Information about traffic light props and pack creation

Table of Contents

• Video Resources
  • How to Make Packs
  • How to Make Traffic Light Props
• Traffic Light Props
  • Introduction
  • General
  • Texture Files
    • Color
    • Alpha
    • Illumination
  • Prop Illumination Amount
• XML Types
  • OneSize
  • MultiSize
• XML Template
• XML Elements
  • PackName
  • OneSize
  • Prefab
  • Type
  • Name
  • Description
  • Transform
  • DropdownSelectionIndex
  • ForceDefaultSideSignalPole
• Pack Creator Helper
  • Generate Template Pack XMLS
  • Update
  • Test
  • Copy
  • Folder Icon
  • Load TLRLocal Folder
  • Refresh Packs
• XML Loading Locations
• Testing a Traffic Light Pack
• Publishing
• Replacement Limitations

Video Resources

How to Make Packs

How to Make Traffic Light Props

Traffic Light Props

Introduction

Before creating a traffic light pack, traffic light props are needed.

If you already have props made skip here

General

For general prop asset creation information refer to this article on cslm

Traffic lights props use a special shader, the Traffic Light Shader.

Because of this it is best to use the vanilla traffic light template since it already has that configured.

Texture Files

Traffic light props map the color, alpha and illumination textures differently than regular props.

In the example textures below, the left side shows the texture map saved to the import folder, while the right side shows which signal color corresponds to the monochrome colors in the saved texture.

Color

The color map (_c.png) texture tells the game where to find the red and green lights

Alpha

The alpha texture (_a.png) tells the game where to find the yellow lights

Illumination

The illumination texture (_i.png) tells the game where to find the pedestrian lights.

Prop Illumination Amount

The background color of the three textures controls the illumination amount of the main signal model. The background color of the _c, _a and _i needs to be consistent, otherwise the illumination amount of the whole prop changes between different signal phases.

The background color needs to be close to medium gray rgb(128,128,128). Background colors too far away from this cause strange side effects in game.

XML Types

Traffic Light Replacer can read two different kinds of XML configuration files

OneSize

For traffic light packs that replace vanilla traffic light props one to one. This is best for legacy/limited prop packs

MultiSize

For packs that have traffic lights for different road sizes/ have several variations per road size. This requires more prop models than the OneSize format, but it can take full advantage of the mod’s features

XML Template

As a starting point to make a new configuration, use these blank XML templates here or export them using the mod’s Pack Creator Helper

If you are on Windows, Notepad++ with the XMLTools plugin is recommended to edit these files, since it includes features such as text highlighting, syntax checking and pretty printing.

Example Blank XML Template:

For examples of fully working xml files, look at the mod’s internal XML presets

Read below for the explanation of the elements

XML Elements

PackName

The name of the pack shown in game

OneSize

Type of XML file, true means it is a OneSize configuration, false means it is a MultiSize configuration

Prefab

Prefab name of the prop, use the update/copy buttons in the Pack Creator Helper to grab

Type

Defines the type of prop to replace

For OneSize files, types can be set to Main , Mirror , Ped Signal, Signal Pole, or Signal Pole Mirror with only one prop per type.

• All the types (Main, Mirror, Ped Signal, Signal Pole) need to be assigned to a prop, otherwise the pack will not work
• In the case of Signal Pole Mirror, if left blank the mod will use the non-mirrored signal pole prop

For MultiSize files types can be set to Small, Medium, Large, All , or Signal Pole .

• Types Small, Medium and Large and All can be assigned to multiple props, while Signal Pole can only be assigned to one prop
• Type All means that the prop is added to all size categories
• The XML file is required to have at least one prop assigned to types (Small, Medium and Large, Signal Pole) or (All, Signal Pole), otherwise the pack will not work

Name

Name of the prop shown in the customization dropdown (MultiSize only)

Description

Tooltip shown in the customization dropdown (MultiSize only)

Transform

(optional)

Default transform settings for the pack

DropdownSelectionIndex

(optional, MultiSize only)

Default variation selected for each size in the customization menu. Use this if you want something other than the first prop for a size category selected when loading the pack

SmallRoads - index for Small Roads dropdown
MediumRoads - index for Medium Roads dropdown
LargeRoads - index for Large Roads dropdown

index values start at 0

Example:

To have the second traffic light in this list to be selected on default, change the MediumRoads element value to 1

ForceDefaultSideSignalPole

(optional, MultiSize only)
Forces the signal pole light to be always at the opposite side of the road when the default side is enabled, instead of only when the optional setting in the global option menu settings is enabled (only used in special cases)

Pack Creator Helper

In the mod, there’s a toolbox window that helps with making an XML file for the mod called the Pack Creator Helper. To show it, go into the general mod settings, and enable “Show Pack Creator Helper”

Once enabled you should see a window that looks like this:

Generate Template Pack XMLS

This button exports two XML files, one for each configuration type

Update

Copies the selected prop’s name into the name box. Use the Find It! 2 mod to search and to select a prop

Test

Replaces all traffic light props with the prop name in the Name field

Copy

Copies the prop name to the clipboard

Folder Icon

Opens the TLRLocal folder, place XML files you want to test here

Load TLRLocal Folder

Toggles whether to load XML files in the TLRLocal folder to the Pack dropdown

Refresh Packs

Refreshes the main Pack Dropdown

XML Loading Locations

The mod reads XML files from the following places:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\255710 (any enabled/subscribed subfolder)
XML file in workshop folder has to named TLRConfig.xml

\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\TLRLocal
XML file can be named anything (“Load TLRLocal Folder” in the asset creator helper also needs to be enabled)

Testing a Traffic Light Pack

In the TLRLocal folder first complete setting up a XML config file,

Then check the “Load TLRLocal Folder” checkbox in the Pack Creator Helper. Then click “Refresh Packs”

If everything works, the lights should replace. If not an error message will appear.

Then test with various sized roads and see if it replaces well. One common thing to fix is the rotation. Use the rotate slider in the Transform Settings to preview the changes, then in the XML file change the values within the optional Transform tag.

Publishing

After making sure the XML file works, go to the Content Manager and update the existing prop pack.

Then in the update popup open the asset staging folder and copy the XML from the TLRLocal Folder and rename it TLRConfig.xml.

Replacement Limitations

• Left Hand Drive is not supported at all
• MultiSize packs do not support mirrored traffic lights, they are replaced with a blank prop Example of mirror prop:
  
• For pack variations that have mirrored lights in the median of roads like vanilla lights, use the OneSize XML type