this task

I can help if it is not too difficult.

[NekoMaster]

After looking at the png,
So is it that the pipes are now laid underground, with the top part exposed on the surface?
But why sprite 1099, the cross pipes are not symmetric?

Don't forget towns would require some leccy as well.

I like the idea, but don't envy the person doing the graphics much. It's a big task ahead.

And that would be me, as I doubt anyones going to take up this task

I can help if it is not too difficult.

This is my first time attempting this and I was only drawing over top of the cross rails. Also if you wouldn't mind fixing that and maybe doing the slope graphics that would be nice.