CAM - General Discussions

[RippleJet]

When I read the README document, it had a link to to a manual to show how to correctly install and use CAM with an existing region. However, when I clicked on the link, I get this error that says the manual doesn't exist.

I'm not sure which link didn't work for you...
As far as I know, the manual is still available here: http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=1877.0

It is also included in the installer, and after installation it can be found under the Start menu -> BSC -> CAM

[z]

I've used CAM in a pre-existing region with significant development over many tiles, and I didn't have any real problems.  In fact, I thought my cities ran a lot better after I did this.

I should mention that I installed CAM onto an essentially vanilla SC4 Deluxe installation, with NAM being my only previous download of note.  I think one reason why I had no real problems was that I was working with the original SC4 building set, and so I didn't have to worry about overly large buildings.

Later, I built a region from scratch using CAM, and I couldn't tell any difference between the way that one performed and the way my original, converted region did.

[builder]

I'm back with another thread! 

After all the downloading, simcity 4 runs more slow than before. Does anyone else have that problem? Believe me when I say that I have a good enought computer, and that before I installed CAM, the medium cities were runnign fien. Now, they njeed much time to load, and especially the railroad takes a lot of time to make.

[xxdita]

This has little to do with CAM itself, and more to do with all of the extra custom content that's available for it, which it would seem you've downloaded quite a bit of apparently.
The more custom content you have installed in your plugins folder, the longer it takes to load the game, and then the cities, and then even your landmark and other menus.
You should look into DatPacker, available on the LEX. Another option is to weed out some of the plugins you don't use.

On the hardware side of things, it never hurts to max out your computer's RAM. And if you're on Windows Vista, a USB Flash Drive can be used with ReadyBoost to speed up your computer's performance even more.

[HandsOn]

This has little to do with CAM itself, and more to do with all of the extra custom content that's available for it, which it would seem you've downloaded quite a bit of apparently.
The more custom content you have installed in your plugins folder, the longer it takes to load the game, and then the cities, and then even your landmark and other menus.
You should look into DatPacker, available on the LEX. Another option is to weed out some of the plugins you don't use.

On the hardware side of things, it never hurts to max out your computer's RAM. And if you're on Windows Vista, a USB Flash Drive can be used with ReadyBoost to speed up your computer's performance even more.

Good tip, that Flash drive/ReadyBoost thingy. But before anyone rushes out to buy just any old stick, here's a bit of advice: check the ReadyBoost files on Vista (online/offline) first: not every USB stick can be used. Don't bother with less than 2GB, in fact go and get 4GB. I have several, and RB only recognizes thus far one type -the Ultra II from SanDisk which cost a pretty penny. Which "stcik" it wil wortk with will also depend n your card reader/USB port - no use with externals, it must be an internal on the bus.

Alternatively, however, - and this goes for XP users, too - you can simply move the larger pagesys to a Flash Drive, then your HD won;t be accessed as much generally, and a lot of the humdrum but memory consuming tasks will get done faster. And if you really want top performance (and have money to burn) install SC4 on a Samsung 32GB solid-state disk  . Still not exactly lightning fast, but about 50% speed & load improvement with a 3.2gb dat-packed folder (I got to test one - had to give it back, though 

Oh, yeah, builder: I did not see any mention of DAT PAcker in your post. If you don't do it, any plug-ins folder over 1.8gb will run into simple bottlenecks, especially on ATA drives.

[builder]

I was thinking of buying another 4 GB of RAM. I already have 2, but it doesn't seem to be enough. One of my friends bought a new computer and with it, 8 GB of RAM. It costed about 1500 norwegian crowns. That isn't much for 8 GB of RAM. I don't think I will go for 8, but 6 will do just fine, and I also have Vista, so the computer will actually use all the RAM, because XP have a limit, or something.

I have the Datpacker, and it is working fine, but is there something else out there?

