Prop Families question

[Simcoug]

I've been through the Tutorial on creating prop families and I think I understand it pretty well.  My question is this:  In the tutorial it recommends that you create a new group and instance number for the props (which will create duplicate props the list in LE).  Is it possible to skip that step and just add the 'Building/Prop value' property to the existing prop exemplar if no 'Building/Prop value' property currently exists?  It seems like this would be easier and reduce the number of duplicate props if no prop family currently exists for a set of props.  Thanks!

[vortext]

Is it possible to skip that step and just add the 'Building/Prop value' property to the existing prop exemplar if no 'Building/Prop value' property currently exists?

It depends wether or not those would be new exemplar files to begin with. It's ill-advised to add families to exemplar files which are allready part of a dependency as this could create a mess later on (let alone if it were distributed). Rather create new exemplar files if you want to make propfamilies, which can be done two ways.

1) create a brand new exemplar file in the SC4PIM by dragging the model to the appropriate prop category, which has the advantage you can immediatly add a family.

2) take the original examplar file from the proppack, copy/paste into a blank file, generate a new instance and add a family.

The latter is what the tutorial describes and would be done in the Reader. Both methods have their (dis)advantages and I use both depending on the project at hand. Hope this helpes.

[FrankU]

If you edit an existing exemplar you can not distribute it, because then you have to distribute an edited version of someone else's proppack or even the Simcity_1.dat. This is not allowed.
If you want to use the props only on your own computer this is not really a problem. Although it is not advisable to edit the Simcity_1.dat for this purpose.

But.... If you or someone else has used the prop already on some lot (which is quite probable, because the prop has not been made for nothing), the next time you plop or grow the lot this prop a part of it will be read as a prop family and the lot will look different than the original designer has meant it to.
And because props are usually all over the place the most curious things will happen.

Don't do it.

If you do not want to increae the number of props and if you are not going to use the families on a large scale I advise you to take a look at this thread.
I use the technique quite often these days and it is very versatile and flexible. I have made a large list of props and their IID's, which makes it easy for me to select the desired props for a certain lot.

Good luck!

[vortext]

But.... If you or someone else has used the prop already on some lot (which is quite probable, because the prop has not been made for nothing), the next time you plop or grow the lot this prop a part of it will be read as a prop family and the lot will look different than the original designer has meant it to.

Actually that's not going to happen since the lot file still refers to the single prop instance, not to the family instance. What I'm more concerned with is the discrepency between the examplar file in the savegame (without the family) and the exemplar file present in the plugins (with the family) and what would happen next time one saves the game. It's known changing or adding information to files already present can have nasty side-effects, the prop pox or the phantom slider bug for example. So to steer clear of any potential trouble in the long run, it's best practice to work with new exemplar files.

[Simcoug]

Thank you both - best to play it safe seems to be the answer 

[FrankU]

@ Vortex

I read your post. Yes. You are right. I did confuse. And I do agree that it is risky. Don't do it.

@ Simcough

Succes with the project.