Transport Tycoon Forums

Here is another part for the set: the minerals station parts. Includes a silo, a tipple, a conveyor belt, an unloading platform and tiles filled with minerals.

By the way, I wanted to ask some coder: Is it possible to have a tile that looks empty, but will change to show piling minerals, depending on which mineral is waiting? I mean, not to have one tile for coal, other for copper, etc. but one single tile that will show the mineral that is waiting to be transported at the station. I think it's possible, but I wanted to confirm.
Also, if there is more than one mineral waiting at the same station, would it be possible to show a proportional amount depending on the number of tiles available? For example: in a station with 4 bare tiles, and with 100 copper ore and 300 coal waiting, show 1 tile with copper, and 3 with coal.

Conveyor belts and tipples look especially awesome

Is there an unloading station, with railway over actual surface?

Sanchimaru wrote:By the way, I wanted to ask some coder: Is it possible to have a tile that looks empty, but will change to show piling minerals, depending on which mineral is waiting? I mean, not to have one tile for coal, other for copper, etc. but one single tile that will show the mineral that is waiting to be transported at the station. I think it's possible, but I wanted to confirm. Also, if there is more than one mineral waiting at the same station, would it be possible to show a proportional amount depending on the number of tiles available? For example: in a station with 4 bare tiles, and with 100 copper ore and 300 coal waiting, show 1 tile with copper, and 3 with coal.

Yes and no. Yes, it's possibly to show different graphics depending on the type(s) of cargo waiting, and no, I don't know how to mix and match the graphics for different cargoes without using separate station ids. I'm not aware that it is possible to count the tiles of the appropriate type.

Sanchimaru wrote:By the way, I wanted to ask some coder: Is it possible to have a tile that looks empty, but will change to show piling minerals, depending on which mineral is waiting? I mean, not to have one tile for coal, other for copper, etc. but one single tile that will show the mineral that is waiting to be transported at the station. I think it's possible, but I wanted to confirm.

Yes, that's possible. If there's more than one cargo waiting the largest amount will take precedence.

Sanchimaru wrote:Also, if there is more than one mineral waiting at the same station, would it be possible to show a proportional amount depending on the number of tiles available? For example: in a station with 4 bare tiles, and with 100 copper ore and 300 coal waiting, show 1 tile with copper, and 3 with coal.

I'm not going to say it's impossible, but I think it would be pretty hard to do, and I have no idea how.

Are you still looking for a coder? I'd like to have a go, if you wouldn't mind. These sprites are far too good to just sit here doing nothing.

> Meush: I'm glad you liked them! I drew the conveyor belts and the tipples form scratch (well, the small hut at the base of the conveyor was edited from the original set)
About the unloading platform, I suppose thath you mean one that just runs on surface; not over a pit. Well, there are no specific sprites for that at the moment, but I think that you could use the regular track tiles, and ornamet them with coal piles and conveyors belts at the sides.

> Dalestan: thanks a lot for your help! I knew it was somehow complicated, but would have been a nice feature let's not make the coders' work harder

> Maedhros: thanks for replying too! and thanks for volunteering! that's sure some good news. Aegir is now busy between the North American Buildings and his work; so if you are ready for the job, I think that you can start anytime
If you do, I'll pass you some documents with guides to how the sprites should be coded (order, etc.)

And by the way: here are the new old sprites for the oil / chemicals station:
Since they are quite simple, I might add some more facilities. Suggestions and pictures are welcome!

Sanchimaru, thanks for reply. I'm wondering what's the difference between 3rd and 5th sprite, and between 2nd and 6th sprite.
Sprites in both pair seems to be identical! And pairs of sprites ((2nd and 3rd) or (5th and 6th)) seem to differ only by ground pixels

Some larger oil/gas storage tanks that would go on their own tiles could be neat on that oil station..and maybe some barrels with a warehouse for people who transport goods from a oil refinery?

And maybe something like this http://unspunblog.com/wp-content/upload ... inery2.jpg for stations placed near refiniries?

Sanchimaru wrote:> Maedhros: thanks for replying too! and thanks for volunteering! that's sure some good news. Aegir is now busy between the North American Buildings and his work; so if you are ready for the job, I think that you can start anytime
If you do, I'll pass you some documents with guides to how the sprites should be coded (order, etc.)

