No way around it, CAM baffles me.

[MyBuddyKeith]

I'll try and be as straightforward as possible. I've gone through the long and short form manuals, as well as several pages in the Dependencies and Linking threads and I simply can't understand the wording. I'm so baffled that I'm not sure where to begin. I've been playing SC4 since 2004 and I'm afraid a lot of the technical jargon escapes me. Still.

Let me get this straight; pre-CAM buildings can be made compatible, but I only need the .dat file (or equivalent) on my computer?
And whats all this about Cleanitol files that will help me get rid of unwanted files? I downloaded the CAM Residential starter pack and didn't see a Cleanitol file.

I realize that incorporating the CAM into eight years of accumulated custom content won't be easy, but I'm so bewildered by the whole process I don't know where to go beyond downloading the CAM itself.

[wouanagaine]

Let me get this straight; pre-CAM buildings can be made compatible, but I only need the .dat file (or equivalent) on my computer?

For making compatible buildings, if they weren't already made, you need the .SC4Model file usually packed in .dat, then using PIMX you can create a new building and lot from the original model, and it will be campatible
I think however that what you read is : if you download a starter CAM pack, you'll have to download dependencies ( which in this case are full building/lot ) and a cleanitol or you should take care of removing the original lot from your plugins folder

And whats all this about Cleanitol files that will help me get rid of unwanted files? I downloaded the CAM Residential starter pack and didn't see a Cleanitol file.

Can you please provide the link ?

I realize that incorporating the CAM into eight years of accumulated custom content won't be easy, but I'm so bewildered by the whole process I don't know where to go beyond downloading the CAM itself.

It can be touchy, but all things will develop anyway

[CasperVg]

I think the CAM Starter Pack Dependency Cleanitol files you are referring to are here on the LEX seperately.
There is also this set of Cleanitol files on the LEX that will help you remove all the "old" files from the dependencies.

[Tarkus]

It's worth noting that you do not actually need the Starter Packs to use the CAM.  The CAM mod itself (without the Starter Packs) includes modifications to existing Maxis buildings to make them CAM compliant, and there's a wealth of other CAM-compatible content on the LEX.  Those Starter Packs were made 5 1/2 years ago, when there wasn't a lot of CAM content.  Now there is.

-Alex

[NCGAIO]

If interested there is also a thread in SimcityCN from 2012 over the development to compatible buildings CAM

link - http://simcity.cn/thread-109590-1-1.html

 

[MyBuddyKeith]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I was hesitant to ask a question that has been brought up ∞ times prior so I appreciate the replies.

It's worth noting that you do not actually need the Starter Packs to use the CAM.  The CAM mod itself (without the Starter Packs) includes modifications to existing Maxis buildings to make them CAM compliant, and there's a wealth of other CAM-compatible content on the LEX.  Those Starter Packs were made 5 1/2 years ago, when there wasn't a lot of CAM content.  Now there is.

-Alex

Ahh this clears things up a bit. I was hesitant to download the starter packs because of how old they were, but I was under the impression that they were vital.

I have lots coming up that are nothing but a brown box. It only seems to happen on CAM specific lots, but if the CAM is already installed then what would be the cause of this?

wouanagaine: so by using PIM I can make any custom building campatible? I'll download it and check it out, thanks!

[wouanagaine]

wouanagaine: so by using PIM I can make any custom building campatible? I'll download it and check it out, thif you run under win7,anks!

Yes, if you run under win7, make sure you read the thread about it so you can get it working

[BarbyW]

Ahh this clears things up a bit. I was hesitant to download the starter packs because of how old they were, but I was under the impression that they were vital.

I have lots coming up that are nothing but a brown box. It only seems to happen on CAM specific lots, but if the CAM is already installed then what would be the cause of this?

wouanagaine: so by using PIM I can make any custom building campatible? I'll download it and check it out, thanks!

