How do you make a large flat parking lot?

[mapsgame]

Are there any tips or tools for creating a large flat area like a parking lot?

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

Asphalt ground textures with parking space lines included exist.

Or you could use plain asphalt ground texture and decorate it with road marking or parking space assets (usually these are splines).

Or you could use pre-made parking lot assets (splines or flat planes of asphalt with parking space lines on them as part of their textures).

 

[mapsgame]

Asphalt ground textures with parking space lines included exist.

Or you could use plain asphalt ground texture and decorate it with road marking or parking space assets (usually these are splines).

Or you could use pre-made parking lot assets (splines or flat planes of asphalt with parking space lines on them as part of their textures).

Thanks for the reply. I tried using both. The lot or ground has a 2% slope. Here's what I have tried in TRS 19 to achieve the desired sloped ground area which is 3000 ft x 500 ft.

• The topo tool slope doesn't provide for a gradient. And it cant be rotated to be parallel to the lot edge.
• I tried using a wide spline like a 6-lane road, adjusting the spline point heights to get the gradient, then use the smooth spline button, but only the ground under the spline is sloped. If I move the splines and repeat the ground becomes undulated.

Is there an easy way to get the ground to slope for this large area?

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

If you use a number of track splines parallel to each other, you can easily get good results. Scenery splines don't have a Gradient tool, so actual rail track splines are best for this type of work.

Space the tracks equally by a distance that is about the same as the terrain grid resolution (usually 10m). Each track should have only a start point and an end point, and the whole set should form a rectangle (the track segments all being the same length).

In the "Advanced" section of the Track tab, there is a row of controls devoted to Gradient. Type in a value of 2.00 (which means 2.00%) and click the "Apply Gradient" button, then click on each track.

Use the "Smooth spline height" tool on each track to form the ground ramp under the tracks.

It should produce a smooth/flat rectangle, sloped at 2.0% gradient, even if the tracks are not aligned with the ground grid (as in my quick example below). Check it in Wireframe mode (F9) and confirm the flatness. If there are grooves between tracks, then the spacing was too large, so move the tracks closer together and Smooth again.

Asphalt parking lot formed by tracks with 2% gradient. I've added some parking space splines for fun. The fences are only there to highlight the cross-sectional profile of the ramp at 2 places.

Wireframe view (F9). This is a 10m terrain grid. The distance between every second grid line is 10m.

With some practice and adjustments to the procedure, I think you could create patches of flat, sloped ground that have shapes more complex than rectangles, but I haven't tried that.

 

[mapsgame]

@Dinorius_Redundicus, thanks for the screen shots. I gave it a try and it works! I added some steps because the ground slopes in two directions. I first placed a track parallel to each fence and set the slope/grade. Then placed splines perpendicular to the grid every skipping one grid in between. These spline points inherent the elevation along each fence line. Then use the spline smooth tool to match the ground to the track.

 

[Dinorius_Redundicus]

I think I understand what you did, but some screenshots showing the setup and results would help anyone else following this thread.