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#71

SimCity 4 General Discussion / What do modders use to create ...

Last post by doug_wesson - April 14, 2023, 08:02:07 PM

GMax3 is no longer a supported product. So what do modders use to create new buildings for use in lots

#72

SC4 Tool / Re: Is the program source avai...

Last post by doug_wesson - April 14, 2023, 03:51:34 PM

Thanks for this info.

#73

SC4PIM (PIM-X/X-Tool) / Re: DLL load failed: The speci...

Last post by doug_wesson - April 13, 2023, 05:28:18 PM

Many thanks MJB for your reply, it is much appreciated. It was missing the Microsoft DLL

msvcp71.dll

#74

SimCity 4 General Discussion / Re: Using SC4Tool to identify ...

Last post by Tyberius06 - April 13, 2023, 04:38:47 PM

Cleanitol's aren't the most prolifically used things, but they are bloody useful and if the file names don't match, then for what benefit are we breaking things?

The problem is the user usually. I was thinking about not changing the names by adding the new version number (I did this with the BSC MEGA Props JES Vol08, which doesn't contain any new stuffs, but I had to remove unused ploppable building exemplars), but I did not find it fool proof enough. I wanted originally the new updated versions to override the old ones, but the player can opt out the override when the new version would collide with the old one. And then the questions would appear just from the other way... "can I just override the old version with the new one". "I have a version but I don't know if I have the latest one..." The version numbers in the file name give away immediately which version they are having. So when a readme (the updated readmes are written following this idea) lists a v3 and specifically states that the player needs the v3 for the given content in order to make it functioning properly and they only have a v2 or one without version number, they will know that they need to download that v3 version.

The cleanitols of the new versions are always listing the old versions to be removed. That means that a Whatever Mega Props vol01 v3 is listing the whatever mega props vol01.dat and the _v2.dat too and whatever versions were before the most recent one.
This is quite critical exactly with the BSC Mega Props SG vol01, because of the older conflicting versions (STEX version vs. LEX version) had the exact same name and file path from the exe: BSC MEGA Props - SG Vol01.dat. Player downloaded the LEX version, then a STEX upload linked the STEX version, and they downloaded and installed that too, because yeah why not... Then they found a version from the simcity kurier, which might be the STEX version or the LEX version or predates both of them, I have no idea, but it is running under the same name.
Now the BSC MEGA Props - SG Vol01_v2.dat (and later BSC MEGA Props - SG Vol01_v3.dat) will definitely load after these versions, and the cleanitol also lists them to be removed.

We are not breaking things, it seems we are breaking, because I'm at the beginning of this update process on the contents, but I can not do anything with LD properties listing non-existing anymore prop packs besides removing the LD properties (which I'm doing quite thoroughly by the way after I determined all the proper dependencies for given content). Older the contents the higher the chance that someone will run into prop packs which pre-dates the mega prop packs. Many of the BSC readmes that I've been updating links back to non-existing STEX links (after the BSC migrated from STEX) and quite few of them actually links the PLEX, which is even funnier. These files were locked into the installers and nobody bothered to update them and reassemble the installer.
That's also true for some pretty nasty f. ups - has anybody noticed that technically the BSC BLS Housing 6x4 GC, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 Euro lots (most if not all of them) could/CAN - can at this moment the currently available versions - potentially cause Immortal Lot Syndrome because of the inhereted poor modding between building and lot config exemplars since 2004? And they are actually can cause ILS because I tested the theory. When the ILS came to light with ONLY ONE CAM Bixel lot, the whole pack got locked down for a decade, yet we have dozens of lots through several lot packs from 2004/2007 (if I count them from the so called updated LEX release) which do the very same, but might be harder to trigger.
Honestly I did not expect that I need to deal with these stuff too... So the process is even slower than I expected, because now I can not trust in a single upload and I need to double check all of them one by one and fix them if they needed to be fixed...

Sorry to have caused any trouble. all I really wanted to know was will the affected lots still work ok

@doug_wesson

You did not cause any trouble. In short just to make it sure. The newer BSC prop packs (newer versions) which come with this Project ZIP effort always compatible backwards. They are replacing the previous versions; sometimes they are fixing underlaying issues, sometiems they add new items, but on the LOT sides they remain dependencies as the older version was.

In the following months there's gonna be many updates with LEX contents (mainly with the still installer based BSC contents), where the readmes will be updated to reference the proper dependencies (tested and checked one by one).

#75

SimCity 4 General Discussion / Re: Using SC4Tool to identify ...

Last post by doug_wesson - April 13, 2023, 03:42:15 PM

Sorry to have caused any trouble. all I really wanted to know was will the affected lots still work ok

#76

NAM Inactive threads / Re: Disable Maxis Steam Freigh...

Last post by mgb204 - April 13, 2023, 02:09:22 PM

After you added the Catenary files, did you click around to refresh the Rail network and show the props? Because T21 mods only add to networks if they are present when it is built. So if you added this later, you will need to refresh everything to get them to show.

