--- title: Local highways and superhighways summary: Files, splines and endpoints: plan a first route and verify its references. section: galaxy kind: guide status: reference updated: 2026-10-27 tags: ["X4","modding","galaxy","highways"] sources: ["https://wiki.egosoft.com/X4%20Foundations%20Wiki/Modding%20Support/ScriptingMD/Community%20Guides/Highways%20Modding%20Guide/"] --- ## Two routes | Kind | Main map files | | --- | --- | | Local | `zonehighways.xml`, attachment in `sectors.xml` | | Superhighway | `sechighways.xml`, cluster/sector/zone links | Read [map hierarchy](wiki:galaxy-structure) first. A route definition alone is insufficient: endpoints and connections must agree. ## Plan the points List the start, end, intermediate points and coordinate frame for a short route. Use metres. X/Z normally form the sector plane; Y is height. Invented point fragment, not a complete highway: ```xml ``` It lies 12 km along X and 3 km along Z from the chosen origin, with a +X tangent. This describes geometry rather than creating a route. ## First verification sequence Choose clear space in a test sector and one short route without new materials. Resolve all endpoint references from a current analogue. Investigate curves, speed and appearance after it loads. Fly through both ends and inspect the log. Spline shape, visible effects and usable travel are separate results. Do not interpret `weight` as a direct speed in metres per second. ## Limits This is a workflow based on the primary guide, not a complete XML package or completed flight test. Do not transplant another example's zone names. Inspect actual DLC filenames when relevant. Preparation: [XML patches](wiki:xml-patches), [catalogs](wiki:tool-catalog).