The starter packs may be old but they are still useful to get the variety of buildings at higher stages in CAM. The biggest problem with them is the need for a lot of dependencies as we recycled many other custom buildings and could not always provide model packs. If you are getting brown boxes it means that you are missing the models for the building. Query the box and you should get the name of the lot/building then you can check to see which model you need. There is a list of all buildings and the model required in this forum.

The program you need to make your own buildings is SC4PIM which is available on the LEX. There is also an extensive guide to its use on the LEX too. SC4PIM Guide

[Stewey]

I'm going through all my plugins at the moment and weeding out stuff I don't want, as well as sorting them all out.

I plan to have CAM (and CAMpatible) only lots in my folder. I know that to make the extra stage lots you need the X-tool or PIMX, but I also have lower stage lots that say they have been modified with the X-tool.

Can I just confirm that *any* lot that has been modified with the X-tool will be CAMpatible? I only ask because it isn't sometimes explicitly stated on the readme or the description on the download page, and I just want to make sure my cities grow in the way the CAM mod intends.

[pigeonpigeon]

I tried to install CAM as it seems like a great improvement to the gameplay, but I ended up giving up... I installed all the dependencies listed in the stickied thread at the top of this forum, but then when I went to install the starter packs I just got overwhelmed by the sheer number of extra dependencies I had to hunt down! Many of the links provided are outdated, too, making them sometimes hard to find.

My other issue is I've downloaded a bunch of lots that I like, for example Ill Tonkso's street offices and I have no idea whether or not they're compatible with CAM (I didn't see them in the list on the other stickied thread, so probably not?). Would kind of stink to lose a lot of cool buildings that don't appear to be CAMpatible, but I could live with that if it weren't such a pain!

Is anyone aware of any self-contained packs of CAMeLots (I have most texture/prop packs already)? I just don't have the patience to hunt down dozens of dependencies (nor to edit existing lots to make them compatible)...

Thanks in advance, even if all you can tell me is there's no such thing! Hehe

[catty]

I tried to install CAM as it seems like a great improvement to the gameplay, but I ended up giving up... I installed all the dependencies listed in the stickied thread at the top of this forum, but then when I went to install the starter packs I just got overwhelmed by the sheer number of extra dependencies I had to hunt down! Many of the links provided are outdated, too, making them sometimes hard to find...

The hunt for plugin dependencies is one of the reason's I set up a website to act as index to plugin locations, I've got two different ways of indexing currently on-site, but given work, RL and sick parent who I've had to rush to Hospital three times in the last Month I simply don't have the time to update both of them so I'm going to be getting rid of one of them.

The first have a lot of information on the plugin itself

http://citybuilders.co.nz/index.php/all-items

scroll down to get more plugins and just click the link to get the second screen

The second is just a name and URL location

http://citybuilders.co.nz/index.php/links

with the second, you can have a series of lists ie CAM list, dependency list, farming list and so on, both the catalogue and the lists can be added to by any registered user of the site.

-catty

[whatevermind]

General rule of thumb is that anything that has been made with PIM-X is CAMpatable. Likewise, anything on the LEX is in theory made with PIM-X and therefore also CAMpatable.

The problem, as you're both finding, is that most of the smaller buildings out there don't mention anything about whether or not they work with CAM or were made with PIM-X. The list of CAM buildings in the thread that lists them is also incomplete when it comes to smaller buildings, just from the shear effort it would take to check, track and list every new BAT. In these cases, you pretty much just have to either a) guess based on the size/properties of the building, or b) learn PIM-X and run your downloads through it to check/recalculate the properties to ensure CAMpatability.

As far as packs of CAMpatable buildings, you can start with packs of buildings on the LEX, which by the aforementioned should be CAMpatable. Also, in the thread that lists all CAM buildings, you'll find in the columns to the right that you see the same dependency names several times - for example Simgoober's commercial or industrial packs, or the bixel mega packs - so you can snag a bunch of CAMeLots without too much effort by focusing on those types of dependencies and some creative searching.