The City Toolbar

# City Window Toolbars

### City-Building Tools

Power and Services Tools

Map Tools

> ### Online Help Table of Contents

> (Note: This page is quite large. It may take a few minutes to fully load.)

> The City window contains three toolbars arranged by function--these are your control centers for building, modifying and running your city. When you choose a tool, your cursor will change into a representation of that tool (along with an outline of the size of its placement), and the price of its use will be displayed at the top-left of your city window, along with its name.
> For ease of use, especially for newcomers to 2KNet, you can simply click on any button, then use the default setting of the tool. When you're ready for more power, more features and more flexibility, you can make use of the submenus that are hidden below many of the buttons. If you click and hold on the submenu arrow next to the default button, the submenu will pop up, allowing you to access many more choices and options.
> The submenus--and their options--change over the years, reflecting the available technology: for instance, you wouldn't see the nuclear fusion plant option immediately available if you've begun your game in the year 1900.
> The City toolbars contain tools that let you:

> - Modify the landscape
> - Zoom in and out for close-up and far-out views
> - Center on different areas of the city in the City window
> - Rotate the city in the City window
> - Zone residential, commercial and industrial areas
> - Build the city infrastructure
> - Add special-purpose buildings (museums, zoos, etc.)
> - Closely inspect city areas
> - Add signs or markers
> - Turn on and off the display of various objects and layers in the City window
> - Open various information windows
> There's also has a Demand Indicator for various zones, located beneath the City-Building tools, telling you that your district needs more of the displayed zone.
> These are the tools in the various City toolbars:

> ## City-Building Tools

> The City-Building tools let you build up (and tear down), zone and set up the transportation network of your city. (You can also do some buyin', sellin' and snoopin' on the side.)

> ### Bulldozer Tools

> The Bulldozer is a multi-function multi-level tool, with a default setting and a submenu to choose between four additional actions. Click and hold on the Bulldozer arrow button to open the submenu. When the bulldozer is active, the cursor will appear as a bulldozer.
> To operate the bulldozer, choose the function you want, then click or click and drag where you want to do your 'dozin'.
> Demolish/Clear (the default) destroys and removes trees, rubble, and man-made (Sim-made?) objects without affecting the terrain or zoning status. Just click on anything to destroy it.
> Cost: $1 per tile.
> Level Terrain lets you choose an altitude level and slice off hills and mountains at your chosen height. Level also clears, removing all trees, roads, power lines and buildings.
> Cost: $25 per tile per altitude change.
> Raise Terrain lets you make mountains out of molehills.
> Cost: $25 per tile per altitude change.
> Lower Terrain lets you lower mountains and dig canyons. (If you lower the terrain below sea level, it will fill with water.)
> Cost: $25 per tile per altitude change.
> De-Zone lets you change undeveloped residential, commercial or industrial zones to unzoned land.
> Cost: $1 per tile.
> Raising, lowering and leveling terrain can be very expensive, so do it sparingly. If you want to make a lot of changes to the landscape, do it in terrain-editing mode before you start your city, or save up a lot of cash. (Only the server player can edit terrain; see your Tutorial.)

> #### Landscape Tools

> The Landscape tools let you add water and trees to your city. When active, the cursor will appear as a water droplet. Clicking and holding on the arrow next to the water droplet opens a submenu that allows you to choose between trees and water.
> The Water tool lets you create lakes and streams by clicking where you want your water to appear.
> Cost: $100 per tile.
> The Tree tool lets you place trees onto the landscape. Each click will place either one or two trees. You can click repeatedly on a single tile to create dense thickets, and click and drag across many tiles to create forests.
> Cost: $3 per click.

> #### Water System

> The Water System tool is a multi-use tool. Clicking and holding on its arrow opens a submenu that allows you to choose between four different water-related functions: buying storage tanks, installing water pumps, and building treatment and desalinization plants (when available). When this tool is active, the cursor appears as a water faucet.
> Depending on the year and technology level in your city, you may only have access to pumps and water towers. As time passes and inventions are invented, the other options become available. A city can exist without a water system, but population density will be limited. When the Sims build, they install the underground water pipes for their buildings. Your only responsibility is to hook the buildings up to the water system with your system tools.
> Water Towers lets you store precious water so you won't have summer shortages in arid climates.
> Cost: $250 per tower.
> Water Pumps when placed on land act as wells, a good source of water. Water pumps need to be hooked to the power grid to function. When pumps are placed right next to a lake or river, they supply twice as much water as a well. A pump placed next to a coastline (salt water) only produces as much water as a well.
> Cost: $100 per pump.
> Treatment Plants clean and recycle your city's water, lessening seasonal shortages.
> Cost: $500 per treatment plant.
> Desalinization Plants remove the salt from sea water. They are expensive, but sometimes necessary in beach communities with little or no other source of water. Desalinization plants, which need power to function, have internal pumps, and don't require extra water pumps. They produce approximately twice as much water as a water pump next to a river.
> Cost: $1,000 per desalinization plant.

