How to change to cover radius of civic buildings?

[brick_mortimer]

Hi there!

I want to recreate my hometown, but the civic buildings (actually the areas they cover) are not realistic.
I don't want to build a school and fire station on every streetcorner just to make sure everything is covered.
I mean, my hometown has 1 firestation and 1 policestation to cover 55 km² (1 large city tile = 16 km²) and children are happy to bike 6 / 7 km by bike to the local high school.

As an "experiment" I've already checked a custom firestation and a custom school in the Reader, but I'm not really sure what to do / change.
- The .SC4DESC and the .SC4LOT of the firestation both contained following "categories" in their exemplar file:

dispatch centre strength
dispatch exterior strength
dispatch radius (value 300)
centre strength   
exterior strength
radius (value 500)

- The school only has a .SC4LOT file with this "categorie" in the exemplar file:

school coverage radius (value 384)

My questions:

1) How do I change the cover radius of my civic buildings (education, fire, health, police) so 1 building covers a large tile?
2) Is the Reader the right tool to change the radius?
3) Can you only change the radius in the .SC4DESC? What if a lot only has a .SC4LOT like the school in my "experiment"?
4) If I change the radius to cover a large tile; does it mather where I place the building on the tile?
The police and firestation of my hometown for example are right on the town border so I would place the buildings right on the edge of a citytile.
5) The firestation also has dispatch radius / exterior strength etc. Do I have to change them as well?
6) Will changing the radius influence the monthly cost?
7) Will changing the radius affect the number of patients / students?
8) Are there any "dangerous" values (too high / low) I have to look out for? I don't want to ruin my game...

Thanks in advance for your help!

PS I'm only looking to change custom buildings, not the maxis buildings

[APSMS]

Radius is distance from the building. If you place the building at the edge, then it will only go as far your radius, from the lot center. I think the common radius that's allowable is 512. A large city tile is only 256 tiles on a side, so even a corner building should work out ok.

Remember that if you modify the stats of any building with  a slider (schools, powerplants, fire stations) that no Instances can be present in your city before you modify the stats or else you'll get the Phantom slider bug. This is Normally a rectifiable condition (sometimes not), but can go unnoticed for some time and slowly  destroy your city and budget. IIRC it has corrupted a few cities before (rare) so better to be safe than sorry. If you have already placed the civics, just delete them first from your cities that's all (some plugins can be edited during use, but slider civics aren't one of them).

[brick_mortimer]

...I think the common radius that's allowable is 512. A large city tile is only 256 tiles on a side, so even a corner building should work out ok...
...you'll get the Phantom slider bug...

Radius 512 duly noted 
Thanks for your concern, I already checked out the phantom slider bug and I'm planning to use the modified buildings in an all new region.

Upon reviewing my post, I'v got some other questions:
-Is the Reader actually the right tool to change the radius?
-Can you only change the radius in the .SC4DESC? What if a lot only has a .SC4LOT like the school in my "experiment"?
-The firestation also has dispatch radius / exterior strength etc. Do I have to change them as well?

I'll add these questions to my original post and thanks again for helping me 

[mgb204]

Upon reviewing my post, I'v got some other questions:
-Is the Reader actually the right tool to change the radius?
-Can you only change the radius in the .SC4DESC? What if a lot only has a .SC4LOT like the school in my "experiment"?

Yes, the reader is the quickest way, even if it doesn't look like the easiest at first. SC4 Tools would give you a proper GUI with more detail if that helps.

If a lot has more than one buildings exemplar, for example one in a loosedesc file and another in the lot, discard the loosedesc file. Regular SC4Desc files are a bit less obvious. Since it's possible both are needed if you have multiple buildings. General rule of thumb, if it's ploppable and there is only one lot, you only need the one in the lot file.

[brick_mortimer]

So... I just change the radius in the .SC4LOT file using the Reader and that's it?
Wow, I was afraid it would be much more complex

Alrighty then, I'll fire up the Reader!

Thanks a bunch for helping me out 

Ow, one more question: what about the dispatch radius / strength etc... Do I change them to 512 as well?

*edit = extra question*