Video summary

How to Design AMAZING Roads in Cities Skylines like a PRO! (Blank Road Builder Mod)

Main summary

Key takeaways

Gaming

Storyline / Purpose

  • This video isn’t so much a “story” as a tutorial/pitch.
  • It introduces the Cities: Skylines “Blank Road Builder” mod, which lets players create custom road layouts without needing asset editor / asset-making skills.
  • The creator demonstrates building a complex “crazy road,” then getting it working in-game with correct lane markings, turning rules, and intersections.

Gameplay / Workflow Highlights (How the Mod is Used)

What the mod enables

With Blank Road Builder, you can create custom roads with:

  • Bus lanes
  • Tram lanes
  • Car lanes
  • Bike lanes
  • Pedestrian access
  • Filler/side buffers such as grass, gravel, trees, and decorative props

The workflow relies on building using a template-like process in the asset/theme UI, then exporting/importing into the game.

Key mod(s) / requirements mentioned

  • Blank Road Builder (beta v0.2.0)
  • Harmony
  • Adaptive Networks
  • Traffic Manager
  • Intersection Marking Tool
  • Loading Order Mod (recommended if you use lots of assets)

Credits are given to:

  • The original concept: Trey Jack
  • Ongoing/current work: TDW

Step-by-Step Setup + Building a Road (Bullet Summary)

1) Install required mods

Subscribe to Blank Road Builder and its dependencies:

  • Harmony
  • Adaptive Networks
  • Traffic Manager
  • Intersection Marking Tool

Optionally subscribe to the included collection (blank Road Builder collection) and any extra items it contains.

2) Configure loading order (recommended)

If you use many workshop assets, the video recommends:

  • Install/use Loading Order Mod
  • Open the load order tool exe
  • Manage enabled/disabled mods + assets
  • Make a backup:
    • Export your current setup (example: “test backup”)
  • Create a new profile for road-making (example: “road maker”):
    • Disable/exclude everything
    • Include only what’s needed
    • Use the assets tab to avoid loading thousands of unrelated assets
  • Export and reset/sync load order so the game launches with the correct set of assets

3) Create the road in Asset Editor using Blank Road Builder

In Cities: Skylines:

  1. Go to Editors → Asset Editor
  2. Create a new road theme/selection
  3. Use Asset Importer → Load and continue

Then, in the Blank Road Builder UI (thumbnail/road UI):

  • Use Open Thumbnail Maker
  • Set road parameters (examples shown):
    • Road type (e.g., “4-lane Avenue” template)
    • Road name
    • Speed limit
    • Road size/width
    • Lane spacing/buffer hover option
  • Add lanes using Add Lane, then mirror the opposite side with:
    • Duplicate/Flip Lane

Example multi-lane composition demonstrated:

  • Bike lane (protected areas using buffer lanes like grass/props)
  • Car lanes
  • Bus lane
  • Tram lanes

4) Export the configuration to “Road Builder”

Before exporting:

  • The mod warns that all non-filler lanes need directions set
  • Filler lanes are the empty buffers (grass/pavement/gravel/trees)

Export:

  • Export configuration to Road Builder
  • The road appears in the Road Builder list

5) Place the custom road in the map

Use:

  • Blank Road Builder → Place custom road

Important note from the video:

  • The road may lack automatic lane markings
  • You must add markings manually using Intersection Marking Tool (depending on version / at least for now)

Intersection Marking Tool (The Main “In-Game” Fix)

How lane meanings are mapped

In Intersection Marking Tool, lane categories correspond to what was built in Thumbnail Maker, including:

  • Tram lanes (middle)
  • Car lanes (outside lanes)
  • Bus lanes (bus category)
  • Grass/median filler (next to bike lane)
  • Bike lanes (vehicle bicycle)
  • Pedestrian paths (auto-added)
  • “None” / filler edges (often automatic boundary segments)

Manual marking approach shown

Add lines/lanes logically by type:

  • Shift: place solid/directional demarcation-style markings
  • Alt: place filler patterns (grass/curbs/etc.)
  • Ctrl selection for prop/line segments, then switch to:
    • Grass → curb size + grass
    • Tree props (example tree named “young Linden”)
    • Bike lane symbols and bus lane symbols as props

To improve readability, the creator adjusts appearance settings (e.g., scale/clarity).

Note: lane markings are effectively built after placement, using these tools and presets.

Saving the Road Asset (So It Persists)

Two saves are emphasized:

  1. Save the Intersection Marking preset
    • Without this, your marking work won’t carry into the final asset.
  2. Save the road asset itself
    • Use snapshot/thumbnail tools
    • Save Asset with your chosen name
    • Confirm the road appears in the asset list

Importing + Using the Road in a New Setup

  • Quit and relaunch safely after saving.
  • Use asset import (example shown: “UK City setup”).
  • Place the road and watch for messages like:
    • “This road comes with no markings… use Intersection Marking Tool to mark.”
  • Then apply the saved marking preset in-game:
    • Presets → Apply to whole street (confirmed via the video)

Strategies / Key Tips Mentioned

  • Don’t click the screen while assets are loading in the asset editor/intersection tools (can cause crashes).
  • If relying on Loading Order Mod:
    • Loading order behavior may differ in Asset Editor
    • The creator suggests trimming assets because some loading-order helpers don’t work there.
  • When exporting the road:
    • Ensure every non-filler lane has a direction set.
  • Build intersections/markings after the road is placed:
    • Avoid complex terrains that might break intersection markings (example: test first on ground level)

Example “Crazy Road” Result

The final demonstration culminates in a massive custom road (“Behemoth Road”) featuring:

  • Extra-wide pavement
  • Bollards protecting two-way bike lanes
  • Bus lane(s)
  • Trolley bus
  • Three lanes of car traffic in each direction
  • Double tram in the middle (both directions)
  • Grass/trees/flower pots/bollard detailing

It also demonstrates that increasing road width (example: 100 meters) makes fillers expand to fill remaining space, resulting in wider pavements.

Gamers / Sources Featured

  • Trey Jack (credited for original mod basis)
  • TDW (credited for ongoing mod work)
  • Harmony / Adaptive Networks / Traffic Manager (mod ecosystem referenced)
  • Intersection Marking Tool
  • Loading Order Mod
  • TDW Discord (promotional source referenced in description)

Original video