[HandsOn]

I was thinking of buying another 4 GB of RAM. I already have 2, but it doesn't seem to be enough. One of my friends bought a new computer and with it, 8 GB of RAM. It costed about 1500 norwegian crowns. That isn't much for 8 GB of RAM. I don't think I will go for 8, but 6 will do just fine, and I also have Vista, so the computer will actually use all the RAM, because XP have a limit, or something.

I have the Datpacker, and it is working fine, but is there something else out there?

I run CAM-ified SC4 on Vista with a 3.2gb dat-packed plug-in folder on 2GB RAM perfectly fine; I think your problem lies elsewhere. If your vista OS (no apps, no explorer running) uses more than 48% of your memory then something else is wrong. Do you have a dual core CPU? If you do, then there is your problem: SC4 does not like that and needs to be restrained to a single core (0). Before I go into the details of that let me know if this is indeed the problem.

And no, to my knowledge all the external SC4 tools are here, on the LEX, and there's only one DAT-Packer.

[builder]

Oh, I have Dual core. But SC4 worked fine, before I downloaded and installed all the CAM files. And I am gonna buy the extra RAM anyways, so..

[HandsOn]

Oh, I have Dual core. But SC4 worked fine, before I downloaded and installed all the CAM files. And I am gonna buy the extra RAM anyways, so..

Go ahead - it's your money 

As for the dual core, here's a suggestion I found elsewhere and that eliminated all lag and all crashes from my gameplay. Two things need to be done and I strongly urge you to make a backup copy of the SC4 EXE first - just in case:
1) the EXE needs to be repacked using the ImageCFG tool found here. The instructions on the page are bit terse, but you need to bear in mind that if the path to your exe contains any spaces, then it needs to be enclosed by a parenthesis (""). The syntax thus is, for example, imagecfg -a 0x1 "C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" - this must be run in the DOS window!
This is perfectly safe to do - I've done it and am extremely pleased by the improvements.

2) next you need to change the short-cut you use for starting the game: depending on where your game is installed you need to change the path in my example accordingly. C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c START "high priority sc4" /high "D:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe"
The red stuff is important, the remainder is your game's path.
This last one changes the way Vista handles SC4 by putting only the most essential OS operations ahead of SC4.
One final thing I switched of was the indexing service of Vista: it tends to re-index even stuff long found and does so every time you install something into your plug-ins. Since this happens in background it is extremely memory consuming. Switching it off - after you defragged your hard disk, only means that a search in explorer takes a bit longer - no biggy seeing how Vista's search function pretty much sucks.

Hope this helps.

Edit: oops (big OOPS) forgot to include the exe in item 1, and forgot to mention the D|OS window - Thanks SC4Boy

[SC4BOY]

1) the EXE needs to be repacked using the ImageCFG tool found here. The instructions on the page are bit terse, but you need to bear in mind that if the path to your exe contains any spaces, then it needs to be enclosed by a parenthesis (""). The syntax thus is, for example, imagecfg -a 0x1 "C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps"
This is perfectly safe to do - I've done it and am extremely pleased by the improvements.

I believe the .exe has to be part of that path (if my memory serves correctly..its been a long time since I used it.. I just ran it in the command window instead of using that path)

This last one changes the way Vista handles SC4 by putting only the most essential OS operations ahead of SC4.
One final thing I switched of was the indexing service of Vista: it tends to re-index even stuff long found and does so every time you install something into your plug-ins. Since this happens in background it is extremely memory consuming. Switching it off - after you defragged your hard disk, only means that a search in explorer takes a bit longer - no biggy seeing how Vista's search function pretty much sucks.

Indexing is generally superfluous on all op systems (and it still seems to insist on being "on" by default).. I turn that off on every op sys install I do.. unless you have intensive word processing, or maybe database, etc (usually business apps) on your pc, it definitely isn't needed

[builder]

Oh, and one last thing: Is there something that removes the logos of EA and Maxis, each time I launch the game? I can't wait to click my way through to get to the game.