> ####
> Road and Transport Tools

> Clicking and holding on the Road icon arrow opens a submenu that allows you to choose between six different functions, most of them road-related: placing roads and highways, train and subway tracks, and placing power lines and the underground water pipe system. When this tool is active, the cursor appears as a piece of paved road.
> Depending on the year and technology level of your city, you may only have access to roads and tunnels. As time passes, the other options become available.
> Road (the default setting) lets you "paint" your roads onto the land by clicking in the place where you want the road to start, dragging the cursor to the place you want the road to stop, and releasing the mouse button. If you start laying a road and change your mind, you can cancel the operation by holding down the Shift key before you release the mouse button.
> Roads can run in straight lines, 90-degree angles and 45-degree angles. When roads cross, they form an intersection. If you lay a road across water and it is possible to build a bridge, you will be told how much it will cost. If a bridge can't be built, you will be notified.
> Cost: $10 per road tile.
> Wires lets you lay power lines to put electricity into your zones. When this tool is active, the cursor appears as a lightning bolt.
> Power lines blink warning lights to let you know if they're not hooked to a power source. Power lines can only be run in straight lines and 90-degree angles. They can cross roads or rails, but not on curved sections or straight sections that run at 45 degrees. Laying power lines across water is a little more expensive. If you lay power lines across water, a dialog box will open and let you know how much it will cost.
> Cost: $2 per tile across land, $10 per tile across water.
> Rail lets you "paint" your tracks onto the land by clicking in the place where you want the rail to start, dragging the cursor to the place where you want it to stop, and releasing the mouse button. If you start laying a rail and change your mind, you can cancel the operation by holding down the Shift key before you release the mouse button. Rails are useless without rail depots. When this tool is active, the cursor appears as a length of track.
> Cost: $25 per tile.
> Pipe lets you "paint" your water pipes onto the landscape by clicking in the place where you want the pipe to start, dragging the cursor to the place you want the pipe to stop, and releasing the mouse button. If you start laying a water pipe and change your mind, you can cancel the operation by holding down the Shift key before you release the mouse button. Water pipes are always laid underground. Activating Pipe automatically turns on the underground view so you can see your pipes.
> Cost: $3 per tile.
> Highway is the tool to construct high-capacity roads that are raised above the ground on pylons. They can handle four times as many cars as regular roads. They are placed the same way as roads. You will need to place onramps to allow cars to get on and off highways. When highways cross, they form cloverleafs. If you lay a highway across water and it is possible to build a bridge, you will be told how much it will cost. If a bridge can't be built, you will be notified.
> Cost: $100 per highway section (4 tiles).
> Subways are the means to construct an underground rail system. The are placed in the same way as rails, but while looking at the underground view. Subways are useless without subway stations.
> Cost: $100 per tile.
> Tunnels and Junction Tools
> Clicking and holding on the Tunnel icon brings you to a menu containing a number of transportation-related tools for making connections in your roadway network.
> Tunnels lets you make pathways for roads through hills and mountains. Tunnels cannot curve, and you cannot cross tunnels, even at different altitudes. To place a tunnel, click on the tile that you want as your entrance point. The entrance point must be a sloped tile. Your highway engineers won't try to build a tunnel where it's impossible to build, or where it is unsafe, due to unstable terrain. If you pick a good spot, an engineer's report will tell you how much the tunnel will cost and ask if you want to go ahead or not.
> Cost: $150 per tile of tunnel.
> Rail Depots allow commuters to get on and off trains. Without depots, rails are useless. They must be placed on level ground, and adjacent to tracks.
> Cost: $500 per depot.
> Onramps allow cars and buses to travel back and forth between roads and highways. Place them as junctions between roads and highways. For best results, put onramps on both sides of a highway.
> Cost: $25 per tile.
> Bus Stops allow commuters to take the bus to work and help alleviate traffic. They must be placed on level ground. You will need at least two bus depots, since buses travel between them. Passengers can get on and off between depots.
> Cost: $250 per depot.
> Subway Stations allow passengers access to subway trains. Subway trains only stop at stations. They must be placed on level ground, adjacent to a subway line. It's usually easiest to place subway stations while looking at the underground level.
> Cost: $250 per depot.
> Sub <-> Rail are junctions that allow you to hook up your subways and above-ground rails for a continuous transit system. They must be placed adjacent to a rail tile.
> Cost $250 per tile.