Indeed there is no road FLUP for HRW, the reason for this is because the HRW is pretty new and the FLUPs are a legacy feature. Essentially further development of Puzzle Pieces like the old FLUPs has been verboten for some time. The intended modern FLUPs replacement debuted in late 3x releases but currently only supports the RHW system. Eventually this system will be ported over for the regular FLUPs and then support for newer networks will be addressed.

As for the Wide Radius Curves, Hybrid Railway is not intended to support tighter curves, it's partially a realism-focused thing but also because HRW is an intermediary network. Looking forward the RRW-Like transformation of Monorail to Real-HSR (RHSRP), it's purpose is for dual rail type stretches between dedicated RRW / RHSRP lines only rather than as an all-purpose standalone network.

#77

SimCity 4 General Discussion / Re: Using SC4Tool to identify ...

Last post by mgb204 - April 13, 2023, 01:41:30 PM

If you are refering to private listings or custom cleanitols made by the players for themselves, well, that's bad luck. IF they were able to work with those by themselves, then probably as unconfortable as it might be it's up to them to update it again for themselves...

I'm doing my best, but we are still talking about 1000+ uploads which needs to be checked and occasionally updated/fixed and since we temporary lost the dependency tracker I need to update the readme files for the proper dependency links too. That was NOT the plan, as the DT should have taken care of that...

As I said, the intention is most definitely not to criticise the sterling effort you've put into this process, truly it's heroic how much you've done. But changing the file name is a deliberate choice as part of that process, it's not a mandatory one. I'm just stating that personally I think that's not the way to go and that it is sufficient to add this only to the filename of the download. By simply not changing the names, you'd actually save any potential work re-linking or fixing things broken by the change.

Cleanitol's aren't the most prolifically used things, but they are bloody useful and if the file names don't match, then for what benefit are we breaking things?

#78

SimCity 4 General Discussion / Re: Using SC4Tool to identify ...

Last post by Andreas - April 13, 2023, 06:02:43 AM

As Tyberius06 said, the LD-/LTD-file that the Lot Editor creates isn't always very helpful and could be misleading. It is important to understand that this file is only a help for the user in order to track down dependencies, but it's neither complete (i. e. texture files are not listed there at all) nor does it reflect renamed or merged files. The game doesn't need this file, it solely relies on the actual IDs of the properties that are read during the game starting up.

What SC4Tool's Dependency Scanner does is a mixed approach in order to track down dependency files. It shows you the content of the LD file, so you might recognize necessary dependencies based on the filename, but it also shows a list with all IDs, including colored markers (green = ID found, red = ID not found; there's also a blue marker, but right now, I can't remember exactly what it stands for). So if you want to check a lot's dependencies, just make sure there are no red markers, then you should be safe.

It is not necessary to re-save a lot in order to update the LD file; you can do this to update the file list in the LD file, but for the game, it doesn't make any difference how the files are named. If you're a custom content creator, it might be a good idea to have an LD file that lists all the files with the proper filenames of a prop pack rather than a huge list of SC4Desc files before merging them, but when I published the SimForum BAT team stuff, I simply removed the LD file entirely in order to avoid confusion.

#79

NAM Inactive threads / Re: Disable Maxis Steam Freigh...

Last post by Simulation City - April 13, 2023, 05:12:14 AM

You can remove Automata, it just requires a modified Exemplar, but that's simply one way to go. I'm honestly not sure if you can do this for just the Steam Engine, since the trucks/wagons would likely remain, only now without a train pulling them.

Rather than suppress all of this, I prefer to change the models to more modern engines. Until recently I was using SE (Steam Engine Replacements) from Vester, which include various US freight engines among his content.

A good way to replace the wagons is using this mod by Jim, it also includes the files to suppress the Maxis stuff, you could just use that if you wanted to. But it has excellent quality replacement wagons, a few mods do similar things with different models of course. Likewise for the Engines and all SC4 Automata, plenty of replacements exist for all sorts of time periods and places.

One useful thing, if you have the official Maxis DLC for the Air Force Base, you'll probably want this fix too, to make sure no Steam engines can appear.

As for the RRW Catenaries by Rivit, do note that it just provides the mechanism to place them on the RRW. You need to have this file installed which contains the actual models (catenaries) themselves. Rivit's mod is not 100% complete, but does cover all the base content and is probably the most complete such mod for RRW out there.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions. Jim's mod will do the job.

As for the rail catenary issue, ya I have installed the "essential files" you linked, still doesn't show up. By the way, I realize the NAM team has the "hybrid rail" feature which looks cool with the wires. Unfortunately the rail texture does not display properly with puzzle pieces like FLUPs (there is no "road under hybrid rail" FLUP for example) and there does not seem to be "sharp bending" hybrid rail functionality (the 45 degree piece took up quite a lot of space, though it's more realistic I guess?).

But anyway, great job guys. Save for the issues mentioned above, the hybrid rail texture works well for me for now. I really enjoy the NAM team's hard work.

Keep it up!    

#80

SimCity 4 General Discussion / Re: Using SC4Tool to identify ...

Last post by doug_wesson - April 13, 2023, 03:37:54 AM

I have solved the problem I just used the LotEditor and saved it and it now points to the right .dat file