[RippleJet]

-intro:off

For more information, check Windowed Mode, No Intro and all the other such choices

[builder]

Also, HandsOn, didn't quite understand what I have to do. And the instructions on that page is terse. Wow, but I wan't to do it, so if you could explain it in a little more simple way, I would be grateful.

[builder]

Ok, ok, I tried to do what HandsOn posted. I downloaded the ImageCFG and went to System32. That is where everything stopped. Don't forget that I have Vista, and I didn't see any file or folder which was named "dllcache". What will I do? If anyone have Vista, because I think it is because of Vista, then can someone find the file or folder that has a different name, but is the same file or folder like in XP.

[xxdita]

HandsOn also has Vista, so I'm fairly sure those are the directions he gave you.

[HandsOn]

Ok, ok, I tried to do what HandsOn posted. I downloaded the ImageCFG and went to System32. That is where everything stopped. Don't forget that I have Vista, and I didn't see any file or folder which was named "dllcache". What will I do? If anyone have Vista, because I think it is because of Vista, then can someone find the file or folder that has a different name, but is the same file or folder like in XP.

I've got Vista, too, and no problems. Let's run through it again, shall we..?

• Download the ImageCFG to a specific folder (I've made a folder D:\Downloads just for ALL my dl's from anywhere - never use the Windows default folders!)
  Go and find your SC4 EXE in the folder where you installed it and write down the full path and file name (it will probably be something like "C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe"
  Now, from the Windows Start Menu, select the Run menu option and type CMD into the field; hit enter - a DOS window opens, with "C:\User\<your name>" as the start-up folder
  If the folder where you downloaded ImageCFG to is called D:\Downloads type D: and hit Enter to switch drives, then type CD downloads, to switch folders. If your downloader folder is on C:, simply type \<folder name> to switch to that folder.
  Now enter imagecfg -a 0x1 "<full path to your SC4 EXE>"

Your DOS window should look something like this:


ImageCfg will run its course and tell you when its done; close the DOS window by typing EXIT and hit Enter. Now all you have to do is to change your shortcut to SC4 the way I outline previously.


Just saw you're in Norway - that ain't too far to call, thus you can email me first, I'll give you my number, and you can then call me and I'll talk you through it..

[gabrielbyrnei]

If i can make a suggestion, increase the distance that all building types (industries, commercial, residential) need to grow bigger stages, needing a fire department too close. Its not logical that u need to put a fire department every 2 blocks for buildings to grow.

[HandsOn]

If i can make a suggestion, increase the distance that all building types (industries, commercial, residential) need to grow bigger stages, needing a fire department too close. Its not logical that u need to put a fire department every 2 blocks for buildings to grow.

Huh? Who? Where? 

[RippleJet]

If i can make a suggestion, increase the distance that all building types (industries, commercial, residential) need to grow bigger stages, needing a fire department too close. Its not logical that u need to put a fire department every 2 blocks for buildings to grow.

You must have misunderstood something here, Gabriel...

Here's a quote explaining how the fire CAPs are set in CAM:

The fire cap means that, in order to grow past the stage set, the lot has to be within the coverage area of a fire station.

RCI	Fire	Max.
Type	Cap	Stage
R$	-	15
R$$	12	15
R$$$	9	15
CS$	-	15
CS$$	-	15
CS$$$	12	15
CO$$	-	15
CO$$$	12	15
I-R	4	7
I-D	5	10
I-M	5	10
I-HT	3	10

The picture below is an early one from alpha testing with Dirty Industry.
The growth stage of each lot is clearly shown.
In this testing the fire CAP for Dirty Industry was set at 10.

You can see the fire station to the right in this picture, as well as the red coverage circle.
Only lots that were at least partly inside the circle could grow past stage 10.

[builder]

If you want to call me, then I wonder if you still live with your parents, because it would be a really awkward situation if your mom picks up the phone, and I ask if HandsOn is at home. Very weird.