> ### Zoning Tools

> The zoning tools are a set of eight tools that let you designate zone types within your city, as well as place ports.

> #### Residential Zones

> The Residential Zone tools let you, as commissioner, designate areas of your city as places where people live. Clicking and holding on the zoning submenu arrow opens a submenu that lets you choose whether the zones will be Light Residential or Dense Residential . When this tool is active, the cursor will appear as a little house.
> To zone an area as residential, click and hold on the terrain, drag the mouse, creating a rectangle, then release the mouse button. If you start laying down a zone line and change your mind, you can cancel the operation by holding down the Shift key before you release the mouse button. If you zone residential over an area that includes some tiles that are already the same density residential, you will not be charged for zoning those tiles. If you zone over an undeveloped area that is already commercial, industrial or a different density residential, it will be rezoned and you will be charged. You cannot rezone an area that is already developed.
> Cost: Light Residential $5 per tile, Dense Residential $10 per tile.

> #### Commercial Zones

> The Commercial Zone tools let you, as mayor, designate areas of your city as places where people build stores, offices and other places of commerce. You can choose between Light Commercial or Dense Commercial . When this tool is active, the cursor will appear as a little office building.
> To zone an area as commercial, click and hold on the terrain, then drag the mouse, creating a rectangle, then release the mouse button. If you start laying down a zone line and change your mind, you can cancel the operation by holding down the Shift key before you release the mouse button. If you zone commercial over an area that includes some tiles that are already the same density commercial, you will not be charged for rezoning those tiles. If you zone commercial over an undeveloped area that is already residential, industrial or a different density commercial, it will be rezoned and you will be charged. You cannot rezone an area that is already developed.
> Cost: Light Commercial $5 per tile, Dense Commercial $10 per tile.

> #### Industrial Zones

> The Industrial Zone tool lets you, as mayor, designate areas of your city as places where people build factories. You can choose between Light Industrial and Dense Industrial . When this tool is active, the cursor will appear as a little factory.
> To zone an area as industrial, click and hold on the terrain, then drag the mouse, creating a rectangle, then release the mouse button. If you start placing a zone and change your mind, you can cancel the operation by holding down the Shift key before you release the mouse button. If you zone industrial over an area that includes some tiles that are already the same density industrial, you will not be charged for rezoning those tiles. If you zone industrial over an undeveloped area that is already commercial, residential or a different density industrial, it will be rezoned and you will be charged. You cannot rezone an area that is already developed.
> Cost: Light Industrial $5 per tile, Dense Industrial $10 per tile.
> This is how most municipal planning and zoning systems are supposed to work: When meaningful changes to a city's makeup are suggested, planners select options for review and assemble reports for discussion. If these discussions become controversial, the reports are analyzed by elected (political) officials and a decision is made, in theory, based upon a thorough study of options, facts and findings. At least that's how the theory goes.

> #### Ports

> You can place two types of ports in 2KNet: Seaports and Airports . When this tool is active, the cursor will appear as an anchor and radar dish.
> Ports are placed by clicking and dragging to form a square or rectangle, then releasing the mouse button. If you start placing a port and change your mind, you can cancel the operation by holding down the Shift key before you release the mouse button. Ports must be powered before they will develop. Seaports must be on a shoreline to be of any use.
> Cost: $150 per Seaport tile, $250 per Airport tile.

> ### Land and Info Tools

> Buy Land lets you designate what terrain you want to own and develop in the game. You can't use any city-building tools on land that you don't own. Select the Buy Land tool and then click and drag the cursor (as with other "painting" tools) over the desired territory with your mouse button down. Release the mouse when the land you want is highlighted. Your newly purchased land will initially be white, but when it's yours to build on, it will turn a lovely shade of green. (The confirmation of your land purchase--that green goodness--can take a little time, so be patient.)
> You can cancel the operation by holding down the Shift key before you release the mouse button. Your purchased land will be seen as gray areas by opposing players.
> Sell Land works the same as Buy Land, though after you've painted over the land you want to sell, it will return to its original color before purchase. It will then be available for others to purchase, and its sale price will be added to your funds. All buildings on sold land will be removed.
> Sign lets you label streets, buildings and points of interest in your city. When this tool is active, the cursor will appear as a little sign. To make a sign, activate the Sign tool and click on the place where you want it to appear. When the dialog box opens, type in the words you want the sign to say, then click DONE. There is no cost for placing signs.
> The display of your signs can be turned on and off with the Display Signs button in the Map tools.
> Query is a tool for closely inspecting different parts of your city. When this tool is active, the cursor appears as a magnifying glass. To get information, activate the tool, then click anywhere. A dialog box will open, and display fascinating facts about the spot where you clicked.
> Once you have viewed the dialog box, you can click on the OK button to make it go away. Sometimes the Query dialog box allows you to rename buildings (like stadiums). Click on RENAME if you want to change the name of the queried building. There is no cost to use the Query tool.

