Anyone Anal like me have a system to double check that all files are CAMpatible

xekon · January 29, 2011, 06:10:26 PM

Basically, I read all the readmes, followed directions and downloaded from "CAMeLots - Linking all available lots and bats". I like variety so I downloaded almost everything. It is now 3 days later and the plugins directory is a health 2.2GB.

As perfect as I like to think I got it all. You can't help but think there are files in there that shouldn't be. Either because of unseen duplicates, or Lots that are not CAMpatible/CAMelots.

Does anybody have a system for going through their files with a fine tooth come and making sure all is well. (I have the iLives Reader) I was hoping there was a program to just sweep over the files to make sure theres none that are not CAMpatible. but if not then is there a way to check them manually? (maybe with the info in the CAM - Stage Limits and Thresholds (CAM 1.0) thread?)

Thank you for any help, I greatly appreciate it.

Lowkee33 · January 29, 2011, 07:31:22 PM

What you need is PIMX.

PIMX calculates all of the properties associated with a building via a "filling degree". Basically, PIMX draws a cube around the building, and the filling degree is what percentage you think the building fills. You can use this program to make your own .descs and .lots, but it also works with pre-made ones.

All you have to do is load PIMX with the Model, Building Exemplar (.desc) and the Lot Exemplar (.lot). When loaded, you find the building in the tree, right click on the properties, and click "re-compute properties as...", and plug in the FD. All of the stats will become correct and the lots will be given proper (CAMpatible) Stages.

There are a few mods that are non-CAMpatible, and I imagine you could download them, and search for their file name in the plugin to figure out if they are in there.

xekon · January 30, 2011, 02:16:21 AM

OK! Awesome! thank you for the tip. In Descriptors>ALL>Buildings

I am just going down the list, I click into one then in the properties view for that lot I right click and select "Recompute properties as.."

I have already found a few some are 1 stage off from what they should be, others are way off...

Also it seems like this program with a simple extra feature could loop through a huge collection of lots and fix their stage. As it is now if you have thousands of lots then you have a lot of work to do.

I realize that you have to put in the Filling degree... a lot of the files already have a number in there... I have been using the existing number, and when there isnt a number it pops up a 0.5 in the box and ive just been leaving it like that, Also sometimes somebody will put a number greater than 1, when I see that I just put it at a flat 1.

My only real goal here is to make sure all my lots are campatible so its not chaotic and causing job/demand issues as the stages progress.

Thanks again for your help.

xekon · January 30, 2011, 04:47:42 AM

Just finished Low wealth residential. 17 more sections to go.

Lowkee33 · January 30, 2011, 06:52:31 AM

I may have given incomplete advise. The Filling Degree Defualts at .5, so any time you see that it is likely that the building was not run through PIMX. Any time you see a degree other than .5, it has, and would be consdered CAMPatible.

For >1, sometimes the building is one of many in a Mega Lot. It may appear twice or three times on that lot.

xekon · January 30, 2011, 07:40:08 AM

hmm I wonder if all those low wealth ones i did were part of a mega lot or not... there were probably atleast 10 of them but i have no idea which ones now.

I wonder what kinda of affect that will have on the game... poor people have even less room now maybe?

Lowkee33 · January 30, 2011, 08:42:46 AM

I guess there are more things to consider other than just the building. Most industries have out-buildings that have been added to the filling degree. I can say that everything on the LEX has been run through PIMX and given Filling Degrees that are generally agreed with. Sorry.

A good place to start is to go through the Lots and find ones that are stage 8 (or 3 for industrial). Those are the limits for non-cam, so it is more likely that they were not run through PIMX.

QuoteI wonder what kinda of affect that will have on the game... poor people have even less room now maybe?

.

If you dropped the FD then they have more room. Stages are density. If 8 people can live in a house, and that house is on a 1x1 lot, then I believe it is a stage 3. If that same house is on a 1x2 lot, then it is a stage 1. If you had two of the same houses on a lot, then the filling degree should be doubled. In which case, the 1x2 would become a stage 3 again.

You sort of have to forget about what we call buildings in real life. In Sim City, we have Building Exemplars (.desc) and Lot Exemplars (.lot). The Buildings determine functionality, and the Lots determine how it appears in game. Multiple Lots can use the same Building.

xekon · February 01, 2011, 07:15:04 PM

How about a way to go through them one by one and see if any files are missing?

So far I have been playing and loving it. so much variety in my city now. Occassionally I find a Brown box building and I write its name down using the query tool, bulldoze it, then find those files with that name and remove them from my plugins folder.

Is there a way to search for these buildings out of the game with PIM?

Lowkee33 · February 01, 2011, 07:34:07 PM

Yes, but first: you don't need to delete the brown boxes if you don't want to. If you put the model into your plugin folder they will work next time you load SC4.

What you want can be done in PIMX. When you click on "descriptors" you should see a long list of various buildings/props/flora/etc... when you go through this list you should see the relevant model. Any time there is no model (the area is black) you have the potential for a brown box. Either you didn't load the model in PIMX, the model is invisible, or the model doesn't exist for you. If you didn't load it, then load it next time

. Otherwise, you would right click on the data section, and open the lots. Right clicking again will give you an option for a dependency listing. If the "Building" is not found, then you will get a brown box. You can also open the LE in PIMX, and if the blue box (the building)has an "X" on it then you will get a brown box. Yellow boxes are props, and if they have an "X" then they just wont appear. Not fun, but not a box.

A note about PIMX: PIMX can't handle large amounts of plugins at once. I stopped pushing it at about 500mb. The thing to note is that although you may be passed the loading screen, PIMX may still be working the CPU. With large amounts of plugins I also have the task manager open and wait until it is done (which can take a while).