Cool. I'm not around tomorrow, but I can get started on Monday.

I like the minerals station parts. I have a suggestion: Current buildings fit with coal mines. Can you make some different coloring-texture to add variety?

some varied tanks.
island configurations.

m3henry wrote:some varied tanks.
island configurations.

I love how users of this forum create properly formed sentences...

me too.
and how about a little oil guage going up the side (translucent tube going all the way up the side with black when filled.)

m3henry wrote:me too.
and how about a little oil guage going up the side (translucent tube going all the way up the side with black when filled.)

Somewhat unrealistic but not a bad idea. Those big tank farms that we see next to refineries have a very interesting feature ... the tops float on top of the oil contained therein. So, instead of a gauge, a top that would float up from within the tank should do the job and also be realistic.

wallyweb wrote:... the tops float on top of the oil contained therein. So, instead of a gauge, a top that would float up from within the tank should do the job and also be realistic.

What's its purpose? Doesn't it make it harder to pump oil into the tank?

m3henry wrote:some varied tanks.
island configurations.

What's island configuration?

MeusH wrote:

wallyweb wrote:... the tops float on top of the oil contained therein. So, instead of a gauge, a top that would float up from within the tank should do the job and also be realistic.

What's its purpose? Doesn't it make it harder to pump oil into the tank?

Keeping something called oxygen away from the oil, which vastly reduces the chance of getting an explosive mixture in the tank.

Ahh, cunning Thanks

> MeusH: actually, sprites 5 & 6 are the same as 3 & 2; and 11 & 12 are the same as 9 & 8. Uneven sprites are the ones that should be in the back platform (ahead the track) ; and even sprites are the ones in the front platform (before the track). So these sprites give 3 random tiles: one with tanks back and pipes in front; one with pipes back and a structure in front; and one with pipes in both sides of the track.

>Vemarkis: I recognized you for your avatar, I didn't know that you changed your username! Thanks a lot for the suggestions and for the pictures, I'll be sure that I do something with those.

> athanasios: at the moment we will stick to the existing buildings, but I have some of the ones Born Acorn drew, and some pictures too; so we might have something new in the future, but not just now.

m3henry wrote:some varied tanks.
island configurations.

Ameecher wrote:I love how users of this forum create properly formed sentences...

m3henry wrote:me too.

> m3henry: "some varied tanks" is not specific enough: Vemarkis already suggested that, and he did the effort to look for pictures of tanks.
And "island configurations" means nothing. Ameecher tried to indirectly tell you that you should explain yourself better, but you choose to play the smartass. If you don't make yourself clear, and provide with pictures if needed, then I'll consider that post as spam.
Also, (for m3henry and anybody else too) no fantasy features: the transparent guage is not going to happen, since it doesn't exist. When I said that I was welcoming suggestions, I was waiting for references to elements one could find in an oil processing facility, like Vemarkis did. Not something that comes out from your imagination, or that you "think that would look cool"

> wallyweb: can you find some pictures of that? even some schemes about how it works would be interesting (not only for drawing them, it's always nice to learn something new )

Sanchimaru wrote:> wallyweb: can you find some pictures of that? even some schemes about how it works would be interesting (not only for drawing them, it's always nice to learn something new )

here is a link from Japan with a description and an image. The technical terms are "Floating Roof Tanks" and "Atmospheric Storage Tanks". A Google search on these terms will get you lots of examples. Lots of pictures here

wallyweb wrote:

Sanchimaru wrote:> wallyweb: can you find some pictures of that? even some schemes about how it works would be interesting (not only for drawing them, it's always nice to learn something new )

here is a link from Japan with a description and an image. The technical terms are "Floating Roof Tanks" and "Atmospheric Storage Tanks". A Google search on these terms will get you lots of examples. Lots of pictures here

Aye, and they're by far and large not unique to Japan either.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you can produce, Maedhros. Jeez I'm glad I've weasled out of having to code another station set . Buildings sets are much more forgiving on your sanity .

by 'varied tanks' I meant some change in the size, height, markings, things on the side
by 'island configurations' I meant being able to have special graphics that would span between two tracks, rather than always behind the train