> ##
> Power and Services Toolbar

> The Power Plant tools let you choose power sources for your city. Depending on the year and the technology level of your city, there may be from three to nine types of power plants available. Click on the power source you want, then click on the terrain where you want it to go. The power possibilities are:
> Coal Plant -- $4,000
> Hydroelectric Plant -- $400
> Oil Plant -- $6,600
> Gas Plant -- $2,000
> Nuclear Plant -- $15,000
> Windmill -- $100
> Solar Plant -- $1,300
> Microwave Plant -- $28,000
> Fusion Plant -- $40,000
> See the Inside the Simulation page for some particulars about power.

> ####
> City Services

> City Services is a multi-function tool that lets you provide your city with those necessities of life that we all wish weren't necessary. Click and hold on the City Services button arrow to open a submenu with the following unpleasant choices: Police, Fire Station, Hospital and Prison . When this tool is active, the cursor will appear as a badge.
> Cost: $500 per police station, $500 per fire station, $500 per hospital, $3,000 per prison.

> #### Education

> Education is a multi-function tool that lets you provide your citizens with everything they need to improve their minds. Click and hold on the Education button arrow to open a submenu with the following smart choices: School, College, Library and Museum . When this tool is active, the cursor will appear as a mortarboard.
> Cost: $250 per school, $1,000 per college, $500 per library, $1,000 per museum.

> #### Recreation

> Recreation is a multi-function tool that lets you provide your citizens with places to have a little rest, relaxation and plain old fun. Click and hold on the Recreation button arrow to open a submenu with the following exciting choices: Small Park, Large Park, Zoo, Stadium, and Marina . When this tool is active, the cursor will appear as a bunch of balloons!
> Cost: $20 per small park, $150 per large park, $3,000 per zoo, $5,000 per stadium, $1,000 per marina.

> #### Rewards

> This button is like a surprise package. It will be unavailable until you deserve a reward. Rewards are based on your city's population, and consist of special buildings and monuments to your commissioner's prowess. When this tool is active, the cursor appears as a city commissioner tipping his hat.
> The rewards you can strive to gain are ... no, I won't tell you. You'll just have to wait and see for yourself.

> ##
> Map Tools

> These tools are for navigation and viewing purposes around your city map. They are located below the Main menu.
> Rotate Clockwise
> Click on this button to rotate the entire city limits 90 degrees clockwise. There is no cost for rotating.
> Rotate Counter-Clockwise
> Click on this button to rotate the entire city limits 90 degrees counter-clockwise. There is no cost for rotating.
> Zoom In
> Click here to zoom in for an enlarged, closer view in the City window. There are three zoom levels. There is no cost for zooming.
> Zoom Out
> Click here to zoom out for a smaller, farther-out view in the City window. There are three zoom levels. There is no cost for zooming, in or out.
> Center
> The Center tool lets you pick a place in your city to be centered in the City window. Just activate the tool and click anywhere in the city. When Center is active, the cursor will appear as a target sight. There is no cost for centering. You can also click with the right mouse button in the spot where you want your window centered. New games default to the Center tool.
> Show Underground
> Click here to toggle between the surface and the underground displays. If you've developed your underground network, you'll see the subway and water-delivery systems you've put in place.
> Show Zones
> This button works differently depending on whether you're looking at the normal or underground view. In the normal view, clicking here toggles on and off the display of all buildings in zones. It doesn't affect city-owned buildings like police and fire stations, educational facilities, depots or power plants, but does include ports. In underground view, it toggles on and off a color display that lets you know where your zones are without jumping back upstairs.
> Show Signs
> Click here to toggle on and off the display of all signs you've placed in your district. The signs will be invisible until you turn them back on.
> Show Buildings
> This tool works much like the Show Zones tool, in that clicking on it will remove all of your infrastructure from view, revealing the land underneath, though without the grid demarcations of the various buildings that the Show Zones tool does. Basically, land you own is green, land owned by others is gray, with some zoning shading. Click again to return the city to normal view.
> Show Infrastructure
> Click here to toggle on and off the display of all miscellaneous city infrastructure items in the City window (roads, rails, subway lines, power lines, water pumps and subway stations).

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