Help with pathing : how to do it ?

[Kazehira]

Hello,

Pathing has always been the worse in this game for me. I seem not be able to do what I want.

In this case, I want to build a plazza that would look like a half circle. But how to do that ?
The only way I found to build a plazza is to use the align to grid option. However, this is ok for square plazza (and only ok as you need to make it as a multiple of 4 meters, not very precise), but it does not work for circles.

I could also do a circle with pathing, but how to make the inside of the circle a path as well ?

This pathing thing is really ing me off, as this is not really usable as it is, expect for very simple things. I really hope they plan for an upgrade of the system.
I had also the idea to do a square plazza, and then cover the corners with terrain....but of course, we can modify terrain around paths....

GRRRRR

Anyway, if anyone has a solution, that would make my day !

 

[marcnesiumHH]

this should give you everything you need

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1sFHFqCNmA

 

[Dr4gon]

There are many tutorials on youtube. Building a plaza is as easy as you want it to be.

YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[Kazehira]

I watched this video already. I know how to build a path in a corner, then delete it to smooth the curve, but this is not really predictable, and it is not possible to do a perfect half circle that way.
The trick he uses is just a workaround when you just don't want a square plazza, but you don't really care about how precise the plazza should be.

 

[Jaggid Edje]

You can make circles with the grid tool the same as squares, if you select the option for square edges you get squares and rectangles, if you disable it you get circles and ovals.

Standalone Half circles don't work with the grid tool, but if you have adjoining paths at the right angles you can make them. I do half circles for viewing areas literally ALL the time. Or are you trying to make some giant half circle that is standalone?

Here is with paths perpendicular. Could make that "bubble" section longer and a half-oval instead of a half circle as desired.

And here's with the square edged paths running parallel.

 

[Kazehira]

Thank you for your response, I'm sure this will help some people for sure
However, yes, I was trying to make a giant half circle, to build a big restaurant.

When I use 4 meters path, I need 12 squares to fill it up, so I'm not sure this would work.

I may need to try incrementaly by adding a path and delete it, maybe at some point it may do what I want more or less.

I really hope Frontier will make it usable someday, pathing is really giving me headaches ^^

 

[marcnesiumHH]

the only thing I can imagine (with how things currently work) and how I'd tried it myself, is that you are building a kind of "helping" structure first and then try to 'wrap' the path circle around.

 

[Bobble2017]

you can still use the grid and also make the path wider say 7 metres or 8 to get a bigger half circle

 

[Klinn]

The only thing I can imagine (with how things currently work) and how I'd tried it myself, is that you are building a kind of "helping" structure first and then try to 'wrap' the path circle around.

Now that's an interesting idea! I tried something using a broadly curving barrier, then added paths set to "follow barrier". Didn't work out exactly symmetrical and still has some little voids in the plaza that need some flowers to disguise them, but it's a start.

The half-circle is approx 50 meters across (diameter) and I added several picnic tables for scale:

Here's some shots of the intermediate work. First with a barrier consisting of 20m long curved sections and 45-degree snap, then the main 10m-wide path added inside with angle snap turned off and "follow barrier" turned on:

Next, trying to fill in the middle as best as possible using more 10m paths with 90-degree snap on. Somebody with more experience with the path tool could undoubtedly do a better job.

Add a few more similar "filling" paths, get rid of the barrier, add paths to get into the food court and it looked like the first image at the top of the post.

Just a suggestion to play with!

 

[Kazehira]

Wow, nice demonstration !

This is actually what I want to do, so I'll try it as soon as I can,hopefully I can make it work as well

Thanks !

 

[Chante Goodman]

Please keep us updated with your progress, @Kazehira!

 

[Jaggid Edje]

I think the main trick to these things is to not worry so much about perfect symmetry. Once you decorate with scenery and buildings around the finished product if you zoom in to get nice views (and screenshots) you don't notice that things aren't exactly symmetrical, just how pretty it looks. It's only really apparant if you zoom way out for an overhead view....and really, that zoom is not that attractive anyway!

 

[Chante Goodman]

I think the main trick to these things is to not worry so much about perfect symmetry. Once you decorate with scenery and buildings around the finished product if you zoom in to get nice views (and screenshots) you don't notice that things aren't exactly symmetrical, just how pretty it looks. It's only really apparant if you zoom way out for an overhead view....and really, that zoom is not that attractive anyway!

Fancy seeing you on this thread too, @Jaggid Edje! I think you have some great advice, so I'm glad you're spreading it around. Pathing is tricky in the Planet Franchise, and it does take a lot of practice to get it looking just how you'd like. I agree that once you decorate, it can make the path look completely different and, most of the time, much better!

 

[Kazehira]

You are right in most cases @Jaggid Edje , however, to explain a bit more what I'm trying to do, I want to make a building for restaurant and so on, but for some reason I do not want it square But for that building, I still need some symetry, otherwise it might look weird, and it would be difficult to make the walls/roof.
But having restaurant inside requires path, so I want to make the inside look like a floor that can be walked by people.
I would still have a workaround by "making" a floor on top of the path to hide the hole, but I hoped that a build in solution would exist.

Anyway, I'll try my best with all the tips you guys provided, and I'll try to make something nice

 

[Jaggid Edje]

You are right in most cases @Jaggid Edje , however, to explain a bit more what I'm trying to do, I want to make a building for restaurant and so on, but for some reason I do not want it square But for that building, I still need some symetry, otherwise it might look weird, and it would be difficult to make the walls/roof.
But having restaurant inside requires path, so I want to make the inside look like a floor that can be walked by people.
I would still have a workaround by "making" a floor on top of the path to hide the hole, but I hoped that a build in solution would exist.

Anyway, I'll try my best with all the tips you guys provided, and I'll try to make something nice

Have you considered using floor construction pieces and using the path that is "clear" (or just raising the building enough that the floor is above the path a tiny bit) for the building proper so that the little bit of off-symmetry isn't as noticeable?

 

[Kazehira]

Not sure to understand what you mean, but what I'll try to make as much path as possible so people can walk around, and hide it under floor construction pieces, so it looks like an entire floor without holes. I think this could work !
Thanks a lot, that brainstorming gave me a lot of ideas to work around that !

 

[Jaggid Edje]

Not sure to understand what you mean, but what I'll try to make as much path as possible so people can walk around, and hide it under floor construction pieces, so it looks like an entire floor without holes. I think this could work !
Thanks a lot, that brainstorming gave me a lot of ideas to work around that !

Yep, that's exactly what I meant. I do that sometimes for buildings where the shape doesn't quite match what I can do with the paths.

 

[wowman]

you can get rid of some of the center dead zones by using the grid option first for the center and then build the rest of the shapes around it.